PROTEIN CHARACTERIZATION OF BABESIA-EQUI PIROPLASMS ISOLATED FROM INFECTED HORSE ERYTHROCYTES

Proteins of Babesia equi piroplasms were characterized. The piroplasms of B. equi were purified by lysis of infected horse erythrocytes with N-2 gas cavitation followed by separation in Percoll density-gradient centrifugation. The relative molecular weights (Mr) of major proteins separated by two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were 18, 28, 30, 41, 43, 54, 66.5, and 96 kDa. Immunoblot analysis using serum from an experimentally infected horse revealed six immunodominant proteins of 15, 18, 28, 30, 41, and 96 kDa. Two immunodominant proteins of 18 and 28 kDa were membrane-bound proteins as revealed by Triton X-114 phase partitioning.