scholarly journals Molecular Detection and Genotyping of Coxiella-Like Endosymbionts in Ticks Collected from Animals and Vegetation in Zambia

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 779
Author(s):  
Toshiya Kobayashi ◽  
Elisha Chatanga ◽  
Yongjin Qiu ◽  
Martin Simuunza ◽  
Masahiro Kajihara ◽  
...  

Ticks are obligate ectoparasites as they require to feed on their host blood during some or all stages of their life cycle. In addition to the pathogens that ticks harbor and transmit to vertebrate hosts, they also harbor other seemingly nonpathogenic microorganisms including nutritional mutualistic symbionts. Tick nutritional mutualistic symbionts play important roles in the physiology of the host ticks as they are involved in tick reproduction and growth through the supply of B vitamins as well as in pathogen maintenance and propagation. Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLEs) are the most widespread endosymbionts exclusively reported in ticks. Although CLEs have been investigated in ticks in other parts of the world, there is no report of their investigation in ticks in Zambia. To investigate the occurrence of CLEs, their maintenance, and association with host ticks in Zambia, 175 ticks belonging to six genera, namely Amblyomma, Argas, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ornithodoros, and Rhipicephalus, were screened for CLEs, followed by characterization of CLEs by multi-locus sequence typing of the five Coxiella housekeeping genes (dnaK, groEL, rpoB, 16S rRNA, and 23S rRNA). The results showed that 45.7% (n = 80) were positive for CLEs. The comparison of the tick 16S rDNA phylogenetic tree with that of the CLEs concatenated sequences showed that there was a strong correlation between the topology of the trees. The results suggest that most of the CLEs have evolved within tick species, supporting the vertical transmission phenomenon. However, the negative results for CLE in some ticks warrants further investigations of other endosymbionts that the ticks in Zambia may also harbor.

Author(s):  
Luiza Pires Portella ◽  
Fagner D'ambroso Fernandes ◽  
Camila Encarnação Minuzzi ◽  
Juliana Felipetto Cargnelutti ◽  
Luis Fernando Vilani de Pelegrini ◽  
...  

Sarcocystosis is a disease caused by varying Sarcocystis species infecting humans and animals. It is commonly found in ruminants causing pathogenic effects. Although the distribution of Sarcocystis can be found all over the world, the species infecting buffaloes in Brazil is still unknown. Through this study, we aim to estimate the molecular prevalence of natural infection with Sarcocystis spp. in buffaloes using molecular identification. In addition, phylogenetic analyzes were used for the first time to identify the different species of this protozoan infecting buffalo in the south of the country. Heart samples from 80 buffaloes were subjected to microscopic examination, followed by molecular analysis. Microcysts were present in 19/80 (23,75%) of the samples. Genomic DNA was extracted from the 19 isolates, all there were amplified DNA in the primer used in the study. Six readable sequences were obtained after sequencing of the samples in both the directions. In the present study all the sequenced samples indicated were of Sarcocystis levinei.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iúri Novaes Luna ◽  
Valéria De Bettio Mattos

This book, comprised of 13 chapters, presents papers which discuss the processes related to the career along one’s life cycle, from adolescents’ professional choices until processes of retirement. Notwithstanding the diversity of life and work contexts, present in the different chapters, they all somewhat correspond in their central purpose, presenting both perspectives and challenges related to contemporary career interventions. Some chapters address themes that are still seldom explored in national literature, while others discuss subjects that are long established in the area, however they are innovative. The authors study them in the context of changes in the world of work in the second decade of the 21st century, of the new career models and psychosocial processes that are linked to human development throughout life. The studies and practices in vocational guidance, career development and retirement, included in this book, are the results of research and practice in recent years carried out by professionals, professors and academics that in different ways have collaborated with the activities of LIOP - Laboratory of Information and Professional Guidance, at the Federal University of Santa Catarina.


Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar ◽  
Seetha Harilal ◽  
Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi ◽  
Githa Elizabeth Mathew ◽  
Simone Carradori ◽  
...  

: COVID-19, an epidemic that emerged in Wuhan, has become a pandemic affecting worldwide and is in a rapidly evolving condition. Day by day, the confirmed cases and deaths are increasing many folds. SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus; therefore, limited data are available to curb the disease. Epidemiological approaches, isolation, quarantine, social distancing, lockdown, and curfew are being employed to halt the spread of the disease. Individual and joint efforts all over the world are producing a wealth of data and information which are expected to produce therapeutic strategies against COVID-19. Current research focuses on the utilization of antiviral drugs, repurposing strategies, vaccine development as well as basic to advanced research about the organism and the infection. The review focuses on the life cycle, targets, and possible therapeutic strategies, which can lead to further research and development of COVID-19 therapy.


Author(s):  
Alexander Gillespie

The years between 1900 and 1945 were very difficult for humanity. In this period, not only were there two world wars to survive but also some of the worst parts of the social, economic, and environmental challenges of sustainable development all began to make themselves felt. The one area in which progress was made was in the social context, in which the rights of workers and the welfare state expanded. The idea of ‘development’, especially for the developing world, also evolved in this period. In the economic arena, the world went up, and then crashed in the Great Depression, producing negative results that were unprecedented. In environmental terms, positive templates were created for some habitat management, some wildlife law, and parts of freshwater conservation. Where there was not so much success was with regard to air and chemical pollution.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Raharimalala ◽  
Stephane Rombauts ◽  
Andrew McCarthy ◽  
Andréa Garavito ◽  
Simon Orozco-Arias ◽  
...  

