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Azevedo BT, de Oliveira HN, Katiki LM, Filho AEV, Domingos AG, Antunes S, Okino CH, de Sena Oliveira MC, Ibelli AMG, Giglioti R. A small proportion of Zebu genetic background in crossbred calves may not be enough to improve resistance against natural bovine Babesia spp. infections. Vet Parasitol 2024; 328:110165. [PMID: 38490159 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The main objective of cattle breeders in tropical and subtropical regions is to acquire animals with taurine-productive traits adapted to the broad weather range of these regions. However, one of the main challenges on using taurine genetics in these areas is the high susceptibility of these animals to tick-borne diseases. Consequently, the present study evaluated from 10 November 2021-19 April 2022, the over 13 assessments, the Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina DNA loads and the IgG anti-B. bovis and anti-B. bigemina levels in Angus (n = 17, 100% Taurine) and Ultrablack (n = 14, ∼82% taurine and 18% Zebu) calves. Data were analyzed using a multivariate mixed model with repeated measures of the same animal including the fixed effects of evaluation, genetic group, sex, Babesia spp., and their interactions. The repeatability values were estimated from the (co)variances matrix and expressed for each species. The correlations between the DNA loads (CNlog) and IgG titers (S/P) values for the two species were also estimated using the same model. Regarding the specific IgG antibody titers for both Babesia spp., no significant differences were observed between the two genetic groups. However, for B. bovis and B. bigemina DNA loads, Ultrablack calves presented significantly higher values than Angus calves. Under the conditions evaluated in this study, our findings suggest that the low percentage of Zebu genetic in the Ultrablack breed was insufficient to improve resistance against babesiosis. Further studies must demonstrate if the low percentages of Zebu genetics in Taurine breeds can modify the susceptibility to babesiosis infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Tainá Azevedo
- Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Sandra Antunes
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
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Ansah-Owusu J, Addo SO, Tawiah-Mensah CNL, Obuam PK, Malm ROT, Yartey KN, Yanney JN, Torto FA, Accorlor SK, Dadzie SK. Tick-borne pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance in cattle ticks in Ghana. Parasitol Res 2023; 123:44. [PMID: 38095712 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08071-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are important vectors involved in the transmission of pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance. In this study, ticks were collected from cattle in Navrongo, Kintampo, and Kumasi and screened for pathogen DNA using PCR and Sanger sequencing. A total of 454 ticks were collected, morphologically identified and confirmed using primers that target the 660-bp segment of the mitochondrial COI gene. The predominant tick species was Amblyomma variegatum (70.26%). DNA was extracted from 85 tick pools and screened for the presence of Rickettsia DNA based on the 639 bp of the outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene, Ehrlichia/Anaplasma DNA based on the 345 bp fragment of the 16SrRNA gene and Babesia/ Theileria DNA based on the 560 bp fragment of the ssrRNA gene. From the 85 tick pools, the DNA of pathogens detected were Rickettsia africae (36.47%), Rickettsia aeschlimannii (16.47%), Ehrlichia canis (2.35%), Babesia occultans (1.18%), Theileria velifera (1.18%) and a symbiont Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii (8.24%). This study reports the first molecular detection of Candidatus Cryptoplasma californiense (1.18%) in Ghana. Coinfections were recorded in 8.24% of the tick pools. The findings of this study highlight the importance of tick species in Ghana and the need to adopt effective control measures to prevent pathogen spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Ansah-Owusu
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Seth Offei Addo
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | | | - Patrick Kwasi Obuam
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, School of Public Health, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richard Odoi-Teye Malm
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kevin Nii Yartey
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Jennifer Nyamekye Yanney
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Francisca Adai Torto
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Stephen Kwabena Accorlor
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Samuel K Dadzie
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
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Borthakur U, Ram Verma M, Singh YP, Kumar S, Kumar D, Bangar YC, Sharun K, Dhama K. Prevalence of babesiosis in bovines of India: a meta-analytical approach for 30 years (1990-2019). Vet Q 2023; 43:1-9. [PMID: 36846918 PMCID: PMC10026754 DOI: 10.1080/01652176.2023.2185695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND India has a massive population of bovines, which makes the framework of the economy mainly relying on milk and meat production. Parasitic diseases such as babesiosis are detrimental to bovines by decreasing animal welfare and production efficiency. AIM Performing a meta-analysis of the prevalence of babesiosis over 30 years viz 1990 to 2019 within India to pool out individual studies from different country regions. MATERIAL AND METHODS The studies were reviewed thoroughly to assess the quality, and it was done by following the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) and MOOSE protocols. The prevalence of babesiosis in cattle and buffaloes was calculated using meta-analysis tools using R-software and Q Statistics. RESULTS The systematic review and meta-analysis performed on 47 studies among bovine, 48 studies among cattle, and 13 studies among buffaloes revealed the (pooled) prevalence of babesiosis in India as 10.9% (6.3%-18.2%; Q = 5132.03, d.f. = 46, P < 0.001), 11.9% (6.9%-19.8%; Q = 5060.2, d.f.=47, P < 0.001), and 6.0% (2.6%-13.2%; Q = 500.55, d.f.=12, P < 0.001), respectively, which provides a rather exact scenario of the prevalence of this haemoparasitic disease across the country. In addition, cattle were having higher risk of babesiosis than buffalo. CONCLUSION The findings from the meta-analysis showed that the disease is prevalent across the country, and that bovines are highly affected by it. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Appropriate prevention and control measures should be taken to mitigate this disease and enhance welfare and production performances of bovines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udipta Borthakur
- Division of Livestock Economics, Statistics and Information Technology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Med Ram Verma
- Division of Livestock Economics, Statistics and Information Technology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Yash Pal Singh
- Division of Livestock Economics, Statistics and Information Technology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Division of Livestock Economics, Statistics and Information Technology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Dinesh Kumar
- Division of Livestock Economics, Statistics and Information Technology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Yogesh Chandrakant Bangar
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, The Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Khan Sharun
- Division of Surgery, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Addo SO, Bentil RE, Baako BOA, Addae CA, Behene E, Asoala V, Mate S, Oduro D, Dunford JC, Larbi JA, Baidoo PK, Wilson MD, Diclaro JW, Dadzie SK. First record of Babesia and Theileria parasites in ticks from Kassena-Nankana, Ghana. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:878-882. [PMID: 37589253 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are efficient vectors for transmitting pathogens that negatively affect livestock production and pose a risk to public health. In this study, Babesia and Theileria species were identified in ticks collected from cattle, sheep and goats from the Kassena-Nankana Districts of Ghana between February and December 2020. A total of 1550 ticks were collected, morphologically identified, pooled and screened for pathogens using primers that amplify a 560 bp fragment of the ssrRNA gene and Sanger sequencing. Amblyomma variegatum (62.98%) was the predominant tick species. From the 491 tick pools screened, 12/15 (2.44%) positive pools were successfully sequenced. The pathogen DNA identified were Theileria ovis in eight (15.38%) pools of Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, Theileria velifera in two (0.78%) pools of A. variegatum and Babesia occultans and Babesia sp. Xinjiang in one (1.72%) pool each of Hyalomma truncatum. It was further observed that T. ovis occurred in ticks collected from only sheep (p < 0.001) which were females (p = 0.023) and < =1 year old (p = 0.040). This study reports the first identification of these pathogens in ticks within Kassena-Nankana. With the constant trade of livestock, there is a need for effective tick control measures to prevent infection spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Offei Addo
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Ronald Essah Bentil
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Charlotte Adwoa Addae
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Eric Behene
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Suzanne Mate
- U.S. Army Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel Oduro
- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - James C Dunford
- Navy Entomology Center of Excellence, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John Asiedu Larbi
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Philip Kweku Baidoo
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Michael David Wilson
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Joseph W Diclaro
- Navy Entomology Center of Excellence, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Detachment, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Samuel K Dadzie
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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El-Sayed SAES, El-Alfy ES, Baghdadi HB, Sayed-Ahmed MZ, Alqahtani SS, Alam N, Ahmad S, Ali MS, Igarashi I, Rizk MA. Antiparasitic activity of FLLL-32 against four Babesia species, B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens and B. caballi, and one Theileria species, Theileria equi in vitro, and Babesia microti in mice. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1278451. [PMID: 38027032 PMCID: PMC10651744 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1278451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: FLLL-32, a synthetic analog of curcumin, is a potent inhibitor of STAT3's constitutive activation in a variety of cancer cells, and its anticancer properties have been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. It is also suggested that it might have other pharmacological activities including activity against different parasites. Aim: This study therefore investigated the in vitro antiparasitic activity of FLLL-32 against four pathogenic Babesia species, B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, and B. caballi, and one Theileria species, Theileria equi. In vivo anti-Babesia microti activity of FLLL-32 was also evaluated in mice. Methods: The FLLL-32, in the growth inhibition assay with a concentration range (0.005-50 μM), was tested for it's activity against these pathogens. The reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assay was used to evaluate the possible effects of FLLL-32 treatment on the mRNA transcription of the target B. bovis genes including S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and histone deacetylase. Results: The in vitro growth of B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, B. caballi, and T. equi was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner (in all cases, p < 0.05). FLLL-32 exhibits the highest inhibitory effects on B. bovis growth in vitro, and it's IC50 value against this species was 9.57 μM. The RT-PCR results showed that FLLL-32 inhibited the transcription of the B. bovis S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase gene. In vivo, the FLLL-32 showed significant inhibition (p < 0.05) of B. microti parasitemia in infected mice with results comparable to that of diminazene aceturate. Parasitemia level in B. microti-infected mice treated with FLLL-32 from day 12 post infection (pi) was reduced to reach zero level at day 16 pi when compared to the infected non-treated mice. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the antibabesial properties of FLLL-32 and suggested it's usage in the treatment of babesiosis especially when utilized in combination therapy with other antibabesial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimaa Abd El-Salam El-Sayed
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - El-Sayed El-Alfy
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Hanadi B. Baghdadi
- Biology Department, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center (BASRC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Z. Sayed-Ahmed
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad S. Alqahtani
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nawazish Alam
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarfaraz Ahmad
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md. Sajid Ali
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jizan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ikuo Igarashi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Mohamed Abdo Rizk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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El-Alfy ES, Abbas I, Elseadawy R, El-Sayed SAES, Rizk MA. Genetic Diversity of Merozoite Surface Antigens in Global Babesia bovis Populations. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1936. [PMID: 37895285 PMCID: PMC10606690 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cattle can be severely infected with the tick-borne protozoa Babesia bovis, giving rise to serious economic losses. Invasion of the host's RBCs by the parasite merozoite/sporozoites depends largely on the MSA (merozoite surface antigens) gene family, which comprises various fragments, e.g., MSA-1, MSA-2a1, MSA-2a2, MSA-2b and MSA-2c, highlighting the importance of these antigens as vaccine candidates. However, experimental trials documented the failure of some developed MSA-based vaccines to fully protect animals from B. bovis infection. One reason for this failure may be related to the genetic structure of the parasite. In the present study, all MSA-sequenced B. bovis isolates on the GenBank were collected and subjected to various analyses to evaluate their genetic diversity and population structure. The analyses were conducted on 199 MSA-1, 24 MSA-2a1, 193 MSA-2b and 148 MSA-2c isolates from geographically diverse regions. All these fragments displayed high nucleotide and haplotype diversities, but the MSA-1 was the most hypervariable and had the lowest inter- and intra-population gene flow values. This fragment also displayed a strong positive selection when testing its isolates for the natural selection, which suggests the potential occurrence of more genetic variations. On the contrary, the MSA-2c was the most conserved in comparison to the other fragments, and displayed the highest inter- and intra-population gene flow values, which was evidenced by a significantly negative selection and negative neutrality indices (Fu's Fs and Tajima's D). The majority of the MSA-2c tested isolates had two conserved amino acid repeats, and earlier reports have found these repeats to be highly immunogenic, which underlines the importance of this fragment in developing vaccines against B. bovis. Results of the MSA-2a1 analyses were also promising, but many more MSA-2a1 sequenced isolates are required to validating this assumption. The genetic analyses conducted for the MSA-2b fragment displayed borderline values when compared to the other fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- El-Sayed El-Alfy
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt; (E.-S.E.-A.); (I.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Ibrahim Abbas
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt; (E.-S.E.-A.); (I.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Rana Elseadawy
- Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt; (E.-S.E.-A.); (I.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Shimaa Abd El-Salam El-Sayed
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt;
| | - Mohamed Abdo Rizk
- Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
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El-Alfy ES, Abbas I, Elseadawy R, Saleh S, Elmishmishy B, El-Sayed SAES, Rizk MA. Global prevalence and species diversity of tick-borne pathogens in buffaloes worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:115. [PMID: 36998029 PMCID: PMC10061416 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05727-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Buffaloes are important contributors to the livestock economy in many countries, particularly in Asia, and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) commonly infect buffaloes, giving rise to serious pathologies other than their zoonotic potential. METHODS The present investigation focuses on the prevalence of TBPs infecting buffaloes worldwide. All published global data on TBPs in buffaloes were collected from different databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) and subjected to various meta-analyses using OpenMeta[Analyst] software, and all analyses were conducted based on a 95% confidence interval. RESULTS Over 100 articles discussing the prevalence and species diversity of TBPs in buffaloes were retrieved. Most of these reports focused on water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), whereas a few reports on TBPs in African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) had been published. The pooled global prevalence of the apicomplexan parasites Babesia and Theileria, as well as the bacterial pathogens Anaplasma, Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia, Bartonella, and Ehrlichia in addition to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, were all evaluated based on the detection methods and 95% confidence intervals. Interestingly, no Rickettsia spp. were detected in buffaloes with scarce data. TBPs of buffaloes displayed a fairly high species diversity, which underlines the high infection risk to other animals, especially cattle. Babesia bovis, B. bigemina, B. orientalis, B. occultans and B. naoakii, Theileria annulata, T. orientalis complex (orientalis/sergenti/buffeli), T. parva, T. mutans, T. sinensis, T. velifera, T. lestoquardi-like, T. taurotragi, T. sp. (buffalo) and T. ovis, and Anaplasma marginale, A. centrale, A. platys, A. platys-like and "Candidatus Anaplasma boleense" were all were identified from naturally infected buffaloes. CONCLUSIONS Several important aspects were highlighted for the status of TBPs, which have serious economic implications for the buffalo as well as cattle industries, particularly in Asian and African countries, which should aid in the development and implementation of prevention and control methods for veterinary care practitioners, and animal owners.
