Strongyloides venezuelensis: Heparin-Binding Adhesion Substances in Immunologically Damaged Adult Worms

Maruyawa, H., Hatano, H., Kumagai, T., El-Malky, M., Yoshida, A., and Ohta, N. 2000. Strongyloides venezuelensis: Heparin-binding adhesion substances in immunologically damaged adult worms. Experimental Parasitology 95, 170–175. Immunologically damaged Strongyloides venezuelensis adult worms were examined for their mucosal invasion ability and secretion of heparin-binding adhesion substances. S. venezuelensis was expelled from male Wistar rats 4 to 5 weeks after infection. Four-week-old adult worms were smaller and had fewer eggs than 1-week-old adult worms. One-week-old, 4-week-old, and 5-week-old adult worms equally established in the recipient mouse intestine when surgically implanted. Adult worms of 4 and 5 weeks of age secreted adhesion substances as much as 1-week-old adult worms. There was no difference in the heparin-binding activities and the lectin-binding profile of adhesion substances among adult worms of different ages. The rate of secretion of adhesion substances from the mouth was also identical. Heparin-binding activities were detected in crude adult worm proteins; however, proteins of 5-week-old adult worms had weaker heparin-binding activities than those of 1-week-old adult worms. Western blotting revealed that a number of heparin-binding proteins were lost in 5-week-old adult worms. A heparin-binding protein of 42.0 kDa, which was consistently expressed in adult worms, was a possible component of heparin-binding adhesion substances which are secreted from the mouth.