Enzymatic and protein differences between infective larvae of Trichostrongylus colubriformis conditioned or not conditioned to hypobiosis

Abstract

The differences in protein and enzymatic profiles of infective larvae (L3) of Trichostrongylus colubriformis, both induced and non-induced to hypobiosis, have been evaluated by means of SDS-PAGE and densitometric analysis as well as by semiquantitative micromethod API-ZYM (Bio-Mérieux, France). Quantitative differences were identified in protein levels between the induced and non-induced larvae, where the amount of two polypeptides (200 - 220 kDa) decreased in range 32.3 - 35.4% and the amount of six polypeptides (20 - 28 kDa) increased in range 20.0 - 27.0% in the samples of induced larvae. In contrast to non-induced larvae, on gelatin-substrate gel in L3 in vitro released (IVR) proteases from larvae conditioned to hypobiosis, zones of proteolysis were observed between 21 and 34 kDa.