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Affiliation(s)
- El-Sayed El-Alfy
- grid.10251.370000000103426662Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
| | - Ibrahim Abbas
- grid.10251.370000000103426662Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
| | - Rana Elseadawy
- grid.10251.370000000103426662Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
| | - Somaya Saleh
- grid.10251.370000000103426662Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
| | - Bassem Elmishmishy
- grid.10251.370000000103426662Parasitology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
| | - Shimaa Abd El-Salam El-Sayed
- grid.10251.370000000103426662Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
| | - Mohamed Abdo Rizk
- grid.10251.370000000103426662Department of Internal Medicine, Infectious and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516 Egypt
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Addo SO, Bentil RE, Yartey KN, Ansah-Owusu J, Behene E, Opoku-Agyeman P, Bruku S, Asoala V, Mate S, Larbi JA, Baidoo PK, Wilson MD, Diclaro JW, Dadzie SK. First molecular identification of multiple tick-borne pathogens in livestock within Kassena-Nankana, Ghana. ANIMAL DISEASES 2023. [DOI: 10.1186/s44149-022-00064-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe risk of pathogen transmission continues to increase significantly in the presence of tick vectors due to the trade of livestock across countries. In Ghana, there is a lack of data on the incidence of tick-borne pathogens that are of zoonotic and veterinary importance. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the prevalence of such pathogens in livestock using molecular approaches. A total of 276 dry blood spots were collected from cattle (100), sheep (95) and goats (81) in the Kassena-Nankana Districts. The samples were analyzed using Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and conventional assays and Sanger sequencing that targeted pathogens including Rickettsia, Coxiella, Babesia, Theileria, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. An overall prevalence of 36.96% was recorded from the livestock DBS, with mixed infections seen in 7.97% samples. Furthermore, the prevalence of infections in livestock was recorded to be 19.21% in sheep, 14.13% in cattle, and 3.62% in goats. The pathogens identified were Rickettsia spp. (3.26%), Babesia sp. Lintan (8.70%), Theileria orientalis (2.17%), Theileria parva (0.36%), Anaplasma capra (18.48%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (1.81%), Anaplasma marginale (3.26%) and Anaplasma ovis (7.25%). This study reports the first molecular identification of the above-mentioned pathogens in livestock in Ghana and highlights the use of dry blood spots in resource-limited settings. In addition, this research provides an update on tick-borne pathogens in Ghana, suggesting risks to livestock production and human health. Further studies will be essential to establish the distribution and epidemiology of these pathogens in Ghana.
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Aguado ME, Izquierdo M, González-Matos M, Varela AC, Méndez Y, Del Rivero MA, Rivera DG, González-Bacerio J. Parasite Metalo-aminopeptidases as Targets in Human Infectious Diseases. Curr Drug Targets 2023; 24:416-461. [PMID: 36825701 DOI: 10.2174/1389450124666230224140724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parasitic human infectious diseases are a worldwide health problem due to the increased resistance to conventional drugs. For this reason, the identification of novel molecular targets and the discovery of new chemotherapeutic agents are urgently required. Metalo- aminopeptidases are promising targets in parasitic infections. They participate in crucial processes for parasite growth and pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE In this review, we describe the structural, functional and kinetic properties, and inhibitors, of several parasite metalo-aminopeptidases, for their use as targets in parasitic diseases. CONCLUSION Plasmodium falciparum M1 and M17 aminopeptidases are essential enzymes for parasite development, and M18 aminopeptidase could be involved in hemoglobin digestion and erythrocyte invasion and egression. Trypanosoma cruzi, T. brucei and Leishmania major acidic M17 aminopeptidases can play a nutritional role. T. brucei basic M17 aminopeptidase down-regulation delays the cytokinesis. The inhibition of Leishmania basic M17 aminopeptidase could affect parasite viability. L. donovani methionyl aminopeptidase inhibition prevents apoptosis but not the parasite death. Decrease in Acanthamoeba castellanii M17 aminopeptidase activity produces cell wall structural modifications and encystation inhibition. Inhibition of Babesia bovis growth is probably related to the inhibition of the parasite M17 aminopeptidase, probably involved in host hemoglobin degradation. Schistosoma mansoni M17 aminopeptidases inhibition may affect parasite development, since they could participate in hemoglobin degradation, surface membrane remodeling and eggs hatching. Toxoplasma gondii M17 aminopeptidase inhibition could attenuate parasite virulence, since it is apparently involved in the hydrolysis of cathepsin Cs- or proteasome-produced dipeptides and/or cell attachment/invasion processes. These data are relevant to validate these enzymes as targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirtha E Aguado
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Maikel Izquierdo
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Maikel González-Matos
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Ana C Varela
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Yanira Méndez
- Center for Natural Products Research, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Havana, Zapata y G, 10400, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Maday A Del Rivero
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Daniel G Rivera
- Center for Natural Products Research, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Havana, Zapata y G, 10400, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Jorge González-Bacerio
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, calle 25 #455 entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
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10
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Prado ICB, Capuno LXB, Collera PDLP, Cabralda APD, De Ramos KAS, Bernardo JMG, Divina BP, Masatani T, Tanaka T, Galay RL. Molecular Detection and Characterization of Babesia and Theileria in Cattle and Water Buffaloes from Southern Luzon, Philippines. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10040678. [PMID: 35456730 PMCID: PMC9025510 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10040678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia and Theileria are tick-borne protozoan parasites that can cause significant economic losses in the cattle industry. This study aimed to contribute to the limited epidemiological data on Theileria orientalis as well as Babesia bigemina and B. bovis in large ruminants in the Philippines. Blood samples of 412 cattle and 108 water buffalo collected from four provinces in Southern Luzon, Philippines, were initially tested for the 18S rRNA gene of piroplasms through nested PCR. Positive samples were further subjected to species-specific PCR. The 18s rRNA of piroplasms was detected in 123 (29.9%) cattle and three (2.8%) water buffaloes. Theileria orientalis was found to be the most common piroplasm in cattle with a detection rate of 17.5%, followed by Babesia bovis and B. bigemina. Co-infections were also observed. Two water buffaloes were found infected with B. bovis, while one was positive for B. bigemina. The phylogenetic tree for B. bovis showed clustering of the isolates in two clades together with isolates from other countries, and a third separate clade. Meanwhile, the T. orientalis isolates in this study were distributed in three clades together with reported isolates from other countries. This study confirms the presence of T. orientalis in the Philippines and reports the genetic diversity of B. bovis and T. orientalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Cary B. Prado
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines;
| | - Larry Xerxes B. Capuno
- Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines; (L.X.B.C.J.); (P.D.C.); (A.P.D.C.); (K.A.S.D.R.); (J.M.G.B.); (B.P.D.)
| | - Princess DLP. Collera
- Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines; (L.X.B.C.J.); (P.D.C.); (A.P.D.C.); (K.A.S.D.R.); (J.M.G.B.); (B.P.D.)
| | - Aaron Paul D. Cabralda
- Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines; (L.X.B.C.J.); (P.D.C.); (A.P.D.C.); (K.A.S.D.R.); (J.M.G.B.); (B.P.D.)
| | - Kristina Andrea S. De Ramos
- Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines; (L.X.B.C.J.); (P.D.C.); (A.P.D.C.); (K.A.S.D.R.); (J.M.G.B.); (B.P.D.)
| | - John Michael G. Bernardo
- Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines; (L.X.B.C.J.); (P.D.C.); (A.P.D.C.); (K.A.S.D.R.); (J.M.G.B.); (B.P.D.)
| | - Billy P. Divina
- Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines; (L.X.B.C.J.); (P.D.C.); (A.P.D.C.); (K.A.S.D.R.); (J.M.G.B.); (B.P.D.)
| | - Tatsunori Masatani
- Laboratory of Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Yanagido 1-1, Gifu 501-1193, Japan;
| | - Tetsuya Tanaka
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
- Correspondence: (T.T.); (R.L.G.); Tel.: +81-99-285-3570 (T.T.); +63-049-536-2728 (R.L.G.)
| | - Remil L. Galay
- Department of Veterinary Paraclinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines; (L.X.B.C.J.); (P.D.C.); (A.P.D.C.); (K.A.S.D.R.); (J.M.G.B.); (B.P.D.)
- Correspondence: (T.T.); (R.L.G.); Tel.: +81-99-285-3570 (T.T.); +63-049-536-2728 (R.L.G.)
