Glycosylation Pattern of Erythrocyte and Lymphocyte Proteins from Cattle with Tropical Theileriosis

Abstract

To our knowledge, this is the first study in analysing the glycosylated proteins of erythrocytes and lymphocytes of cattle infected with Theileria annulata at high percentage of parasitemia (50-70%). SDS-PAGE separation of extracts of erythrocytes showed that one protein band (28 kDa) was not observed in erythrocytes of bovine theileriosis in comparison to control cells. Interestingly, erythrocytes of bovine theileriosis, analysed by polyacrilamide gels and stained by PAS method, gave much more stronger bands than control erythrocytes although, erythrocytes gave weaker bands on coomassie blue stained polyacrilamide gels in comparison to control erythrocytes. Maackia Amurensis Agglutinin (MAA) lectin staining of semi-dry blotted nitrocelulose membranes after SDS-PAGE analysis of erythrocytes of cattle with theileriosis gave very similar bands with control cells indicating that glycoproteins of erythrocytes of cattle with and without theileriosis possess similar sialic acid structures. Furthermore, stainings of semi-dry blotted nitrocelulose membranes with Dig-glycan detection kit and MAA lectin after SDS-PAGE separation of lymphocytes of cattle with theileriosis gave more prominent glycosylated proteins than control lymphocytes. This result indicates the increased protein glycosylation in lymphocytes of bovine theileriosis when compared with control lymphocytes.