Nucleotide sequence of a cDNA from Onchocerca gibsoni encoding a novel repetitive antigen.

mRNA from uterine microfilariae of the cattle parasite Onchocerca gibsoni was used for the construction of cDNA libraries. A cDNA clone encoding an antigen recognized by serum from human individuals infected with O. volvulus was found to contain five copies of an 87 bp unit. These 87 bp units were present in the genome in high copy number as long tandem arrays. These are the first cDNA sequence data obtained directly from larvae of any Onchocerca species.