(31). The results were expressed as reactivity index (RI = OD sample/cut-off), and graphs were made using the software GraphPad Prism® version 3·0 (GraphPad Softward Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Leishmaniasis is a great problem of public health in several countries worldwide. In South America, visceral leishmaniasis is mainly caused by L. Chagasi. As dogs Romidepsin cost are the main reservoirs of this protozoan parasite in these regions along with the fact that they live

close to humans in urban and rural areas, it is necessary to control the level of canine infection. In this work, two L. chagasi recombinant proteins produced in E. coli, rLci2B and rLci1A, referred to parasite kinesins and heat shock proteins, respectively, were previously selected from a parasite cDNA library. They were expressed and purified by column liquid chromatography after bacteria cell disruption. click here For the purification of the histidine-tagged protein rLci2B, two chromatographic steps were employed, whereas the rLci1A

protein, expressed as an inclusion body, required urea dissolution before column fractionation. The purified recombinant proteins were used in the development of an enzyme immunoassay for leishmaniasis diagnostic. The proteins rLci2B and rLci1A were expressed in E. coli with a yield of approximately 105 and 225 mg/L bacterial culture, respectively, according to modified

Folin–Lowry quantification methodology. The bacterial crude protein extracts (I and II) analysed by denaturing gel electrophoresis showed, in both cases, one predominant electrophoretic band whose molecular mass was comprised between 36 and 52 kDa ifenprodil (extract I) and 52 and 95 kDa (extract II) (Figure 1, panels a and b). The rLci2B purification performed by nickel affinity chromatography followed by Superdex™ 200 gel chromatography (Figure 2, panel a) recovered 10·5 mg of protein. The rLci1A protein recovery was 18·0 mg after Poros® HQ fractionation (Figure 2, panel b). The homogeneities of rLci2B and rLci1A isolated preparations were determined by methodologies based on isoelectric point (IEF-PAGE), molecular weight (SDS-PAGE) and immunological characterization (Western blot). Estimated molecular mass and isoelectric point were 46·37 kDa and 5·91 for rLci2B (Figure 2, panel c, lane 2) and 88·40 kDa and 6·01 for rLci1A (Figure 2, panel d, lane 2), respectively. Preliminary ELISA studies were performed to establish methodology standardization.