Sensitive and specific identification of Neospora caninum infection of cattle based on detection of serum antibodies to recombinant Ncp29

Importance of serological cross-reactivity among Toxoplasma gondii, Hammondia spp., Neospora spp., Sarcocystis spp. and Besnoitia besnoiti

Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora spp., Sarcocystis spp., Hammondia spp. and Besnoitia besnoiti are genetically related cyst-forming coccidia. Serology is frequently used for the identification of T. gondii, Neospora spp. and B. besnoiti-exposed individuals. Serologic cross-reactions occur in different tests among animals infected with T. gondii and H. hammondi, as well as among animals infected by T. gondii and N. caninum. Infections caused by N. caninum and N. hughesi are almost indistinguishable by serology. Neospora caninum, B. besnoiti and Sarcocystis spp. infections in cattle show some degree of serologic cross-reactivity. Antibody cross-reactivity between Neospora spp. and H. heydorni-infected animals is suspected, but not proven to occur. We review serologic cross-reactivity among animals and/or humans infected with T. gondii, Neospora spp., Sarcocystis spp., Hammondia spp. and B. besnoiti. Emphasis is laid upon antigens and serological methods for N. caninum diagnosis which were tested for cross-reactivity with related protozoa. Species-specific antigens, as well as stage-specific proteins have been identified in some of these parasites and have promising use for diagnosis and epidemiological surveys.

Identification of a highly antigenic region of subtilisin-like serine protease 1 for serodiagnosis of Neospora caninum infection

Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes abortion in cattle; hence, accurate diagnosis of this pathogen is important to the cattle farming industry. Our previous proteomics and immunoscreening analyses revealed that the N. caninum subtilisin-like serine protease 1 (NcSUB1) has potential as a serodiagnostic tool for Neospora. Consequently, we expressed two fragments containing five NcSUB1 tandem repeat copies covering amino acids (aa) 524 to 843 (NcSUB1t) and 555 to 679 (NcSUB1tr) to identify the antigenic regions. The serodiagnostic performances of NcSUB1t and NcSUB1tr were compared with that of N54, which contains a single copy of the repeats (aa 649 to 784), and with the truncated NcSAG1 (NcSAG1t), which lacks a signal peptide and C-terminal hydrophobic regions, as a positive reference. Serum samples from N. caninum experimentally infected cattle and mice and cattle from a farm with confirmed cases of Neospora abortion were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the four antigens. In the N. caninum experimentally infected cattle, the highest IgG1 antibody titers were detected against NcSUB1t, while specific IgG1 antibodies were detectable from 16 days postinfection (dpi), with levels peaking at 36 dpi for all of the antigens. On the other hand, the levels of anti-NcSUB1 IgG2 antibodies were lower than those of anti-SAG1t IgG2 antibodies. The ELISA with NcSUB1t and NcSUB1tr had good sensitivity (94.59 to 95.95%) and specificity (80 to 100%) with bovine serum field samples compared to NcSAG1t and showed no cross-reactions with sera from Toxoplasma gondii experimentally infected mice. Moreover, IgG antibodies against NcSUB1t were detected during parturition in the NcSAG1t antibody-positive cattle, and NcSUB1t-specific antibody transfer was observed from a mother to her calf. Our results show that the NcSUB1 tandem repeat is potentially useful for serodiagnosis of N. caninum.

Neospora caninum surface antigen (p40) is a potential diagnostic marker for cattle neosporosis

Neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan that infects domestic and wild canids as well as many warm-blooded animals as shown by the isolation of viable parasites. The effectiveness of diagnostic tests for detecting specific antibodies against N. caninum is hampered by potential cross-reaction with other Coccidia. So, there is currently an urgent need for a sensitive and specific diagnostic assay for detecting N. caninum in animals. The N. caninum 40-kD surface antigen (p40), similar to NcSAG1 and NcSRS2, was shown to belong to surface antigen super family and thus represents an excellent marker for the diagnosis of neosporosis. In order to test the hypothesis, recombinant Ncp40 (rNcp40) was expressed in Escherichia coli, and an indirect ELISA test was developed using recombinant NCp40 antigen for N. caninum serodiagnosis. The antigen used in this study did not have cross-reactivity with anti-Toxoplasma gondii serum. Anti-p40 antibodies were detected by ELISA in the sera of Yellow cattle and were compared with (IFAT). Optimal sensitivity and specificity (98.2 and 98.6 %) were identified by IFAT. Additionally, 37 positive sera of T. gondii were detected and there was no significant difference with the negative serum of N. caninum. The rNcp40 ELISA developed here provides a specific and sensitive assay for detecting neosporosis in cattle.