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11
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Hromníková D, Furka D, Furka S, Santana JAD, Ravingerová T, Klöcklerová V, Žitňan D. Prevention of tick-borne diseases: challenge to recent medicine. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022; 77:1533-1554. [PMID: 35283489 PMCID: PMC8905283 DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00966-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Ticks represent important vectors and reservoirs of pathogens, causing a number of diseases in humans and animals, and significant damage to livestock every year. Modern research into protection against ticks and tick-borne diseases focuses mainly on the feeding stage, i.e. the period when ticks take their blood meal from their hosts during which pathogens are transmitted. Physiological functions in ticks, such as food intake, saliva production, reproduction, development, and others are under control of neuropeptides and peptide hormones which may be involved in pathogen transmission that cause Lyme borreliosis or tick-borne encephalitis. According to current knowledge, ticks are not reservoirs or vectors for the spread of COVID-19 disease. The search for new vaccination methods to protect against ticks and their transmissible pathogens is a challenge for current science in view of global changes, including the increasing migration of the human population. Highlights • Tick-borne diseases have an increasing incidence due to climate change and increased human migration • To date, there is no evidence of transmission of coronavirus COVID-19 by tick as a vector • To date, there are only a few modern, effective, and actively- used vaccines against ticks or tick-borne diseases • Neuropeptides and their receptors expressed in ticks may be potentially used for vaccine design
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominika Hromníková
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniel Furka
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84104 Bratislava, SK Slovakia
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Samuel Furka
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84104 Bratislava, SK Slovakia
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Julio Ariel Dueñas Santana
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Matanzas, Km 3 Carretera a Varadero, 44740 Matanzas, CU Cuba
| | - Táňa Ravingerová
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Heart Research, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84005 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vanda Klöcklerová
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dušan Žitňan
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia
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12
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Lira-Amaya JJ, Martínez-García G, Santamaria-Espinosa RM, Castañeda-Arriola RO, Ojeda-Carrasco JJ, Ávila-Ramírez G, Figueroa-Millán JV. Comparative Study of Indirect Fluorescent Antibody, ELISA, and Immunochromatography Tests for Serological Diagnosis of Bovine Babesiosis Caused by Babesia bovis. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11123358. [PMID: 34944137 PMCID: PMC8698033 DOI: 10.3390/ani11123358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Currently serological diagnosis of bovine babesiosis is based on the detection of Babesia-specific antibodies (immunoglobulin-G). Antibody detection is commonly used in seroepidemiological studies or in the assessment of antibabesial antibody titers after cattle vaccination. The indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are the most widely used diagnostic tests, although there their implementation has some drawbacks, principally due to the requirements for trained personnel, specific materials, and special laboratory equipment. This study compared a newly designed rapid immunochromatography test (ICT), which has been reported recently and used for Babesia bovis-specific antibody detection with promising results, with an in-house ELISA for the serological diagnosis of cattle exposed to B. bovis (Babesia bovis) in Mexico. Higher sensitivity and specificity values were found by ICT, proving its effectiveness over ELISA. ICT also had better concordance than ELISA when IFAT was used as the “gold standard”. The rapid ICT was shown to have diagnostic utility for the detection of antibodies against B. bovis and could be used as a field test in Mexico due to its practicality, as it does not need laboratory equipment for implementation and interpretation of results. Abstract The indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) is the most frequently used test to conduct seroepidemiological studies so far, and it is regarded as the "gold standard" test for the serological diagnosis of bovine babesiosis. The aim of the present study was to compare the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the rapid immunochromatography test (ICT) for use in the serological diagnosis of cattle exposed to B. bovis in Mexico. The evaluation of test performance was carried out with 30 positive and 30 negative reference sera. A total of 72 bovine sera samples collected from cattle in a region with endemic bovine babesiosis were analyzed by ELISA and ICT, and the results were compared with those of IFAT. Kappa value (k) was also calculated to determine the agreement between tests. The sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for detecting antibodies against B. bovis were 87% (26/30) and 80% (24/30), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of ICT for detecting antibodies against B. bovis were 90% (27/30) and 83.3% (25/30), respectively. The overall concordance determined for ELISA and ICT was 94.4% (68/72) and 98.6% (71/72), respectively, when the results were compared with those of IFAT. ICT was more sensitive and specific in this comparative study, showing good strength of agreement (k = 0.79) with respect to IFAT. ICT combines a strip-based assay system that is fast, practical, and sensitive for detection of antibodies to B. bovis, which suggests that it could be applied in the field without requiring any laboratory equipment for its use and interpretation of test results.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Juan Lira-Amaya
- Babesia Laboratory Unit, CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec 62550, Mexico; (J.J.L.-A.); (G.M.-G.); (R.M.S.-E.)
| | - Grecia Martínez-García
- Babesia Laboratory Unit, CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec 62550, Mexico; (J.J.L.-A.); (G.M.-G.); (R.M.S.-E.)
| | - R. Montserrat Santamaria-Espinosa
- Babesia Laboratory Unit, CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec 62550, Mexico; (J.J.L.-A.); (G.M.-G.); (R.M.S.-E.)
| | - Roberto O. Castañeda-Arriola
- La Posta Experimental Field, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Veracruz-Cordoba Km. 22.5, Paso del Toro, Medellin 94277, Mexico;
| | - Juan J. Ojeda-Carrasco
- UAEM University Center Amecameca, Autonomous University Mexico State, Carr. Amecameca-Ayapango Km. 2.5, Amecameca 56900, Mexico;
| | - Guillermina Ávila-Ramírez
- Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Circuito Escolar 411A, Copilco Universidad, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Julio V. Figueroa-Millán
- Babesia Laboratory Unit, CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec 62550, Mexico; (J.J.L.-A.); (G.M.-G.); (R.M.S.-E.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-777-320-5544
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13
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He L, Bastos RG, Sun Y, Hua G, Guan G, Zhao J, Suarez CE. Babesiosis as a potential threat for bovine production in China. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:460. [PMID: 34493328 PMCID: PMC8425137 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04948-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease with global impact caused by parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa, genus Babesia. Typically, acute bovine babesiosis (BB) is characterized by fever, anemia, hemoglobinuria, and high mortality. Surviving animals remain persistently infected and become reservoirs for parasite transmission. Bovids in China can be infected by one or more Babesia species endemic to the country, including B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. orientalis, B. ovata, B. major, B. motasi, B. U sp. Kashi and B. venatorum. The latter may pose a zoonotic risk. Occurrence of this wide diversity of Babesia species in China may be due to a combination of favorable ecological factors, such as the presence of multiple tick vectors, including Rhipicephalus and Hyalomma, the coexistence of susceptible bovid species, such as domestic cattle, yaks, and water buffalo, and the lack of efficient measures of tick control. BB is currently widespread in several regions of the country and a limiting factor for cattle production. While some areas appear to have enzootic stability, others have considerable cattle mortality. Research is needed to devise solutions to the challenges posed by uncontrolled BB. Critical research gaps include risk assessment for cattle residing in endemic areas, understanding factors involved in endemic stability, evaluation of parasite diversity and pathogenicity of regional Babesia species, and estimation of whether and how BB should be controlled in China. Research should allow the design of comprehensive interventions to improve cattle production, diminish the risk of human infections, and increase the availability of affordable animal protein for human consumption in China and worldwide. In this review, we describe the current state of BB with reference to the diversity of hosts, vectors, and parasite species in China. We also discuss the unique risks and knowledge gaps that should be taken into consideration for future Babesia research and control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei China
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
| | - Reginaldo G. Bastos
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
| | - Yali Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016 People’s Republic of China
| | - Guohua Hua
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Centre for Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science & Technology, Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan, Hubei China
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xujiaping, Lanzhou, 730046 China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070 Hubei China
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural - Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
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14
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Rittipornlertrak A, Nambooppha B, Muenthaisong A, Punyapornwithaya V, Tiwananthagorn S, Chung YT, Tuvshintulga B, Sivakumar T, Yokoyama N, Sthitmatee N. Structural and immunological characterization of an epitope within the PAN motif of ectodomain I in Babesia bovis apical membrane antigen 1 for vaccine development. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11765. [PMID: 34316404 PMCID: PMC8288113 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bovine babesiosis caused by Babesia bovis (B. bovis) has had a significant effect on the mobility and mortality rates of the cattle industry worldwide. Live-attenuated vaccines are currently being used in many endemic countries, but their wide use has been limited for a number of reasons. Although recombinant vaccines have been proposed as an alternative to live vaccines, such vaccines are not commercially available to date. Apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) is one of the leading candidates in the development of a vaccine against diseases caused by apicomplexan parasite species. In Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) AMA-1 (PfAMA-1), several antibodies against epitopes in the plasminogen, apple, and nematode (PAN) motif of PfAMA-1 domain I significantly inhibited parasite growth. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to predict an epitope from the PAN motif of domain I in the B. bovis AMA-1 (BbAMA-1) using a combination of linear and conformational B-cell epitope prediction software. The selected epitope was then bioinformatically analyzed, synthesized as a peptide (sBbAMA-1), and then used to immunize a rabbit. Subsequently, in vitro growth- and the invasion-inhibitory effects of the rabbit antiserum were immunologically characterized. Results Our results demonstrated that the predicted BbAMA-1 epitope was located on the surface-exposed α-helix of the PAN motif in domain I at the apex area between residues 181 and 230 with six polymorphic sites. Subsequently, sBbAMA-1 elicited antibodies capable of recognizing the native BbAMA-1 in immunoassays. Furthermore, anti-serum against sBbAMA-1 was immunologically evaluated for its growth- and invasion-inhibitory effects on B. bovis merozoites in vitro. Our results demonstrated that the rabbit anti-sBbAMA-1 serum at a dilution of 1:5 significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) the growth of B. bovis merozoites by approximately 50–70% on days 3 and 4 of cultivation, along with the invasion of merozoites by approximately 60% within 4 h of incubation when compared to the control groups. Conclusion Our results indicate that the epitope predicted from the PAN motif of BbAMA-1 domain I is neutralization-sensitive and may serve as a target antigen for vaccine development against bovine babesiosis caused by B. bovis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Boondarika Nambooppha
- Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Anucha Muenthaisong
- Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Veerasak Punyapornwithaya
- Department of Food Animal Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Saruda Tiwananthagorn
- Department of Veterinary Bioscience and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Yang-Tsung Chung
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Bumduuren Tuvshintulga
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Nattawooti Sthitmatee
- Department of Veterinary Bioscience and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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15
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Álvarez Martínez JA, Figueroa Millán JV, Ueti MW, Rojas-Martínez C. Establishment of Babesia bovis In Vitro Culture Using Medium Free of Animal Products. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060770. [PMID: 34205286 PMCID: PMC8235554 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia bovis, an etiological agent of bovine babesiosis, causes a significant burden to the cattle industry worldwide. The most efficient method to mitigate bovine babesiosis is a live vaccine produced by serial passage in splenectomized cattle. However, there are several concerns regarding live vaccine production, including variation between batches and the use of many animals. In this study, we report a B. bovis-SF strain continuously cultured in a medium free of components of animal origin enriched with a chemically defined lipid mixture (CD lipid mixture) and the use of a perfusion bioreactor to harvest a large amount of B. bovis. Six culture media were compared, including VP-SFM, CD-CHO, CD-Hydrolyzed, CD-CHO, SFM, and ADMEM/F12. We found that the VP-SFM medium performed the best for B. bovis growth, with a maximum percentage of parasitized erythrocytes (PPE) of 8.6%. The effect of six dilutions of a commercial mixture of CD lipids added to VP-SFM showed that the CD lipid mixture at a dilution of 1:100 had the best B. bovis growth curve, with a maximum PPE of 13.9%. Propagation of the in vitro B. bovis culture was scaled up in a perfusion bioreactor using VP-SFM with a CD lipid mixture, and the PPE reached over 32%. The continuous in vitro B. bovis culture in a medium free of animal origin components could potentially reduce and replace the use of animals to produce a reagent for diagnostics and live vaccines to control bovine babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús A. Álvarez Martínez
- Babesia Unit-CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos C.P. 62550, Mexico; (J.A.Á.M.); (J.V.F.M.)
| | - Julio V. Figueroa Millán
- Babesia Unit-CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos C.P. 62550, Mexico; (J.A.Á.M.); (J.V.F.M.)
| | - Massaro W. Ueti
- Agricultural Research Service-Animal Disease Research Unit, The US Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Correspondence: (M.W.U.); (C.R.-M.)
| | - Carmen Rojas-Martínez
- Babesia Unit-CENID-Salud Animal e Inocuidad, INIFAP, Carr. Fed. Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Col. Progreso, Jiutepec, Morelos C.P. 62550, Mexico; (J.A.Á.M.); (J.V.F.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.W.U.); (C.R.-M.)
