A STAGE-SPECIFIC CALCIUM-BINDING PROTEIN EXPRESSED IN EGGS OF SCHISTOSOMA-MANSONI

A cDNA sequence encoding a Schistosoma mansoni egg antigen SmE16 was cloned in Escherichia coli. The 16-kDa polypeptide deduced from the nucleotide sequence is related to the calmodulin and troponin C gene families of calcium-binding proteins, and the most significant homology is displayed around the four calcium-binding sites. The antigen was expressed as a hybrid protein of the bacteriophage MS2 polymerase. The MS2-SmE16 fusion protein binds calcium, as demonstrated via ligand blotting with Calcium-45. The detection of antibodies to the purified recombinant egg antigen in sera of schistosomiasis patients opens up the possibility that it may be a useful candidate for the development of serodiagnostic assays. The function of the protein in the egg is presently unclear.