Differences in protein profiles of the isolates of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar by surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) ProteinChip assays.

Surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) ProteinChip assays with weak cationic exchange chips were used for protein profiling of different isolates of Entamoeba histolytica and E. dispar. When SELDI-TOF MS spectra of cell lysates from E. histolytica strain HM-1:IMSS were compared with those from four other laboratory strains (200:NIH, HK-9, DKB, and SAW755CR) grown under the same culture conditions, different peak patterns of SELDI-TOF MS were observed among these strains, independent of their zymodeme types. Similarly, five Japanese isolates of E. histolytica grown under the same culture conditions revealed different peak patterns among themselves. The SELDI-TOF MS spectra of cell lysates from two isolates of E. dispar strain AS16IR and CYNO 09:TPC showed the presence of peaks specific for E. dispar isolates and the absence of peaks common to E. histolytica isolates. This is not only the first use of SELDI-TOF MS ProteinChip technology for protein profiling of different strains of Entamoeba but also the use for parasitic protozoa. The SELDI-TOF MS spectra show a realistic view of proteins with a biological status of E. histolytica and E. dispar isolates, contributing to show their phenotypic differences of proteins and provide a unique means of distinguishing them.