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Ferrareze PAG, Cybis GB, de Oliveira LFV, Zimerman RA, Schiavon DEB, Peter C, Thompson CE. Intense P.1 (Gamma) diversification followed by rapid Delta substitution in Southern Brazil: a SARS-CoV-2 genomic epidemiology study. Microbes Infect 2024; 26:105216. [PMID: 37827275 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
The analyses of genetic traits, dispersion patterns and phylogenomics are essential for understanding the evolutionary forces driving SARS-CoV-2 viruses in these three years of COVID-19 pandemics. Brazil is one of the most affected countries in the world and not sufficient genomic studies have been performed. The emergence of P.1 lineage led to one of the most serious public health crises on record. Our study presents the genomic sequencing and characterization of 412 samples from Rio Grande do Sul state, in the Brazilian Southern region, during Gamma and Delta epidemic waves, in 2021. Additionally, molecular evolution tests were performed to identify positively selected sites in Brazil between 2020 and 2022, as well as offer some evolutionary perspective about the maintenance of multiple spike mutations in Omicron lineages. Genomic epidemiology analysis has indicated an intense P.1 (Gamma) diversification followed by rapid Delta substitution in Southern Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Aline Gröhs Ferrareze
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Betella Cybis
- Department of Statistics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | | | - Dieine Estela Bernieri Schiavon
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical Informatics, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Pharmacosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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2
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Ferrareze PAG, Pereira E Costa RA, Thompson CE. Genomic characterization and molecular evolution of human monkeypox viruses. Arch Virol 2023; 168:278. [PMID: 37864757 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-023-05904-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Monkeypox virus is a member of the family Poxviridae, as are variola virus and vaccinia virus. It has a linear double-strand DNA genome approximately 197 kb long, containing ~190 non-overlapping ORFs. Comparison of members of the Central and West African clades shows the presence of unique genes that are associated with different disease presentations, depending on the strain. The last smallpox vaccination efforts ended in the mid-1980s, and there is concern about the recent spread of human monkeypox disease around the world. Almost 87,000 human monkeypox cases have been diagnosed in the world, of which more than 10,900 were in Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology and molecular evolution of hMpxV. From computational biology analysis of 640 hMpxV genomes from 1962 to 2022, synteny breaks and gene conservation were observed between Central and West clade genomes, and strains belonged with the 2022 outbreak assigned to the West African clade. Evidence was found for diversifying selective pressure at specific sites within protein coding sequences, acting on immunomodulatory processes. The existence of different sites under diversifying and purifying selection in paralog genes indicates adaptive mechanisms underlying the host-pathogen interaction of monkeypox virus in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Aline Gröhs Ferrareze
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Department of Pharmacosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), 245/200C Sarmento Leite St, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil.
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Cervi GH, Flores CD, Thompson CE. The MetaGens algorithm for metagenomic database lossy compression and subject alignment. Database (Oxford) 2023; 2023:baad053. [PMID: 37566631 PMCID: PMC10419334 DOI: 10.1093/database/baad053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
The advancement of genetic sequencing techniques led to the production of a large volume of data. The extraction of genetic material from a sample is one of the early steps of the metagenomic study. With the evolution of the processes, the analysis of the sequenced data allowed the discovery of etiological agents and, by corollary, the diagnosis of infections. One of the biggest challenges of the technique is the huge volume of data generated with each new technology developed. To introduce an algorithm that may reduce the data volume, allowing faster DNA matching with the reference databases. Using techniques like lossy compression and substitution matrix, it is possible to match nucleotide sequences without losing the subject. This lossy compression explores the nature of DNA mutations, insertions and deletions and the possibility that different sequences are the same subject. The algorithm can reduce the overall size of the database to 15% of the original size. Depending on parameters, it may reduce up to 5% of the original size. Although is the same as the other platforms, the match algorithm is more sensible because it ignores the transitions and transversions, resulting in a faster way to obtain the diagnostic results. The first experiment results in an increase in speed 10 times faster than Blast while maintaining high sensitivity. This performance gain can be extended by combining other techniques already used in other studies, such as hash tables. Database URL https://github.com/ghc4/metagens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Henrique Cervi
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245 - Centro Histórico, Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, Brazil
| | - Cecilia Dias Flores
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245 - Centro Histórico, Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Rua Sarmento Leite, 245 - Centro Histórico, Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, Brazil
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Mayer ADM, Gröhs Ferrareze PA, de Oliveira LFV, Gregianini TS, Neves CLAM, Caldana GD, Kmetzsch L, Thompson CE. Genomic characterization and molecular evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Virology 2023; 582:1-11. [PMID: 36989935 PMCID: PMC10018445 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the COVID-19 and has afflicted the world since the end of 2019. Different lineages have been discovered and the Gamma lineage, which started the second wave of infections, was first described in Brazil, one of the most affected countries by pandemic. Therefore, this study analyzed SARS-CoV-2 sequenced genomes from Esteio city in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. We also comparatively analyzed genomes of the two first years of the pandemic from Rio Grande do Sul state for understanding their genomic and evolutionary patterns. The phylogenomic analysis showed monophyletic groups for Alpha, Gamma, Delta and Omicron, as well as for other circulating lineages in the state. Molecular evolutionary analysis identified several sites under adaptive selection in membrane and nucleocapsid proteins which could be related to a prevalent stabilizing effect on membrane protein structure, as well as majoritarily destabilizing effects on C-terminal nucleocapsid domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda de Menezes Mayer
- Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Aline Gröhs Ferrareze
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Tatiana Schäffer Gregianini
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde da Secretaria de Saúde do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (LACEN/CEVS/SES-RS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriel Dickin Caldana
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lívia Kmetzsch
- Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Pharmacosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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Thompson CE, Brisolara-Corrêa L, Thompson HN, Stassen H, de Freitas LB. Evolutionary and structural aspects of Solanaceae RNases T2. Genet Mol Biol 2022; 46:e20220115. [PMID: 36534953 PMCID: PMC9762611 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2022-0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant RNases T2 are involved in several physiological and developmental processes, including inorganic phosphate starvation, senescence, wounding, defense against pathogens, and the self-incompatibility system. Solanaceae RNases form three main clades, one composed exclusively of S-RNases and two that include S-like RNases. We identified several positively selected amino acids located in highly flexible regions of these molecules, mainly close to the B1 and B2 substrate-binding sites in S-like RNases and the hypervariable regions of S-RNases. These differences between S- and S-like RNases in the flexibility of amino acids in substrate-binding regions are essential to understand the RNA-binding process. For example, in the S-like RNase NT, two positively selected amino acid residues (Tyr156 and Asn134) are located at the most flexible sites on the molecular surface. RNase NT is induced in response to tobacco mosaic virus infection; these sites may thus be regions of interaction with pathogen proteins or viral RNA. Differential selective pressures acting on plant ribonucleases have increased amino acid variability and, consequently, structural differences within and among S-like RNases and S-RNases that seem to be essential for these proteins play different functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre,
Departamento de Farmacociências, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lauís Brisolara-Corrêa
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Departamento de Genética,
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Helen Nathalia Thompson
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Química,
Departamento de Fisico-Química, Laboratório de Química Teórica e Computacional,
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Hubert Stassen
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Química,
Departamento de Fisico-Química, Laboratório de Química Teórica e Computacional,
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Postiga IAL, Teixeira PC, Neves CAM, Santana Filho P, Marmett B, Carvalho R, Peres A, Rotta L, Thompson CE, Dorneles GP, Romão PRT. Systemic redox imbalance in severe COVID-19 patients. Cell Biochem Funct 2022; 40:694-705. [PMID: 35980161 PMCID: PMC9538604 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the systemic redox state and inflammatory markers in intensive care unit (ICU) or non-ICU severe COVID-19 patients during the hospitalization period. Blood samples were collected at hospital admission (T1) (Controls and COVID-19 patients), 5-7 days after admission (T2: 5-7 days after hospital admission), and at the discharge time from the hospital (T3: 0-72 h before leaving hospital or death) to analyze systemic oxidative stress markers and inflammatory variables. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were analyzed in peripheral granulocytes and monocytes. THP-1 human monocytic cell line was incubated with plasma from non-ICU and ICU COVID-19 patients and cell viability and apoptosis rate were analyzed. Higher total antioxidant capacity, protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and IL-6 at hospital admission were identified in both non-ICU and ICU COVID-19 patients. ICU COVID-19 patients presented increased C-reactive protein, ROS levels, and protein oxidation over hospitalization period compared to non-ICU patients, despite increased antioxidant status. Granulocytes and monocytes of non-ICU and ICU COVID-19 patients presented lower MMP and higher ROS production compared to the healthy controls, with the highest values found in ICU COVID-19 group. Finally, the incubation of THP-1 cells with plasma acquired from ICU COVID-19 patients at T3 hospitalization period decreased cell viability and apoptosis rate. In conclusion, disturbance in redox state is a hallmark of severe COVID-19 and is associated with cell damage and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle A L Postiga
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Paula C Teixeira
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carla Andretta Moreira Neves
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Paulo Santana Filho
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Bruna Marmett
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Roseana Carvalho
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Peres
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Liane Rotta
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gilson P Dorneles
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Pedro R T Romão
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Gröhs Ferrareze PA, Zimerman RA, Franceschi VB, Caldana GD, Netz PA, Thompson CE. Molecular evolution and structural analyses of the spike glycoprotein from Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 genomes: the impact of selected mutations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 41:3110-3128. [PMID: 35594172 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2076154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has reached by February 2022 more than 380 million cases and 5.5 million deaths worldwide since its beginning in late 2019, leading to enhanced concern in the scientific community and the general population. One of the most important pieces of this host-pathogen interaction is the spike protein, which binds to the hACE2 cell receptor, mediates the membrane fusion and is the major target of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The multiple amino acid substitutions observed in this region, specially in RBD have enhanced the hACE2 binding affinity and led to several modifications in the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, improving the viral fitness and/or promoting immune evasion, with potential impact in the vaccine development. In this work, we identified 48 sites under selective pressures, 17 of them with the strongest evidence by the HyPhy tests, including VOC related mutation sites 138, 142, 222, 262, 484, 681, and 845, among others. The coevolutionary analysis identified 28 sites found not to be conditionally independent, such as E484K-N501Y. The molecular dynamics and free energy estimates showed the structural stabilizing effect and the higher impact of E484K for enhanced binding affinity between the spike RBD and hACE2 in P.1 and P.2 lineages (specially with L452V). Structural changes were also identified in the hACE molecule when interacting with B.1.1.7 RDB. Despite some destabilizing substitutions, a stabilizing effect was identified for the majority of the positively selected mutations.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Aline Gröhs Ferrareze
