Correlation of oligomycin-sensitive ATPase activity in trypanosomes with their content of an antigen to primary biliary cirrhosis.

The amounts of an antigen to primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) which occur in subcellular fractions of Trypanosoma rhodesiense and T. lewisi correlate positively with the oligomycin-sensitive (OS) ATPase activity of these fractions. This result is consistent with the mitochondrial ATPase association of the antigen in mammalian and other cells. Higher levels of OS-ATPase and of PBC antigen in T. lewisi accord with a more extensive mitochondrial development in this species.