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Calcium-ions are involved in erythrocyte invasion by equine Babesia parasites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2006

K. OKUBO ,
P. WILAWAN ,
S. BORK ,
M. OKAMURA ,
N. YOKOYAMA  and
I. IGARASHI
K. OKUBO
Affiliation:
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
P. WILAWAN
Affiliation:
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
S. BORK
Affiliation:
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
M. OKAMURA
Affiliation:
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan Present address. Laboratory of Zoonoses, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori 034-8628, Japan.
N. YOKOYAMA
Affiliation:
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
I. IGARASHI
Affiliation:
National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
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Abstract

Ethylene glycol bis (β-aminoethylether)-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) is a chelating agent capable of binding to positively-charged metal ions, including a calcium-ion (Ca2+). Here, we demonstrated the inhibitory effect of the chemical on the in vitro asexual growth of the equine protozoan parasites, Babesia caballi and Babesia equi. The growth of both B. caballi and B. equi was significantly inhibited in the presence of EGTA (IC50=1·27 and 2·25 mM, respectively). Under microscopical observation, increased percentages of extracellular merozoites in the total parasites were detected in both of the cultures treated with high concentrations of EGTA. In contrast, further addition of Ca2+ to the EGTA-treated cultures prevented the parasites from clearing and the percentages of extracellular merozoites from increasing. As for B. caballi, an invasion test using high-voltage pulsing proved that EGTA has an inhibitory effect to their erythrocyte invasion. These results suggest that Ca2+ is involved in erythrocyte invasion by equine Babesia parasites.

Keywords

Babesia caballiBabesia equiCa2+EGTAerythrocyte invasion
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 133 , Issue 3 , September 2006 , pp. 289 - 294
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

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