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16
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Giglioti R, Okino CH, Azevedo BT, Wedy BCR, Gutmanis G, Veríssimo CJ, Katiki LM, Filho AEV, de Oliveira HN, Oliveira MCDS. Semi-quantitative evaluation of Babesia bovis and B. bigemina infection levels estimated by HRM analysis. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101753. [PMID: 34134061 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Bovine babesiosis is economically the most important arthropod-borne disease of cattle worldwide. The most significant damage caused by bovine babesiosis is attributed to Babesia bovis due to its higher pathogenicity. This study aimed to develop a real-time PCR method followed by HRM (high-resolution melting) analysis for the simultaneous detection of B. bovis and B. bigemina, enabling a semi-quantitative analysis of Babesia levels using a single-tube reaction. The HRM was compared with real-time PCR using species-specific hydrolysis probes. The HRM analysis allowed to differentiate both Babesia species and was sensitive in the detection and differentiation of 10% for each Babesia species in the sample. Our results suggest the use of this method to estimate the prevalence of infections by B. bovis or B. bigemina as an alternative to the methods of absolute quantification by real-time PCR since it neither requires precise estimates of the number of DNA loads nor the construction of calibration curves. The simultaneous detection of the two Babesia species can be used to characterise the infection levels in cattle populations from different geographical regions, allowing a better control of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Giglioti
- Instituto de Zootecnia, Rua Heitor Penteado, n. 56, Nova Odessa, São Paulo 13380-011, Brazil.
| | | | - Bianca Tainá Azevedo
- Instituto de Zootecnia, Rua Heitor Penteado, n. 56, Nova Odessa, São Paulo 13380-011, Brazil
| | | | - Gunta Gutmanis
- Instituto de Zootecnia, Rua Heitor Penteado, n. 56, Nova Odessa, São Paulo 13380-011, Brazil
| | - Cecília José Veríssimo
- Instituto de Zootecnia, Rua Heitor Penteado, n. 56, Nova Odessa, São Paulo 13380-011, Brazil
| | - Luciana Morita Katiki
- Instituto de Zootecnia, Rua Heitor Penteado, n. 56, Nova Odessa, São Paulo 13380-011, Brazil
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Goodswen SJ, Kennedy PJ, Ellis JT. Applying Machine Learning to Predict the Exportome of Bovine and Canine Babesia Species That Cause Babesiosis. Pathogens 2021; 10:660. [PMID: 34071992 PMCID: PMC8226867 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesia infection of red blood cells can cause a severe disease called babesiosis in susceptible hosts. Bovine babesiosis causes global economic loss to the beef and dairy cattle industries, and canine babesiosis is considered a clinically significant disease. Potential therapeutic targets against bovine and canine babesiosis include members of the exportome, i.e., those proteins exported from the parasite into the host red blood cell. We developed three machine learning-derived methods (two novel and one adapted) to predict for every known Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, and Babesia canis protein the probability of being an exportome member. Two well-studied apicomplexan-related species, Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii, with extensive experimental evidence on their exportome or excreted/secreted proteins were used as important benchmarks for the three methods. Based on 10-fold cross validation and multiple train-validation-test splits of training data, we expect that over 90% of the predicted probabilities accurately provide a secretory or non-secretory indicator. Only laboratory testing can verify that predicted high exportome membership probabilities are creditable exportome indicators. However, the presented methods at least provide those proteins most worthy of laboratory validation and will ultimately save time and money.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J. Goodswen
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Paul J. Kennedy
- School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - John T. Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia;
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Establishing Babesia bovis-Free Tick Colony Following Treatment of the Host with Diminazene Aceturate (Berenil). Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10050554. [PMID: 34063706 PMCID: PMC8147767 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10050554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia bovis is a widely-spread tick-borne hemoparasite of cattle with major economic and animal welfare consequences. Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus is a one-host tick which transmits bovine babesiosis in the Middle East and Africa. Laboratory rearing of ixodid ticks is essential for the investigation on ticks or tick-borne diseases. Establishing a tick colony in the laboratory usually originates from ticks harvested in the field, which may be naturally infected with various pathogens. This especially applies to carriage of B. bovis as it is highly prevalent in endemic areas and is transmitted transovarially in ticks. Here, we describe the use of diminazene aceturate (Berenil) in order to establish laboratory colonies of Babesia-free R. annulatus, from ticks collected in the field. Ticks collected in the field were kept until oviposition and hatched larvae were introduced to naïve calves, which led to infection of the calves with B. bovis. Calves were then treated with diminazene aceturate several times until the engorged ticks dropped. The eggs and larvae collected from these ticks were parasite-free, as demonstrated both by infection of splenectomized calves and by PCR. This suggested protocol is a useful tool to create parasite-free tick colony and may, theoretically, also be beneficial to reduce parasite circulation in the field, although not recommended, as resistance to diamenizene aceturate might develop.
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Paoletta MS, Laughery JM, Arias LSL, Ortiz JMJ, Montenegro VN, Petrigh R, Ueti MW, Suarez CE, Farber MD, Wilkowsky SE. The key to egress? Babesia bovis perforin-like protein 1 (PLP1) with hemolytic capacity is required for blood stage replication and is involved in the exit of the parasite from the host cell. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:643-658. [PMID: 33753093 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the Babesia genus that represents a major constraint to livestock production worldwide. Currently available vaccines are based on live parasites which have archetypal limitations. Our goal is to identify candidate antigens so that new and effective vaccines against Babesia may be developed. The perforin-like protein (PLP) family has been identified as a key player in cell traversal and egress in related apicomplexans and it was also identified in Babesia, but its function in this parasite remains unknown. The aim of this work was to define the PLP family in Babesia and functionally characterize PLP1, a representative member of the family in Babesia bovis. Bioinformatic analyses demonstrate a variable number of plp genes (four to eight) in the genomes of six different Babesia spp. and conservation of the family members at the secondary and tertiary structure levels. We demonstrate here that Babesia PLPs contain the critical domains present in other apicomplexan PLPs to display the lytic capacity. We then focused on the functional characterization of PLP1 of B. bovis, both in vitro and in vivo. PLP1 is expressed and exposed to the host immune system during infection and has high hemolytic capacity under a wide range of conditions in vitro. A B. bovis plp1 knockout line displayed a decreased growth rate in vitro compared with the wild type strain and a peculiar phenotype consisting of multiple parasites within a single red blood cell, although at low frequency. This phenotype suggests that the lack of PLP1 has a negative impact on the mechanism of egression of the parasite and, therefore, on its capacity to proliferate. It is possible that PLP1 is associated with other proteins in the processes of invasion and egress, which were found to have redundant mechanisms in related apicomplexans. Future work will be focused on unravelling the network of proteins involved in these essential parasite functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Soledad Paoletta
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO) INTA - CONICET, De Los Reseros y Dr. Nicolás Repetto s/n, P.O. Box 25 (B1712WAA), Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jacob Michael Laughery
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Ludmila Sol López Arias
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO) INTA - CONICET, De Los Reseros y Dr. Nicolás Repetto s/n, P.O. Box 25 (B1712WAA), Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - José Manuel Jaramillo Ortiz
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO) INTA - CONICET, De Los Reseros y Dr. Nicolás Repetto s/n, P.O. Box 25 (B1712WAA), Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Valeria Noely Montenegro
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO) INTA - CONICET, De Los Reseros y Dr. Nicolás Repetto s/n, P.O. Box 25 (B1712WAA), Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Romina Petrigh
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO) INTA - CONICET, De Los Reseros y Dr. Nicolás Repetto s/n, P.O. Box 25 (B1712WAA), Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Massaro W Ueti
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, 3003 ADBF, P.O. Box 646630, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Carlos Esteban Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; Animal Disease Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Washington State University, 3003 ADBF, P.O. Box 646630, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Marisa Diana Farber
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO) INTA - CONICET, De Los Reseros y Dr. Nicolás Repetto s/n, P.O. Box 25 (B1712WAA), Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvina Elizabeth Wilkowsky
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO) INTA - CONICET, De Los Reseros y Dr. Nicolás Repetto s/n, P.O. Box 25 (B1712WAA), Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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20
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Agudelo MS, Grant WE, Wang HH. Effects of white-tailed deer habitat use preferences on southern cattle fever tick eradication: simulating impact on "pasture vacation" strategies. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:102. [PMID: 33557915 PMCID: PMC7869250 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04590-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (southern cattle fever tick; SCFT), collectively known as cattle-fever ticks (CFTs), are vectors of protozoal parasites (Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis) that cause bovine babesiosis (also known as cattle fever). One traditional strategy for CFT eradication involves the implementation of a "pasture vacation," which involves removing cattle (Bos taurus) from an infested pasture for an extended period of time. However, vacated pastures are often inhabited by wildlife hosts, such as white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus), which can serve as alternate hosts for questing CFTs. We hypothesized that the distribution of host-seeking larvae among habitat types post-pasture vacation would reflect habitat use patterns of WTD, and in turn, affect the subsequent rate of pasture infestation by CFT. METHODS We adapted a spatially explicit, individual-based model to simulate interactions among SCFT, cattle, and WTD as a tool to investigate the potential effects of WTD habitat use preferences on the efficacy of a pasture vacation. We parameterized the model to represent conditions typical of rangelands in south Texas, USA, simulated a 1-year pasture vacation under different assumptions regarding WTD habitat use preferences, and summarized effects on efficacy through (1) time post-vacation to reach 100% of pre-vacation densities of host-seeking larvae, and (2) the ecological conditions that resulted in the lowest host-seeking larval densities following pasture vacation. RESULTS Larval densities at the landscape scale varied seasonally in a similar manner over the entire simulation period, regardless of WTD habitat use preferences. Following the removal of cattle, larval densities declined sharply to < 100 larvae/ha. Following the return of cattle, larval densities increased to > 60% of pre-vacation densities ≈ 21 weeks post-vacation, and reached pre-vacation levels in less than a year. Trends in larval densities in different habitat types paralleled those at the landscape scale over the entire simulation period, but differed quantitatively from one another during the pasture vacation. Relative larval densities (highest to lowest) shifted from (1) wood/shrub, (2) grass, (3) mixed-brush during the pre-vacation period to (1) mixed-brush, (2) wood/shrub, (3) grass or (1) wood/shrub, (2) mixed-brush, (3) grass during the post-vacation period, depending on WTD habitat use preferences. CONCLUSIONS By monitoring WTD-driven shifts in distributions of SCFT host-seeking larvae among habitat types during simulated pasture vacation experiments, we were able to identify potential SCFT refugia from which recrudescence of infestations could originate. Such information could inform timely applications of acaricides to specific refugia habitats immediately prior to the termination of pasture vacations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sofia Agudelo
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA. .,Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc. (WEST), Bismarck, ND, 58503, USA.
| | - William E Grant
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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21
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Four-Dimensional Characterization of the Babesia divergens Asexual Life Cycle, from the Trophozoite to the Multiparasite Stage. mSphere 2020; 5:5/5/e00928-20. [PMID: 33055261 PMCID: PMC7565898 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00928-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is a disease caused by intraerythrocytic Babesia parasites, which possess many clinical features that are similar to those of malaria. This worldwide disease is increasing in frequency and geographical range and has a significant impact on human and animal health. Babesia divergens is one of the species responsible for human and cattle babesiosis causing death unless treated promptly. When B. divergens infects its vertebrate hosts, it reproduces asexually within red blood cells. During its asexual life cycle, B. divergens builds a population of numerous intraerythrocytic (IE) parasites of difficult interpretation. This complex population is largely unexplored, and we have therefore combined three- and four-dimensional imaging techniques to elucidate the origin, architecture, and kinetics of IE parasites. Unveiling the nature of these parasites has provided a vision of the B. divergens asexual cycle in unprecedented detail and is a key step to develop control strategies against babesiosis. Babesia is an apicomplexan parasite of significance that causes the disease known as babesiosis in domestic and wild animals and in humans worldwide. Babesia infects vertebrate hosts and reproduces asexually by a form of binary fission within erythrocytes/red blood cells (RBCs), yielding a complex pleomorphic population of intraerythrocytic parasites. Seven of them, clearly visible in human RBCs infected with Babesia divergens, are considered the main forms and named single, double, and quadruple trophozoites, paired and double paired pyriforms, tetrad or Maltese Cross, and multiparasite stage. However, these main intraerythrocytic forms coexist with RBCs infected with transient parasite combinations of unclear origin and development. In fact, little is understood about how Babesia builds this complex population during its asexual life cycle. By combining cryo-soft X-ray tomography and video microscopy, main and transitory parasites were characterized in a native whole cellular context and at nanometric resolution. The architecture and kinetics of the parasite population was observed in detail and provide additional data to the previous B. divergens asexual life cycle model that was built on light microscopy. Importantly, the process of multiplication by binary fission, involving budding, was visualized in live parasites for the first time, revealing that fundamental changes in cell shape and continuous rounds of multiplication occur as the parasites go through their asexual multiplication cycle. A four-dimensional asexual life cycle model was built highlighting the origin of several transient morphological forms that, surprisingly, intersperse in a chronological order between one main stage and the next in the cycle. IMPORTANCE Babesiosis is a disease caused by intraerythrocytic Babesia parasites, which possess many clinical features that are similar to those of malaria. This worldwide disease is increasing in frequency and geographical range and has a significant impact on human and animal health. Babesia divergens is one of the species responsible for human and cattle babesiosis causing death unless treated promptly. When B. divergens infects its vertebrate hosts, it reproduces asexually within red blood cells. During its asexual life cycle, B. divergens builds a population of numerous intraerythrocytic (IE) parasites of difficult interpretation. This complex population is largely unexplored, and we have therefore combined three- and four-dimensional imaging techniques to elucidate the origin, architecture, and kinetics of IE parasites. Unveiling the nature of these parasites has provided a vision of the B. divergens asexual cycle in unprecedented detail and is a key step to develop control strategies against babesiosis.