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Vinícius Bonetti Franceschi
- Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Dickin Caldana
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Paulo Augusto Netz
- Graduate Program in Chemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Department of Pharmacosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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8
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Zimerman RA, Ferrareze PAG, Cadegiani FA, Wambier CG, Fonseca DDN, de Souza AR, Goren A, Rotta LN, Ren Z, Thompson CE. Comparative Genomics and Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 P.1 (Gamma) Variant of Concern From Amazonas, Brazil. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:806611. [PMID: 35242782 PMCID: PMC8885995 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.806611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND P.1 lineage (Gamma) was first described in the State of Amazonas, northern Brazil, in the end of 2020, and has emerged as a very important variant of concern (VOC) of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide. P.1 has been linked to increased infectivity, higher mortality, and immune evasion, leading to reinfections and potentially reduced efficacy of vaccines and neutralizing antibodies. METHODS The samples of 276 patients from the State of Amazonas were sent to a central referral laboratory for sequencing by gold standard techniques, through Illumina MiSeq platform. Both global and regional phylogenetic analyses of the successfully sequenced genomes were conducted through maximum likelihood method. Multiple alignments were obtained including previously obtained unique human SARS-CoV-2 sequences. The evolutionary histories of spike and non-structural proteins from ORF1a of northern genomes were described and their molecular evolution was analyzed for detection of positive (FUBAR, FEL, and MEME) and negative (FEL and SLAC) selective pressures. To further evaluate the possible pathways of evolution leading to the emergence of P.1, we performed specific analysis for copy-choice recombination events. A global phylogenomic analysis with subsampled P.1 and B.1.1.28 genomes was applied to evaluate the relationship among samples. RESULTS Forty-four samples from the State of Amazonas were successfully sequenced and confirmed as P.1 (Gamma) lineage. In addition to previously described P.1 characteristic mutations, we find evidence of continuous diversification of SARS-CoV-2, as rare and previously unseen P.1 mutations were detected in spike and non-structural protein from ORF1a. No evidence of recombination was found. Several sites were demonstrated to be under positive and negative selection, with various mutations identified mostly in P.1 lineage. According to the Pango assignment, phylogenomic analyses indicate all samples as belonging to the P.1 lineage. CONCLUSION P.1 has shown continuous evolution after its emergence. The lack of clear evidence for recombination and the positive selection demonstrated for several sites suggest that this lineage emergence resulted mainly from strong evolutionary forces and progressive accumulation of a favorable signature set of mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carlos Gustavo Wambier
- Department of Dermatology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | | | | | - Andy Goren
- Applied Biology, Inc., Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Liane Nanci Rotta
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Zhihua Ren
- Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceutical, Inc., Suzhou, China
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Pharmacosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Teixeira PC, Dorneles GP, Santana Filho PC, da Silva IM, Schipper LL, Postiga IAL, Neves CAM, Rodrigues Junior LC, Peres A, Souto JTD, Fonseca SG, Eller S, Oliveira TF, Rotta LN, Thompson CE, Romão PRT. Increased LPS levels coexist with systemic inflammation and result in monocyte activation in severe COVID-19 patients. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 100:108125. [PMID: 34543980 PMCID: PMC8426217 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Mucosal barrier alterations may play a role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including COVID-19. In this study we evaluate the association between bacterial translocation markers and systemic inflammation at the earliest time-point after hospitalization and at the last 72 h of hospitalization in survivors and non-survivors COVID-19 patients. Sixty-six SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive patients and nine non-COVID-19 pneumonia controls were admitted in this study. Blood samples were collected at hospital admission (T1) (Controls and COVID-19 patients) and 0-72 h before hospital discharge (T2, alive or dead) to analyze systemic cytokines and chemokines, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations and soluble CD14 (sCD14) levels. THP-1 human monocytic cell line was incubated with plasma from survivors and non-survivors COVID-19 patients and their phenotype, activation status, TLR4, and chemokine receptors were analyzed by flow cytometry. COVID-19 patients presented higher IL-6, IFN-γ, TNF-α, TGF-β1, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL4/MIP-1β, and CCL5/RANTES levels than controls. Moreover, LPS and sCD14 were higher at hospital admission in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. Non-survivors COVID-19 patients had increased LPS levels concomitant with higher IL-6, TNF-α, CCL2/MCP-1, and CCL5/RANTES levels at T2. Increased expression of CD16 and CCR5 were identified in THP-1 cells incubated with the plasma of survivor patients obtained at T2. The incubation of THP-1 with T2 plasma of non-survivors COVID-19 leads to higher TLR4, CCR2, CCR5, CCR7, and CD69 expression. In conclusion, the coexistence of increased microbial translocation and hyperinflammation in patients with severe COVID-19 may lead to higher monocyte activation, which may be associated with worsening outcomes, such as death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula C Teixeira
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Gilson P Dorneles
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
| | - Paulo C Santana Filho
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Igor M da Silva
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas L Schipper
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Isabelle A L Postiga
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Carla Andretta Moreira Neves
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Alessandra Peres
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biosciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Janeusa Trindade de Souto
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Sarah Eller
- Pharmacosciences Department, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Tiago F Oliveira
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Pharmacosciences Department, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Liane N Rotta
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Pharmacosciences Department, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Pedro R T Romão
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biosciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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Franceschi VB, Caldana GD, Perin C, Horn A, Peter C, Cybis GB, Ferrareze PAG, Rotta LN, Cadegiani FA, Zimerman RA, Thompson CE. Predominance of the SARS-CoV-2 Lineage P.1 and Its Sublineage P.1.2 in Patients from the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil in March 2021. Pathogens 2021; 10:988. [PMID: 34451453 PMCID: PMC8402156 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10080988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost a year after the COVID-19 pandemic had begun, new lineages (B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, and B.1.617.2) associated with enhanced transmissibility, immunity evasion, and mortality were identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil. The previous most prevalent lineages in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS, Southern Brazil), B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33, were rapidly replaced by P.1 and P.2, two B.1.1.28-derived lineages harboring the E484K mutation. To perform a genomic characterization from the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, we sequenced viral samples to: (i) identify the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the region, the state, and bordering countries/regions; (ii) characterize the mutation spectra; (iii) hypothesize viral dispersal routes by using phylogenetic and phylogeographic approaches. We found that 96.4% of the samples belonged to the P.1 lineage and approximately 20% of them were assigned as the novel P.1.2, a P.1-derived sublineage harboring signature substitutions recently described in other Brazilian states and foreign countries. Moreover, sequences from this study were allocated in distinct branches of the P.1 phylogeny, suggesting multiple introductions in RS and placing this state as a potential diffusion core of P.1-derived clades and the emergence of P.1.2. It is uncertain whether the emergence of P.1.2 and other P.1 clades is related to clinical or epidemiological consequences. However, the clear signs of molecular diversity from the recently introduced P.1 warrant further genomic surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius Bonetti Franceschi
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Center of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil;
| | - Gabriel Dickin Caldana
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; (G.D.C.); (P.A.G.F.); (L.N.R.)
| | - Christiano Perin
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Hospital da Brigada Militar, Porto Alegre 91900-590, RS, Brazil; (C.P.); (A.H.)
| | - Alexandre Horn
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Hospital da Brigada Militar, Porto Alegre 91900-590, RS, Brazil; (C.P.); (A.H.)
| | - Camila Peter
- Laboratório Exame, Novo Hamburgo 93510-250, RS, Brazil;
| | - Gabriela Bettella Cybis
- Department of Statistics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil;
| | - Patrícia Aline Gröhs Ferrareze
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; (G.D.C.); (P.A.G.F.); (L.N.R.)
| | - Liane Nanci Rotta
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; (G.D.C.); (P.A.G.F.); (L.N.R.)
| | | | - Ricardo Ariel Zimerman
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Hospital da Brigada Militar, Porto Alegre 91900-590, RS, Brazil; (C.P.); (A.H.)
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Center of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre 91501-970, RS, Brazil;
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil; (G.D.C.); (P.A.G.F.); (L.N.R.)
- Department of Pharmacosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre 90050-170, RS, Brazil
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Franceschi VB, Ferrareze PAG, Zimerman RA, Cybis GB, Thompson CE. Mutation hotspots and spatiotemporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Brazil, February 2020-2021. Virus Res 2021; 304:198532. [PMID: 34363852 PMCID: PMC8654641 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2021.198532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has already reached more than 110 million people and is associated with 2.5 million deaths worldwide. Brazil is the third worst-hit country, with approximately 10.2 million cases and 250 thousand deaths. International efforts have been established to share information about Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemiology and evolution to support the development of effective strategies for public health and disease management. We aimed to analyze the high-quality genome sequences from Brazil from February 2020-2021 to identify mutation hotspots, geographical and temporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 lineages by using phylogenetics and phylodynamics analyses. We describe heterogeneous sequencing efforts, the progression of the different lineages along time, evaluating mutational spectra and frequency oscillations derived from the prevalence of specific lineages across different Brazilian regions. We found at least seven major (1–7) and two minor clades related to the six most prevalent lineages in the country and described its spatial distribution and dynamics. The emergence and recent frequency shift of lineages (P.1 and P.2) carrying mutations of concern in the spike protein (e. g., E484K, N501Y) draws attention due to their association with immune evasion and enhanced receptor binding affinity. Improvements in genomic surveillance are of paramount importance and should be extended in Brazil to better inform policy makers about better decisions to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius Bonetti Franceschi
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Center of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Aline Gröhs Ferrareze
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Ariel Zimerman
- Department of Infection Control and Prevention, Hospital da Brigada Militar, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Bettella Cybis
- Department of Statistics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Center of Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Pharmacosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), 245/200C Sarmento Leite St, Porto Alegre, RS 90050-170, Brazil.
