A Babesia bovis 225-kilodalton spherical-body protein: localization to the cytoplasmic face of infected erythrocytes after merozoite invasion.

A 225-kDa Babesia bovis protein occurs on the cytoplasmic side of infected-erythrocyte membranes. Here it is demonstrated that the 225-kDa protein localizes to spherical-body organelles of merozoites. Organelles consistent in size and shape with spherical bodies were isolated between 1.17 and 1.21 g/cm(3) in a sucrose density gradient. Organelles consistent with rhoptries and micronemes were also present in fractions from 1.17 to 1.19 g/cm(3). Antisera generated by immunizing mice with the fraction (1.20 to 1.21 g/cm(3)) most enriched for spherical bodies reacted predominantly with spherical bodies in B. bovis merozoites. A monoclonal antibody generated from this immunization (70/97.14) recognized an epitope that occurs in the repeat region of the 225-kDa protein (now referred to as SBP2). Monoclonal antibody 70/97.14 bound to merozoite spherical bodies, vesicles in infected-host cytoplasm, and the cytoplasmic face of the infected-erythrocyte membrane. These results indicate that spherical-body proteins become associated with the host membrane via transport through the erythrocyte cytoplasm after intracellular invasion.