Partial biochemical and serological characterization of exsheathing fluid and somatic extracts of infective larvae and adult females of Haemonchus contortus.

Exsheathing fluid from infective larvae of Haemonchus contortus may contain antigens which induce protective immunity upon infection in sheep. In this study, a rapid method of preparing exsheathing fluid was used to determine its biological activity, purity and antigenic complexity. Protein in exsheathing fluid ranged from 21-59.5 micrograms/mL and no carbohydrate was detected. Gel filtration showed a single broad peak which retained biological activity and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated a single band staining with Coomassie blue. Biological activity of exsheathing fluid was present in extracts of infective larvae but not in extracts of exsheathed larvae or in extracts of adult female H. contortus. Rabbit antiserum against exsheathing fluid proteins cross-reacted with infective larvae extracts but not with adult female worm extracts. Immunoelectrophoresis of exsheathing fluid proteins against this antiserum showed a single polydisperse precipitin line. Thus, exsheathing fluid produced by the rapid method is a pure preparation of a biologically active and antigenically simple material suitable for further studies of protective immunity in sheep to H. contortus.