Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) congolense: analysis by fluorescein-conjugated plant lectins of surface saccharides of cloned variant antigen types differing in infectivity for mice.

Surface saccharides of 4 cloned VATs (variant antigen types) of Trypanosoma (Nannomonas) congolense, AmNats (Amherst Nannomonas antigen types) 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, and 3.1, derived from 3 different stocks, were compared by fluorescein-conjugated, plant lectins using a quantitative fluorescence method. It was ascertained by the ID63 assay that the 4 AmNats differed in their infectivity for mice. The lectins employed for AmNats 1.1, 2.1, and 3.1 were concanavalin A (Con A), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), soybean agglutinin (SBA), garden pea agglutinin (GPA), and gorse seed (Ulex europaeus) agglutinin (UEA). In view of the results obtained with these 3 AmNats, only Con A, WGA, and GPA were used with AmNat 1.2, which was isolated after the lectin analyses of the other cloned VATs were completed. On the basis of experimental results, we concluded that the amounts of saccharide residues binding the several lectins differed among the 4 AmNats. In each instance, the reaction specificity was controlled by inclusion of an appropriate sugar in the incubation mixture. Although the actual numbers of various specific lectin-binding sites differed among the AmNats 1.1, 2.1, and 3.1, all of them were found to have the following sugars on their surfaces: alpha-D-mannose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, D-galactose, alpha-D-glucose, and alpha-L-fucose. AmNat 1.2 treated with Con A, WGA, and GPA only had the first 2 sugars named above and alpha-D-glucose residues. The results of the ID63 assay indicated AmNats 1.1 and 2.1 to be significantly more infective for mice than AmNats 1.2 and 3.1. The lectin analysis revealed that the 2, more infective, cloned VATs incubated with Con A or WGA emitted significantly (approximately 39% to approximately 62%) more fluorescence than the less infective ones. Thus there were significantly more numerous Con A and WGA binding sites on the more infective AmNats. The situation was reversed with regard to GPA. Upon treatment with this lectin, fluorescence emitted by AmNats 1.1 and 2.1 was significantly (approximately 56% to approximately 81%) lower than that recorded for the less infective AmNats 1.2 and 3.1. In light of our results, infectivity of T. congolense cloned VATs was correlated with the presence of higher numbers of alpha-D-mannose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues and of lower numbers of alpha-D-glucose residues on the surface of the bloodstream trypanosomes. There appeared to be no correlation between infectivity and the numbers of D-galactose and alpha-L-fucose residues present on these parasites.