Recombinant protein Bd37 protected gerbils against heterologous challenges with isolates ofBabesia divergenspolymorphic for thebd37gene

Abstract

The Bd37gene encoding for a glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol anchored protein ofBabesia divergensdisplays genetic polymorphisms among isolates. Five major polymorphic groups (clades) were shown by PCR-RFLP among differentB. divergensisolates. Each group has been characterized according to a reference Bd37 gene (Rouen87, W8843, Y5, 6303E and 1705B). Recombinant (GST fusion) protein (Bd37r) expressed from the Bd37 gene, was used as antigen in a saponin-based formulation and was able to protect gerbils, after 2 injections at low dose vaccine concentration (1 μg per dose), against a virulent challenge with theB. divergensRouen87 isolate. In spite of polymorphism ofBd37gene, Bd37r induced complete immunoprotection against challenges with each of the 5 reference isolate groups defined by PCR-RFLP.