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Moehling TJ, Worthington MD, Wong PYG, Wong SS, Meagher RJ. Development of a Colorimetric Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in Low-Resource Settings. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:1193. [PMID: 38893719 PMCID: PMC11172009 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14111193] [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: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is an inflammatory parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). Early diagnosis is crucial in guiding treatment and slowing disease progression; however, current diagnostic methods have insufficient detection limits and often require skilled technicians. Molecular tests, especially isothermal nucleic acid assays, are advantageous due to their excellent sensitivity, specificity, speed, and simplicity. Here, we optimized a colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for T. cruzi. We can detect as few as 2 genomic copies/reaction using three different T. cruzi strains. We examined selectivity using other parasitic protozoans and successfully detected T. cruzi DNA extracted from parasites in human whole blood down to 1.2 parasite equivalents/reaction. We also performed a blinded study using canine blood samples and established a 100% sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the colorimetric LAMP assay. Finally, we used a heated 3D printer bed and an insulated thermos cup to demonstrate that the LAMP incubation step could be performed with accessible, low-cost materials. Altogether, we have developed a high-performing assay for T. cruzi with a simple colorimetric output that would be ideal for rapid, low-cost screening at the point of use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor J. Moehling
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 94551, USA; (T.J.M.); (M.D.W.)
| | - Myla D. Worthington
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 94551, USA; (T.J.M.); (M.D.W.)
| | | | | | - Robert J. Meagher
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 94551, USA; (T.J.M.); (M.D.W.)
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2
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Barbosa JMG, Cunha ALRR, David LC, Camelo ÍN, Martins NM, Galvão FS, Mendonça DR, Venâncio MT, Cunha RDS, Filho ARC, Veloso IM, Fernandes JJR, Jorge da Cunha PH, Antoniosi Filho NR. A veterinary cerumenomic assay for bovine laminitis identification. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:1003-1013. [PMID: 38051450 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10271-2] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Bovine laminitis disorder results in animal welfare and economic concerns in dairy and beef farms worldwide. However, the affected metabolic pathways, pathophysiologic characteristics, and inflammatory mechanisms remain unclear, hampering the development of new diagnostics. Using cerumen (earwax) as a source of volatile metabolites (cerumenomic) that carry valuable biological information has interesting implications for veterinary medicine. Nonetheless, up to now, no applications of veterinary cerumenomic assays have been made to identify bovine laminitis. This work aims to develop a veterinary cerumenomic assay for bovine laminitis identification that is non-invasive, robust, accurate, and sensitive to detecting the metabolic disturbances in bovine volatile metabolome. Twenty earwax samples (10 from healthy/control calves and 10 from laminitis calves) were collected from Nellore cattle, followed by Headspace/Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS/GC-MS) analysis and biomarker selection in two multivariate approaches: semiquantitative (intensity data) and semiqualitative (binary data). Following the analysis, cerumen volatile metabolites were indicated as candidate biomarkers for identifying bovine laminitis by monitoring their intensity or occurrence. In the semiquantitative strategy, the p-cresol presented the highest diagnostic figures of merit (area under the curve: 0.845, sensitivity: 0.700, and specificity: 0.900). Regarding the binary approach, a panel combining eight variables/volatiles, with formamide being the most prominent one, showed an area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.97, 0.81, and 0.90, respectively. In summary, this work describes the first veterinary cerumenomic assay for bovine laminitis that indicates new metabolites altered during the inflammatory condition, paving the way for developing laminitis early diagnosis by monitoring the cerumen metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Marcos G Barbosa
- Laboratório de Métodos de Extração E Separação (LAMES), Instituto de Química (IQ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil.
| | - Ana Luiza Reis R Cunha
- Laboratório de Métodos de Extração E Separação (LAMES), Instituto de Química (IQ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Lurian C David
- Laboratório de Métodos de Extração E Separação (LAMES), Instituto de Química (IQ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Ícaro N Camelo
- Laboratório de Métodos de Extração E Separação (LAMES), Instituto de Química (IQ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Nauyla M Martins
- Laboratório de Métodos de Extração E Separação (LAMES), Instituto de Química (IQ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Felipe S Galvão
- Escola de Veterinária E Zootecnia (EVZ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, CEP, 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Débora R Mendonça
- Escola de Veterinária E Zootecnia (EVZ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, CEP, 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Marianna T Venâncio
- Escola de Veterinária E Zootecnia (EVZ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, CEP, 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Roberta Dias S Cunha
- Escola de Veterinária E Zootecnia (EVZ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, CEP, 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Alessandro R Costa Filho
- Escola de Veterinária E Zootecnia (EVZ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, CEP, 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Izadora M Veloso
- Escola de Veterinária E Zootecnia (EVZ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, CEP, 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Juliano José R Fernandes
- Escola de Veterinária E Zootecnia (EVZ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, CEP, 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Paulo Henrique Jorge da Cunha
- Escola de Veterinária E Zootecnia (EVZ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Rodovia Goiânia - Nova Veneza, Km 8, Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, CEP, 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Nelson R Antoniosi Filho
- Laboratório de Métodos de Extração E Separação (LAMES), Instituto de Química (IQ), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Campus II - Samambaia, Goiânia, GO, 74690-900, Brazil.