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Franceschi VB, Santos AS, Glaeser AB, Paiz JC, Caldana GD, Machado Lessa CL, de Menezes Mayer A, Küchle JG, Gazzola Zen PR, Vigo A, Winck AT, Rotta LN, Thompson CE. Population-based prevalence surveys during the Covid-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Rev Med Virol 2021; 31:e2200. [PMID: 34260777 PMCID: PMC7883186 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Population-based prevalence surveys of Covid-19 contribute to establish the burden of infection, the role of asymptomatic and mild infections in transmission, and allow more precise decisions about reopen policies. We performed a systematic review to evaluate qualitative aspects of these studies, assessing their reliability and compiling practices that can influence the methodological quality. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, bioRxiv and medRxiv, and included cross-sectional studies using molecular and/or serological tests to estimate the prevalence of Covid-19 in the general population. Survey quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Prevalence Studies. A correspondence analysis correlated methodological parameters of each study to identify patterns related to higher, intermediate and lower risks of bias. The available data described 37 surveys from 19 countries. The majority were from Europe and America, used antibody testing, and reached highly heterogeneous sample sizes and prevalence estimates. Minority communities were disproportionately affected by Covid-19. Important risk of bias was detected in four domains: sample size, data analysis with sufficient coverage, measurements in standard way and response rate. The correspondence analysis showed few consistent patterns for high risk of bias. Intermediate risk of bias was related to American and European studies, municipal and regional initiatives, blood samples and prevalence >1%. Low risk of bias was related to Asian studies, nationwide initiatives, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction tests and prevalence <1%. We identified methodological standards applied worldwide in Covid-19 prevalence surveys, which may assist researchers with the planning, execution and reporting of future population-based surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius Bonetti Franceschi
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM)Center of BiotechnologyUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Andressa Schneiders Santos
- Undergraduate Program in BiomedicineUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Andressa Barreto Glaeser
- Graduate Program in PathologyUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Janini Cristina Paiz
- Graduate Program in EpidemiologyUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Gabriel Dickin Caldana
- Graduate Program in Health SciencesUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Carem Luana Machado Lessa
- Graduate Program in PathologyUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Amanda de Menezes Mayer
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM)Center of BiotechnologyUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Julia Gonçalves Küchle
- Undergraduate Program in Biomedical InformaticsUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Paulo Ricardo Gazzola Zen
- Graduate Program in PathologyUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
- Department of Internal MedicineUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Alvaro Vigo
- Graduate Program in EpidemiologyUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
- Department of StatisticsUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Ana Trindade Winck
- Department of Exact and Social Applied SciencesUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Liane Nanci Rotta
- Graduate Program in Health SciencesUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
- Department of Diagnostic MethodsUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM)Center of BiotechnologyUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
- Graduate Program in Health SciencesUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
- Department of PharmacosciencesUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)Porto AlegreRio Grande do SulBrazil
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Franceschi VB, Caldana GD, de Menezes Mayer A, Cybis GB, Neves CAM, Ferrareze PAG, Demoliner M, de Almeida PR, Gularte JS, Hansen AW, Weber MN, Fleck JD, Zimerman RA, Kmetzsch L, Spilki FR, Thompson CE. Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:371. [PMID: 34016042 PMCID: PMC8136996 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07708-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brazil is the third country most affected by Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), but viral evolution in municipality resolution is still poorly understood in Brazil and it is crucial to understand the epidemiology of viral spread. We aimed to track molecular evolution and spread of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Esteio (Southern Brazil) using phylogenetics and phylodynamics inferences from 21 new genomes in global and regional context. Importantly, the case fatality rate (CFR) in Esteio (3.26%) is slightly higher compared to the Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state (2.56%) and the entire Brazil (2.74%). RESULTS We provided a comprehensive view of mutations from a representative sampling from May to October 2020, highlighting two frequent mutations in spike glycoprotein (D614G and V1176F), an emergent mutation (E484K) in spike Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) characteristic of the B.1.351 and P.1 lineages, and the adjacent replacement of 2 amino acids in Nucleocapsid phosphoprotein (R203K and G204R). E484K was found in two genomes from mid-October, which is the earliest description of this mutation in Southern Brazil. Lineages containing this substitution must be subject of intense surveillance due to its association with immune evasion. We also found two epidemiologically-related clusters, including one from patients of the same neighborhood. Phylogenetics and phylodynamics analysis demonstrates multiple introductions of the Brazilian most prevalent lineages (B.1.1.33 and B.1.1.248) and the establishment of Brazilian lineages ignited from the Southeast to other Brazilian regions. CONCLUSIONS Our data show the value of correlating clinical, epidemiological and genomic information for the understanding of viral evolution and its spatial distribution over time. This is of paramount importance to better inform policy making strategies to fight COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius Bonetti Franceschi
- Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Dickin Caldana
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Amanda de Menezes Mayer
- Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Bettella Cybis
- Department of Statistics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Carla Andretta Moreira Neves
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Aline Gröhs Ferrareze
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Meriane Demoliner
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | - Alana Witt Hansen
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil
| | - Matheus Nunes Weber
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil
| | - Juliane Deise Fleck
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Universidade Feevale, Novo Hamburgo, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Lívia Kmetzsch
- Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Center of Biotechnology, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology (PPGBCM), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. .,Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. .,Department of Pharmacosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), 245/200C Sarmento Leite St, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil.
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Jahnke VS, Poloni JAT, Neves CAM, Peter C, Thompson CE, Rotta LN. Acute kidney injury associated with rhabdomyolysis in a patient with COVID-19. J Bras Nefrol 2021; 44:443-446. [PMID: 33704346 PMCID: PMC9518616 DOI: 10.1590/2175-8239-jbn-2020-0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyolysis is defined as the breakdown of skeletal muscle leading to the release of muscle contents into the extracellular fluid. Patients with rhabdomyolysis can be asymptomatic or have myalgia symptoms, weakness, myoglobinuria with dark urine, significant electrolyte imbalance, and acute kidney injury. Here we describe a case on acute kidney injury associated to rhabdomyolysis in a patient with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carla Andretta Moreira Neves
- Hospital São Camilo, Esteio, RS, Brasil.,Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil
| | | | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil
| | - Liane Nanci Rotta
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil
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Abstract
Polyurethanes (PU) are multifunctional polymers, used in automotive industry, in coatings, rigid and flexible foams, and also in biomimetic materials. In the same way as all plastic waste, the incorrect disposal of these materials leads to the accumulation of polyurethanes in the environment. To reduce the amount of waste as well as add value to degradation products, bioremediation methods have been studied for waste management of PU. Enzymes of the hydrolases class have been experimentally tested for enzymatic degradation of PU, with very promising results. In this work, two enzymes that can degrade polyurethanes were studied by molecular dynamics simulations: a protease and an esterase, both from Pseudomonas. From molecular dynamics simulations analysis, it was observed the stability of the structures, both in the simulations of the free enzymes and in the simulations of the complexes with a PU monomer. Hydrogen bonds were formed with the monomer and the enzymes throughout the simulation time, and the interaction free energy was found to be strongly negative, pointing to strong interactions in both cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Petry do Canto
- Grupo de Química Teórica, UFRGS - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500. Bairro Agronomia., Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil.
