Identification of antibody classes and Fc receptors responsible for phagocytosis of Trypanosoma musculi by mouse macrophages.

The phagocytosis of Trypanosoma musculi by macrophages in the presence of specific antibodies was investigated. In 14-day-infected mice, opsonic antibodies were detected in serum, and phagocytosis of parasites by peritoneal macrophages was observed. The mechanism of T. musculi phagocytosis was analyzed. The binding of trypanosomes to peritoneal macrophages and J774 cells was observed in the presence of serum from hyperimmune mice and from mice infected 14 or 28 days earlier, but not in the presence of control mouse serum or sera from 7-day-infected mice. Binding was partially inhibited by mouse monoclonal immunoglobulins G1 (IgG1) or IgG2a and almost completely inhibited by a mixture of both. Binding was also partially inhibited by the anti-Fc gamma 1/gamma 2b receptor monoclonal antibody 2.4G2. Binding of T. musculi was also induced by fractions of serum from 28-day-infected mice obtained by protein A-Sepharose chromatography. Only the IgG1-rich fraction eluted at pH 6.0 and the IgG2a-rich fraction eluted at pH 4.5 promoted binding which could be almost completely inhibited by monoclonal IgG1 and IgG2a. These data indicate that IgG1 and IgG2a anti-T. musculi antibodies are responsible for the phagocytosis of T. musculi by mouse macrophages and both Fc gamma 2a and Fc gamma 1/gamma 2b receptors are involved. Such a mechanism is likely to account for the elimination of parasites in T. musculi-infected mice.