Author:
ZURABIAN R.,LANDA A.,ROBERT L.,WILLMS K.
Abstract
SUMMARYIn previous studies, ultrastructural observations revealed a large number of gap junctions (GJs) in the neck and immature proglottid tissues ofTaenia soliumtapeworms. In these helminths, cytoplasmic glycogen sacs are connected by numerous discrete GJs to other cells throughout the maturing strobilar tissue. Discontinuous sucrose gradients were used to purify membrane fractions containing GJs, which were identified by ultrastructural analysis. A trans-membrane peptide sequence from a highly conserved innexin region was used to construct a 20-amino acid synthetic peptide and used to raise polyclonal antibodies in rabbits that recognized both a 55 and a 67 kDa protein in a Western blot of the GJ-enriched pellet. Immunohistochemistry of larval and adult worm sections incubated with antiserum to the synthetic peptide and a secondary anti-rabbit IgG bound to fluorescein, revealed strong binding to the tegumentary surface of the worm, as well as patchy fluorescent areas in the parenchyma. The results indicate that both the tegument of cysticerci and adultT. soliumcontain innexin-rich membranes, which may function as a tegumentary transport system for small molecules.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Animal Science and Zoology,Parasitology
Cited by
5 articles.
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