ULTRASTRUCTURAL COLOCALIZATION OF PHOSPHORYLCHOLINE AND A PHOSPHORYLCHOLINE-ASSOCIATED EPITOPE IN FIRST-STAGE LARVAE OF TRICHINELLA-SPIRALIS

Although the presence of phosphorylcholine (PC) in Trichinella is well established, the structures of the TSL-4 antigens that bear this epitope are unknown. A subset of TSL-4 antigens (TSL-8 antigens) has been reported to be absent from the surface of first-stage T. spiralis larvae. We report experiments with a monoclonal antibody (mAb US2) developed in mice with a relative inability to produce antibodies to PC. In immunoblotting, mAb US2 and anti-PC mAb (BH8) showed apparently identical binding patterns. In addition, we used an immunogold double-labeling technique to study the anatomical distribution of the epitopes recognized by these mAbs; the results obtained indicate close colocalization of epitopes for BH8 and US2 in tissues of T. spiralis first-stage larvae. On the basis of these results, we suggest that US2 probably binds to all T. spiralis TSL-4 antigens, including TSL-8 antigens. We also clarify some conflicting previous reports on the distribution of PC immunoreactivity in first-stage larvae of T spiralis.