Proteinase activity in the isolates of <i>Trichomonas vaginalis</i> according to their pathogenicity

, Shim, Y K; , Park, K H; , Chung, P R; , Im, K I

doi:1993.31.2.117

Korean J Parasito > Volume 31(2):1993 > Article

Original Article


Korean J Parasitol. 1993 Jun;31(2):117-127. English. Published online Mar 20, 1994. http://dx.doi.org/10.3347/kjp.1993.31.2.117
Copyright © 1993 by The Korean Society for Parasitology


Proteinase activity in the isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis according to their pathogenicity
Y K Shim,¹K H Park,¹P R Chung,² and K I Im^*¹
¹Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine & Institute of Tropical Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-752, Korea.

Received January 14, 1993; Accepted March 02, 1993.
Abstract
Ten axenic isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis were subcutaneously injected to the BALB/c mice in order to assess their pathogenicity by means of so-called "mouse assay" method. All the isolates revealed neutral and acid proteinase activities both in their lysates and in culture media, but the specific activities of both proteinases in the severely pathogenic group were significantly higher than the mildly pathogenic group (p < 0.05). In the SDS-PAGE system in which the electrophoretic gels contained 0.4% gelatin as the substrate, five different banding patterns of trichomonal proteinases were detected, and the patterns were closely related with the pathogenicity of the isolates of T. vaginalis. All five bands might be regarded as cysteine proteinases group in the inhibitor assays. The cytotoxicity of the lysates of T. vaginalis to the target Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cell line was also significantly different according to the pathogenicity of the isolates, and generally lower in the lysates treated with cysteine proteinase inhibitors than in the control lysates. In summarizing the results, it might be considered that the proteinases of T. vaginalis showing five electrophoretic banding patterns are closely related with the pathogenicity and cytotoxicity of the isolates of T. vaginalis.

Figures


	Fig. 1 Confidence intervals (5% significance level) of mean areas of 6-day subcutaneous lesions in mice caused by Trichomonas vaginalis inoculation.


	Fig. 2 Specific activities of neutral proteinase in the mild-, moderate-, severe-pathogenic groups of Trichomonas vaginalis.


	Fig. 3 Specific activities of acid proteinase in the mild-, moderate-, severe-pathogenic groups of Trichomonas vaginalis.


	Fig. 4 Diagrammatic representation of proteinase banding patterns of Trichomonas vaginalis.


	Fig. 5 Sodium dodesyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis banding patterns of proteinases in Trichomonas vaginalis.


	Fig. 6 The densitometrics scan of Trichomonas vaginalis proteinase banding patterns is shown. Gels were incubated at pH 5.5 in the presense of 1 mmol dithiothreitol. Samples were run in the direction cathode (top) to anode (bottom).


	Fig. 7 Cytotoxicity of Trichomonas vaginalis lysates to the Chinese hamster ovary cell line.


	Fig. 8 Mean cytotoxicities of the pathogenic groups of Trichomonas vaginalis lysate to Chinese hamster ovary cell line.

Tables


	Table 1 Medical history of patients from whom Trichomonas vaginalis were isolated^a)


	Table 2 Neutral and acid proteinase activities in Trichomonas vaginalis lysate and cultured media^a)


	Table 3 The effect of inhibitors on electrophoretic banding patterns of Trichomonas vaginalis proteinases^a)


	Table 4 Effect of proteinase inhibitors on the cytotoxicity of Trichomonas vaginalis lysate

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