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Roberta O'Connor,
B. A., Animal Science & Agricultural Education, University
of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, M.A., Animal Science, Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY, C. parvum cannot be cultured in vitro, and consequently cannot be genetically manipulated. To address this problem, I am expressing C. parvum sporozoite antigens in the related apicomplexan, T. gondii. I have found that the C. parvum glycoproteins gp40 and gp15, molecules important for sporozoit invasion, are expressed in a manner analogous to native expression. I am currently characterizing the proteins to determine if the glycosylation patterns are the same as the native antigens. These recombinant glycoproteins will potentially allow me to identify host cell receptors for C. parvum adhesins. Cryptosporidium genome projects have identified coding sequences for 31 different mucin-like glycoproteins, molecules that are thought to be important for host-parasite interactions in Cryptosporidium infections. I am exploring the function of 7 small mucin genes, CpMuc 1-7. These mucins are encoded on a single locus and expressed during intracellular development. In addition, CpMuc 4 and 5 localize to the apical region of sporozoites suggestive of a role in attachment and invasion. By expressing these in I T. gondii and characterizing the mucins in more depth, I will determine the role of these molecules in eliciting an immune response.
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