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Infectious Disorders Drug Targets 2020Swine species are an important source of meat production worldwide, except in Islamic countries where pig breeding and pork consumption are forbidden. Hence, they are... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Swine species are an important source of meat production worldwide, except in Islamic countries where pig breeding and pork consumption are forbidden. Hence, they are often neglected in these regions. A considerable number of wild boars (Sus scrofa) inhabit Iranian territories, particularly in dense forests of north, west and southwest of the country, but our knowledge regarding their parasites is very limited.
OBJECTIVE
The lack of a comprehensive record in this connection encouraged us to review the whole works of literature in the country.
METHODS
The current review presents all the information about the parasitic diseases of wild boar in Iran extracted from articles available in both Persian and English databases until June 2017.
RESULTS
So far, 8 genera of protozoa (Toxoplasma, Balanthidium, Tritrichomonas, Blastocystis, Entamoeba, Iodamoeba, Chilomastix and Sarcocystis) and 20 helminth species, including four cestode species, two trematode species, thirteen nematode species as well as a single species of Acanthocephala have been described in Iranian wild boars.
CONCLUSION
This review sheds light on the veterinary and public health aspects of the parasitic diseases of wild boars in the country and alerts authorities for future preventive measures.
Topics: Alveolata; Amoebozoa; Animals; Helminthiasis, Animal; Helminths; Iran; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Sus scrofa; Swine; Swine Diseases
PubMed: 31322074
DOI: 10.2174/1871526519666190716121824 -
BMC Microbiology Dec 2022Myxomycetes are a group of eukaryotes belonging to Amoebozoa, which are characterized by a distinctive life cycle, including the plasmodium stage and fruit body stage....
BACKGROUND
Myxomycetes are a group of eukaryotes belonging to Amoebozoa, which are characterized by a distinctive life cycle, including the plasmodium stage and fruit body stage. Plasmodia are all found to be associated with bacteria. However, the information about bacteria diversity and composition in different plasmodia was limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the bacterial diversity of plasmodia from different myxomycetes species and reveal the potential function of plasmodia-associated bacterial communities.
RESULTS
The bacterial communities associated with the plasmodia of six myxomycetes (Didymium iridis, Didymium squamulosum, Diderma hemisphaericum, Lepidoderma tigrinum, Fuligo leviderma, and Physarum melleum) were identified by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The six plasmodia harbored 38 to 52 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that belonged to 7 phyla, 16 classes, 23 orders, 40 families, and 53 genera. The dominant phyla were Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Most OTUs were shared among the six myxomycetes, while unique bacteria in each species only accounted for a tiny proportion of the total OTUs.
CONCLUSIONS
Although each of the six myxomycetes plasmodia had different bacterial community compositions, a high similarity was observed in the plasmodia-associated bacterial communities' functional composition. The high enrichment for gram-negative (> 90%) and aerobic (> 99%) bacteria in plasmodia suggest that myxomycetes may positively recruit certain kinds of bacteria from the surrounding environment.
Topics: Humans; Myxomycetes; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Physarum; Bacteria; Plasmodium
PubMed: 36544088
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02725-5 -
Nature Communications Jul 2022Encystment is a common stress response of most protists, including free-living amoebae. Cyst formation protects the amoebae from eradication and can increase virulence...
Encystment is a common stress response of most protists, including free-living amoebae. Cyst formation protects the amoebae from eradication and can increase virulence of the bacteria they harbor. Here, we mapped the global molecular changes that occur in the facultatively pathogenic amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii during the early steps of the poorly understood process of encystment. By performing transcriptomic, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic experiments during encystment, we identified more than 150,000 previously undescribed transcripts and thousands of protein sequences absent from the reference genome. These results provide molecular details to the regulation of expected biological processes, such as cell proliferation shutdown, and reveal new insights such as a rapid phospho-regulation of sites involved in cytoskeleton remodeling and translation regulation. This work constitutes the first time-resolved molecular atlas of an encysting organism and a useful resource for further investigation of amoebae encystment to allow for a better control of pathogenic amoebae.
