Identification and characterization of the Onchocerca volvulus Excretory Secretory Product Ov28CRP, a putative GM2 activator protein

Ferdinand Ngale Njume , Stephen Mbigha Ghogomu , Robert Adamu Shey , Lea Olive Tchouate Gainkam , Philippe Poelvoorde , Perrine Humblet , Joseph Kamgno , Annie Robert , Leon Mutesa , Christophe Lelubre , Evelina Edelweiss , A. Poterszman (1) , Susi Anheuser , Luc Vanhamme , Jacob Souopgui

1 IGBMC - Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire

Human onchocerciasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting millions in endemic tropical countries and is the world’s second leading cause of infectious blindness. Onchocerca volvulus, the causative agent of the disease is a tissue dwelling nematode diagnosed by identification of microfilaria larval stages in skin snip biopsies. The development of new tools for the management of the disease requires the characterization of more parasite antigens as about 44% of genes have no predicted function. In this research, efforts were made to characterize one such novel secretory protein of the parasite. We report that it is a putative orthologue of the human GM2 activator protein and evaluated its immune response in the context of disease diagnosis. Although we observed cross-reaction with Loa loa and other related nematodes, our data still supports further investigations towards a possible function of the protein in immunomodulation.

Domaines: Biochimie [q-bio.BM]

Ferdinand Ngale Njume, Stephen Mbigha Ghogomu, Robert Adamu Shey, Lea Olive Tchouate Gainkam, Philippe Poelvoorde, et al.. Identification and characterization of the Onchocerca volvulus Excretory Secretory Product Ov28CRP, a putative GM2 activator protein. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2019, 13 (7), pp.e0007591. ⟨10.1371/journal.pntd.0007591⟩. ⟨hal-03092215⟩