Identification of monoclonal antibodies against the trypomastigote stage of Trypanosoma cruzi by use of iminobiotinylated surface polypeptides.

The surface polypeptides of epimastigotes and tissue culture-derived trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi have been isolated free of most cytosolic components by use of the 2-iminobiotin-avidin interaction. Polypeptides of the trypomastigote stage obtained by this technique are recognized by serum antibodies from Chagasic patients and T. cruzi-infected mice. These polypeptides have been used as the detecting antigen for the identification of hybridoma cells producing monoclonal antibodies against the surface proteins of the trypomastigote stage of T. cruzi. These experiments document a practical approach for obtaining T. cruzi surface proteins in sufficient quantity and purity for use in immunological studies.