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Bahia M, Silva JDS, Gontijo IS, Cordeiro MD, Santos PND, Silva CBD, Nicolino RR, Mota DA, Silva JBD, Fonseca AH. Characterization of cattle tick fever in calves from the northwestern region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 29:e017119. [PMID: 32294720 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612020011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to characterize the importance of the Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina in the genesis of cattle tick fever (CTF) among dairy calves in the northwest of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Blood samples from 300 calves were collected, followed by DNA extraction and nested PCR using oligonucleotide primers to amplify fragments of the semi-nested for the msp5 gene (A. marginale), sbp-4 (B. bovis) and rap-1a (B. bigemina) Among the examined calves, the prevalence of A. marginale was 55.6% (n=167/300), B. bovis was 4.0% (n=12/300) and B. bigemina was 15.3% (n=46/300), by PCR techniques. Parasitic forms of A. marginale and B. bigemina were found in 36,3% and 2,6% of the blood smears while B. bovis was not detected. There was a statistical difference between the positivity of infected animals in the age groups 1 (10-70 days) and (>70-300 days) for A. marginale and B. bigemina. A total of 15 calves with the classic symptoms of disease were examined, and the samples obtained were confirmed as a simple infection by A. marginale through semi-nested PCR. These results confirm bovine anaplasmosis as the primary cause of CTF among the calves of dairy cattle within the studied area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Bahia
- Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro - UFRRJ, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | | | - Iany Santos Gontijo
- Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri - UFVJM, Unaí, MG, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | - Diego Azevedo Mota
- Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri - UFVJM, Unaí, MG, Brasil
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Simas PVM, Bassetto CC, Giglioti R, Okino CH, de Oliveira HN, de Sena Oliveira MC. Use of molecular markers can help to understand the genetic diversity of Babesia bovis. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2019; 79:104161. [PMID: 31881358 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.104161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cattle babesiosis is a tick-borne disease responsible for significant losses for the livestock industries in tropical areas of the world. These piroplasms are under constant control of the host immune system, which lead to a strong selective pressure for arising more virulent or attenuated phenotypes. Aiming to better understand the most critical genetic modifications in Babesia bovis genome, related to virulence, an in silico analysis was performed using DNA sequences from GenBank. Fourteen genes (sbp-2, sbp-4, trap, msa-1, msa-2b, msa-2c, Bv80 (or Bb-1), 18S rRNA, acs-1, ama-1, β-tub, cp-2, p0, rap-1a) related to parasite infection and immunogenicity and ITS region were selected for alignment and comparison of several isolates of Babesia bovis from different geographic regions around the world. Among the 15 genes selected for the study of diversity, only 7 genes (sbp-2, sbp-4, trap, msa-1, msa-2b, msa-2c, Bv80) and the ITS region presented sufficient genetic variation for the studies of phylogeny. Despite this genetic diversity observed into groups, there was not sufficient information available to associate molecular markers with virulence of isolates. However, some genetic groups no were correlated with geographic region what could indicate some typical evolutionary characteristics in the relation between parasite-host. Further studies using these genes in herds presenting diverse clinical conditions are required. The better understanding of evolutionary mechanisms of the parasite may contribute to improve prophylactic and therapeutic measures. In this way, we suggest that genes used in our study are potential markers of virulence and attenuation and have to be analyzed with the use of sequences from animals that present clinical signs of babesiosis and asymptomatic carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Vitor Marques Simas
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil; Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - César Cristiano Bassetto
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil; Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Giglioti
- Centro de Pesquisa de Genética e Reprodução Animal, Instituto de Zootecnia, Nova Odessa, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Henrique Nunes de Oliveira
- Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
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Guo J, Sun Y, Tian Y, Zhao J. Comparative Analysis of Erythrocyte Proteomes of Water Buffalo, Dairy Cattle, and Beef Cattle by Shotgun LC-MS/MS. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:346. [PMID: 31681806 PMCID: PMC6813539 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of studies have demonstrated that Babesia orientalis (B. orientalis) can only infect water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and not dairy cattle (Bos taurus) or beef cattle (Bos taurus), even though all three belong to the tribe Bovini and have close evolutionary relationships. In addition, Babesia species are intracellular protozoans that obligately parasitize in erythrocytes. This may indicate that the infection specificity is due to differences in erythrocyte proteins. Totals of 491, 1,143, and 1,145 proteins were identified from water buffalo, beef cattle, and dairy cattle, respectively, by searching the Uniprot and NCBI databases. The number of proteins identified for water buffalo was far lower than for beef cattle and dairy cattle, particularly in the range from 15 to 25 kDa. Remarkably, 290 identified proteins were unique to water buffalo, of which putative gamma-globin and putative epsilon-globin had a significant possibility of being relevant to the survival of B. orientalis only in water buffalo. A total of 2,222 proteins were annotated in terms of molecular function, biological process, and cellular component according to GO annotation. The number of proteins of water buffalo in oxygen binding was far higher than for beef cattle and dairy cattle. This is the first time that the protein profiles of water buffalo, beef cattle, and dairy cattle have been comparatively analyzed. The uniquely expressed proteins in water buffalo obtained in this study may provide new insights into the mechanism of B. orientalis infection exclusivity in water buffalo and may be a benefit for the development of strategies against B. orientalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, China
| | - Yali Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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25
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Rego ROM, Trentelman JJA, Anguita J, Nijhof AM, Sprong H, Klempa B, Hajdusek O, Tomás-Cortázar J, Azagi T, Strnad M, Knorr S, Sima R, Jalovecka M, Fumačová Havlíková S, Ličková M, Sláviková M, Kopacek P, Grubhoffer L, Hovius JW. Counterattacking the tick bite: towards a rational design of anti-tick vaccines targeting pathogen transmission. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:229. [PMID: 31088506 PMCID: PMC6518728 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3468-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hematophagous arthropods are responsible for the transmission of a variety of pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. Ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex are vectors for some of the most frequently occurring human tick-borne diseases, particularly Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). The search for vaccines against these diseases is ongoing. Efforts during the last few decades have primarily focused on understanding the biology of the transmitted viruses, bacteria and protozoans, with the goal of identifying targets for intervention. Successful vaccines have been developed against TBEV and Lyme borreliosis, although the latter is no longer available for humans. More recently, the focus of intervention has shifted back to where it was initially being studied which is the vector. State of the art technologies are being used for the identification of potential vaccine candidates for anti-tick vaccines that could be used either in humans or animals. The study of the interrelationship between ticks and the pathogens they transmit, including mechanisms of acquisition, persistence and transmission have come to the fore, as this knowledge may lead to the identification of critical elements of the pathogens' life-cycle that could be targeted by vaccines. Here, we review the status of our current knowledge on the triangular relationships between ticks, the pathogens they carry and the mammalian hosts, as well as methods that are being used to identify anti-tick vaccine candidates that can prevent the transmission of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan O. M. Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jos J. A. Trentelman
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Juan Anguita
- CIC bioGUNE, 48160 Derio, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48012 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Ard M. Nijhof
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Boris Klempa
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ondrej Hajdusek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Tal Azagi
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Strnad
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sarah Knorr
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Radek Sima
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Jalovecka
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sabína Fumačová Havlíková
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martina Ličková
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Sláviková
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Joppe W. Hovius
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Center for Experimental and Molecular Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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26
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Suarez CE, Alzan HF, Silva MG, Rathinasamy V, Poole WA, Cooke BM. Unravelling the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of bovine babesiosis: is the sky the limit? Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:183-197. [PMID: 30690089 PMCID: PMC6988112 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The global impact of bovine babesiosis caused by the tick-borne apicomplexan parasites Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina and Babesia divergens is vastly underappreciated. These parasites invade and multiply asexually in bovine red blood cells (RBCs), undergo sexual reproduction in their tick vectors (Rhipicephalus spp. for B. bovis and B. bigemina, and Ixodes ricinus for B. divergens) and have a trans-ovarial mode of transmission. Babesia parasites can cause acute and persistent infections to adult naïve cattle that can occur without evident clinical signs, but infections caused by B. bovis are associated with more severe disease and increased mortality, and are considered to be the most virulent agent of bovine babesiosis. In addition, babesiosis caused by B. divergens has an important zoonotic potential. The disease caused by B. bovis and B. bigemina can be controlled, at least in part, using therapeutic agents or vaccines comprising live-attenuated parasites, but these methods are limited in terms of their safety, ease of deployability and long-term efficacy, and improved control measures are urgently needed. In addition, expansion of tick habitats due to climate change and other rapidly changing environmental factors complicate efficient control of these parasites. While the ability to cause persistent infections facilitates transmission and persistence of the parasite in endemic regions, it also highlights their capacity to evade the host immune responses. Currently, the mechanisms of immune responses used by infected bovines to survive acute and chronic infections remain poorly understood, warranting further research. Similarly, molecular details on the processes leading to sexual reproduction and the development of tick-stage parasites are lacking, and such tick-specific molecules can be targets for control using alternative transmission blocking vaccines. In this review, we identify and examine key phases in the life-cycle of Babesia parasites, including dependence on a tick vector for transmission, sexual reproduction of the parasite in the midgut of the tick, parasite-dependent invasion and egression of bovine RBCs, the role of the spleen in the clearance of infected RBCs (IRBCs), and age-related disease resistance in cattle, as opportunities for developing improved control measures. The availability of integrated novel research approaches including "omics" (such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics), gene modification, cytoadhesion assays, RBC invasion assays and methods for in vitro induction of sexual-stage parasites will accelerate our understanding of parasite vulnerabilities. Further, producing new knowledge on these vulnerabilities, as well as taking full advantage of existing knowledge, by filling important research gaps should result in the development of next-generation vaccines to control acute disease and parasite transmission. Creative and effective use of current and future technical and computational resources are needed, in the face of the numerous challenges imposed by these highly evolved parasites, for improving the control of this disease. Overall, bovine babesiosis is recognised as a global disease that imposes a serious burden on livestock production and human livelihood, but it largely remains a poorly controlled disease in many areas of the world. Recently, important progress has been made in our understanding of the basic biology and host-parasite interactions of Babesia parasites, yet a good deal of basic and translational research is still needed to achieve effective control of this important disease and to improve animal and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States; Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, WSU, Pullman, WA, United States.
| | - Heba F Alzan
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States; Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Marta G Silva
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States; Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, WSU, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Vignesh Rathinasamy
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - William A Poole
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Brian M Cooke
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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27
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Adjou Moumouni PF, Guo H, Gao Y, Liu M, Ringo AE, Galon EM, Vudriko P, Umemiya-Shirafuji R, Inoue N, Suzuki H, Xuan X. Identification and genetic characterization of Piroplasmida and Anaplasmataceae agents in feeding Amblyomma variegatum ticks from Benin. VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2018; 14:137-143. [PMID: 31014719 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In many African countries including Benin, the reluctance of some livestock owners to blood collection from their cattle makes epidemiological surveys cumbersome and prevents regular monitoring of tick-borne diseases. In the present study, Amblyomma variegatum ticks were used to find out more about bovine tick-borne pathogens. DNA extracts from 910 adult ticks collected off cattle in North East Benin were examined for Babesia bigemina, B. bovis, Theileria taurotragi, T. annulata, T. orientalis, T. parva, T. mutans, Anaplasma marginale and Ehrlichia ruminantium using pathogen-specific PCR assays and sequence analyses. Altogether, 21.6% of the ticks carried at least one pathogen. A. marginale (142/910) was the most frequent pathogen, followed by E. ruminantium (57/910), B. bovis (10/910), T. mutans (3/910) and B. bigemina (1/910). Theileria taurotragi, T. annulata, T. orientalis, T. parva were not detected in the samples. Babesia bigemina, B. bovis and T. mutans were present in only one location whereas A. marginale and E. ruminantium were found in ticks from 7/8 locations surveyed. Coinfections occurred in 7.1% of all positive ticks. The analyses of partial sequences of B. bovis spherical body protein 4, B. bigemina rhoptry-associated protein-1a, T. mutans 18S rRNA and A. marginale major surface protein 5 showed high sequence conservation and homologies between Benin isolates and those from other African countries. However, E. ruminantium pCS20 partial sequences were different from published West African isolates and presented similar genetic variation with South and East African isolates. These results provide information on the pathogens circulating in North East Benin and suggest that Am. variegatum, one of the most abundant ticks in Africa, may play a role in the transmission of A. marginale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Franck Adjou Moumouni
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan; Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Huanping Guo
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Yang Gao
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Mingming Liu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Aaron Edmond Ringo
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Eloiza May Galon
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Patrick Vudriko
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan; Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan; Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Noboru Inoue
- Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido 080-855, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Suzuki
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan; Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan; Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-855, Japan.
