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Salti MI, Sam-Yellowe TY. Are Colpodella Species Pathogenic? Nutrient Uptake and Approaches to Diagnose Infections. Pathogens 2024; 13:600. [PMID: 39057826 PMCID: PMC11279546 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13070600] [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: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Colpodella species are free-living protists phylogenetically related to apicomplexans. Colpodella sp. have been detected in human and animal tissues, as well as in ticks and biting flies. The trophozoite and cyst stages of Colpodella species can be distinguished from stages of the prey Parabodo caudatus using Sam-Yellowe's trichrome staining. Colpodella species obtain nutrients by attaching to their prey, aspirating the prey's cytoplasmic contents into a posterior food vacuole and encysting. It is unclear whether both trophozoite and cyst stages are present in human and animal tissues. Molecular techniques have detected Colpodella species in human blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and in ticks and flies. However, no morphological information was reported to aid life-cycle stage identification of Colpodella species. This review discusses the increased reports of Colpodella species detection in animals and in arthropods and the need to identify stages present in human and animal tissues. We previously used Sam-Yellowe's trichrome staining to identify life-cycle stages of Colpodella sp. In this review, we examine the reports of Colpodella species detection in human and animal tissues to determine whether the identification of Colpodella species represents true infections or contaminations of samples collected during routine surveillance of piroplasm infections in animals and arthropods. This review also aims to provide insights regarding Colpodella, nutrient uptake, and the survival of Colpodella sp. within humans, animals, and arthropods, as well as whether the attachment of trophozoites to cells occurs in tissues leading to myzocytosis and endocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tobili Y. Sam-Yellowe
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA;
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Fuochi V, Furnari S, Trovato L, Calvo M, Furneri PM. Therapies in preclinical and in early clinical development for the treatment of urinary tract infections: from pathogens to therapies. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2024; 33:677-698. [PMID: 38700945 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2024.2351509] [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: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a prevalent health challenge characterized by the invasion and multiplication of microorganisms in the urinary system. The continuous exploration of novel therapeutic interventions is imperative. Advances in research offer hope for revolutionizing the management of UTIs and improving the overall health outcomes for individuals affected by these infections. AREAS COVERED This review aimed to provide an overview of existing treatments for UTIs, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Moreover, we explored and analyzed the latest therapeutic modalities under clinical development. Finally, the review offered a picture into the potential implications of these therapies on the future landscape of UTIs treatment, discussing possible advancements and challenges for further research. EXPERT OPINION Comprehensions into the pathogenesis of UTIs have been gleaned from foundational basic science studies, laying the groundwork for the exploration of novel therapeutic interventions. The primary source of evidence originates predominantly from animal studies conducted on murine models. Nevertheless, the lack of clinical trials interferes the acquisition of robust evidence in humans. The challenges presented by the heterogeneity and virulence of uropathogens add an additional layer of complexity, posing an obstacle that scientists and clinicians are actively grappling with in their pursuit of effective solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Fuochi
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Furnari
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Laura Trovato
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- U.O.C. Laboratory Analysis Unit, A.O.U. "Policlinico-San Marco", Catania, Italy
| | - Maddalena Calvo
- U.O.C. Laboratory Analysis Unit, A.O.U. "Policlinico-San Marco", Catania, Italy
| | - Pio Maria Furneri
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Dagar J, Maurya S, Antil S, Abraham JS, Somasundaram S, Lal R, Makhija S, Toteja R. Symbionts of Ciliates and Ciliates as Symbionts. Indian J Microbiol 2024; 64:304-317. [PMID: 39010998 PMCID: PMC11246404 DOI: 10.1007/s12088-024-01203-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiotic relationships between ciliates and others are critical for their ecological roles, physiological adaptations, and evolutionary implications. These can be obligate and facultative. Symbionts often provide essential nutrients, contribute to the ciliate's metabolism, aid in digestion, and offer protection against predators or environmental stressors. In turn, ciliates provide a protected environment and resources for their symbionts, facilitating their survival and proliferation. Ultrastructural and full-cycle rRNA approaches are utilized to identify these endosymbionts. Fluorescence in situ hybridization using "species- and group-specific probes" which are complementary to the genetic material (DNA or RNA) of a particular species or group of interest represent convenient tools for their detection directly in the environment. A systematic survey of these endosymbionts has been conducted using both traditional and metagenomic approaches. Ciliophora and other protists have a wide range of prokaryotic symbionts, which may contain potentially pathogenic bacteria. Ciliates can establish symbiotic relationships with a variety of hosts also, ranging from protists to metazoans. Understanding ciliate symbiosis can provide useful insights into the complex relationships that drive microbial communities and ecosystems in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Dagar
- Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Swati Maurya
- Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Sandeep Antil
- Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | | | | | - Rup Lal
- Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Seema Makhija
- Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Ravi Toteja
- Acharya Narendra Dev College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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Wu S, Meng J, Yu F, Zhou C, Yang B, Chen X, Yang G, Sun Y, Cao W, Jiang J, Wu J, Zhan L. Molecular epidemiological investigation of piroplasms carried by pet cats and dogs in an animal hospital in Guiyang, China. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1266583. [PMID: 37901826 PMCID: PMC10602747 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1266583] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Piroplasmosis is a zoonotic disease mainly caused by the Babesia and Theileria parasites. Piroplasmosis is often a subclinical infection in dogs and cats that is difficult to detect and is often suspected when clinical signs such as anemia are present. It has been reported to be prevalent in China. However, molecular evidence of the disease has not been reported in pet dogs and cats in Guiyang. In this study, we collected 307 anticoagulated blood samples from an animal hospital in the Wudang District of Guiyang during the period March 2021 to November 2021 and extracted DNA from the samples. The 18S rDNA gene was amplified using PCR, and the positive amplification product was sequenced. The sequences were then analyzed for homology and phylogeny. Of the 307 samples collected, 164 were feline and 143 were canine, with a total of 23 amplifying a target band of approximately 400 bp. The percentage of positives of piroplasms infection in pet cats was 4.27% (7/164), with the pathogens being T. uilenbergi (3) and T. luwenshuni (4). One Colpodella sp. and two undetermined species were also detected in the cat samples. The percentage of positives of piroplasms infection in pet dogs was 7.69% (11/143), with the pathogen being T. uilenbergi (11). One Colpodella sp. was also detected in the dog samples. The results confirmed that T. uilenbergi and T. luwenshuni are prevalent in pet cats and dogs in this area. In addition, the study found a rare zoonotic pathogen, Colpodella sp., in cats and dogs. Therefore, this study is expected to serve as a valuable reference for decision-making regarding animal health management and public health work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengchun Wu
- School of Public Health, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jiao Meng
- School of Public Health, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Fuxun Yu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immune-related Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Caomin Zhou
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guizhou Provincial Institute of Nephritic and Urinary Disease, Guiyang, China
| | - Bin Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immune-related Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Xingxing Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immune-related Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Guanghong Yang
- Guizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guiyang, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wuchun Cao
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiafu Jiang
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahong Wu
- School of Public Health, The Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Lin Zhan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immune-related Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China
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Costache C, Colosi IA, Neculicioiu VS, Florian DI, Petrushev B, Vasvari A, Seicean A. A Rare Case of Strongyloides stercoralis Hyperinfection in a Diabetic Patient from Romania—Case Report and Review of the Literature. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12040530. [PMID: 37111416 PMCID: PMC10146644 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12040530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe cases of strongyloidiasis are most often associated with multiple causes of immune suppression, such as corticoid treatment and HTLV (human T-lymphotropic virus) coinfection. Diabetes is not traditionally considered a risk factor for the development of severe strongyloidiasis. We report a rare case of autochthonous severe strongyloidiasis in Romania, a European country with a temperate climate. A 71-year-old patient with no prior travel history was admitted with multiple gastrointestinal complaints and recent weight loss. CT (computed tomography) scans indicated duodenal wall thickening, and duodenal endoscopy evidenced mucosal inflammation, ulcerations and partial duodenal obstruction at D4. Microscopic examination of stool samples and biopsy specimens from the gastric and duodenal mucosa revealed an increased larval burden characteristic of Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection. Sequential treatment with albendazole and ivermectin achieved parasitological cure and complete recovery. The novelty of our case stems from the scarcity of severe strongyloidiasis cases reported in Europe and especially in Romania, the absence of other risk factors in our patient aside from diabetes, the involvement of the gastric mucosa and the rare presentation as partial duodenal obstruction. This case highlights the importance of considering strongyloidiasis as a differential diagnosis, even in temperate climates where cases are sporadic, in cases in which immune suppression is not evident and in the absence of eosinophilia. The case is presented in the context of the first literature review examining the relationship between severe strongyloidiasis and diabetes, emphasizing diabetes as a possible risk factor for severe strongyloidiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Costache
