The present invention relates to immunogenic Toxoplasma gondii proteins, to T. gondii nucleic acid molecules, including those that encode such proteins and to antibodies raised against such proteins. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules and antibodies. Also included in the present invention are compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules and/or antibodies, as well as the use of such compositions to inhibit oocyst shedding by cats due to infection with T. gondii . The present invention also includes the use of certain T. gondii -based antisera to identify such nucleic acid molecules and proteins, as well as nucleic acid molecules and proteins identified by such methods. The present invention also relates to novel methods for the detection of cysts and oocysts.
1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule that hybridizes over an at least 18 contiguous nucleotide region of SEQ ID NO:78 under conditions comprising: (1) hybridizing in a solution comprising 2×SSC in the absence of nucleic acid double helix destabilizing compounds, at a temperature of 37° C.; and (2) washing in a solution comprising 1×SSC in the absence of double helix destabilizing compounds, at a temperature of 74° C.
2. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:78.
3. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:78.
4. The nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule encodes a protein selected from the group consisting of: (a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:79; and (b) variants thereof that are at least 95% identical to an amino acid sequence of (a).
5. A recombinant molecule comprising a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in claim 1 , operatively linked to a transcription control sequence.
6. A recombinant virus comprising a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in claim 1 .
7. A recombinant cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule as set forth in claim 1 .
8. A composition comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 and a component selected from the group consisting of an excipient, an adjuvant, and a carrier.