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Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Chaperonin containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 (CCT) is a molecular chaperone protein that consists of eight completely different subunits and assists in the...
Chaperonin containing tailless complex polypeptide 1 (CCT) is a molecular chaperone protein that consists of eight completely different subunits and assists in the folding of newly synthesized peptides. The zeta subunit of CCT is a regulatory factor for the folding and assembly of cytoskeletal proteins as individuals or complexes. In this study, the zeta subunit of (NbCCTζ) is identified for the first time. The complete ORF of the gene is 1533 bp in length and encodes a 510 amino acid polypeptide. IFA results indicate that NbCCTζ is colocalized with actin and β-tubulin in the cytoplasm during the proliferative phase and that NbCCTζ is completely colocalized with NbCCTα in the cytoplasm of throughout the entire life cycle. Furthermore, the yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that the NbCCTζ interacts with NbCCTα. The transcriptional level of is significantly downregulated by knocking down the gene, while the transcriptional level of is downregulated after knocking down the gene. These results suggest that NbCCTζ may play a vital role in the proliferation of by coordinating with NbCCTα.
PubMed: 38535237
DOI: 10.3390/jof10030229 -
Future Microbiology 2024Dye application for parasite highlighting in the Ova and Parasite exam is a common practice in parasitology diagnosis. A scoping review investigated how staining... (Review)
Review
Dye application for parasite highlighting in the Ova and Parasite exam is a common practice in parasitology diagnosis. A scoping review investigated how staining solutions interact with parasite structures. After screening 1334 papers, 35 met eligibility criteria. Differentiating background from foreground in the fecal smear under light microscopy is the core of the research on this topic. Refractivity, unevenness of staining, size and temperature were explored to enhance staining protocols. spp. and Microsporidia were the main studied species. Studies on diagnostic efficacy outperform those that elucidate the physical-chemical interaction between dyes and parasites. An alternative approach involves technicians using computational tools to reduce subjectivity in fecal smear interpretation, deviating from conventional methods.
Topics: Feces; Staining and Labeling; Humans; Parasitology; Coloring Agents; Animals; Cryptosporidium; Microsporidia; Microscopy; Parasites
PubMed: 38530362
DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2023-0171 -
Food and Waterborne Parasitology Jun 2024is one of the most prevalent microsporidia species, responsible for more than 90% of human and animal microsporidiosis. Microsporidia species, particularly are...
is one of the most prevalent microsporidia species, responsible for more than 90% of human and animal microsporidiosis. Microsporidia species, particularly are frequently reported from waterborne and foodborne outbreaks. Therefore, early detection is crucial in clinics and outbreak investigations. This study aimed to design a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for rapid detection of Total DNA was extracted from 30 -positive samples, which had been confirmed with nested PCR. LAMP primers were designed based on the identical fragment of small subunit ribosomal RNA () gene. LAMP reactions were performed at 63 °C for 60 min. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were analyzed and the results of amplification were compared to real-time PCR. Our results showed that the LAMP assay successfully amplified 25/30 (83.3%) samples. The specificity results indicated no false positive with other microorganisms. Furthermore, the LAMP method exhibited a sensitivity (limit of detection, LoD) as low as 34 ag/μL of total DNA. Compared to the LAMP assay, real-time PCR was able to detect all 30 nested PCR-positive samples. Our findings showed that the LAMP assay was able to detect 83.3% of positive samples. Although the current assay was not able to detect all nested PCR-positive samples, the lack of need for specific instruments, rapid processes, and high specificity makes LAMP assay a suitable tool for screening.
PubMed: 38523772
DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00225 -
Acta Tropica Jun 2024Bats stand as one of the most diverse groups in the animal kingdom and are key players in the global transmission of emerging pathogens. However, their role in...
Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Cryptosporidium bat genotype XXI and bat genotype XXII in fruit bats (Rousettus leschenaultii) inhabiting a tropical park in Hainan Province, China.
Bats stand as one of the most diverse groups in the animal kingdom and are key players in the global transmission of emerging pathogens. However, their role in transmitting Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence and genetic diversity of the two pathogens in fruit bats (Rousettus leschenaultii) in Hainan, China. Ten fresh fecal specimens of fruit bats were collected from Wanlvyuan Gardens, Haikou, China. The fecal samples were tested for E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis and sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and partial small subunit of ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene, respectively. Genetic heterogeneity across Cryptosporidium spp. isolates was assessed by sequencing 4 microsatellite/minisatellite loci (MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS16). The findings showed that out of the ten specimens analyzed, 2 (20 %) and seven (70.0 %) were tested positive for E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp., respectively. DNA sequence analysis revealed the presence of two novel Cryptosporidium genotypes with 94.4 to 98.6 % sequence similarity to C. andersoni, named as Cryptosporidium bat-genotype-XXI and bat-genotype-XXII. Three novel sequences of MS1, MS2 and MS16 loci identified here had 95.4 to 96.9 % similarity to the known sequences, which were deposited in the GenBank. Two genotypes of E. bieneusi were identified, including a novel genotype named HNB-I and a zoonotic genotype PigEbITS7. The discovery of these novel sequences provides meaningful data for epidemiological studies of the both pathogens. Meanwhile our results are also presented that the fruit bats infected with E. bieneusi, but not with Cryptosporidium, should be considered potential public health threats.