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28
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Jalovecka M, Hartmann D, Miyamoto Y, Eckmann L, Hajdusek O, O'Donoghue AJ, Sojka D. Validation of Babesia proteasome as a drug target. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2018; 8:394-402. [PMID: 30103207 PMCID: PMC6092455 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Babesiosis is a tick-transmitted zoonosis caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia. Treatment of this emerging malaria-related disease has relied on antimalarial drugs and antibiotics. The proteasome of Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, has recently been validated as a target for anti-malarial drug development and therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of epoxyketone (carfilzomib, ONX-0914 and epoxomicin) and boronic acid (bortezomib and ixazomib) proteasome inhibitors on the growth and survival of Babesia. Testing the compounds against Babesia divergens ex vivo revealed suppressive effects on parasite growth with activity that was higher than the cytotoxic effects on a non-transformed mouse macrophage cell line. Furthermore, we showed that the most-effective compound, carfilzomib, significantly reduces parasite multiplication in a Babesia microti infected mouse model without noticeable adverse effects. In addition, treatment with carfilzomib lead to an ex vivo and in vivo decrease in proteasome activity and accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins compared to untreated control. Overall, our results demonstrate that the Babesia proteasome is a valid target for drug development and warrants the design of potent and selective B. divergens proteasome inhibitors for the treatment of babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Jalovecka
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - David Hartmann
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Yukiko Miyamoto
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Lars Eckmann
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Ondrej Hajdusek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Anthony J O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
| | - Daniel Sojka
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
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Guo J, Li M, Sun Y, Yu L, He P, Nie Z, Zhan X, Zhao Y, Luo X, Wang S, Aoyang S, Liu Q, Huang C, He L, Zhao J. Characterization of a novel secretory spherical body protein in Babesia orientalis and Babesia orientalis-infected erythrocytes. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:433. [PMID: 30045776 PMCID: PMC6060518 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3018-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The spherical body, a membrane bound organelle localized in the apical organelle complex, is unique to Babesia and Theileria spp. The spherical body proteins (SBPs) secreted by spherical bodies include SBP1, SBP2, SBP3 and SBP4. Up to now, only SBP3 has been characterized in Babesia orientalis. Methods The BoSBP4 gene was amplified from cDNA and gDNA and cloned into the pGEX-6P-1 vector by homologous recombination, sequenced and analyzed by bioinformatics tools. The amino acid (aa) sequence of BoSBP4 was compared with that of Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina as well as SBP3 of B. orientalis. The immunoreactivity was evaluated by incubating recombinant BoSBP4 (rBoSBP4) with the serum of B. orientalis-infected water buffalo. The native form of BoSBP4 was identified by incubating lysate of B. orientalis-infected water buffalo erythrocytes with the anti-rBoSBP4 mouse serum. The cellular localization of BoSBP4 was determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Results The full length of the BoSBP4 gene was estimated to be 945 bp without introns, encoding a 314 aa polypeptide with a predicted molecular weight of 37 kDa. The truncated recombinant protein was expressed from 70 to 945 bp as a GST fusion protein with a practical molecular weight of 70 kDa. BoSBP4 shared a 40% and 30% identity with B. bovis and B. bigemina, respectively. Furthermore, it was 31% identical to SBP3 of B. orientalis. BoSBP4 was identified in the lysate of B. orientalis-infected water buffalo erythrocytes with a molecular weight of 37 kDa, corresponding to the expected molecular mass of BoSBP4. The result of rBoSBP4 with positive serum revealed that BoSBP4 can elicit an immune response to B. orientalis-infected water buffalo. The cellular localization of BoSBP4 was detected to be adjacent to the merozoite nucleus in the intracellular phase, followed by the diffusion of the fluorescence of BoSBP4 into the cytoplasm of B. orientalis-infected erythrocytes as puncta-like specks and a gradual increase of the fluorescence. Conclusions In this study, SBP4 in B. orientalis was characterized for the first time. It may play a key role in interaction with the host cell by being secreted into the cytoplasm of the B. orientalis-infected erythrocytes to facilitate parasite growth and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Muxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yali Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Long Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Pei He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Zheng Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xueyan Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yangnan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Siqi Aoyang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Cuiqin Huang
- College of Life Science, Longyan University & Fujian, Provincial Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology, Longyan, 364012, Fujian, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China. .,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China. .,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
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Jalovecka M, Hajdusek O, Sojka D, Kopacek P, Malandrin L. The Complexity of Piroplasms Life Cycles. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:248. [PMID: 30083518 PMCID: PMC6065256 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Although apicomplexan parasites of the group Piroplasmida represent commonly identified global risks to both animals and humans, detailed knowledge of their life cycles is surprisingly limited. Such a discrepancy results from incomplete literature reports, nomenclature disunity and recently, from large numbers of newly described species. This review intends to collate and summarize current knowledge with respect to piroplasm phylogeny. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive view of developmental events of Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon representative species, focusing on uniform consensus of three consecutive phases: (i) schizogony and merogony, asexual multiplication in blood cells of the vertebrate host; (ii) gamogony, sexual reproduction inside the tick midgut, later followed by invasion of kinetes into the tick internal tissues; and (iii) sporogony, asexual proliferation in tick salivary glands resulting in the formation of sporozoites. However, many fundamental differences in this general consensus occur and this review identifies variables that should be analyzed prior to further development of specific anti-piroplasm strategies, including the attractive targeting of life cycle stages of Babesia or Theileria tick vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Jalovecka
- BIOEPAR, INRA, Oniris, Université Bretagne Loire, Nantes, France.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Ondrej Hajdusek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Daniel Sojka
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
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Giglioti R, de Oliveira HN, Okino CH, de Sena Oliveira MC. qPCR estimates of Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina infection levels in beef cattle and Rhipicephalus microplus larvae. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2018; 75:235-240. [PMID: 29728802 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-018-0260-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Babesia spp. are tick-transmitted intraerythrocytic apicomplexan parasites that infect wild and domestic animals. Babesia bovis and B. bigemina are endemic and responsible for enormous economic losses to the livestock industry in most of the Brazilian territory, wherein the tick Rhipicephalus microplus is the unique vector. Better understanding of epidemiology and parasite-host interactions may improve the tools for disease control and genetic management for selection of resistant animals. This study aimed to detect, quantify and measure the correlation between B. bigemina and B. bovis infection levels in bovine blood and into tick, by absolute quantification of hemoparasite DNA using qPCR. Blood bovine samples and larvae pools from 10 engorged R. microplus females were collected from each Canchim heifers (5/8 Charolais + 3/8 zebu, n = 36). All evaluated samples were positive for both Babesia species tested. Correlations of B. bovis and B. bigemina levels between cattle and tick host were 0.58 and 0.66, respectively. These high positive correlation coefficients indicate that parasitemia load in the bovine may be dependent on or may determine the parasitemia load in the ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Giglioti
- Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Unesp Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | | | - Cintia Hiromi Okino
- Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, Rodovia Washington Luiz, Km 234, CP 339, São Carlos, São Paulo, 13560-970, Brazil
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Guo J, Hu J, Sun Y, Yu L, He J, He P, Nie Z, Li M, Zhan X, Zhao Y, Luo X, Liu J, He L, Zhao J. A novel Babesia orientalis 135-kilodalton spherical body protein like: identification of its secretion into cytoplasm of infected erythrocytes. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:205. [PMID: 29580261 PMCID: PMC5870374 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2795-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The spherical body is a distinct organelle only existing in Babesia and Theileria. Spherical body proteins (SBPs) are secreted from spherical bodies and incorporated into the cytoplasm of infected erythrocytes during invasion and post-invasion stages. Four different SBP homologues (SBP1, SBP2, SBP3 and SBP4) have been identified in Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina. So far, there has been no report available about the identification of SBPs in Babesia orientalis. Methods The SBP3-like in B. orientalis (BoSBP3-like) was cloned, sequenced, characterized and compared to the SBP3 sequences of B. bovis and B. bigemina by bioinformatics analyses. The BoSBP3-like gene was truncated into three fragments: BoSBP3-like-1 (915 bp), BoSBP3-like-2 (1311 bp) and BoSBP3-like-3 (1011 bp), which were amplified and cloned into the expression vector pET-28a and expressed as three truncated recombinant (His-fusion) proteins. The immunogenicity, native forms and localization of BoSBP3-like were identified by western blot and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Results The BoSBP3-like gene was intronless with an open reading frame (ORF) of 3237 bp, encoded a 1079 amino acid polypeptide with a predicted size of 135 kDa, and contained a cysteine-rich region, three dispersing FAINT domains and a signal peptide (1–16 aa) at the N-terminus. The amino acid sequence of BoSBP3-like was 61.6 and 35.0% identical to that of B. bovis and B. bigemina, respectively. BoSBP3-like was identified as 135 kDa in the parasite lysate by rabbit antiserum against the truncated recombinant BoSBP3-like-1 (rBoSBP3-like-1). Three specific bands corresponding to rBoSBP3-like-1 (1–305 aa, 43 kDa), rBoSBP3-like-2 (306–742 aa, 58 kDa) and rBoSBP3-like-3 (743–1079 aa, 52 kDa) were detected by reaction with serum from B. orientalis-infected buffalo. The BoSBP3-like was not only localized in the spherical body of B. orientalis but also in the cytoplasm of infected erythrocytes of buffalo as puncta-like protein specks at both single and paired parasite development stages. Conclusions Through secretion into the cytoplasm of infected erythrocytes, BoSBP3-like may play a significant role in adaptation, interaction, and modification related to the host environment to benefit the growth and survival of Babesia. BoSBP3-like could react with the serum from B. orientalis-infected buffalo, but not healthy buffalo, implicating that BoSBP3-like is highly antigenic and may serve as a candidate diagnostic antigen for the detection of B. orientalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Jinfang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Guangdong Laboratory Animals Monitoring Institute, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Laboratory Animals, Guangzhou, 510663, Guangdong, China
| | - Yali Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Long Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Junwei He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Pei He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Zheng Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Muxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xueyan Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yangnan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Junlong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China. .,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China. .,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
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Asada M, Hakimi H, Kawazu SI. The application of the HyPer fluorescent sensor in the real-time detection of H 2O 2 in Babesia bovis merozoites in vitro. Vet Parasitol 2018; 255:78-82. [PMID: 29773141 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, genetically encoded fluorescent probes have allowed a dramatic advancement in time-lapse imaging, enabling this imaging modality to be used to investigate intracellular events in several apicomplexan parasite species. In this study, we constructed a plasmid vector to stably express a genetically encoded H2O2 sensor probe called HyPer in Babesia bovis. The HyPer-transfected parasite population was successfully developed and subjected to a time-lapse imaging analysis under in vitro culture conditions. HyPer was capable of sensing an increasing H2O2 concentration in the parasite cells which was induced by the administration of paraquat as a superoxide donor. HyPer fluorescence co-staining with MitoTracker Red indicated the mitochondria as the major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in parasite cells. The fluctuating ROS dynamics in the parasite gliding toward, attaching to, and invading the target red blood cell was visualized and monitored in real time with the HyPer expressing parasite population. This is the first report to describe the application of the HyPer probe in an imaging analysis involving Babesia parasites. Hyper-expressing parasites can be widely utilized in studies to investigate the mechanisms of emergence and the reduction of oxidative stress, as well as the signal transduction in the parasite cells during host invasion and intercellular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Asada
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan; National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan; National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.
| | - Shin-Ichiro Kawazu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, 080-8555, Japan.
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Gallego-Lopez GM, Lau AOT, Brown WC, Johnson WC, Ueti MW, Suarez CE. Spherical Body Protein 2 truncated copy 11 as a specific Babesia bovis attenuation marker. Parasit Vectors 2018. [PMID: 29530085 PMCID: PMC5848574 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2782-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gina M Gallego-Lopez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA
| | - Audrey O T Lau
- The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Wendy C Brown
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA
| | - Wendell C Johnson
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Pullman, WA, 99164-6630, USA
| | - Massaro W Ueti
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA.,Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Pullman, WA, 99164-6630, USA
| | - Carlos E Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-7040, USA. .,Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Pullman, WA, 99164-6630, USA.