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Departamento de Farmacociências, UFCSPA - Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Sarmento Leite 245, Porto Alegre, RS, 90050-170, Brazil
| | - Paulo Augusto Netz
- Grupo de Química Teórica, UFRGS - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500. Bairro Agronomia., Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
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Paludo GP, Thompson CE, Miyamoto KN, Guedes RLM, Zaha A, de Vasconcelos ATR, Cancela M, Ferreira HB. Cestode strobilation: prediction of developmental genes and pathways. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:487. [PMID: 32677885 PMCID: PMC7367335 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06878-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cestoda is a class of endoparasitic worms in the flatworm phylum (Platyhelminthes). During the course of their evolution cestodes have evolved some interesting aspects, such as their increased reproductive capacity. In this sense, they have serial repetition of their reproductive organs in the adult stage, which is often associated with external segmentation in a developmental process called strobilation. However, the molecular basis of strobilation is poorly understood. To assess this issue, an evolutionary comparative study among strobilated and non-strobilated flatworm species was conducted to identify genes and proteins related to the strobilation process. RESULTS We compared the genomic content of 10 parasitic platyhelminth species; five from cestode species, representing strobilated parasitic platyhelminths, and five from trematode species, representing non-strobilated parasitic platyhelminths. This dataset was used to identify 1813 genes with orthologues that are present in all cestode (strobilated) species, but absent from at least one trematode (non-strobilated) species. Development-related genes, along with genes of unknown function (UF), were then selected based on their transcriptional profiles, resulting in a total of 34 genes that were differentially expressed between the larval (pre-strobilation) and adult (strobilated) stages in at least one cestode species. These 34 genes were then assumed to be strobilation related; they included 12 encoding proteins of known function, with 6 related to the Wnt, TGF-β/BMP, or G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathways; and 22 encoding UF proteins. In order to assign function to at least some of the UF genes/proteins, a global gene co-expression analysis was performed for the cestode species Echinococcus multilocularis. This resulted in eight UF genes/proteins being predicted as related to developmental, reproductive, vesicle transport, or signaling processes. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the described in silico data provided evidence of the involvement of 34 genes/proteins and at least 3 developmental pathways in the cestode strobilation process. These results highlight on the molecular mechanisms and evolution of the cestode strobilation process, and point to several interesting proteins as potential developmental markers and/or targets for the development of novel antihelminthic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Prado Paludo
- Laboratório de Genômica Estrutural e Funcional, Centro de Biotecnologia (CBiot), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, CBiot, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, CBiot, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Departamento de Farmacociências, Universidade Federal de Ciências Médicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Kendi Nishino Miyamoto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, CBiot, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rafael Lucas Muniz Guedes
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil
- Present address: Instituto Hermes Pardini, Vespasiano, MG, Brazil
| | - Arnaldo Zaha
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, CBiot, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Martin Cancela
- Laboratório de Genômica Estrutural e Funcional, Centro de Biotecnologia (CBiot), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, CBiot, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Henrique Bunselmeyer Ferreira
- Laboratório de Genômica Estrutural e Funcional, Centro de Biotecnologia (CBiot), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, CBiot, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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Andreis FC, Schrank A, Thompson CE. Molecular evolution of Pr1 proteases depicts ongoing diversification in Metarhizium spp. Mol Genet Genomics 2019; 294:901-917. [DOI: 10.1007/s00438-019-01546-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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do Canto VP, Thompson CE, Netz PA. Polyurethanases: Three-dimensional structures and molecular dynamics simulations of enzymes that degrade polyurethane. J Mol Graph Model 2019; 89:82-95. [PMID: 30877946 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2019.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The global production of plastics increases every year, because these materials are widely used in several segments of modern life. Polyurethanes are a very important class of polymers, used in many areas of everyday life, from automotive equipments to mattresses. The waste management usually involves accumulation in landfills, incineration, and reuse processes. However, bioremediation processes are being increasingly tested, due to the efficiency of enzymes in the degradation, besides adding value to the generated waste. Several experimental tests indicate that hydrolases, such as proteases, ureases, and esterases, are able to degrade polyurethanes. In this work, the three-dimensional structure of enzymes that are experimentally know to degrade polyurethanes were obtained for the first time, by the technique of homology modeling. The theoretical models showed good stereochemical quality and through molecular dynamics simulations analysis it was observed the stability of the structures. The molecular docking results indicated that all ligands, monomers of polyurethane, showed favorable interactions with the modeled enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Petry do Canto
- Grupo de Química Teórica, UFRGS - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500. Bairro Agronomia, 91501 - 970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Departamento de Farmacociências, UFCSPA - Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Sarmento Leite 245, 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Paulo Augusto Netz
- Grupo de Química Teórica, UFRGS - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500. Bairro Agronomia, 91501 - 970, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Oliveira ESD, Junges Â, Sbaraini N, Andreis FC, Thompson CE, Staats CC, Schrank A. Molecular evolution and transcriptional profile of GH3 and GH20 β-N-acetylglucosaminidases in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. Genet Mol Biol 2018; 41:843-857. [PMID: 30534852 PMCID: PMC6415606 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2017-0363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell walls are involved in manifold aspects of fungi maintenance. For several fungi, chitin synthesis, degradation and recycling are essential processes required for cell wall biogenesis; notably, the activity of β-N-acetylglucosaminidases (NAGases) must be present for chitin utilization. For entomopathogenic fungi, such as Metarhizium anisopliae, chitin degradation is also used to breach the host cuticle during infection. In view of the putative role of NAGases as virulence factors, this study explored the transcriptional profile and evolution of putative GH20 NAGases (MaNAG1 and MaNAG2) and GH3 NAGases (MaNAG3 and MaNAG4) identified in M. anisopliae. While MaNAG2 orthologs are conserved in several ascomycetes, MaNAG1 clusters only with Aspergilllus sp. and entomopathogenic fungal species. By contrast, MaNAG3 and MaNAG4 were phylogenetically related with bacterial GH3 NAGases. The transcriptional profiles of M. anisopliae NAGase genes were evaluated in seven culture conditions showing no common regulatory patterns, suggesting that these enzymes may have specific roles during the Metarhizium life cycle. Moreover, the expression of MaNAG3 and MaNAG4 regulated by chitinous substrates is the first evidence of the involvement of putative GH3 NAGases in physiological cell processes in entomopathogens, indicating their potential influence on cell differentiation during the M. anisopliae life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eder Silva de Oliveira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ângela Junges
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Nicolau Sbaraini
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fábio Carrer Andreis
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | - Augusto Schrank
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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20
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Thompson HN, Thompson CE, Andrade Caceres R, Dardenne LE, Netz PA, Stassen H. Prion protein conversion triggered by acidic condition: a molecular dynamics study through different force fields. J Comput Chem 2018; 39:2000-2011. [DOI: 10.1002/jcc.25380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Helen Nathalia Thompson
- Departamento de Físico-Química, Instituto de Química; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; 91501-970 Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Departamento de Farmacociências; Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre; 90050-170 Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | - Rafael Andrade Caceres
- Departamento de Farmacociências; Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre; 90050-170 Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | | | - Paulo Augusto Netz
- Departamento de Físico-Química, Instituto de Química; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; 91501-970 Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | - Hubert Stassen
- Departamento de Físico-Química, Instituto de Química; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; 91501-970 Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
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21
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Mazzuchelli-de-Souza J, de Carvalho RF, Módolo DG, Thompson CE, Araldi RP, Stocco RC. First detection of bovine papillomavirus type 2 in cutaneous wart lesions from ovines. Transbound Emerg Dis 2018; 65:939-943. [PMID: 29726097 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This study diagnosed cutaneous wart lesions excised from three rams from a sheep farm in São Paulo State, Brazil. Histopathologically, these cases were diagnosed as papilloma. The amplification by PCR, sequencing and bioinformatics analysis showed that all the lesions presented DNA sequences of bovine papillomavirus type 2. This is the first report confirming the detection of BPV2 in papilloma warts from ovines.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Mazzuchelli-de-Souza
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, São Paulo, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R F de Carvalho
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - D G Módolo
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - C E Thompson
- Departamento de Farmacociências, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - R P Araldi
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, São Paulo, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R C Stocco
- Laboratório de Genética, Instituto Butantan, Secretaria de Estado da Saúde, São Paulo, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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22
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Segatto ALA, Thompson CE, Freitas LB. Contribution of WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) genes to identify the phylogenetic relationships among Petunia species. Genet Mol Biol 2016; 39:658-664. [PMID: 27768156 PMCID: PMC5127159 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental genes are believed to contribute to major changes during plant
evolution, from infrageneric to higher levels. Due to their putative high sequence
conservation, developmental genes are rarely used as molecular markers, and few
studies including these sequences at low taxonomic levels exist.
WUSCHEL-related homeobox genes (WOX) are
transcription factors exclusively present in plants and are involved in developmental
processes. In this study, we characterized the infrageneric genetic variation of
Petunia WOX genes. We obtained phylogenetic relationships
consistent with other phylogenies based on nuclear markers, but with higher
statistical support, resolution in terminals, and compatibility with flower
morphological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lúcia Anversa Segatto
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Center for Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Loreta Brandão Freitas
- Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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23
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Brisolara-Corrêa L, Thompson CE, Fernandes CL, de Freitas LB. Diversification and distinctive structural features of S-RNase alleles in the genus Solanum. Mol Genet Genomics 2014; 290:987-1002. [PMID: 25501309 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-014-0969-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The multigenic and multiallelic S-locus in plants is responsible for the gametophytic self-incompatibility system, which is important to prevent the detrimental effects of self-fertilization and inbreeding depression. Several studies have discussed the importance of punctual mutations, recombination, and natural selection in the generation of allelic diversity in the S-locus. However, there has been no wide-ranging study correlating the molecular evolution and structural aspects of the corresponding proteins in Solanum. Therefore, we evaluated the molecular evolution of one gene in this locus and generated a statistically well-supported phylogenetic tree, as well as evidence of positive selection, helping us to understand the diversification of S alleles in Solanum. The three-dimensional structures of some of the proteins corresponding to the major clusters of the phylogenetic tree were constructed and subsequently submitted to molecular dynamics to stabilize the folding and obtain the native structure. The positively selected amino acid residues were predominantly located in the hyper variable regions and on the surface of the protein, which appears to be fundamental for allele specificity. One of the positively selected residues was identified adjacent to a conserved strand that is crucial for enzymatic catalysis. Additionally, we have shown significant differences in the electrostatic potential among the predicted molecular surfaces in S-RNases. The structural results indicate that local changes in the three-dimensional structure are present in some regions of the molecule, although the general structure seems to be conserved. No previous study has described such structural variations in S-RNases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauís Brisolara-Corrêa
- Department of Genetics, Laboratory of Molecular Evolution, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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24
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Staats CC, Junges A, Guedes RLM, Thompson CE, de Morais GL, Boldo JT, de Almeida LGP, Andreis FC, Gerber AL, Sbaraini N, da Paixão RLDA, Broetto L, Landell M, Santi L, Beys-da-Silva WO, Silveira CP, Serrano TR, de Oliveira ES, Kmetzsch L, Vainstein MH, de Vasconcelos ATR, Schrank A. Comparative genome analysis of entomopathogenic fungi reveals a complex set of secreted proteins. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:822. [PMID: 25263348 PMCID: PMC4246632 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Metarhizium anisopliae is an entomopathogenic fungus used in the biological control of some agricultural insect pests, and efforts are underway to use this fungus in the control of insect-borne human diseases. A large repertoire of proteins must be secreted by M. anisopliae to cope with the various available nutrients as this fungus switches through different lifestyles, i.e., from a saprophytic, to an infectious, to a plant endophytic stage. To further evaluate the predicted secretome of M. anisopliae, we employed genomic and transcriptomic analyses, coupled with phylogenomic analysis, focusing on the identification and characterization of secreted proteins. Results We determined the M. anisopliae E6 genome sequence and compared this sequence to other entomopathogenic fungi genomes. A robust pipeline was generated to evaluate the predicted secretomes of M. anisopliae and 15 other filamentous fungi, leading to the identification of a core of secreted proteins. Transcriptomic analysis using the tick Rhipicephalus microplus cuticle as an infection model during two periods of infection (48 and 144 h) allowed the identification of several differentially expressed genes. This analysis concluded that a large proportion of the predicted secretome coding genes contained altered transcript levels in the conditions analyzed in this study. In addition, some specific secreted proteins from Metarhizium have an evolutionary history similar to orthologs found in Beauveria/Cordyceps. This similarity suggests that a set of secreted proteins has evolved to participate in entomopathogenicity. Conclusions The data presented represents an important step to the characterization of the role of secreted proteins in the virulence and pathogenicity of M. anisopliae. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-822) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Augusto Schrank
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), P, O, Box 15005, Porto Alegre, RS CEP 91501-970, Brazil.
