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Expressed proteins and antigens from Neospora caninum tachyzoites were studied by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. Thirty-one spots corresponding to 20 different proteins were identified from N. caninum tachyzoites by peptide mass fingerprinting. Six proteins were identified from a N. caninum database (NTPase, 14-3-3 protein homologue, NcMIC1, NCDG1, NcGRA1 and NcGRA2), and 11 proteins were identified in closely related species using the T. gondii database (HSP70, HSP60, pyruvate kinase, tubulin alpha- and beta-chain, putative protein disulfide isomerase, enolase, actin, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and glyceradehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase). One hundred and two antigen spots were observed using pH 4-7 IPG strips on immunoblot profiles. Among them, 17 spots corresponding to 11 antigenic proteins were identified from a N. caninum protein map. This study involved the construction of in-depth protein maps for N. caninum tachyzoites, which will be of value for studies of its pathogenesis, drug and vaccine development, and phylogenetic studies.

ABSTRACT-Immunoglobulins (Igs) were purified from sera obtained from olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus immunized with goat IgG using immunoaffinity and mannan-binding protein (MBP) affinity columns and designated IMMIg and MBPIg respectively. SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) analyses demonstrated that the olive flounder serum contained at least two different types of Ig in terms of molecular weight and pI of heavy chain. 2-DE separation of the Igs followed by peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) revealed that these two Igs were IgM and IgM precursor of olive flounder. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against the IMMIg and MBPIg and proteome analysis of Lactococcus garvieae using these MAbs and olive flounder immune sera demonstrated that IMMIg and MBPIg recognized different antigens of L. garvieae. This suggested that different Igs are possibly involved in protecting olive flounder against L. garvieae infection.

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