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35
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Guswanto A, Allamanda P, Mariamah ES, Sodirun S, Wibowo PE, Indrayani L, Nugroho RH, Wirata IK, Jannah N, Dias LP, Wirawan HP, Yanto R, Tuvshintulga B, Sivakumar T, Yokoyama N, Igarashi I. Molecular and serological detection of bovine babesiosis in Indonesia. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:550. [PMID: 29110723 PMCID: PMC5674684 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2502-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bovine babesiosis, mainly caused by Babesia bovis and B. bigemina, is a huge threat to the livestock industry. In Indonesia, the current distribution of the disease is unknown due to a lack of scientific study. METHODS In the present study, 487 blood samples were collected from cattle with different breeding and age groups in a broad geographical area across the archipelago. The presence of antibodies and current infections of B. bovis and B. bigemina were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunochromatographic test (ICT), and nested PCR (nPCR) targeting B. bovis SBP-4 and B. bigemina RAP-1a genes. Sequence analysis was performed to the amplicon of B. bovis SBP-4, B. bigemina RAP-1a, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal RNA of both Babesia species. RESULTS In total, B. bovis positives were detected by ELISA, single-ICT, dual-ICT and nPCR in 340 (69.8%), 317 (65.1%), 307 (63.0%) and 247 (50.7%) samples, respectively. For B. bigemina, the positive samples were detected in 134 (27.5%), 130 (26.7%), 127 (26.1%) and 93 (19.1%), respectively. Furthermore, mixed infections were found in 125 (25.7%), 113 (23.2%), 109 (22.4%) and 52 (10.7%) samples, respectively, which occurred only by chance and were not influenced by additional factors. The obtained nucleotide sequences of B. bovis SBP-4 and B. bigemina RAP-1a genes showed a high homology with other isolates from different countries. Further nucleotide sequence analysis using ITS region showed a great genetic diversity of B. bovis isolates among sampling locations; a lower diversity was found in B. bigemina ITS isolates. CONCLUSIONS These data revealed the current distribution of B. bovis and B. bigemina infection in cattle in Indonesia. The rate of infection varied among sampling locations, cattle breeds and age groups. Furthermore, B. bovis ITS isolates from Indonesia were found to be more genetically diverse than B. bigemina ITS isolates. The data presented in this study are necessary to develop an effective strategy for controlling the disease in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azirwan Guswanto
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13 Inada-cho, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan.,Balai Veteriner Subang (DIC Subang), Jl. Terusan Garuda 33/11 Blok Werasari Dangdeur, Subang, Jawa Barat, 41212, Indonesia
| | - Puttik Allamanda
- Balai Veteriner Subang (DIC Subang), Jl. Terusan Garuda 33/11 Blok Werasari Dangdeur, Subang, Jawa Barat, 41212, Indonesia
| | - Euis Siti Mariamah
- Balai Veteriner Subang (DIC Subang), Jl. Terusan Garuda 33/11 Blok Werasari Dangdeur, Subang, Jawa Barat, 41212, Indonesia
| | - Sodirun Sodirun
- Balai Veteriner Subang (DIC Subang), Jl. Terusan Garuda 33/11 Blok Werasari Dangdeur, Subang, Jawa Barat, 41212, Indonesia
| | - Putut Eko Wibowo
- Balai Veteriner Subang (DIC Subang), Jl. Terusan Garuda 33/11 Blok Werasari Dangdeur, Subang, Jawa Barat, 41212, Indonesia
| | - Liliek Indrayani
- Balai Veteriner Subang (DIC Subang), Jl. Terusan Garuda 33/11 Blok Werasari Dangdeur, Subang, Jawa Barat, 41212, Indonesia
| | - Rudi Harso Nugroho
- Balai Veteriner Bukittinggi (DIC Bukittinggi), Jl. Raya Bukittinggi-, Payakumbuh, Tabek Panjang, Baso, Kabupaten Agam, Sumatera Barat, 26192, Indonesia
| | - I Ketut Wirata
- Balai Besar Veteriner Denpasar (DIC Denpasar), Jl. Raya Sesetan No. 266, Sesetan, Denpasar, Sel., Kota Denpasar, Bali, 80223, Indonesia
| | - Nur Jannah
- Balai Veteriner Banjarbaru (DIC Banjarbaru), Jln. Ambulung 24, Loktabat Selatan, Banjarbaru, Kalimantan Selatan, 70712, Indonesia
| | - Lepsi Putri Dias
- Balai Veteriner Medan (DIC Medan), Jl. Gatot Subroto No. 255-A, Lalang, Medan, Sunggal, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara, 20123, Indonesia
| | - Hadi Purnama Wirawan
- Balai Besar Veteriner Maros (DIC Maros), Jl. Dr. Sam Ratulangi, Allepolea, Lau, Kabupaten Maros, Sulawesi Selatan, 90512, Indonesia
| | - Rochmadi Yanto
- Balai Besar Veteriner Wates (DIC Wates), Jl. Raya Yogya-Wates Km. 27, TP 18, Giri Peni, Wates, Kabupaten Kulon Progo, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, 55602, Indonesia
| | - Bumduuren Tuvshintulga
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13 Inada-cho, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Thillaiampalam Sivakumar
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13 Inada-cho, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13 Inada-cho, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Ikuo Igarashi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13 Inada-cho, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan.
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Torres-Chable OM, Ojeda- Robertos NF, Chay-Canul AJ, Peralta-Torres JA, Luna-Palomera C, Brindis-Vazquez N, Blitvich BJ, Machain-Williams C, Garcia-Rejon JE, Baak-Baak CM, Dorman KS, Alegria-Lopez MA. Hematologic RIs for healthy water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in southern Mexico. Vet Clin Pathol 2017; 46:436-441. [DOI: 10.1111/vcp.12508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oswaldo M. Torres-Chable
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco; Villahermosa Tabasco México
- Laboratorio de Arbovirología; Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi; Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Mérida Yucatán México
| | - Nadia F. Ojeda- Robertos
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco; Villahermosa Tabasco México
| | - Alfonso J. Chay-Canul
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco; Villahermosa Tabasco México
| | - Jorge A. Peralta-Torres
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco; Villahermosa Tabasco México
| | - Carlos Luna-Palomera
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco; Villahermosa Tabasco México
| | - Nahum Brindis-Vazquez
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco; Villahermosa Tabasco México
| | - Bradley J. Blitvich
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine; College of Veterinary Medicine; Iowa State University; Ames IA USA
| | - Carlos Machain-Williams
- Laboratorio de Arbovirología; Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi; Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Mérida Yucatán México
| | - Julian E. Garcia-Rejon
- Laboratorio de Arbovirología; Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi; Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Mérida Yucatán México
| | - Carlos M. Baak-Baak
- Laboratorio de Arbovirología; Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi; Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán; Mérida Yucatán México
| | - Karin S. Dorman
- Departments of Statistics and Genetics, Development and Cell Biology; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Iowa State University; Ames IA USA
| | - Miguel A. Alegria-Lopez
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias; Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco; Villahermosa Tabasco México
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37
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Giglioti R, Oliveira HN, Ibelli AMG, Bilhassi TB, Néo TA, Santana CH, Rabelo MD, Machado RZ, de Souza Chagas AC, de Sena Oliveira MC. Neither quantification by qPCR nor quantitative Elisa can be used to discriminate Angus cattle for resistance/susceptibility to Babesia bovis. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:335-340. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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38
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Van Voorhis WC, Doggett JS, Parsons M, Hulverson MA, Choi R, Arnold SLM, Riggs MW, Hemphill A, Howe DK, Mealey RH, Lau AOT, Merritt EA, Maly DJ, Fan E, Ojo KK. Extended-spectrum antiprotozoal bumped kinase inhibitors: A review. Exp Parasitol 2017; 180:71-83. [PMID: 28065755 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Many life-cycle processes in parasites are regulated by protein phosphorylation. Hence, disruption of essential protein kinase function has been explored for therapy of parasitic diseases. However, the difficulty of inhibiting parasite protein kinases to the exclusion of host orthologues poses a practical challenge. A possible path around this difficulty is the use of bumped kinase inhibitors for targeting calcium-dependent protein kinases that contain atypically small gatekeeper residues and are crucial for pathogenic apicomplexan parasites' survival and proliferation. In this article, we review efficacy against the kinase target, parasite growth in vitro, and in animal infection models, as well as the relevant pharmacokinetic and safety parameters of bumped kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley C Van Voorhis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | | | - Marilyn Parsons
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Matthew A Hulverson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ryan Choi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Samuel L M Arnold
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Michael W Riggs
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Berne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel K Howe
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA
| | - Robert H Mealey
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-7040, USA
| | - Audrey O T Lau
- The National Institutes of Health, NIAID, DEA, 5601 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ethan A Merritt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Dustin J Maly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Erkang Fan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kayode K Ojo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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39
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Molecular cloning, characterization and antigenicity ofBabesiasp. BQ1 (Lintan) (Babesiacf.motasi) apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1). Parasitology 2016; 144:641-649. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182016002304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYApical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) has been described as a potential vaccine candidate in apicomplexan parasites. Here we characterize theama-1gene. The full-lengthama-1gene ofBabesiasp. BQ1 (Lintan) (BLTAMA-1) is 1785 bp, which contains an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 65-kDa protein of 594 amino acid residues; by definition, the 5′ UTR precedes the first methionine of the ORF. Phylogenetic analysis based on AMA-1 amino acid sequences clearly separated Piroplasmida from other Apicomplexa parasites. TheBabesiasp. BQ1 (Lintan) AMA-1 sequence is most closely associated with that ofB. ovataandB. bigemina, with high bootstrap value. A recombinant protein encoding a conserved region and containing ectodomains I and II of BLTAMA-1 was constructed. BLTrAMA-1-DI/DII proteins were tested for reactivity with sera from sheep infected byBabesiasp. BQ1 (Lintan). In Western-blot analysis, nativeBabesiasp. BQ1 (Lintan) AMA-1 proteins were recognized by antibodies raised in rabbits against BLTrAMA-1in vitro. The results of this study are discussed in terms of gene characterization, taxonomy and antigenicity.
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40
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Niu Q, Bonsergent C, Rogniaux H, Guan G, Malandrin L, Moreau E. RAP-1a is the main rhoptry-associated-protein-1 (RAP-1) recognized during infection with Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) (B. motasi-like phylogenetic group), a pathogen of sheep in China. Vet Parasitol 2016; 232:48-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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41
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Wang T, Guan G, Korhonen PK, Koehler AV, Young ND, Hall RS, Yin H, Gasser RB. Mitochondrial genomes of two Babesia taxa from sheep in China as a foundation for population genetic and epidemiological investigations. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 47:51-55. [PMID: 27845269 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Here, we sequenced, assembled and annotated the mitochondrial (mt) genomes of two operational taxonomic units of Babesia from sheep from China using a deep sequencing-coupled approach. Then, we defined and compared the gene order of these mt genomes (~5.8 to 6.2kb in size), assessed sequence differences in mt genes among Babesia taxa and evaluated genetic relationships among these taxa and related apicomplexans (Theileria) for which mt genomic data sets were available. We also identified mt genetic regions that might be useful as markers for future population genetic and molecular epidemiological studies of Babesia from small ruminants. We propose that the sequencing-bioinformatic approach used here should be applicable to a wide range of protists of veterinary importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gansu, PR China; Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gansu, PR China
| | - Pasi K Korhonen
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anson V Koehler
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Neil D Young
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ross S Hall
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gansu, PR China.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, PR China.