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Junges Â, Boldo JT, Souza BK, Guedes RLM, Sbaraini N, Kmetzsch L, Thompson CE, Staats CC, de Almeida LGP, de Vasconcelos ATR, Vainstein MH, Schrank A. Genomic analyses and transcriptional profiles of the glycoside hydrolase family 18 genes of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107864. [PMID: 25232743 PMCID: PMC4169460 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 08/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal chitin metabolism involves diverse processes such as metabolically active cell wall maintenance, basic nutrition, and different aspects of virulence. Chitinases are enzymes belonging to the glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18) and 19 (GH19) and are responsible for the hydrolysis of β-1,4-linkages in chitin. This linear homopolymer of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine is an essential constituent of fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons. Several chitinases have been directly implicated in structural, morphogenetic, autolytic and nutritional activities of fungal cells. In the entomopathogen Metarhizium anisopliae, chitinases are also involved in virulence. Filamentous fungi genomes exhibit a higher number of chitinase-coding genes than bacteria or yeasts. The survey performed in the M. anisopliae genome has successfully identified 24 genes belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 18, including three previously experimentally determined chitinase-coding genes named chit1, chi2 and chi3. These putative chitinases were classified based on domain organization and phylogenetic analysis into the previously described A, B and C chitinase subgroups, and into a new subgroup D. Moreover, three GH18 proteins could be classified as putative endo-N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidases, enzymes that are associated with deglycosylation and were therefore assigned to a new subgroup E. The transcriptional profile of the GH18 genes was evaluated by qPCR with RNA extracted from eight culture conditions, representing different stages of development or different nutritional states. The transcripts from the GH18 genes were detected in at least one of the different M. anisopliae developmental stages, thus validating the proposed genes. Moreover, not all members from the same chitinase subgroup presented equal patterns of transcript expression under the eight distinct conditions studied. The determination of M. anisopliae chitinases and ENGases and a more detailed study concerning the enzymes’ roles in morphological or nutritional functions will allow comprehensive insights into the chitinolytic potential of this highly infective entomopathogenic fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ângela Junges
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Bárbara Kunzler Souza
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Nicolau Sbaraini
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lívia Kmetzsch
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Augusto Schrank
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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26
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Stoco PH, Wagner G, Talavera-Lopez C, Gerber A, Zaha A, Thompson CE, Bartholomeu DC, Lückemeyer DD, Bahia D, Loreto E, Prestes EB, Lima FM, Rodrigues-Luiz G, Vallejo GA, Filho JFDS, Schenkman S, Monteiro KM, Tyler KM, de Almeida LGP, Ortiz MF, Chiurillo MA, de Moraes MH, Cunha ODL, Mendonça-Neto R, Silva R, Teixeira SMR, Murta SMF, Sincero TCM, Mendes TADO, Urmenyi TP, Silva VG, DaRocha WD, Andersson B, Romanha ÁJ, Steindel M, de Vasconcelos ATR, Grisard EC. Genome of the avirulent human-infective trypanosome--Trypanosoma rangeli. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e3176. [PMID: 25233456 PMCID: PMC4169256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts. Methodology/Principal Findings The T. rangeli haploid genome is ∼24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heat-shock proteins. Conclusions/Significance Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets. Comparative genomics is a powerful tool that affords detailed study of the genetic and evolutionary basis for aspects of lifecycles and pathologies caused by phylogenetically related pathogens. The reference genome sequences of three trypanosomatids, T. brucei, T. cruzi and L. major, and subsequent addition of multiple Leishmania and Trypanosoma genomes has provided data upon which large-scale investigations delineating the complex systems biology of these human parasites has been built. Here, we compare the annotated genome sequence of T. rangeli strain SC-58 to available genomic sequence and annotation data from related species. We provide analysis of gene content, genome architecture and key characteristics associated with the biology of this non-pathogenic trypanosome. Moreover, we report striking new genomic features of T. rangeli compared with its closest relative, T. cruzi, such as (1) considerably less amplification on the gene copy number within multigene virulence factor families such as MASPs, trans-sialidases and mucins; (2) a reduced repertoire of genes encoding anti-oxidant defense enzymes; and (3) the presence of vestigial orthologs of the RNAi machinery, which are insufficient to constitute a functional pathway. Overall, the genome of T. rangeli provides for a much better understanding of the identity, evolution, regulation and function of trypanosome virulence determinants for both mammalian host and insect vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Hermes Stoco
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- * E-mail: (PHS); (ECG)
| | - Glauber Wagner
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, Joaçaba, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Carlos Talavera-Lopez
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexandra Gerber
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Arnaldo Zaha
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Diana Bahia
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elgion Loreto
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Fábio Mitsuo Lima
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Sérgio Schenkman
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Kevin Morris Tyler
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mauro Freitas Ortiz
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Miguel Angel Chiurillo
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
| | | | | | | | - Rosane Silva
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Turán Peter Urmenyi
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Björn Andersson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Álvaro José Romanha
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Mário Steindel
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | | | - Edmundo Carlos Grisard
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
- * E-mail: (PHS); (ECG)
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27
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Motta MCM, Martins ACDA, de Souza SS, Catta-Preta CMC, Silva R, Klein CC, de Almeida LGP, de Lima Cunha O, Ciapina LP, Brocchi M, Colabardini AC, de Araujo Lima B, Machado CR, de Almeida Soares CM, Probst CM, de Menezes CBA, Thompson CE, Bartholomeu DC, Gradia DF, Pavoni DP, Grisard EC, Fantinatti-Garboggini F, Marchini FK, Rodrigues-Luiz GF, Wagner G, Goldman GH, Fietto JLR, Elias MC, Goldman MHS, Sagot MF, Pereira M, Stoco PH, de Mendonça-Neto RP, Teixeira SMR, Maciel TEF, de Oliveira Mendes TA, Ürményi TP, de Souza W, Schenkman S, de Vasconcelos ATR. Predicting the proteins of Angomonas deanei, Strigomonas culicis and their respective endosymbionts reveals new aspects of the trypanosomatidae family. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60209. [PMID: 23560078 PMCID: PMC3616161 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 02/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiont-bearing trypanosomatids have been considered excellent models for the study of cell evolution because the host protozoan co-evolves with an intracellular bacterium in a mutualistic relationship. Such protozoa inhabit a single invertebrate host during their entire life cycle and exhibit special characteristics that group them in a particular phylogenetic cluster of the Trypanosomatidae family, thus classified as monoxenics. In an effort to better understand such symbiotic association, we used DNA pyrosequencing and a reference-guided assembly to generate reads that predicted 16,960 and 12,162 open reading frames (ORFs) in two symbiont-bearing trypanosomatids, Angomonas deanei (previously named as Crithidia deanei) and Strigomonas culicis (first known as Blastocrithidia culicis), respectively. Identification of each ORF was based primarily on TriTrypDB using tblastn, and each ORF was confirmed by employing getorf from EMBOSS and Newbler 2.6 when necessary. The monoxenic organisms revealed conserved housekeeping functions when compared to other trypanosomatids, especially compared with Leishmania major. However, major differences were found in ORFs corresponding to the cytoskeleton, the kinetoplast, and the paraflagellar structure. The monoxenic organisms also contain a large number of genes for cytosolic calpain-like and surface gp63 metalloproteases and a reduced number of compartmentalized cysteine proteases in comparison to other TriTryp organisms, reflecting adaptations to the presence of the symbiont. The assembled bacterial endosymbiont sequences exhibit a high A+T content with a total of 787 and 769 ORFs for the Angomonas deanei and Strigomonas culicis endosymbionts, respectively, and indicate that these organisms hold a common ancestor related to the Alcaligenaceae family. Importantly, both symbionts contain enzymes that complement essential host cell biosynthetic pathways, such as those for amino acid, lipid and purine/pyrimidine metabolism. These findings increase our understanding of the intricate symbiotic relationship between the bacterium and the trypanosomatid host and provide clues to better understand eukaryotic cell evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Machado Motta
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Allan Cezar de Azevedo Martins
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Silvana Sant’Anna de Souza
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Metabolismo Macromolecular Firmino Torres de Castro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carolina Moura Costa Catta-Preta
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rosane Silva
- Laboratório de Metabolismo Macromolecular Firmino Torres de Castro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cecilia Coimbra Klein
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Laboratório de Bioinformática, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- BAMBOO Team, INRIA Grenoble-Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne, France
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Oberdan de Lima Cunha
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Laboratório de Bioinformática, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciane Prioli Ciapina
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Laboratório de Bioinformática, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Brocchi
- Departamento de Genética, Evolução e Bioagentes, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Colabardini
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruna de Araujo Lima
- Departamento de Genética, Evolução e Bioagentes, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos Renato Machado
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Christian Macagnan Probst
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Tripanossomatídeos, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Claudia Beatriz Afonso de Menezes
- Centro Pluridisciplinar de Pesquisas Químicas, Biológicas e Agrícolas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Laboratório de Bioinformática, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniella Castanheira Bartholomeu
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela Fiori Gradia
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Tripanossomatídeos, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Daniela Parada Pavoni
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional, Instituto Carlos Chagas/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Edmundo C. Grisard
- Laboratórios de Protozoologia e de Bioinformática, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Fantinatti-Garboggini
- Centro Pluridisciplinar de Pesquisas Químicas, Biológicas e Agrícolas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriela Flávia Rodrigues-Luiz
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Glauber Wagner
- Laboratórios de Protozoologia e de Bioinformática, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Henrique Goldman
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Lopes Rangel Fietto
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina Elias
- Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Helena S. Goldman
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marie-France Sagot
- BAMBOO Team, INRIA Grenoble-Rhône-Alpes, Villeurbanne, France
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Maristela Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Patrícia H. Stoco