AbstractCaffeine is the most consumed alkaloid stimulant in the world. It is synthesized through the activity of three known N-methyltransferase proteins. Here we are reporting on the 422-Mb chromosome-level assembly of the Coffea humblotiana genome, a wild and endangered, naturally caffeine-free, species from the Comoro archipelago. We predicted 32,874 genes and anchored 88.7% of the sequence onto the 11 chromosomes. Comparative analyses with the African Robusta coffee genome (C. canephora) revealed an extensive genome conservation, despite an estimated 11 million years of divergence and a broad diversity of genome sizes within the Coffea genus. In this genome, the absence of caffeine is likely due to the absence of the caffeine synthase gene which converts theobromine into caffeine through an illegitimate recombination mechanism. These findings pave the way for further characterization of caffeine-free species in the Coffea genus and will guide research towards naturally-decaffeinated coffee drinks for consumers.


Author(s):  
Konrad Egli ◽  
Anna Roditscheff ◽  
Ursula Flückiger ◽  
Martin Risch ◽  
Lorenz Risch ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to ceftriaxone is unusual in Switzerland. The underlying genotype responsible for resistance is suspected to be novel. Generally, resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) involves a comprehensive set of genes with many different mutations leading to resistance to different β-lactams and fluoroquinolones. Case presentation A patient had a positive result from specific PCR for Ng. We routinely culture all clinical specimens with a positive NG-PCR. In this particular case, we isolated a strain with resistance to ceftriaxone in Switzerland. A total of seven different genes (penA, ponA, porinB, mtr, gyrA, parC, 23S rRNA gene) in this strain were partially sequenced for comparison with phenotypic susceptibility testing. Interestingly, two different mutations in the porinB gene were observed, and data on this gene are limited. Information on the identified allele type of the penA gene is very limited as well. Three different mutations of parC and gyrA that correlate with ciprofloxacin resistance were found. The combination of ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin resistance makes an appropriate treatment difficult to obtain due to multidrug resistance. Conclusion The combined results for all genes show the appearance of new mutations in central Europe either due to worldwide spread or the emergence of new genetic combinations of mutations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 106383
Author(s):  
Innina R. Mananguit ◽  
Nest Dale F. Bartolome ◽  
Gabriel Alexis S.P. Tubalinal ◽  
Claro N. Mingala

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Martins ◽  
Michael A. DiCandia ◽  
Aristides L. Mendes ◽  
Daniela Wetzel ◽  
Shonna M. McBride ◽  
...  

AbstractBacteria that reside in the gastrointestinal tract of healthy humans are essential for our health, sustenance and well-being. About 50–60% of those bacteria have the ability to produce resilient spores that are important for the life cycle in the gut and for host-to-host transmission. A genomic signature for sporulation in the human intestine was recently described, which spans both commensals and pathogens such as Clostridioides difficile and contains several genes of unknown function. We report on the characterization of a signature gene, CD25890, which, as we show is involved in the control of sporulation initiation in C. difficile under certain nutritional conditions. Spo0A is the main regulatory protein controlling entry into sporulation and we show that an in-frame deletion of CD25890 results in increased expression of spo0A per cell and increased sporulation. The effect of CD25890 on spo0A is likely indirect and mediated through repression of the sinRR´ operon. Deletion of the CD25890 gene, however, does not alter the expression of the genes coding for the cytotoxins or the genes involved in biofilm formation. Our results suggest that CD25890 acts to modulate sporulation in response to the nutrients present in the environment.


Author(s):  
Bruno Leite Rodrigues ◽  
Glaucilene da Silva Costa ◽  
Paloma Helena Fernandes Shimabukuro

Abstract The transmission of pathogens that cause leishmaniases occurs by the bite of female sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in their vertebrate hosts, which makes the identification of their bloodmeal sources an important step for the control and epidemiology of these diseases. In Brazil, the state of Roraima has a great diversity of sand flies, vertebrate hosts, and protozoan Leishmania, but little is known about the host blood-feeding preferences of sand flies. Thus, we evaluated the bloodmeal sources of sand flies collected from their sylvatic habitats in Parque Nacional do Viruá, Roraima. Fieldwork was carried-out between 13th and 18th August 2019 using CDC light traps. Sand flies were slide-mounted and morphologically identified using the head and last segments of the abdomen. Engorged females had their DNA extracted, followed by amplification and sequencing of the cytochrome b (cytb) molecular marker for vertebrates. Sequences were analyzed and compared with those from GenBank using the BLASTn search tool, in addition to the reconstruction of a phylogenetic tree to demonstrate the clustering pattern of these sequences. A total of 1,209 sand flies were identified, comprising 20 species, in which the most abundant were Psychodopygus ayrozai (Barretto and Coutinho) (42.10%) and Psychodopygus chagasi (Costa Lima) (26.22%). Bloodmeal source identification was successfully performed for 34 sand flies, that confirm four vertebrate species, being the most abundant the armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 (Cingulata: Dasypodidae).


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