Development and evaluation of a novel loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method targeting Theileria parasites infecting Yezo sika deer

Degrade to survive: the intricate world of piroplasmid proteases

Piroplasmids of the genera Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon are tick-transmitted parasites with a high impact on animals and humans. They have complex life cycles in their definitive arthropod and intermediate vertebrate hosts involving numerous processes, including invasion of, and egress from, host cells, parasite growth, transformation, and migration. Like other parasitic protozoa, piroplasmids are equipped with different types of protease to fulfill many of such essential processes. Blockade of some key proteases, using inhibitors or antibodies, hinders piroplasmid growth, highlighting their potential usefulness in drug therapies and vaccine development. A better understanding of the functional significance of these enzymes will contribute to the development of improved control measures for the devastating animal and human diseases caused by these pathogens.

Recent advances and challenges of biosensing in point-of-care molecular diagnosis

Molecular diagnosis, which plays a major role in infectious disease screening with successful understanding of the human genome, has attracted more attention because of the outbreak of COVID-19 recently. Since point-of-care testing (POCT) can expand the application of molecular diagnosis with the benefit of rapid reply, low cost, and working in decentralized environments, many researchers and commercial institutions have dedicated tremendous effort and enthusiasm to POCT-based biosensing for molecular diagnosis. In this review, we firstly summarize the state-of-the-art techniques and the construction of biosensing systems for POC molecular diagnosis. Then, the application scenarios of POCT-based biosensing for molecular diagnosis were also reviewed. Finally, several challenges and perspectives of POC biosensing for molecular diagnosis are discussed. This review is expected to help researchers deepen comprehension and make progresses in POCT-based biosensing field for molecular diagnosis applications.

SPECIFIC MOLECULAR DETECTION OF PIROPLASMS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF β-TUBULIN FOR A NOVEL BABESIA SPECIES IN SIKA DEER (CERVUS NIPPON YESOENSIS)

Piroplasms, which include Babesia spp. and Theileria spp., are protozoan parasites carried by ticks and commonly cause disease in animals and humans. Those caused by Babesia spp. manifest as fever, anemia, and hemoglobinuria, while Theileria spp. can lead to high fever, diarrhea, and lymphadenopathy. Recently, Theileria capreoli and an undescribed Babesia sp. were detected for the first time in sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) from Hokkaido; however, there is limited information available on their epidemiology in Japan. Here, a touchdown polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot hybridization were used to perform an epidemiological survey of T. capreoli and Babesia sp. using blood samples from 82 sika deer in Hokkaido, Japan. This was followed by partial sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rRNA and β-tubulin genes to characterize both piroplasm species. A total of 43 (52.4%) and 3 (3.7%) of the sika deer were positive for T. capreoli and Babesia sp., respectively. The β-tubulin gene partial sequences for Babesia sp. were distinct from those of Babesia spp. in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the unknown Babesia sp. is more closely related to B. bigemina and B. ovata than other Babesia spp. based on the β-tubulin gene. Further studies are required to understand the ecology of these tick-borne pathogens in Japan.