Topics: Acanthamoeba castellanii; Amoeba; Bacteria; Proteomics; Virulence
PubMed: 35835784
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31832-0 -
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering Feb 2020In many situations, cells migrate through tiny orifices. Examples include the extravasation of immune cells from the bloodstream for fighting infections, the...
In many situations, cells migrate through tiny orifices. Examples include the extravasation of immune cells from the bloodstream for fighting infections, the infiltration of cancer cells during metastasis, and the migration of human pathogens. An extremely motile and medically relevant type of human pathogen is . In the study presented here, we investigated how a combination of microparticles and microstructured interfaces controls the migration of trophozoites. The microinterfaces comprised well-defined micropillar arrays, and the trophozoites easily migrated through the given constrictions by adapting the shape and size of their intracellular vacuoles and by adapting intracellular motion. After feeding the trophozoite cells in microinterfaces with synthetic, stiff microparticles of various sizes and shapes, their behavior changed drastically: if the particles were smaller than the micropillar gap, migration was still possible. If the cells incorporated particles larger than the pillar gap, they could become immobilized but could also display remarkable problem-solving capabilities. For example, they turned rod-shaped microparticles such that their short axis fit through the pillar gap or they transported the particles above the structure. As migration is a crucial contribution to pathogenicity and is also relevant to other biological processes in microenvironments, such as cancer metastasis, our results provide an interesting strategy for controlling the migration of cells containing intracellular particles by microstructured interfaces that serve as migration-limiting environments.
Topics: Acanthamoeba castellanii; Amoeba; Animals; Humans; Trophozoites
PubMed: 32215319
DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b00496 -
Current Protocols May 2022This article describes a practical method for prospecting and isolating giant viruses based on direct inoculation of environmental samples into amoeba cultures of...
This article describes a practical method for prospecting and isolating giant viruses based on direct inoculation of environmental samples into amoeba cultures of Acanthamoeba castellanii. The giant viruses that infect amoebas have already been isolated from various environmental samples in several countries worldwide, including in extreme environments. Here we describe the methodologic procedures regarding the prospecting of giant viruses in A. castellanii, including the preparation of environmental samples, the culture of amoebas, and the observation of cytopathic effects that can indicate the presence and potential isolation of giant viruses. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Sample collection Support Protocol: Propagation of Acanthamoeba castellanii Basic Protocol 2: Prospecting of giant viruses in environmental samples by cytopathic effect analysis.
Topics: Acanthamoeba castellanii; Amoeba; Giant Viruses
PubMed: 35612516
DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.455 -
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Feb 2015Amoebozoa is a key phylum for eukaryote phylogeny and evolutionary history, but its phylogenetic validity has been questioned since included species are very diverse:...
Amoebozoa is a key phylum for eukaryote phylogeny and evolutionary history, but its phylogenetic validity has been questioned since included species are very diverse: amoebo-flagellate slime-moulds, naked and testate amoebae, and some flagellates. 18S rRNA gene trees have not firmly established its internal topology. To rectify this we sequenced cDNA libraries for seven diverse Amoebozoa and conducted phylogenetic analyses for 109 eukaryotes (17-18 Amoebozoa) using 60-188 genes. We conducted Bayesian inferences with the evolutionarily most realistic site-heterogeneous CAT-GTR-Γ model and maximum likelihood analyses. These unequivocally establish the monophyly of Amoebozoa, showing a primary dichotomy between the previously contested subphyla Lobosa and Conosa. Lobosa, the entirely non-flagellate lobose amoebae, are robustly partitioned into the monophyletic classes Tubulinea, with predominantly tube-shaped pseudopodia, and Discosea with flattened cells and different locomotion. Within Conosa 60/70-gene trees with very little missing data show a primary dichotomy between the aerobic infraphylum Semiconosia (Mycetozoa and Variosea) and secondarily anaerobic Archamoebae. These phylogenetic features are entirely congruent with the most recent major amoebozoan classification emphasising locomotion modes, pseudopodial morphology, and ultrastructure. However, 188-gene trees where proportionally more taxa have sparser gene-representation weakly place Archamoebae as sister to Macromycetozoa instead, possibly a tree reconstruction artefact of differentially missing data.
