Abstract
The immunogenicity of Leucocytozoon caulleryi sporozoites for chickens and their reactivity in vitro with specific immune sera were studied. Almost all of the chickens that had been immunized with the sporozoite antigens survived the sporozoite challenge. The degree of parasitemia observed in the immunized chickens was significantly lower than that found in the nonimmunized chickens. Specific antibodies against sporozoites were tested by the circumsporozoite precipitation (CSP) reaction. Antibodies were demonstrated in the sera of chickens that had been immunized with the sporozoite antigens or chickens that had recovered from a primary infection with L. caulleryi sporozoites. When viable mature sporozoites were incubated in vitro with serum from immune chickens, agglutination and a long, thread-like precipitate at one end of the sporozoite could be seen within a few minutes under a phase-contrast microscope. The effects of specific immune serum on the infectivitiy of sporozoites were examined by the sporozoite neutralization activity (SNA) test. Sporozoites that had been incubated in vitro with serum from immune chickens lost their infectivity to chickens. The CSP reaction and the SNA test in L. caulleryi infection were stage- and species-specific.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Akiba K (1960) Studies on the Leucocytozoon found in the chicken in Japan. II. On the transmission of L. caulleryi by Culicoides arakawae. Jpn J Vet Sci 22:309–317
Akiba K (1970) Leucocytozoonosis of chickens. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Jpn) 10 [Suppl]:131–147
Fallis AM, Desser SS, Khan RA (1974) On species of Leucocytozoon. Adv Parasitol 12:1–67
Mathis C, Léger M (1909) Leucocytozoon de la poule. C R Soc Biol (Paris) 67:470–472
Morgan JF, Morton HJ, Parker RC (1950) Nutrition of animal cells in tissue culture. I. Initial studies on a synthetic medium. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 73:l-8
Morii T(1972) Presence of antigens and antibodies in the sera of chickens infected with Akiba caulleryi. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Jpn) 12:161–167
Morii T, Fukuda M (1992) Observations on first-generation schizogony of Leucocytozoon caulleryi in chickens. J Protozool 39:281–287
Morii T, Kitaoka S (1968a) The laboratory colonization of Culicoides arakawae (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Jpn) 8:26–30
Morii T, Kitaoka S (1968b) Relationship between the course of gametocyte appearance of Akiba caulleryi in the chicken and sporozoite production in Culicoides arakawae. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Jpn) 8:204–209
Morii T, Kitaoka S (1968c) Influence of temperature on the sporogony of Akiba caulleryi in three Culicoides species. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Jpn) 8:210–216
Morii T, Kitaoka S (1969) Susceptibility of chickens of different ages to sporozoites of Akiba caulleryi at various doses. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Jpn) 9:104–111
Morii T, Kitaoka S (1970) Some aspects on immunity to Akiba caulleryi infection in chickens. Natl Inst Anim Health Q (Jpn) 10:151–159
Morii T, Shiihara T, Lee YC, Manuel MF, Nakamura K, Iijima T, Hoji K (1981) Seroimmunological and parasitological surveys of Leucocytozoon caulleryi infection in chickens in several Asian countries. Int J Parasitai 11:187–190
Morii T, Matsui T, Iijima T, Fujinaga F (1984) Infectivity of Leucocytozoon caulleryi sporozoites develop in vitro and in vivo. Int J Parasitai 14:135–139
Morii T, Nakamura K, Lee YC, Iijima T, Hoji K (1986) Observations on the Taiwanese strain of Leucocytozoon caulleryi (Haemosporina) in chickens. J Protozool 33:231–234
Morii T, Matsui T, Kobayashi F, Iijima T (1989) Some aspects of Leucocytozoon caulleryi reinfection in chickens. Parasitol Res 75:194–198
Morii T, Fujita J, Akiba K, Isobe T, Nakamoto K, Masubuchi K, Ishihara H (1990) Protective immunity to Leucocytozoon caulleryi in chickens by a killed vaccine. Parasitol Res 76:630–632
Mulligan HW, Russell PF, Mohan BN (1940) Specific agglutination of sporozoites. J Malar Inst India 3:513–524
Nussenzweig V, Nussenzweig RS (1989) Rational for the development of an engineered sporozoite malaria vaccine. Adv Immunol 45:283–334
Nussenzweig RS, Vanderberg J, Most H (1969) Protective immunity produced by the injection of X-irradiated sporozoites of Plasmodium berghei. IV. Dose response, specificity and humoral immunity. Milit Med 134:1176–1182
Vanderberg J, Nussenzweig R, Most H (1969) Protective immunity produced by the injection of X-irradiated sporozoites of Plasmodium berghei. V. In vitro effects of immune serum on sporozoites. Milit Med 134:1183–1190
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Morii, T., Matsui, T., Fujino, T. et al. Immunogenicity of Leucocytozoon caulleryi sporozoites and their reactivity with specific immune sera. Parasitol Res 82, 454–458 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004360050144
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004360050144