Topics: Animals; Chiroptera; Enterocytozoon; Cryptosporidium; China; Microsporidiosis; Genotype; Cryptosporidiosis; Feces; Genetic Variation; Phylogeny; Sequence Analysis, DNA; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; Polymerase Chain Reaction; DNA, Fungal; Microsatellite Repeats; DNA, Protozoan; Parks, Recreational
PubMed: 38513912
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107186 -
Ocular Immunology and Inflammation Mar 2024To elucidate a distinctive clinical feature in cases of microsporidial stromal keratitis (MSK).
PURPOSE
To elucidate a distinctive clinical feature in cases of microsporidial stromal keratitis (MSK).
METHOD
A retrospective observational study of cases with a histopathological and/or microbiological diagnosis of MSK on corneal biopsy or host corneal button between 2016 and 2022 was conducted.
RESULTS
Eighteen cases with a confirmed histopathological and/or microbiological diagnosis of MSK were detected. Careful review of slit-lamp photographs revealed the presence of pigmented keratic precipitates (KPs) beyond the area of stromal keratitis in five out of eighteen cases (27.7%).
CONCLUSION
The presence of pigmented KPs beyond the area of lesion can alert the clinician to keep microsporidia as a differential cause for stromal keratitis. Management can be tailored accordingly for a better outcome.
PubMed: 38512320
DOI: 10.1080/09273948.2024.2329805 -
Microbiology Resource Announcements Apr 2024We report the draft whole-genome assembly of sp. MB a symbiotic malaria-transmission-blocking microsporidian isolated from in Kenya. The whole-genome sequence of sp....
We report the draft whole-genome assembly of sp. MB a symbiotic malaria-transmission-blocking microsporidian isolated from in Kenya. The whole-genome sequence of sp. MB has a length of 5,908,979 bp, 2,335 contigs, and an average GC content of 31.12%.
PubMed: 38509052
DOI: 10.1128/MRA.00903-23 -
Medical Mycology Mar 2024Microsporidia is a diverse group of obligate, intracellular, and spore-forming parasites that infect a wide range of animals. Among them, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and...
Microsporidia is a diverse group of obligate, intracellular, and spore-forming parasites that infect a wide range of animals. Among them, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp. are the most frequently reported species in humans. Limited information is available about the presence and molecular diversity of microsporidian species in the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus). Presence of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp. was investigated by molecular methods in wild and captive Iberian lynxes from Spain. Overall, E. bieneusi was detected in 3.2% (8/251) of the animals examined. None of the samples tested were positive for Encephalitozoon spp. Four known (D, EbfelA, PigEBITS7, and Type IV) and a novel (named as LynxSpEb1) E. bieneusi genotypes were identified. All the genotypes found belonged to the zoonotic Group 1 of E. bieneusi. This study provides the first genotyping data of E. bieneusi in Iberian lynx in Spain. Our result indicate that the Iberian lynx does not seem to play a relevant role in the epidemiology of Encephalitozoon spp., and that this endangered felid is likely acting as spillover host rather than a true reservoir of E. bieneusi. Additional studies should be conducted to assess the impact of this parasite in the health status of the endangered Iberian lynx.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Microsporidia; Genotype; Lynx; Enterocytozoon; Encephalitozoon; Prevalence; Feces; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38499442
DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myae027 -
Malaria Journal Mar 2024Recently, bacterial endosymbiont, including Wolbachia and Microsporidia were found to limit the infection of Anopheles mosquitoes with Plasmodium falciparum. This study...
BACKGROUND
Recently, bacterial endosymbiont, including Wolbachia and Microsporidia were found to limit the infection of Anopheles mosquitoes with Plasmodium falciparum. This study aimed to investigate the natural presence of key transmission-blocking endosymbionts in Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii in Southern Benin.
METHODS
The present study was conducted in seven communes (Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Aguégués, Ifangni, Pobè Athiémé, and Grand-Popo) of Southern Benin. Anopheles were collected using indoor/outdoor Human Landing Catches (HLCs) and Pyrethrum Spray Catches (PSCs). Following morphological identification, PCR was used to identify An. gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) to species level and to screen for the presence of both Wolbachia and Microsporidia. Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite infection was also assessed using ELISA.
