IMMUNIZATION AGAINST TAENIA-TAENIAEFORMIS IN MICE - IDENTIFICATION OF ONCOSPHERAL ANTIGENS IN POLYACRYLAMIDE GELS BY WESTERN BLOTTING AND ENZYME-IMMUNOASSAY

Abstract

Oncospheral antigens of Taenia taeniaeformis were fractionated using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in the presence of sodium deoxycholate (DOC PAGE) under conditions in which their ability to vaccinate mice against infection was not destroyed. A gel cut-out fraction (DOC PAGE FII) was shown to be effective in vaccinating against infection with larvae. DOC-PAGE analysis of radioactivity using 125I-labelled antigen indicated that FII represented 11% of the original labelled protein. Antigens from DOC PAGE FII were eluted from gel cut-outs and shown to retain their ability to vaccinate mice against infection. In sodium dodecyl sulphate PAGE (SDS PAGE) the eluted DOC PAGE FII compone..