IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TOXOPLASMA ANTIGEN BEFORE AND AFTER HEAT TREATMENT
H.M Eldeek*, M Abdellatif**
*Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University
**Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, El-Minia University,
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a widespread apicomplexan parasite able to infect virtually all warm-blooded vertebrates. Most humans contract toxoplasmosis by eating cyst-contaminated raw or undercooked meat, vegetables, or when they come into contact with the T. gondii oocyst from cat faeces. To study the effect of different heat treatment on Toxoplasma antigens, Toxoplasma zoites were processed for heat treatment at 55, 60, 65 and 70oC. The zoites antigen was prepared before and after heat treatment. Both antigens were separated by Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Poly Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Following separation, the proteins were stained by Coomassie blue stain SDS-PAGE. Pre-heated antigen protein bands ranging from 10 kD to 220 kD are detected. After heat treatment, the pattern of detected protein bands became slightly faint at 65°C, while at 70°C most of these bands disappeared. These bands were previously reported to be immunogenic bands of micronemes, dense granules and pellicle. These organelles are responsible for adhesion and invasion of host cells. These results conclusively showed that heat treatment up to 70ºC affects proteins that are important in cell invasion and survival of the parasite. Therefore good cooking is highly effective for inactivation and prevention of tachyzoites transmission.
June 2012