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Omondi VO, Bosire GO, Onyari JM, Kibet C, Mwasya S, Onyonyi VN, Getahun MN. Multi-omics analyses reveal rumen microbes and secondary metabolites that are unique to livestock species. mSystems 2024; 9:e0122823. [PMID: 38294243 PMCID: PMC10878066 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01228-23] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Ruminant livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats, and camels, possess a distinctive digestive system with complex microbiota communities critical for feed conversion and secondary metabolite production, including greenhouse gases. Yet, there is limited knowledge regarding the diversity of rumen microbes and metabolites benefiting livestock physiology, productivity, climate impact, and defense mechanisms across ruminant species. In this study, we utilized metataxonomics and metabolomics data from four evolutionarily distinct livestock species, which had fed on diverse plant materials like grass, shrubs, and acacia trees, to uncover the unique signature microbes and secondary metabolites. We established the presence of a distinctive anaerobic fungus called Oontomyces in camels, while cattle exhibited a higher prevalence of unique microbes like Psychrobacter, Anaeromyces, Cyllamyces, and Orpinomyces. Goats hosted Cleistothelebolus, and Liebetanzomyces was unique to sheep. Furthermore, we identified a set of conserved core microbes, including Prevotella, Rickenellaceae, Cladosporium, and Pecoramyces, present in all the ruminants, irrespective of host genetics and dietary composition. This underscores their indispensable role in maintaining crucial physiological functions. Regarding secondary metabolites, camel's rumen is rich in organic acids, goat's rumen is rich in alcohols and hydrocarbons, sheep's rumen is rich in indoles, and cattle's rumen is rich in sesquiterpenes. Additionally, linalool propionate and terpinolene were uniquely found in sheep rumen, while valencene was exclusive to cattle. This may suggest the existence of species-specific microbes and metabolites that require host rumen-microbes' environment balance. These results have implications for manipulating the rumen environment to target specific microbes and secondary metabolite networks, thereby enhancing livestock productivity, resilience, reducing susceptibility to vectors, and environmentally preferred livestock husbandry.IMPORTANCERumen fermentation, which depends on feed components and rumen microbes, plays a crucial role in feed conversion and the production of various metabolites important for the physiological functions, health, and environmental smartness of ruminant livestock, in addition to providing food for humans. However, given the complexity and variation of the rumen ecosystem and feed of these various livestock species, combined with inter-individual differences between gut microbial communities, how they influence the rumen secondary metabolites remains elusive. Using metagenomics and metabolomics approaches, we show that each livestock species has a signature microbe(s) and secondary metabolites. These findings may contribute toward understanding the rumen ecosystem, microbiome and metabolite networks, which may provide a gateway to manipulating rumen ecosystem pathways toward making livestock production efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor O. Omondi
- Animal Health Theme and Behavioural and Chemical Ecology Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nairobi (U.o.N), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - John M. Onyari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nairobi (U.o.N), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Caleb Kibet
- Animal Health Theme and Behavioural and Chemical Ecology Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Samuel Mwasya
- Animal Health Theme and Behavioural and Chemical Ecology Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vanessa N. Onyonyi
- Animal Health Theme and Behavioural and Chemical Ecology Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Merid N. Getahun
- Animal Health Theme and Behavioural and Chemical Ecology Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
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Saldanha I, Betson M, Vrettou C, Paxton E, Nixon J, Tennant P, Ritchie A, Matthews KR, Morrison LJ, Torr SJ, Cunningham LJ. Consistent detection of Trypanosoma brucei but not T. congolense DNA in faeces of experimentally infected cattle. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4158. [PMID: 38378867 PMCID: PMC10879203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54857-5] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a significant food security and economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Current AAT empirical and immunodiagnostic surveillance tools suffer from poor sensitivity and specificity, with blood sampling requiring animal restraint and trained personnel. Faecal sampling could increase sampling accessibility, scale, and species range. Therefore, this study assessed feasibility of detecting Trypanosoma DNA in the faeces of experimentally-infected cattle. Holstein-Friesian calves were inoculated with Trypanosoma brucei brucei AnTat 1.1 (n = 5) or T. congolense Savannah IL3000 (n = 6) in separate studies. Faecal and blood samples were collected concurrently over 10 weeks and screened using species-specific PCR and qPCR assays. T. brucei DNA was detected in 85% of post-inoculation (PI) faecal samples (n = 114/134) by qPCR and 50% by PCR between 4 and 66 days PI. However, T. congolense DNA was detected in just 3.4% (n = 5/145) of PI faecal samples by qPCR, and none by PCR. These results confirm the ability to consistently detect T. brucei DNA, but not T. congolense DNA, in infected cattle faeces. This disparity may derive from the differences in Trypanosoma species tissue distribution and/or extravasation. Therefore, whilst faeces are a promising substrate to screen for T. brucei infection, blood sampling is required to detect T. congolense in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Saldanha
- Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Martha Betson
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | | | - Edith Paxton
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James Nixon
- Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Peter Tennant
- Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adrian Ritchie
- Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Keith R Matthews
- Institute of Immunology and Infection, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Stephen J Torr
- Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Lucas J Cunningham
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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