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42
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Schreeg ME, Marr HS, Tarigo JL, Cohn LA, Bird DM, Scholl EH, Levy MG, Wiegmann BM, Birkenheuer AJ. Mitochondrial Genome Sequences and Structures Aid in the Resolution of Piroplasmida phylogeny. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165702. [PMID: 27832128 PMCID: PMC5104439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The taxonomy of the order Piroplasmida, which includes a number of clinically and economically relevant organisms, is a hotly debated topic amongst parasitologists. Three genera (Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon) are recognized based on parasite life cycle characteristics, but molecular phylogenetic analyses of 18S sequences have suggested the presence of five or more distinct Piroplasmida lineages. Despite these important advancements, a few studies have been unable to define the taxonomic relationships of some organisms (e.g. C. felis and T. equi) with respect to other Piroplasmida. Additional evidence from mitochondrial genome sequences and synteny should aid in the inference of Piroplasmida phylogeny and resolution of taxonomic uncertainties. In this study, we have amplified, sequenced, and annotated seven previously uncharacterized mitochondrial genomes (Babesia canis, Babesia vogeli, Babesia rossi, Babesia sp. Coco, Babesia conradae, Babesia microti-like sp., and Cytauxzoon felis) and identified additional ribosomal fragments in ten previously characterized mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated mitochondrial and 18S sequences as well as cox1 amino acid sequence identified five distinct Piroplasmida groups, each of which possesses a unique mitochondrial genome structure. Specifically, our results confirm the existence of four previously identified clades (B. microti group, Babesia sensu stricto, Theileria equi, and a Babesia sensu latu group that includes B. conradae) while supporting the integration of Theileria and Cytauxzoon species into a single fifth taxon. Although known biological characteristics of Piroplasmida corroborate the proposed phylogeny, more investigation into parasite life cycles is warranted to further understand the evolution of the Piroplasmida. Our results provide an evolutionary framework for comparative biology of these important animal and human pathogens and help focus renewed efforts toward understanding the phylogenetic relationships within the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Schreeg
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Henry S. Marr
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jaime L. Tarigo
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Leah A. Cohn
- University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - David M. Bird
- North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth H. Scholl
- North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Michael G. Levy
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Brian M. Wiegmann
- North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Adam J. Birkenheuer
- North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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Wang T, Guan G, Korhonen PK, Koehler AV, Hall RS, Young ND, Yin H, Gasser RB. The apicoplast genomes of two taxonomic units of Babesia from sheep. Vet Parasitol 2016; 233:123-128. [PMID: 27916258 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The apicoplast (ap) is a unique, non-photosynthetic organelle found in most apicomplexan parasites. Due to the essential roles that this organelle has, it has been widely considered as target for drugs against diseases caused by apicomplexans. Exploring the ap genomes of such parasites would provide a better understanding of their systematics and their basic molecular biology for therapeutics. However, there is limited information available on the ap genomes of apicomplexan parasites. In the present study, the ap genomes of two operational taxonomic units of Babesia (known as Babesia sp. Lintan [Bl] and Babesia sp. Xinjiang [Bx]) from sheep were sequenced, assembled and annotated using a massive parallel sequencing-based approach. Then, the gene content and gene order in these ap genomes (∼30.7kb in size) were defined and compared, and the genetic differences were assessed. In addition, a phylogenetic analysis of ap genomic data sets was carried out to assess the relationships of these taxonomic units with other apicomplexan parasites for which complete ap genomic data sets were publicly available. The results showed that the ap genomes of Bl and Bx encode 59 and 57 genes, respectively, including 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 25 transfer RNA genes and 30-32 protein-encoding genes, being similar in content to those of Babesia bovis and B. orientalis. Ap gene regions that might serve as markers for future epidemiological and population genetic studies of Babesia species were identified. Using sequence data for a subset of six protein-encoding genes, a close relationship of Bl and Bx with Babesia bovis from cattle and B. orientalis from water buffalo was inferred. Although the focus of the present study was on Babesia, we propose that the present sequencing-bioinformatic approach should be applicable to organellar genomes of a wide range of apicomplexans of veterinary importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gansu, PR China; Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gansu, PR China
| | - Pasi K Korhonen
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anson V Koehler
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ross S Hall
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Neil D Young
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gansu, PR China.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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Guan G, Korhonen PK, Young ND, Koehler AV, Wang T, Li Y, Liu Z, Luo J, Yin H, Gasser RB. Genomic resources for a unique, low-virulence Babesia taxon from China. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:564. [PMID: 27784333 PMCID: PMC5081931 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1846-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesiosis is a socioeconomically important tick-borne disease of animals (including humans) caused by haemoprotozoan parasites. The severity of babesiosis relates to host and parasite factors, particularly virulence/pathogenicity. Although Babesia bovis is a particularly pathogenic species of cattle, there are species of Babesia of ruminants that have limited pathogenicity. For instance, the operational taxonomic unit Babesia sp. Xinjiang (abbreviated here as Bx) of sheep from China is substantially less virulent/pathogenic than B. bovis is in cattle. Although the reason for this distinctiveness is presently unknown, it is possible that Bx has a reduced ability to adhere to cells or evade/suppress immune responses, which might relate to particular proteins, such as the variant erythrocyte surface antigens (VESAs). RESULTS We sequenced and annotated the 8.4 Mb nuclear draft genome of Bx and compared it with those of B. bovis and B. bigemina by synteny analysis; we also investigated the genetic relationship of Bx with selected Babesia species and related apicomplexans for which genomic datasets are available, and explored the VESA complement in Bx. CONCLUSIONS The availability of the Bx genome now provides unique opportunities to elucidate aspects of the molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology of Bx, and to explore the reason(s) for its limited virulence and/or apparent ability to evade immune attack by the host animal. Moreover, the present genomic resource and an in vitro culture system for Bx raises the prospect of establishing a functional genomic platform to explore essential genes as new intervention targets against babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Pasi K. Korhonen
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Neil D. Young
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Anson V. Koehler
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Tao Wang
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Youquan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
| | - Zhijie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu China
| | - Robin B. Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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Expression analysis and biological characterization of Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) (Babesia motasi-like) rhoptry-associated protein 1 and its potential use in serodiagnosis via ELISA. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:313. [PMID: 27245213 PMCID: PMC4888343 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1573-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In China, ovine babesiosis is one of the most important tick-borne haemoparasitic diseases of small ruminants. It has a significant economic impact, and several Babesia motasi-like isolates have been recently shown to be responsible for ovine babesiosis in this country. Methods Full-length and C-terminal-truncated forms of the rap-1a61-1 gene of Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) were cloned into the pET-30a plasmid and subsequently expressed as His-fusion proteins. The resulting recombinant RAP-1a proteins (rRAP-1a61-1 and rRAP-1a61-1/CT) were purified and evaluated as diagnostic antigens using Western blot analysis and ELISA. The native Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan) RAP-1 protein was recognized using Western blots and IFAT by antibodies that were raised in rabbits against rRAP-1a61-1/CT. The specificity, sensitivity and positive threshold values for rRAP-1a61-1/CT in ELISA were evaluated. Results Cross-reactivity was observed between rRAP-1a61-1/CT and positive sera for Babesia sp. BQ1 (Lintan), Babesia sp. BQ1 (Ningxian) and Babesia sp. Tianzhu isolates obtained from infected sheep. At one week post-inoculation, a significant increase was observed in the amount of antibodies produced against RAP-1a, and high levels of antibodies against RAP-1a were observed for 3 months (at 84 days p.i.). A total of 3198 serum samples were collected from small ruminants in 54 different regions in 23 provinces of China. These samples were tested using ELISA based on the rRAP-1a61-1/CT protein. The results indicated that the average positive rate was 36.02 %. Conclusions The present study suggests that rRAP-1a61-1/CT might be a potential diagnostic antigen for detecting several isolates of B. motasi-like parasites infection.
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Diminazene aceturate—An antiparasitic drug of antiquity: Advances in pharmacology & therapeutics. Pharmacol Res 2015; 102:138-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 09/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Transplacental transmission of bovine tick-borne pathogens: Frequency, co-infections and fatal neonatal anaplasmosis in a region of enzootic stability in the northeast of Brazil. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 7:270-5. [PMID: 26613663 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Bovine tick-borne disease (TBD) constitutes a worldwide group of diseases that result in great losses for dairy and beef cattle. With regard to the epidemiological profile of the diseases, the importance of transplacental transmission is still not very well understood. The aim of this study was to determine the transplacental transmission of TBD agents (Anaplasma marginale, Babesia bovis and B. bigemina) in a herd of dairy cattle that had been naturally infected in an area of enzootic stability in northeastern Brazil. Blood for serology of the three agents was collected from cows within 120 days of gestation and serology, haemogram and nPCR assays were performed after birth. Blood was collected from the calves within 3h of birth, and haemogram and nPCR assays were performed in all animals. Pre-colostrum serology was achieved in 34 animals. The Student's t-test was used to compare the haemogram results between animals that were positive and negative for the haemoparasites. The cows were seropositive for all agents in at least one of the examinations. We detected 15 cases of vertical transmission of A. marginale, 4 of B. bovis and 2 of B. bigemina in the 60 cows. In infected animals, co-infection was detected for A. marginale and B. bovis in 1 of 60 calves, and a triple infection was detected in one other calf. Fatal neonatal anaplasmosis was observed in 1 of 15 calves, in which death occurred within 24h of birth. From the results, we concluded that transplacental transmission of TBD agents occurs, including in cases of co- and triple-infection. Such transplacental transmission can cause neonatal death, increasing the importance of this form of epidemiological transmission and suggesting its role as a cause of undiagnosed neonatal death.
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Niu Q, Liu Z, Yu P, Yang J, Abdallah MO, Guan G, Liu G, Luo J, Yin H. Genetic characterization and molecular survey of Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina and Babesia ovata in cattle, dairy cattle and yaks in China. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:518. [PMID: 26452623 PMCID: PMC4600270 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1110-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Babesiosis is an important haemoparasitic disease, caused by the infection and subsequent intra-erythrocytic multiplication of protozoa of the genus Babesia that impacts the livestock industry and animal health. The distribution, epidemiology and genetic characterization of B. bigemina, B. bovis, and B. ovata in cattle in China as well as the prevalence of these protozoan agents were assessed. Methods A total of 646 blood specimens from cattle, dairy cattle and yaks from 14 provinces were collected and tested for the presence of the three Babesia species via a specific nested PCR assay based on the rap-1 and ama-1 genes. The PCR results were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Gene sequences and the genetic characterization were determined for selected positive samples from each sampling area. Results Of a total of 646 samples, 134 (20.7 %), 60 (9.3 %) and 10 (1.5 %) were positive for B. bovis, B. bigemina and B. ovata infections, respectively. Mixed infections were found in 7 of 14 provinces; 43 (6.7 %) samples were infected with B. bovis and B. bigemina. Three samples (0.5 %) exhibited a co-infection with B. bovis and B. ovata, and 6 (0.9 %) were infected with all three parasites. The rap-1a gene of B. bovis indicated a high degree of sequence heterogeneity compared with other published rap-1a sequences worldwide and was 85–100 % identical to B. bovis rap-1a sequences in Chinese isolates. B. bigemina rap-1c and B. ovata ama-1 genes were nearly identical, with 97.8–99.3 % and 97.8–99.6 % sequence identity, respectively, in GenBank. Conclusions Positive rates of B. bovis and B. bigemina infection are somewhat high in China. The B. bovis infection in yaks was first reported. The significant sequence heterogeneity in different variants of the rap-1a gene from Chinese B. bovis isolates might be a great threat to the cattle industry if RAP-1a protein is used as immunological antigen against Babesia infections in China. The data obtained in this study can be used to plan effective control strategies against babesiosis in China. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1110-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingli Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Zhijie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Peifa Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Jifei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Mirza Omar Abdallah
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Guangyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China.
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Xujiaping 1, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730046, PR China. .,Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, PR China.
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Aboge GO, Cao S, Terkawi MA, Masatani T, Goo Y, AbouLaila M, Nishikawa Y, Igarashi I, Suzuki H, Xuan X. Molecular Characterization ofBabesia bovisM17 Leucine Aminopeptidase and Inhibition ofBabesiaGrowth by Bestatin. J Parasitol 2015; 101:536-41. [DOI: 10.1645/15-745.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Molad T, Erster O, Fleiderovitz L, Roth A, Leibovitz B, Wolkomirsky R, Mazuz ML, Behar A, Markovics A. Molecular characterization of the Israeli B. bigemina vaccine strain and field isolates. Vet Parasitol 2015; 212:147-55. [PMID: 26154404 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The present study demonstrated the genetic character of the Israeli Babesia bigemina vaccine strain and field isolates, based on rap-1a and rap-1c gene sequences. The RAP-1a of blood-derived Israeli B. bigemina field isolates shared 100% amino acid sequence identity. However, comparison of RAP-1c from various Israeli B. bigemina field isolates revealed that the total sequence identity among the field isolates ranged from 98.2 to 100%. High identity was observed when RAP-1a sequences from the Israeli vaccine strain and field isolates were compared with RAP-1a from Egypt, Syria, Mexico and South Africa, while, the Israeli RAP-1c sequences showed the highest identity to the Mexican isolate JG-29 and to the PR isolate from Puerto-Rico. Based on sequence variations between the rap-1a of the vaccine strain and that of the field isolate, and between the rap-1c of the vaccine strain and that of the field isolates, nPCR-RFLP procedures were developed that enable, for the first time differentiation between the Israeli B. bigemina vaccine strain and field-infection isolates. These assays could serve as fast and sensitive methods for detection and differentiation between Israeli B. bigemina vaccine strains and field isolates, as well as for epidemiological investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Molad
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel.
| | - O Erster
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - L Fleiderovitz
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - A Roth
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - B Leibovitz
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - R Wolkomirsky
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - M L Mazuz
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - A Behar
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
| | - A Markovics
- Division of Parasitology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel
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