Surface antigens of metacyclic trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi.

The surface antigen makeup of metacyclic trypomastigote forms of strain G of Trypanosoma cruzi, which produce a subpatent infection in mice, differed from those of the virulent strains Y and CL. A 100,000-molecular-weight protein, barely detectable on the Y or CL cell surface, appeared as the main surface antigen of the G metacyclic trypomastigotes. In addition, the G metacyclic forms differed from those of the virulent strains in their susceptibility to complement-mediated immunolysis.