ABSTRACT
In 1969, Andrieu et al. stated that the antigenic mosaic of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis was sufficiently analogous with those of Histoplasma capsulatum, H. duboisii, H. farciminosum, and Blastomyces dermatitidis, to warrant the suggestion that these fungi probably belong to phylogenetically related genera. The agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, like many other eukaryotic parasites, expresses several antigenic substances which may be recognized by antibodies raised in human patients or in immunized laboratory animals. Motivation for the study of P. brasiliensis glycoproteins originated from research projects aiming at specific diagnostic reagents, markers of cell differentiation, defined enzymatic activities, virulence factors, and parasite interactions with host cells. While studying the nature of exocellular antigens of P. brasiliensis, Puccia et al. found that the components having the main reactivity in ID tests could be isolated by exclusion from a Bio-Gel P30 column, followed by successive binding of eluted material to a Sepharose-concanavalin A column, and elution.
