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Recombinant expression of the larval excretory-secretory antigen TES-120 of Toxocara canis in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

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Abstract

A gene encoding the larval excretory-secretory antigen TES-120 of the dog ascarid worm Toxocara canis was cloned into the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. Specificity of the recombinant TES-120 antigen produced by the yeast was investigated. Forty-five human serum samples from patients infected with differentparasitic organisms, including 8 cases of toxocariasis, were tested against the recombinant antigen in immunoblot assays. Results from the assays showed that the recombinant TES-120 antigen reacted with sera from toxocariasis patients only. This highly specific recombinant TES-120 antigen can potentially be used for the development of an inexpensive serodiagnostic assay for human toxocariasis.

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Fig. 1a, b
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Acknowledgement

This study was supported by IRPA Research Grant (06-02-03-0628) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, Malaysia.

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  1. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Mun-Yik Fong & Yee-Ling Lau

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  1. Mun-Yik Fong
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  2. Yee-Ling Lau
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Correspondence to Mun-Yik Fong.

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Fong, MY., Lau, YL. Recombinant expression of the larval excretory-secretory antigen TES-120 of Toxocara canis in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris . Parasitol Res 92, 173–176 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-1020-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-003-1020-5

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