Immunoblot diagnosis of infection with Neospora caninum in cattle based on recombinant NcSAG4 Antigen

The Neospora caninum (N. caninum) NcSAG4 gene was subcloned into a pET-28a (+) vector and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli as inclusion body, and confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot using anti-His monoclonal antibody. The purified protein was then purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography column and recognized by positive serum from N. caninum-infected cattle. Immunoblot (IB) method based on purified recombinant NcSAG4 (rNcSAG4) antigen to detect antibodies against N. caninum in cattle was developed. Subsequently, both IB and ELISA kit were used to test sera (52) from naturally infected/uninfected cattle. Results showed that 50 and 48 out of 52 was positive for IB and ELISA kit, respectively, revealing that IB is more or at least as sensitive as ELISA when used for serodiagnosis of infected cattle.

The NcGRA7 gene encodes the immunodominant 17 kDa antigen of Neospora caninum

A Neospora caninum 17-19 kDa antigenic protein fraction (p17) in one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) is the immunodominant antigen recognized by sera from bovines naturally infected by N. caninum. To identify the proteins making up the p17 fraction, we screened a new N. caninum tachyzoite cDNA library with an affinity-purified antibody against p17 (APA17). We isolated several cDNA clones with 100% sequence identity to the NcGRA7 gene. This previously described gene encodes a dense granule protein with an apparent molecular mass of 33 kDa. A second line of evidence emerged through a combined proteomic approach associating two-dimensional PAGE (2D-PAGE) to Western blotting and to mass spectrometry to characterize the p17 fraction. Two acidic immunodominant but minority protein spots were recognized by APA17 and by bovine sera. These antigens of 17 and 33 kDa are respectively composed of 4 and 2 isoforms. Furthermore, p17 isolation by 2D-PAGE and peptide sequencing by tandem mass spectrometry yielded a partial sequence of 17 amino acids, which allowed the putative amino terminal region of the NcGRA7 protein to be identified unambiguously. The NcGRA7 protein, without the putative signal peptide at the NH2-terminus, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli and when the purified recombinant protein (rNcGRA7) was analysed by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry, 2 bands of 24 and 33 kDa were resolved and identified as NcGRA7. These results demonstrate that the immunodominant 17 kDa antigen of N. caninum is encoded by the NcGRA7 gene.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detection of equine antibodies specific to Sarcocystis neurona surface antigens

Sarcocystis neurona is the primary causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a common neurologic disease of horses in the Americas. We have developed a set of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on the four major surface antigens of S. neurona (SnSAGs) to analyze the equine antibody response to S. neurona. The SnSAG ELISAs were optimized and standardized with a sample set of 36 equine sera that had been characterized by Western blotting against total S. neurona parasite antigen, the current gold standard for S. neurona serology. The recombinant SnSAG2 (rSnSAG2) ELISA showed the highest sensitivity and specificity at 95.5% and 92.9%, respectively. In contrast, only 68.2% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity were achieved with the rSnSAG1 ELISA, indicating that this antigen may not be a reliable serological marker for analyzing antibodies against S. neurona in horses. Importantly, the ELISA antigens did not show cross-reactivity with antisera to Sarcocystis fayeri or Neospora hughesi, two other equine parasites. The accuracy and reliability exhibited by the SnSAG ELISAs suggest that these assays will be valuable tools for examining the equine immune response against S. neurona infection, which may help in understanding the pathobiology of this accidental parasite-host interaction. Moreover, with modification and further investigation, the SnSAG ELISAs have potential for use as immunodiagnostic tests to aid in the identification of horses affected by EPM.

Sarcocystis neurona merozoites express a family of immunogenic surface antigens that are orthologues of the Toxoplasma gondii surface antigens (SAGs) and SAG-related sequences

Sarcocystis neurona is a member of the Apicomplexa that causes myelitis and encephalitis in horses but normally cycles between the opossum and small mammals. Analysis of an S. neurona expressed sequence tag (EST) database revealed four paralogous proteins that exhibit clear homology to the family of surface antigens (SAGs) and SAG-related sequences of Toxoplasma gondii. The primary peptide sequences of the S. neurona proteins are consistent with the two-domain structure that has been described for the T. gondii SAGs, and each was predicted to have an amino-terminal signal peptide and a carboxyl-terminal glycolipid anchor addition site, suggesting surface localization. All four proteins were confirmed to be membrane associated and displayed on the surface of S. neurona merozoites. Due to their surface localization and homology to T. gondii surface antigens, these S. neurona proteins were designated SnSAG1, SnSAG2, SnSAG3, and SnSAG4. Consistent with their homology, the SnSAGs elicited a robust immune response in infected and immunized animals, and their conserved structure further suggests that the SnSAGs similarly serve as adhesins for attachment to host cells. Whether the S. neurona SAG family is as extensive as the T. gondii SAG family remains unresolved, but it is probable that additional SnSAGs will be revealed as more S. neurona ESTs are generated. The existence of an SnSAG family in S. neurona indicates that expression of multiple related surface antigens is not unique to the ubiquitous organism T. gondii. Instead, the SAG gene family is a common trait that presumably has an essential, conserved function(s).