The expression of the Leishmania infantum KMP-11 protein is developmentally regulated and stage specific

Transcription of the gene coding for the KMP-11 protein of Leishmania infantum results in the production of a mature RNA transcript of 1.3 kb in length. The expression of KMP-11 mRNA is strongly down-regulated not only during the parasite growth from the logarithmic to the stationary phase but also during the differentiation transit from promastigotes to amastigotes. The estimated concentration of KMP-11 is one order of magnitude higher in promastigotes than in amastigotes. The analysis of the Triton X-114 phase partition of the protein shows that, in agreement with its predicted secondary structure, KMP-11 has an amphipathic nature since it is found in the aqueous as well as in the detergent phase. By fluorescence microscopy a defined pattern of distribution of the protein was observed only in promastigotes where KMP-II is mainly located in the flagellum and the flagellar pocket. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.