Induced proteins profile in the haemolymph of desert locust, schistocerca gregaria, following trypanosoma brucei brucei challenge

Innate immunity plays a key role in the control of microbial infectionsin both vertebrates and invertebrates. Haemolymph samples fromShistocerca gregaria, obtained after Trypanosoma brucei brucei challengewere analyzed for their protein profiles using SDS and 2D-PAGE and alsoevaluated for antitrypanosomal activity in vitro. Protein induction wasfound to increase with time, peaking at about 18 hours. In SDS-PAGE, theintensity levels of five polypeptides were found to vary from prechallengelevels. Further analysis of the polypeptides on 2D-PAGE showedvariations in their induction pattern with some being induced, upregulatedor suppressed with time of induction. Samples collected from insectschallenged with parasites followed by sugars, D-glucosamine had thehighest inhibitory effect on the level of protein induction while D-galactosehad the least effect. When screened for trypanolytic activity against T.brucei brucei, the samples had pronounced antitrypanosomal activitywhich peaked with the 18 hour sample. Antibodies raised against Glossinaproteolytic lectin (Gpl), showed no cross-reactivity to Shistocerca gregariainduced haemolymph proteins in Western blots. Antitrypanosoma proteinsinduced during vector-parasite interaction have the potential of being usedto modulate tsetse fly vectorial capacity.Key words: Haemolymph proteins, Schistocerca gregaria,Trypanosomes, two-dimensional gel electrophoresi