Host plasma proteins on the surface of pathogenic Trichomonas vaginalis

Abstract

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and fluorography technology revealed that pathogenic Trichomonas vaginalis was able to acquire numerous loosely associated plasma proteins during incubation in normal human plasma. These proteins were readily removed by repeated washing of the parasite in phosphate-buffered saline. Plasma proteins avidly bound to the surface of T. vaginalis were also detected using a highly sensitive and specific agglutination assay with protein A-bearing Staphylococcus aureus pretreated with monospecific antiserum directed against individual human serum proteins. These avidly associated plasma proteins could not be removed by repeated washing in phosphate-buffered saline or by treatment of washed, live organisms with surface-modifying reagents such as trypsin and periodate. A combined radioimmunoprecipitation-gel electrophoresis-fluorography methodology indicated that parasite biosynthesis of hostlike macromolecules was not responsible for the observed agglutination and reinforced the idea of trichomonal acquisition of plasma components. Finally, incubation of trichomonads with plasma in various buffers at different pH values did not alter the agglutination patterns. These and other data suggest that specific membrane sites mediate trichomonal binding of host proteins. The biological significance of our results is discussed.