Characterization of an Anaplasma marginale exported ankyrin-like protein

MORETTA R.; WILKOWSKY S.; TORONI DE ECHAIDE S.; FARBER M.

Bariloche, Río Negro.

Congreso; XXXVII Reunión anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular; 2003

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular

Anaplasmosis is the tick - borne disease caused by Anaplasma marginale (order Rickettsiales, family Anaplasmataceae), an obligate intraerythrocytic parasite. The disease is clinically characterized by fever, marked haemolytic anaemia, haemoglobinaemia, icterus, weight loss, abortion and often death. Using the PhoA fussion system we identified several exported proteins. Among them we selected an ORF coding for a protein with a conserved domain of ankyrin. Ankyrins were first identified as protein mediating interactions between cytoeskeletal and transmembrane proteins, mainly in red blood cells. However a conserved domain of ankyrin was found to occur in a large number of functionally diverse proteins. The selected ORF was expressed in E coli and the purified recombinant protein was used to obtain specific mouse serum. Polimorfism studies were performed in different isolations by PCR amplification and restriction enzyme analysis and each of them were confirmed by sequence. Southern blot analysis was developed to verify the presence in the weakly virulent related organism Anaplasma centrale. Futher funtional studies will be developed in order to figure out the role of the ankyrin like protein in A marginale.