Isolation of a phosphorylcholine‐containing component from the turbot tapeworm, Bothriocephalus scorpii (Müller), and its reaction with C‐reactive protein

Summary A fraction isolated by electrofocusing (pI 4.2) from a saline extract of the turbot parasite. Bothriocephalus scorpii , contained choline and precipitated with a teleost C‐reactive protein (CRP) and a phosphorylcholine‐binding Balb/c mouse myeloma protein, TEPC‐15. Non‐dialysable products re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasite Immunology
Main Authors: FLETCHER, THELMA C., WHITE, ANN, BALDO, B.A.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1980
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3024.1980.tb00056.x
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-3024.1980.tb00056.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-3024.1980.tb00056.x
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Summary:Summary A fraction isolated by electrofocusing (pI 4.2) from a saline extract of the turbot parasite. Bothriocephalus scorpii , contained choline and precipitated with a teleost C‐reactive protein (CRP) and a phosphorylcholine‐binding Balb/c mouse myeloma protein, TEPC‐15. Non‐dialysable products released from cultured tapeworms also precipitated with the phosphorylcholine‐specific precipitins. Ca 2+ was required for precipitation with CRP and immunodiffusion lines were confluent with pneumococcal C‐polysaccharide and a fungal C substance. Intradermal injection of the phosphorylcholine‐containing fraction caused an immediate erythema reaction in all mature turbot tested. The skin reaction is thought to be related to the amount of circulating CRP and this protein was present in sera from all mature turbot giving a positive skin response. There is no evidence for CRP being toxic to the tapeworms and the possibility is discussed that the worms exploit the host CRP for their own survival.