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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Animal Disease Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #115832
Title: STRAIN DIVERSITY IN MAJOR SURFACE PROTEIN 2 EXPRESSION DURING TICK TRANSMISSION OF ANAPLASMA MARGINALE

Author
item RURANGIRWA, FRED - WASHINGTON STATE UNIVER
item Stiller, David
item PALMER, GUY - WASHINGTON STATE UNIVER

Submitted to: Infection and Immunity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/22/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Anaplasma marginale, a tick-transmitted parasite of the red blood cells of cattle and some wildlife species, possesses on its surface during acute infections a major protein (MSP2) that acts as an antigen. This study demonstrates that variants of MSP2 occur among different A. marginale strains and even when the same strain is transmitted by different vector tick species. This degree of antigenic diversity among tick-transmitted strains of A. marginale may be an important constraint to developing a vaccine aimed at the MSP2 antigen.

Technical Abstract: Specific major surface protein 2 (MSP2) variants are expressed during acute rickettsemia. We previously demonstrated that a restricted pattern of MSP2 variants is expressed in the salivary glands of Dermacentor andersoni ticks infected with the South Idaho strain of A. marginale. We now demonstrate that the identical restriction does not apply to two other strains of A. marginale, and that different variants are also expressed when the same strain is transmitted by different Dermacentor spp. Antigenic diversity among strains is thus maintained in tick transmission and may be an important constraint to MSP2 vaccine development.