RESULTS
Overall, species composition in An. gambiae s.l. was 53.7% An. coluzzii, while the remainder was An. gambiae sensu stricto (s.s.). Combined data of the two sampling techniques revealed a mean infection prevalence with Wolbachia of 5.1% (95% CI 0.90-18.6) and 1.3% (95% CI 0.07-7.8) in An. gambiae s.s. and An. coluzzii, respectively. The mean infection prevalence with Microsporidia was 41.0% (95% CI 25.9-57.8) for An. gambiae s.s. and 57.0% (95% CI 45.4-67.9) for An. coluzzii. Wolbachia was only observed in Ifangni, Pobè, and Cotonou, while Microsporidia was detected in all study communes. Aggregated data for HLCs and PSCs showed a sporozoite rate (SR) of 0.80% (95% CI 0.09-2.87) and 0.69% (95% CI 0.09-2.87) for An. gambiae and An. coluzzii, respectively, with a mean of 0.74% (95% CI 0.20-1.90). Of the four individual mosquitoes which harboured P. falciparum, none were also infected with Wolbachia and one contained Microsporidia.
CONCLUSIONS
The present study is the first report of natural infections of field-collected An. gambiae s.l. populations from Benin with Wolbachia and Microsporidia. Sustained efforts should be made to widen the spectrum of bacteria identified in mosquitoes, with the potential to develop endosymbiont-based control tools; such interventions could be the game-changer in the control of malaria and arboviral disease transmission.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Benin; Anopheles; Wolbachia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Mosquito Vectors; Malaria, Falciparum; Pyrethrins; Sporozoites
PubMed: 38468292
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04906-1 -
PLoS Biology Mar 2024Protein quality control pathways play important roles in resistance against pathogen infection. For example, the conserved transcription factor SKN-1/NRF up-regulates...
Protein quality control pathways play important roles in resistance against pathogen infection. For example, the conserved transcription factor SKN-1/NRF up-regulates proteostasis capacity after blockade of the proteasome and also promotes resistance against bacterial infection in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. SKN-1/NRF has 3 isoforms, and the SKN-1A/NRF1 isoform, in particular, regulates proteasomal gene expression upon proteasome dysfunction as part of a conserved bounce-back response. We report here that, in contrast to the previously reported role of SKN-1 in promoting resistance against bacterial infection, loss-of-function mutants in skn-1a and its activating enzymes ddi-1 and png-1 show constitutive expression of immune response programs against natural eukaryotic pathogens of C. elegans. These programs are the oomycete recognition response (ORR), which promotes resistance against oomycetes that infect through the epidermis, and the intracellular pathogen response (IPR), which promotes resistance against intestine-infecting microsporidia. Consequently, skn-1a mutants show increased resistance to both oomycete and microsporidia infections. We also report that almost all ORR/IPR genes induced in common between these programs are regulated by the proteasome and interestingly, specific ORR/IPR genes can be induced in distinct tissues depending on the exact trigger. Furthermore, we show that increasing proteasome function significantly reduces oomycete-mediated induction of multiple ORR markers. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that proteasome regulation keeps innate immune responses in check in a tissue-specific manner against natural eukaryotic pathogens of the C. elegans epidermis and intestine.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Transcription Factors; DNA-Binding Proteins; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Immunity, Innate; Bacterial Infections
PubMed: 38466732
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002543 -
ELife Mar 2024Imidacloprid is a global health threat that severely poisons the economically and ecologically important honeybee pollinator, . However, its effects on developing bee...
Imidacloprid is a global health threat that severely poisons the economically and ecologically important honeybee pollinator, . However, its effects on developing bee larvae remain largely unexplored. Our pilot study showed that imidacloprid causes developmental delay in bee larvae, but the underlying toxicological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In this study, we exposed bee larvae to imidacloprid at environmentally relevant concentrations of 0.7, 1.2, 3.1, and 377 ppb. There was a marked dose-dependent delay in larval development, characterized by reductions in body mass, width, and growth index. However, imidacloprid did not affect on larval survival and food consumption. The primary toxicological effects induced by elevated concentrations of imidacloprid (377 ppb) included inhibition of neural transmission gene expression, induction of oxidative stress, gut structural damage, and apoptosis, inhibition of developmental regulatory hormones and genes, suppression of gene expression levels involved in proteolysis, amino acid transport, protein synthesis, carbohydrate catabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis energy production. In addition, we found that the larvae may use antioxidant defenses and P450 detoxification mechanisms to mitigate the effects of imidacloprid. Ultimately, this study provides the first evidence that environmentally exposed imidacloprid can affect the growth and development of bee larvae by disrupting molting regulation and limiting the metabolism and utilization of dietary nutrients and energy. These findings have broader implications for studies assessing pesticide hazards in other juvenile animals.
Topics: Bees; Animals; Larva; Molting; Pilot Projects; Energy Metabolism; Nutrients; Neonicotinoids; Nitro Compounds
PubMed: 38466325
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.88772