- Laboratórios de Protozoologia e de Bioinformática, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Rondon Pessoa de Mendonça-Neto
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Santuza Maria Ribeiro Teixeira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Talles Eduardo Ferreira Maciel
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tiago Antônio de Oliveira Mendes
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Turán P. Ürményi
- Laboratório de Metabolismo Macromolecular Firmino Torres de Castro, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wanderley de Souza
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Sergio Schenkman
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail: (ATRdV); (SS)
| | - Ana Tereza Ribeiro de Vasconcelos
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Laboratório de Bioinformática, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail: (ATRdV); (SS)
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Siqueira FM, Thompson CE, Virginio VG, Gonchoroski T, Reolon L, Almeida LG, da Fonsêca MM, de Souza R, Prosdocimi F, Schrank IS, Ferreira HB, de Vasconcelos ATR, Zaha A. New insights on the biology of swine respiratory tract mycoplasmas from a comparative genome analysis. BMC Genomics 2013; 14:175. [PMID: 23497205 PMCID: PMC3610235 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Mycoplasma flocculare and Mycoplasma hyorhinis live in swine respiratory tracts. M. flocculare, a commensal bacterium, is genetically closely related to M. hyopneumoniae, the causative agent of enzootic porcine pneumonia. M. hyorhinis is also pathogenic, causing polyserositis and arthritis. In this work, we present the genome sequences of M. flocculare and M. hyopneumoniae strain 7422, and we compare these genomes with the genomes of other M. hyoponeumoniae strain and to the a M. hyorhinis genome. These analyses were performed to identify possible characteristics that may help to explain the different behaviors of these species in swine respiratory tracts. RESULTS The overall genome organization of three species was analyzed, revealing that the ORF clusters (OCs) differ considerably and that inversions and rearrangements are common. Although M. flocculare and M. hyopneumoniae display a high degree of similarity with respect to the gene content, only some genomic regions display considerable synteny. Genes encoding proteins that may be involved in host-cell adhesion in M. hyopneumoniae and M. flocculare display differences in genomic structure and organization. Some genes encoding adhesins of the P97 family are absent in M. flocculare and some contain sequence differences or lack of domains that are considered to be important for adhesion to host cells. The phylogenetic relationship of the three species was confirmed by a phylogenomic approach. The set of genes involved in metabolism, especially in the uptake of precursors for nucleic acids synthesis and nucleotide metabolism, display some differences in copy number and the presence/absence in the three species. CONCLUSIONS The comparative analyses of three mycoplasma species that inhabit the swine respiratory tract facilitated the identification of some characteristics that may be related to their different behaviors. M. hyopneumoniae and M. flocculare display many differences that may help to explain why one species is pathogenic and the other is considered to be commensal. However, it was not possible to identify specific virulence determinant factors that could explain the differences in the pathogenicity of the analyzed species. The M. hyorhinis genome contains differences in some components involved in metabolism and evasion of the host's immune system that may contribute to its growth aggressiveness. Several horizontal gene transfer events were identified. The phylogenomic analysis places M. hyopneumoniae, M. flocculare and M. hyorhinis in the hyopneumoniae clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciele Maboni Siqueira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas - Bioquímica. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Claudia Elizabeth Thompson
- Laboratório de Bioinformática. Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Veridiana Gomes Virginio
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Taylor Gonchoroski
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luciano Reolon
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Luiz Gonzaga Almeida
- Laboratório de Bioinformática. Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marbella Maria da Fonsêca
- Laboratório de Bioinformática. Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rangel de Souza
- Laboratório de Bioinformática. Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica. Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Francisco Prosdocimi
- Departamento de Bioquímica Médica. Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Irene Silveira Schrank
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biociências. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Henrique Bunselmeyer Ferreira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biociências. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Arnaldo Zaha
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Centro de Biotecnologia UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas - Bioquímica. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Instituto de Biociências. UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Abstract
A new, extremely sensitive method for the quantitative determination of tellurium is based on the induced precipitation of elemental gold from a 6N HCl solution containing gold chloride, cupric chloride, and hypophosphorous acid; the amount of gold reduced is proportional to the amount of tellurium present. As little as 1 nanogram (1 X 1O(-9) g) of tellurium gives a measurable reaction with 1 mg of gold in 50 ml of solution.
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Abstract
Angus bulls (n = 24) were selected for either high or low milk EPD, but with similar growth EPD and mated within location (n = 6) at random to Angus cows. Daughters from these matings were bred to calve first at 2 yr of age to common reference sires across locations. Lactation records for 192 daughters were used to evaluate 12-h milk yield, percentage of milk fat and protein, and weaning weight of offspring. Milk production was measured four times during the lactation at regular intervals within location. Dams were separated from their calves the night before milking and milked with a portable milking machine the next morning to estimate 12-h milk yield. A sample of the milk was collected from each cow and analyzed for percentages of milk fat and protein. Data were analyzed as repeated records of the dam. Fixed effects were location, genetic line of sire, gender of calf within location, and milking period, with postpartum interval used as a covariate. Fixed effects and the random effects of sire of dam nested within line, sire of calf, and year were estimated by REML. Genetic line was an important source of variation for milk yield (P < 0.01) and percentage of milk fat (P = 0.03) but not for percentage of milk protein (P = 0.49). Location was significant for all three milk variables (P < 0.01), but the interactions between line and location were not significant. Gender of calf was significant for milk yield (P = 0.04) but not for percentage of milk fat or protein. Line (P = 0.02), location (P = 0.01), calf gender (P = 0.01), and age at weaning (P = 0.01) were significant sources of variation for weaning weight but the interaction of line and location was not (P = 0.69). The correlation coefficient between the sire's milk EPD and 12-h milk yield was significantly different from zero (r = 0.56). The difference between the least squares means for high and low lines for milk yield was 0.66 kg/12 h and the difference was 15.3 kg for weaning weight. The results indicate that there was not evidence for a genotype by environment interaction in milk production for daughters from divergent sires selected for high or low milk EPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Baker
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Tifton 31793, USA.
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Bridge MW, Marvin G, Thompson CE, Sharma A, Jones DA, Kendall MJ. Quantifying the 5-HT1A agonist action of buspirone in man. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2001; 158:224-9. [PMID: 11713611 DOI: 10.1007/s002130100881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2000] [Accepted: 07/05/2001] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Buspirone is used as a neuroendocrine challenge in which the increase of circulating prolactin is taken as a measure of the sensitivity of central serotonergic (5-HT(1A)) pathways. Interpretation of the test is complicated, however, by the fact that buspirone possesses D(2) antagonist and 5-HT(1A) agonist activity, both of which will result in the release of prolactin. To understand the significance of prolactin secretion in response to buspirone, it is important to measure the differential actions of the two controlling pathways. OBJECTIVE To characterise the dual action of buspirone in stimulating the secretion of prolactin by blocking the 5-HT(1A) action with the 5-HT1A antagonist action of pindolol. METHODS Healthy male subjects (n=35) received buspirone (0.5 mg x kg bw(-1) orally) with and without pre-treatment with the 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist pindolol (40 mg over 2 days, 0.5 mg x kg bw(-1) on test day). Nine subjects underwent two additional trials in which they received a placebo with and without pre-treatment with pindolol. RESULTS Pindolol alone caused a small but significant reduction (18%) in the tonic release of prolactin. Buspirone alone produced a robust prolactin response which was reduced to approximately half by pindolol pre-treatment. Pindolol pre-treatment also, on average, delayed the onset and peak of the prolactin response. There was wide variation among individuals both in the absolute response to buspirone and in the proportion that could be attributed to the non-serotonergic agonist action of buspirone (22-82% IQ range). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that while serotonergic pathways play a minor role in the tonic release of prolactin, the response to a buspirone challenge alone cannot be used as a simple index of central serotonergic activity. However, if two challenges are carried out, one with buspirone and the other with buspirone plus pindolol, quantitative measures can be made of the sensitivity of both the 5-HT(1A) and the putative D(2) pathways controlling prolactin release.
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Affiliation(s)
- M W Bridge
- School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
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Jenkins TC, Thompson CE, Bridges WC. Site of administration and duration of feeding oleamide to cattle on feed intake and ruminal fatty acid concentrations. J Anim Sci 2000; 78:2745-53. [PMID: 11048942 DOI: 10.2527/2000.78102745x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to determine effects of oleamide on feed intake and ruminal fatty acids when the oleamide was introduced in the feed vs through a ruminal fistula (Exp. 1) or the oleamide was fed for an extended (9-wk) length of time (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, four nonlactating Holstein cows, each fitted with a ruminal cannula, were fed four diets in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Each period lasted 2 wk. Diets consisted of 48% corn silage and 52% concentrate on a DM basis. One diet contained no added fat (control) and a second diet contained 4.2% oleic acid. The remaining two diets were designed to expose cows to 4.2% amide (as oleamide) either through the feed (AF) or by administering oleamide into the rumen (AR) each day through the ruminal cannula. The AF diet reduced DMI similarly to results reported previously for lactating dairy cows and sheep. Intake of the oleic acid diet was intermediate between the control and AF diets. Dry matter intake was reduced by AR similarly to the AF diet. The acetate:propionate ratio in samples of ruminal contents was reduced by oleic acid but not by AF or AR. In Exp. 2, 12 steers were divided into three equal groups of two Angus and two Simmental x Angus crosses, and each group was assigned a diet containing either no added fat (control), 4% oleamide, or 4% high-oleic canola oil. All steers had ad libitum access to feed and water. Dry matter intake by steers fed the canola oil diet was not different from that by steers fed the control diet when averaged over the first 3 wk, the last 3 wk, or over the entire 9-wk study. Oleamide reduced DMI 4 kg/d over the first 3 wk of the study. However, DMI of the oleamide diet consistently increased over the 9-wk study, resulting in wk 7 to 9 DMI that was not different from that of steers fed the control diet. These results show that the reduction in feed intake when oleamide is added to cattle rations can be attributed more to physiological responses than to an undesirable unique taste or odor of the oleamide. In finishing beef steers, the decreased intake induced by oleamide was most severe during the first 1 or 2 wk of feeding but gradually lessened over time until it nearly returned to normal by wk 9.
