The Liver Flukes Fasciola gigantica and Fasciola hepatica Express the Leucocyte Cluster of Differentiation Marker CD77 (Globotriaosylceramide) in Their Tegument

Abstract

Glycosphingolipids from the parasitic liver flukes Fasciola gigantica and Fasciola hepatica were isolated and their carbohydrate moieties were structurally analysed by methylation analysis, exoglycosidase treatment, on-target exoglycosidase cleavage and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. For both liver fluke species, the ceramide monohexosides Gal1-ceramide and Glc1-ceramide were found in relative amounts of 1.0 to 0.1, respectively. From F. gigantica, the ceramide dihexoside was isolated in sufficient amounts to be structurally determined as lactosylceramide, Gal beta4-Glc1-ceramide, while for both liver fluke species the ceramide trihexoside was shown to be Gal alpha4Gal beta4-Glc1-ceramide, which is designated as either globotriaosylceramide, Pk-blood group antigen or CD77 leucocyte cluster of differentiation antigen. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the expression of globo-series glycosphingolipids in non-mammalian species. Ceramide analysis of ceramide monohexosides yielded as major components octadecanoic and 2-hydroxyoctadecanoic fatty acids together with C18- and C20-phytosphingosines. By the use of an anti-CD77 monoclonal antibody and the Escherichia coli Shiga toxin B1 subunit, globotriaosylceramide could be immunolocalised to the tegument of F. hepatica cryosections. The sharing of CD77 between liver flukes and their mammalian hosts fits in with the concept of molecular mimicry, which is closely parallel to the established imitation of host CD15 (Lewis X) displayed by the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni.

The role of Ser-(Arg-Ser-Arg-Ser-GlucNAc)19-GlucNAc Fasciola gigantica glycoprotein in the diagnosis of prepatent fasciolosis in rabbits

“…The presence of glucose in Fasciola fluke was previously recorded by Hillyer and Sagramosa de Ateca (1979);Hanna (1980); Hrzenjak et al (1984); Wuhrer et al (2001;. Furthermore, the results presented in this paper constitute the first detailed structural analysis of isolated glycoprotein fraction (F11) using mass spectrum and elucidate chemical structure: O-glycan Ser-(Arg-Ser-Arg-Ser-GlucNAc) 19 -GlucNAc.…”

Fasciola hepatica Surface Coat Glycoproteins Contain Mannosylated and Phosphorylated N-glycans and Exhibit Immune Modulatory Properties Independent of the Mannose Receptor

“…Interestingly, an acidic glycolipid fraction containing the highly antigenic phosphodiester, GlcNAc(α1-HPO3-6)Gal(1–1)ceramide, has been previously reported in F . hepatica [ 35 ]. In this study, MS/MS fragmentations suggest that, differently from the glycolipid, in FhTeg the phosphate group is bound terminally as monoester to a single monosaccharide (Man or GlcNAc).…”

“…While proteomic analyses confirm the high abundance of glycoproteins in the tegument preparation [ 33 , 34 ], detailed glyco-analytical data are available only for the glycolipid fractions of Fasciola spp. [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. With a view to further understanding F .…”

Advances in Fasciola hepatica research using ‘omics’ technologies

“…The glycocalyx is also rich in glycolipids that are highly antigenic (Wuhrer et al, 2003) and share terminal Galα1-4Gal and Galβ1-6Gal motifs with cestodes that result in serological cross-reactivity (Wuhrer et al, 2004). As well as being crossreactive with other members of the Phylum Platyhelminthes, these glycolipids also mimic mammalian-type glycolipids (Wuhrer et al, 2001;Wuhrer et al, 2004), facilitating parasite survival.…”