- Department of Microbiology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Alina Colosi
- Department of Microbiology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Vlad Sever Neculicioiu
- Department of Microbiology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Diana Ioana Florian
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Bobe Petrushev
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alexandra Vasvari
- Department of Gastroenterology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrada Seicean
- Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Gastroenterology, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Ultrastructure of Myzocytosis and Cyst Formation, and the Role of Actin in Tubular Tether Formation in Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594). Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11040455. [PMID: 35456130 PMCID: PMC9027189 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Free-living relatives of the Apicomplexa such as Colpodella species, Alphamonas species, and Voromonas pontica are predators that prey on ciliate, bodonid, and algal prey using the process of myzocytosis. During myzocytosis, the pseudoconoid is used to attach to the prey leading to aspiration of cytoplasmic contents of the prey into a posterior food vacuole formed in the predator, aided by secretions from the apical complex organelles. The conoid and associated proteins are conserved among the apicomplexa. However, the organization and function of the pseudoconoid during myzocytosis are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the morphology and ultrastructure of Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) during the stages of myzocytosis and cyst formation in the life cycle using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to identify the organization of the tubular tether involved in nutrient aspiration by Colpodella sp. Tubular tethers of varying lengths were identified by light microscopy. We report that initial contact by Colpodella sp. trophozoites with Parabodo caudatus prey is by an area posterior to the apical tip of the rostrum that engulfs the membrane of the prey pulling it into the cytoplasm of the predator. The tubular tether that forms contains membranes of both predator and prey and is facilitated by microtubule organization and the cytoskeleton at the point of contact. Cytochalasin D treatment of diprotist cultures resulted in morphological distortions of trophozoites and the tubular tether suggesting a role of actin in the formation of the tubular tether. This mechanism of predation may provide insight into the mode of invasion observed in pathogenic apicomplexan zoites during host cell entry.
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Getty TA, Peterson JW, Fujioka H, Walsh AM, Sam-Yellowe TY. Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) Life Cycle: Myzocytosis and Possible Links to the Origin of Intracellular Parasitism. Trop Med Infect Dis 2021; 6:tropicalmed6030127. [PMID: 34287391 PMCID: PMC8293349 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed6030127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Colpodella species are free living bi-flagellated protists that prey on algae and bodonids in a process known as myzocytosis. Colpodella species are phylogenetically related to Apicomplexa. We investigated the life cycle of Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) to understand the timing, duration and the transition stages of Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594). Sam-Yellowe’s trichrome stains for light microscopy, confocal and differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy was performed to identify cell morphology and determine cross reactivity of Plasmodium species and Toxoplasma gondii specific antibodies against Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) proteins. The ultrastructure of Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The duration of Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) life cycle is thirty-six hours. Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) were most active between 20–28 h. Myzocytosis is initiated by attachment of the Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) pseudo-conoid to the cell surface of Parabodo caudatus, followed by an expansion of microtubules at the attachment site and aspiration of the prey’s cytoplasmic contents. A pre-cyst formed at the conclusion of feeding differentiates into a transient or resting cyst. Both DIC and TEM microscopy identified asynchronous and asymmetric mitosis in Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) cysts. Knowledge of the life cycle and stages of Colpodella sp. (ATCC 50594) will provide insights into the development of intracellular parasitism among the apicomplexa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy A. Getty
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA; (T.A.G.); (A.M.W.)
| | - John W. Peterson
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA;
| | - Hisashi Fujioka
- Cryo-EM Core, Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
| | - Aidan M. Walsh
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA; (T.A.G.); (A.M.W.)
| | - Tobili Y. Sam-Yellowe
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA; (T.A.G.); (A.M.W.)
- Correspondence:
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