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Affiliation(s)
- T C Jenkins
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Clemson University, SC 29634, USA.
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Abstract
Existing models of the basic case reproduction number (R0) for vector-borne diseases assume (i) that the distribution of vectors over the susceptible host species is homogeneous and (ii) that the biting preference for the susceptible host species rather than other potential hosts is a constant. Empirical evidence contradicts both assumptions, with important consequences for disease transmission. In this paper we develop an Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) model of host choice by blood-sucking insects, predicated on the argument that vectors must have evolved to choose the least defensive hosts in order to maximize their feeding success. From a re-analysis of existing data, we demonstrate that the interference constant, m, of the IFD can vary between host species. As a result, the predicted distribution of insects over hosts has 2 desirable and intuitively plausible behaviours: that it is heterogeneous both within and between host species; and that the intensity of heterogeneity varies with host and vector density. When the IFD model is incorporated into R0, the relationship with the vector:host ratio becomes non-linear. If correct, the IFD could add considerable realism to models which seek to predict the effect of these ecological parameters on disease transmission as they vary naturally (e.g. through seasonality in vector density or host population movement) or as a consequence of artificial manipulation (e.g. zooprophylaxis, vector control). It raises the possibility of targeting transmission hot spots with greater accuracy and concomitant reduction in control effort. The robustness of the model to simplifying assumptions is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- D W Kelly
- Oxford University, Department of Zoology.
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Raskind MA, Dobie DJ, Kanter ED, Petrie EC, Thompson CE, Peskind ER. The alpha1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin ameliorates combat trauma nightmares in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a report of 4 cases. J Clin Psychiatry 2000; 61:129-33. [PMID: 10732660 DOI: 10.4088/jcp.v61n0208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central nervous system (CNS) adrenergic hyperresponsiveness may be involved in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two Vietnam combat veterans with PTSD prescribed the centrally active alpha1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin for symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy unexpectedly reported elimination of combat trauma nightmares. This observation prompted an open-label feasibility trial of prazosin for combat trauma nightmares in chronic combat-induced PTSD. METHOD Four consecutively identified combat veterans with chronic DSM-IV PTSD and severe intractable combat trauma nightmares participated in an 8-week open trial of escalating-dose prazosin. Nightmare severity response was rated using the nightmare item of the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and the Clinical Global Impressions-Change scale. RESULTS The 2 patients who achieved a daily prazosin dose of at least 5 mg were markedly improved, with complete elimination of trauma nightmares and resumption of normal dreaming. The 2 subjects limited to 2 mg of prazosin to avoid excessive blood pressure reduction were moderately improved with at least 50% reduction in nightmare severity. CONCLUSION These clinical observations, together with neurobiological evidence for alpha1-adrenergic regulation of CNS neurobiological systems relevant to PTSD, provide rationale for placebo-controlled trials of prazosin for PTSD combat trauma nightmares.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Raskind
- Department of Veterans Affairs Northwest Network Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Thompson
- Centre for Animal Sciences, Leeds Institute of Biotechnology & Agriculture, University of Leeds, England
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Pegoraro E, Marks H, Garcia CA, Crawford T, Mancias P, Connolly AM, Fanin M, Martinello F, Trevisan CP, Angelini C, Stella A, Scavina M, Munk RL, Servidei S, Bönnemann CC, Bertorini T, Acsadi G, Thompson CE, Gagnon D, Hoganson G, Carver V, Zimmerman RA, Hoffman EP. Laminin alpha2 muscular dystrophy: genotype/phenotype studies of 22 patients. Neurology 1998; 51:101-10. [PMID: 9674786 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.51.1.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the number of primary laminin alpha2 gene mutations and to conduct genotype/phenotype correlation in a cohort of laminin alpha2-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy patients. BACKGROUND Congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD) are a heterogeneous group of muscle disorders characterized by early onset muscular dystrophy and a variable involvement of the CNS. Laminin alpha2 deficiency has been reported in about 40 to 50% of cases of the occidental, classic type of CMD. Laminin alpha2 is a muscle specific isoform of laminin localized to the basal lamina of muscle fibers, where it is thought to interact with myofiber membrane receptor, such as integrins, and possibly dystrophin-associated glycoproteins. METHODS Seventy-five CMD patients were tested for laminin alpha2 expression by immunofluorescence and immunoblot. The entire 10 kb laminin alpha2 coding sequence of 22 completely laminin alpha2-deficient patients was screened for causative mutations by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR/single strand conformational polymorphisms (SSCP) analysis and protein truncation test (PTT) analysis followed by automatic sequencing of patient cDNA. Clinical data from the laminin alpha2-deficient patients were collected. RESULTS Thirty laminin alpha2-negative patients were identified (40% of CMD patients tested) and 22 of them were screened for laminin alpha2 mutations. Clinical features of laminin alpha2-deficient patients were similar, with severe floppiness at birth, delay in achievement of motor milestones, and MRI findings of white matter changes with normal intelligence. Loss-of-function mutations were identified in 95% (21/22) of the patients studied. SSCP analysis detected laminin alpha2 gene mutations in about 50% of the mutant chromosomes; PTT successfully identified 75% of the mutations. A two base pair deletion mutation at position 2,096-2,097 bp was present in 23% of the patients analyzed. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that the large majority of laminin alpha2-deficient patients show laminin alpha2 gene mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Pegoraro
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15261, USA
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Hunt S, Starkebaum G, Thompson CE. The fibromyalgia problem. J Rheumatol 1998; 25:1023-4; author reply 1028-30. [PMID: 9598916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Thompson KA, Strayer DR, Salvato PD, Thompson CE, Klimas N, Molavi A, Hamill AK, Zheng Z, Ventura D, Carter WA. Results of a double-blind placebo-controlled study of the double-stranded RNA drug polyI:polyC12U in the treatment of HIV infection. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1996; 15:580-7. [PMID: 8874076 DOI: 10.1007/bf01709367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind study the activity of polyI:polyC12U administered with zidovudine was evaluated in the treatment of HIV infection. Thirty-six HIV-positive, pre-AIDS individuals (100-500 CD4+ cells/mm3) who had had at least six months of zidovudine therapy received polyI:polyC12U (400 or 700 mg) or placebo twice weekly with zidovudine. PolyI:polyC12U subjects with baseline CD4+ counts > or = 300/mm3 showed a trend towards reduced CD4+ loss versus placebo recipients. PolyI:polyC12U subjects were more likely to exhibit positive delayed-type hypersensitivity responses than placebo recipients. Placebo subjects crossing over to polyI:polyC12U therapy demonstrated improved CD4+ and delayed-type hypersensitivity responses. PolyI:polyC12U subjects with baseline CD4+ counts > or = 300/mm3 were less likely to develop AIDS than similar placebo subjects. PolyI:polyC12U therapy of HIV-positive subjects restored or stabilized immune function as indexed by delayed-type hypersensitivity reactivity and, in individuals with CD4+ counts > 300/mm3, abrogated CD4+ loss and reduced disease progression. PolyI:polyC12U was generally well-tolerated in this zidovudine-treated population. No subject discontinued therapy due to an adverse reaction or aberrant laboratory parameter.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Thompson
- Hemispherx Biopharma Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, USA
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Charlmers EP, Thompson CE. A complication of laparoscopic hernia repair. Anaesthesia 1994; 49:265-6. [PMID: 8147534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Schaake SL, Skelley GC, Halpin E, Grimes LW, Brown RB, Cross DL, Thompson CE. Carcass and meat sensory traits of steers finished on fescue and clover, summer forage, or for different periods in drylot. J Anim Sci 1993; 71:3199-205. [PMID: 8294270 DOI: 10.2527/1993.71123199x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
During a 3-yr period 184 steers were allotted to five treatment groups. Group 1 steers were pastured on fescue-clover and slaughtered in the spring at approximately 540 d of age. Group 2 steers were pastured on fescue-clover then placed on summer pasture regimens and slaughtered at approximately 620 d of age. Group 3 steers were treated the same as Group 2 then placed in the drylot for 45 d. Group 4 steers were treated the same as Group 2 steers then placed in the drylot for 75 d. Group 5 steers were placed in drylot after weaning and conditioning and were slaughtered at endpoints that corresponded with those for Group 3. Steers selected for slaughter at each endpoint were those evaluated to have reached the most optimum slaughter weight and finish by project personnel. Carcasses of steers from fescue-clover and summer pasture had lower yield grades and a lower quality grade than carcasses of steers from drylot (P < .05). Carcasses of steers from fescue-clover and summer pasture had a more yellow fat covering than carcasses of steers that received a concentrate (Treatments 3, 4, and 5, P < .0001). Fescue-clover- and summer pasture-fed steers had a higher percentage of lean and a lower percentage of fat in the 9-10-11th rib section than did steers that received concentrate (P < .005). Chemical analysis of the lean tissue of the 9-10-11th rib section indicated that summer pasture-fed steers had a lower percentage of ether extract and higher percentage of moisture than the lean tissue from steers that received concentrate (P < .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Schaake
- Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences Department, Clemson University, SC 29634-0361
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To report a sudden death in a female carrier of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and to describe the cardiac abnormalities associated with this disease. STUDY DESIGN Case series. SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS A 45-year-old carrier who died suddenly and two affected men who also died of cardiac manifestations of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy. MEASUREMENTS Post-mortem gross pathologic and histopathologic study of the heart. RESULTS All three hearts showed a unique pattern of pathologic findings. Marked loss of atrial myocardium had occurred. Myocardium had been replaced by adipose and fibrous tissue. The conduction system showed no significant abnormalities. Varying degrees of interstitial and replacement fibrosis were present in the ventricular myocardium. CONCLUSIONS Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy is associated with characteristic pathologic changes in the heart that can cause death in female carriers and affected men. Female carriers should be identified and evaluated because of the risk for sudden cardiac death.
