Most of the organisms of the phylum Nematoda are free living, but some are animal or plant parasites of major importance to man. During their life cycle all nematodes undergo a series of moults in which they shed an external cuticle, consisting of an outermost membrane-like layer of unknown composition and a series of fibrillar layers similar to collagens^1–4. Because of this structure, the cuticle has been viewed as an acellular exo-skeleton¹ with rather inert molecular components. However, observations have shown that it contains enzymes and sometimes haemoglobin^3,4, and that nutrients are absorbed through it in the infective larvae and adult stages ofBrugia pahangi⁵. It is bound by complement and antibody, resulting in the adherence of leukocytes⁶, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated reactions damage the cuticule of newborn larvae ofTrichinella spiralis^7–9 and the microfilariae ofDipetalonema viteae andLitomosoides carinii^10,11. We report here that the surface of the cuticle of the parasitic nematodeTrichinella spiralis expresses protein molecules which change qualitatively following the moulting process, and quantitatively during growth of the worms within one stage. Also, surface proteins are releasedin vitro at a rate which depends on the conditions of culture of the worms.

• Trichinella britovi muscle larvae and adult worms: stage-specific and common antigens detected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis-based immunoblotting

  • Sylwia Grzelak
  • Bożena Moskwa
  • Justyna Bień

  Parasites & Vectors (2018)

• Blocking anti-trichinella spiralis antibodies in chronically infected rats

  • S. M. Venturiello
  • S. N. Costantino
  • G. H. Giambartolomei

  Parasitology Research (1996)

• Immunocytochemical localization of antigens in adult worms ofTrichinella spiralis recognized by Fischer rats

  • Y. Takahashi
  • N. Mizuno
  • T. Nakashima

  Parasitology Research (1994)

• Excretory‐secretory antigens from adult Nematospiroides dubius

  • FG Monroy
  • JH Adams
  • C Dobson

  Immunology & Cell Biology (1989)

• Preotection againstTrichinella spiralis induced by purified stage-specific surface antigens of infective larvae

  • Guadalupe Ortega-Pierres
  • Estela Mu�iz
  • R. M. E. Parkhouse

  Parasitology Research (1989)