Exploiting calnexin expression on phagosomes to isolate Leishmania parasitophorous vacuoles

We have developed a simple scheme for the isolation of parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) that harbor Leishmania parasites. This scheme exploits the observation that PVs display endoplasmic reticulum molecules, including the transmembrane protein calnexin. The presence of calnexin at the surface of the PVs distinguishes them from late endosomal vesicles of comparable density. As a result, PVs can be isolated by calnexin affinity selection from an enriched PV fraction obtained by sucrose density fractionation.