Toxoplasma gondii: demonstration of intrinsic peroxidase activity during lacto-peroxidase mediated radioiodination of tachyzoites.

Tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii have been radioiodinated under various conditions with or without lactoperoxidase, with glucose oxidase being used to generate hydrogen peroxide. Erythrocytes were iodinated simultaneously as a control. In our conditions, tachyzoites were more intensely labelled in the absence of lactoperoxidase. This result can be explained by the existence of an intrinsic peroxidase activity which interfere with the exogenously added enzyme during surface radioiodination.