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Thompson CE, Damon LE, Ries CA, Linker CA. Thrombotic microangiopathies in the 1980s: clinical features, response to treatment, and the impact of the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic. Blood 1992; 80:1890-5. [PMID: 1391952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We reviewed the medical records of 44 adults with 50 consecutive episodes of thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP) or hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) seen at the University of California, San Francisco affiliated hospitals during the past decade. Patients were treated according to a uniform plan in which initial therapy included daily large volume plasmapheresis using fresh frozen plasma. Patients not responding completely to initial therapy were treated with a salvage regimen including splenectomy, dextran, and corticosteroids. At the time of diagnosis, the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was elevated in 98% of cases, with a median value of 1,208 U/L. Other clinical features were present inconsistently, and only 34% of "TTP" episodes involved the classic pentad of hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, neurologic disorders, noninfectious fever, and renal impairment. Primary treatment with plasma exchange produced complete remission in 56% (27 of 48) of the episodes. Previously splenectomized patients uniformly responded to plasma therapy (12 of 12). In patients not responding completely to primary therapy, salvage splenectomy produced complete responses in 81% (13 of 16) of the cases. The pattern of clinical response to therapy was consistent, with initial resolution of neurologic dysfunction (median, 3 days) followed by normalization of LDH levels (5 days) and platelet count (7 days). Normalization of renal function occurred significantly later (15 days). Although short-term responses to plasma therapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive patients did not differ from other patients, no HIV-positive patient survived more than 2 years from diagnosis of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). We conclude that the diagnosis of TMA requires a high degree of clinical suspicion and that the diagnostic criteria should consist of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and an elevated LDH. Initial therapy with plasma exchange leads to disease control in the majority of cases, but an optimal treatment strategy requires the use of alternative methods if initial remission is transient or not achieved. Salvage therapy with splenectomy, steroids, and dextran is highly effective in this setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Thompson
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
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Desjardins M, Thompson CE, Filion LG, Ndinya-Achola JO, Plummer FA, Ronald AR, Piot P, Cameron DW. Standardization of an enzyme immunoassay for human antibody to Haemophilus ducreyi. J Clin Microbiol 1992; 30:2019-24. [PMID: 1500508 PMCID: PMC265434 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.30.8.2019-2024.1992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We standardized a serologic enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for human immunoglobulin G and M antibodies against Haemophilus ducreyi. We evaluated the performance of this test with respect to the time from acute chancroid and coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antibody to a crude, soluble bacterial antigen of one H. ducreyi strain was detected in a panel of serum samples from clinically and microbiologically confirmed cases of chancroid and from controls. Test interpretation was standardized for optimal sensitivity and specificity. Performance of the EIA was enhanced in the period of early convalescence from acute primary chancroid and was not diminished in the presence of HIV coinfection. The EIA performed adequately as a serologic screening test for field evaluation and epidemiologic application in conjunction with sexually transmitted disease and HIV detection and control efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Desjardins
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
A Forum for Our Readers Forum is intended to provide a sounding board for our readers. We would like your comments on the articles, features, and editorials that we publish. You may agree with a diagnosis or treatment proposed in an article, or you may disagree. You may have information to add to a topic, identified through an interesting case or a series of patients. Or you may feel a topic is controversial and just want to air your views. Whatever your ideas, we invite you to send them to us. Illustrative figures are welcome. Address correspondence to Forum, THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTSMEDICINE, 4530 W 77th St, Minneapolis, MN 55435.
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Breuel KF, Spitzer JC, Thompson CE, Breuel JF. First-service pregnancy rate in beef heifers as influenced by human chorionic gonadotropin administration before and/or after breeding. Theriogenology 1990; 34:139-45. [PMID: 16726824 DOI: 10.1016/0093-691x(90)90585-h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/1986] [Accepted: 04/11/1990] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to evaluate whether administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) before and/or after breeding influences the first-service pregnancy rate in beef heifers. In Experiment 1, 125 yearling and two-year-old heifers were allotted to one of four groups: a control group; a group receiving 3,000 IU hCG on Day 4 of the prebreeding estrous cycle; a group receiving 3,000 IU hCG on Day 4 post breeding; and a group receiving 3,000 IU hCG on Day 4 of the prebreeding estrous cycle and again on Day 4 post breeding (Day 1 = estrus). First-service pregnancy rate was not affected by a single intramuscular (i.m.) injection of 3,000 IU of hCG on Day 4 of the prebreeding estrous cycle and/or post breeding. In Experiment 2, 111 yearling heifers were allotted either to an untreated control group or to a group receiving 3,000 IU hCG on Day 4 post breeding. Administration of a single i.m. injection of hCG on Day 4 post breeding did not affect the first-service pregnancy rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- K F Breuel
- Department of Animal Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
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Plata NI, Spitzer JC, Thompson CE, Henricks DM, Reid MP, Newby TJ. Synchronization of estrus after treatment with Luprostiol in beef cows and in beef and dairy heifers. Theriogenology 1990; 33:943-52. [PMID: 16726791 DOI: 10.1016/0093-691x(90)90057-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/1989] [Accepted: 02/26/1990] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Four trials were conducted to study synchronous estrous response in beef cows and in beef and dairy heifers to Luprostiol (13, thia-PG-F(2)alpha analog) in comparison with other prostaglandin products. In Trial 1, 60 virgin beef heifers were observed for estrus for 5 d and artificially inseminated. Heifers not observed in estrus within 5 d were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg Luprostiol or 25 mg Lutalyse. In Trial 2, 75 multiparous, lactating beef cows were randomly assigned to receive either 15 mg Luprostiol, 25 mg Lutalyse or 500 mcg Estrumate. All cows received a second injection of the respective treatment 11 d later. In Trial 3, 96 multiparous, lactating beef cows were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg Luprostiol or 25 mg Lutalyse. All cows received a second injection of the respective treatment 11 d later. In Trial 4, virgin dairy heifers were palpated per rectum. Seventy-seven heifers with a palpable corpus luteum (CL) were randomly assigned to receive 15 mg Luprostiol or 500 mcg Estrumate. In all trials animals were artificially inseminated 12 h following observed estrus. Estrous response during the 5-d synchronized period was 44% for Luprostiol and 42% for Lutalyse treated heifers in Trial 1. It was 52, 56 and 60%, respectively, for Luprostiol, Lutalyse and Estrumate treated cows in Trial 2; 23% for Luprostiol and 19% for Lutalyse treated cows in Trial 3; and 68% for Luprostiol and 70% for Estrumate treated heifers in Trial 4. Treatment with Luprostiol results in a similar synchronous estrous response as with the other prostaglandin products used in these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- N I Plata
- Department of Animal Science Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
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Roncari DA, Thompson CE. Purification and partial characterization of a mitogenic protein released from preadipocytes of massively obese subjects. Biochem Cell Biol 1990; 68:764-8. [PMID: 2223002 DOI: 10.1139/o90-110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A protein released into the culture medium by omental preadipocytes of massively obese persons, which stimulates the replication of rat perirenal preadipocytes, has been purified to a high degree. By gel filtration chromatography, the molecular mass of the mitogenic protein was approximately 66,000 daltons (Da), while on sodium dodecyl sulfate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, two subunits were obtained, relative masses (Mr) of approximately 31,000 and approximately 35,000. The isoelectric point of the approximately 66,000 Da entity was 5.6 +/- 0.2. By specific radioreceptor assay, the purified protein was related to epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor alpha. It was not related to insulin-like growth factors I and II by radioimmunoassay and radioreceptor assay. We propose that the approximately 66,000 Mr protein, and other mitogenic proteins released by preadipocytes from massively obese persons, act through paracrine-autocrine mechanisms and may play a role in the development of the hyperplasia of enlarged fat cells characteristic of massive corpulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Roncari
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Ont., Canada
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Plata NI, Spitzer JC, Henricks DM, Thompson CE, Plyler BB, Newby TJ. Endocrine, estrous and pregnancy response to varying dosages of Luprostiol in beef cows. Theriogenology 1989; 31:801-12. [PMID: 16726595 DOI: 10.1016/0093-691x(89)90025-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/1988] [Accepted: 01/25/1989] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Multiparous lactating beef cows were observed for estrus and randomly assigned to one of four Luprostiol (13, thia-PG-F(2)alpha analog) treatment groups receiving 3.8 (LI), 7.5 (LII), 15 (LIII) or 30 (LIV) mg Luprostiol, respectively, or to an untreated control group (C), or to a positive control group (E) receiving 500 mcg Estrumate. Cows received their respective treatments in a single dosage on Day 7, 8 or 9 of the estrous cycle (estrus = Day 0) and were artificially inseminated 12 h following the subsequent estrus. Blood samples were collected from all groups immediately prior to treatment and at 12-h intervals to 48 h post treatment and analyzed for progesterone (P(4)). Blood samples were collected at 3-h intervals from 24 to 72 h post treatment for animals in Group LIII and for 48 h (or observed estrus) starting on Day 19 of the estrous cycle for animals in Group C. These samples were analyzed for estradiol-17beta(E(2)), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Treatment with Luprostiol at doses >/= 7.5 mg resulted in a synchronous estrous response during the first 5 d post treatment in 75 to 95% of cows treated. Luteal function, as evaluated by systemic P(4) concentration, paralleled results observed for estrous response. Treatment with a 15 or 30 mg dose of Luprostiol resulted in greater overall pregnancy rate at synchronized estrus. No biologically significant differences were found in blood levels of E(2), FSH or LH around the time of estrus between cows in Groups C and LIII. Results from these studies indicate treatment with Luprostiol at doses >/= 7.5 mg resulted in a synchronous estrus during the first 5 d after treatment. Pregnancy rates and endocrine changes were similar to those observed in control and Estrumate-treated cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- N I Plata
- Department of Animal Science Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634 USA
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Thompson CE. Going the distance as a neonatal nurse. Neonatal Netw 1988; 7:11. [PMID: 3205235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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