Topics: Amoebozoa; Animals; Bayes Theorem; Biological Evolution; Gene Library; Likelihood Functions; Models, Genetic; Phylogeny; Sequence Analysis, DNA
PubMed: 25150787
DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.08.011 -
Therapeutic Delivery Mar 2023Tweetable abstract Nebulized emanator for intranasal delivery of antiamebic drugs to the brain.
Tweetable abstract Nebulized emanator for intranasal delivery of antiamebic drugs to the brain.
Topics: Amoeba; Brain; Naegleria fowleri; Administration, Intranasal
PubMed: 37191013
DOI: 10.4155/tde-2023-0015 -
FEMS Microbiology Ecology Dec 2020Naegleria fowleri is a free-living protozoan that resides in soil and freshwater. Human intranasal amoebae exposure through water or potentially dust particles can... (Review)
Review
Naegleria fowleri is a free-living protozoan that resides in soil and freshwater. Human intranasal amoebae exposure through water or potentially dust particles can culminate in primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, which generally causes death. While many questions remain regarding pathogenesis, the microbial ecology of N. fowleri is even less understood. This review outlines current knowledge of the environmental abiotic and biotic factors that affect the distribution and abundance of N. fowleri. Although the impacts of some abiotic factors remain poorly investigated or inconclusive, N. fowleri appears to have a wide pH range, low salinity tolerance and thermophilic preference. From what is known about biotic factors, the amoebae preferentially feed upon bacteria and are preyed upon by other free-living amoebae. Additional laboratory and environmental studies are needed to fill in knowledge gaps, which are crucial for surveillance and management of N. fowleri in freshwaters. As surface water temperatures increase with climate change, it is likely that this amoeba will pose a greater threat to human health, suggesting that identifying its abiotic and biotic preferences is critical to mitigating this risk.
Topics: Amoeba; Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections; Fresh Water; Humans; Naegleria fowleri; Water
PubMed: 33242082
DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa238 -
Glycoconjugate Journal Jun 2016Glycomic analyses over the years have revealed that non-vertebrate eukaryotes express oligosaccharides with inorganic and zwitterionic modifications which are either... (Review)
Review
Glycomic analyses over the years have revealed that non-vertebrate eukaryotes express oligosaccharides with inorganic and zwitterionic modifications which are either occurring in different contexts as compared to, or are absent from, mammals. Examples of anionic N-glycans (carrying sulphate or phosphate) are known from amoebae, fungi, molluscs and insects, while zwitterionic modifications by phosphorylcholine, phosphoethanolamine and aminoethylphosphonate occur on N-, O- and lipid-linked glycans from trichomonads, annelids, fungi, molluscs, insects, cestodes and nematodes. For detection of zwitterionic and anionic glycans, mass spectrometry has been a key method, but their ionic character affects the preparation and purification; therefore, as part of a glycomic strategy, the possibility of their presence must be considered in advance. On the other hand, their ionisation and fragmentation in positive and negative ion mode mass spectrometry as well as specific chemical or enzymatic treatments can prove diagnostic to their analysis. In our laboratory, we combine solid-phase extraction, reversed and normal phase HPLC, MALDI-TOF MS, exoglycosidase digests and hydrofluoric acid treatment to reveal N-glycans modified with anionic and zwitterionic moieties in a wide range of organisms. It is to be anticipated that, as more species are glycomically analysed, zwitterionic and anionic modifications of N-glycans will prove rather widespread. This knowledge is - in the longer term - then the basis for understanding the function of this cornucopia of glycan modifications.
Topics: Amoebozoa; Animals; Anions; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Invertebrates; Polysaccharides; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Static Electricity
PubMed: 26899268
DOI: 10.1007/s10719-016-9650-x -
Pharmaceutical Patent Analyst Jul 2020
Topics: Balamuthia mandrillaris; Brain
PubMed: 32815488
DOI: 10.4155/ppa-2020-0016