Interspecific differentiation of Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma conorhini and Trypanosoma rangeli by lectins in combination with complement lysis.

Four-day-old epimastigote culture forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma rangeli and Trypanosoma conorhini were tested with 21 lectins. Furthermore T. conorhini was incubated with the following sera: rat, Wistar HAN, germ free; normal fresh hen, rat and human serum. T. rangeli was agglutinated only by the D-mannose specific lectins from Canavalia ensiformis and Pisum sativum. T. cruzi and T. conorhini could be distinguished by the lectin from Tridacna crocea. The epimastigote culture forms of T. conorhini were not lysed by normal fresh rat, hen and human sera. Therefore, T. cruzi, T. conorhini and T. rangeli can be distinguished interspecifically by lectins and by the different lytic effect of rat, hen and human sera. It is possible to separate each of the species by complement lysis. The lysis-resistant species can be cultivated for further examinations.