-
Nature Feb 2022Mutations in the protein kinase PINK1 lead to defects in mitophagy and cause autosomal recessive early onset Parkinson's disease. PINK1 has many unique features that...
Mutations in the protein kinase PINK1 lead to defects in mitophagy and cause autosomal recessive early onset Parkinson's disease. PINK1 has many unique features that enable it to phosphorylate ubiquitin and the ubiquitin-like domain of Parkin. Structural analysis of PINK1 from diverse insect species with and without ubiquitin provided snapshots of distinct structural states yet did not explain how PINK1 is activated. Here we elucidate the activation mechanism of PINK1 using crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). A crystal structure of unphosphorylated Pediculus humanus corporis (Ph; human body louse) PINK1 resolves an N-terminal helix, revealing the orientation of unphosphorylated yet active PINK1 on the mitochondria. We further provide a cryo-EM structure of a symmetric PhPINK1 dimer trapped during the process of trans-autophosphorylation, as well as a cryo-EM structure of phosphorylated PhPINK1 undergoing a conformational change to an active ubiquitin kinase state. Structures and phosphorylation studies further identify a role for regulatory PINK1 oxidation. Together, our research delineates the complete activation mechanism of PINK1, illuminates how PINK1 interacts with the mitochondrial outer membrane and reveals how PINK1 activity may be modulated by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species.
Topics: Animals; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Insect Proteins; Mitochondria; Mitophagy; Pediculus; Phosphorylation; Protein Conformation; Protein Kinases; Ubiquitin
PubMed: 34933320
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04340-2 -
Infectious Diseases of Poverty May 2022Human pediculosis is caused by hematophagous lice, which are transmitted between individuals via direct and/or indirect contact. Despite the public health importance of... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Human pediculosis is caused by hematophagous lice, which are transmitted between individuals via direct and/or indirect contact. Despite the public health importance of louse infestation, information concerning the global burden of pediculosis and the epidemiological landscape of louse-borne diseases is limited. The aim of this review was to summarize the biology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and control of lice infestation in humans. We also discussed the latest advances in molecular taxonomy and molecular genetics of lice.
METHODS
We searched five electronic bibliographic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, VIP Chinese Journal Database, and Wanfang Data) and followed a standard approach for conducting scoping reviews to identify studies on various aspects of human lice. Relevant information reported in the identified studies were collated, categorized, and summarized.
RESULTS
A total of 282 studies were eligible for the final review. Human pediculosis remains a public health issue affecting millions of people worldwide. Emerging evidence suggests that head lice and body lice should be considered conspecific, with different genotypes and ecotypes. Phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial (mt) cytb gene sequences identified six distinct clades of lice worldwide. In addition to the direct effect on human health, lice can serve as vectors of disease-causing pathogens. The use of insecticides plays a crucial role in the treatment and prevention of louse infestation. Genome sequencing has advanced our knowledge of the genetic structure and evolutionary biology of human lice.
CONCLUSIONS
Human pediculosis is a public health problem affecting millions of people worldwide, particularly in developing countries. More progress can be made if emphasis is placed on the use of emerging omics technologies to elucidate the mechanisms that underpin the physiological, ecological, and evolutionary aspects of lice.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Insecticides; Lice Infestations; Pediculus; Phylogeny; Public Health
PubMed: 35619191
DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-00986-w -
Giornale Italiano Di Dermatologia E... Apr 2020Pthirus pubis, popularly known as crab louse, usually infests the pubis, groin, buttocks, intergluteal fold and perianal region. However, it can also infest, in... (Review)
Review
Pthirus pubis, popularly known as crab louse, usually infests the pubis, groin, buttocks, intergluteal fold and perianal region. However, it can also infest, in particular in hairy males or when the infestation is longstanding, the thighs, abdomen, chest, axillae and face. The involvement of the scalp is very rare. Eyelashes may also be involved. We present a review of the literature about etiology, epidemiology, clinical features, complications and therapy of Pthiriasis of the eyelashes.
Topics: Animals; Eyelashes; Humans; Lice Infestations; Phthirus
PubMed: 31525840
DOI: 10.23736/S0392-0488.19.06350-8 -
Veterinary Research 2009In contrast to 15 or more validated and/or proposed tick-borne spotted fever group species, only three named medically important rickettsial species are associated with... (Review)
Review
In contrast to 15 or more validated and/or proposed tick-borne spotted fever group species, only three named medically important rickettsial species are associated with insects. These insect-borne rickettsiae are comprised of two highly pathogenic species, Rickettsia prowazekii (the agent of epidemic typhus) and R. typhi (the agent of murine typhus), as well as R. felis, a species with unconfirmed pathogenicity. Rickettsial association with obligate hematophagous insects such as the human body louse (R. prowazekii transmitted by Pediculus h. humanus) and several flea species (R. typhi and R. felis, as well as R. prowazekii in sylvatic form) provides rickettsiae the potential for further multiplications, longer transmission cycles and rapid spread among susceptible human populations. Both human body lice and fleas are intermittent feeders capable of multiple blood meals per generation, facilitating the efficient transmission of rickettsiae to several disparate hosts within urban/rural ecosystems. While taking into consideration the existing knowledge of rickettsial biology and genomic attributes, we have analyzed and summarized the interacting features that are unique to both the rickettsiae and their vector fleas and lice. Furthermore, factors that underlie rickettsial changing ecology, where native mammalian populations are involved in the maintenance of rickettsial cycle and transmission, are discussed.
Topics: Animals; Insect Vectors; Phthiraptera; Rickettsia; Rickettsia Infections; Siphonaptera
PubMed: 19036234
DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2008050 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2019is an obligate bloodsucking ectoparasite of human that includes two ecotypes, head louse and body louse, which differ slightly in morphology and biology, but have... (Review)
Review
is an obligate bloodsucking ectoparasite of human that includes two ecotypes, head louse and body louse, which differ slightly in morphology and biology, but have distinct ecologies. Phylogenetically, they are classified on six mitochondrial clades (A, B, C, D, E, and F), head louse encompasses the full genetic diversity of clades, while body louse belongs to clades A and D. Recent studies suggested that not only body louse, but also head louse can transmit disease, which warrants greater attention as a serious public health problem. The recent sequencing of body louse genome confirmed that has the smallest genome of any hemimetabolous insect reported to date, and also revealed numerous interesting characteristics in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. The transcriptome analyses showed that body and head lice were almost genetically identical. Indeed, the phenotypic flexibility associated with the emergence of body lice, is probably a result of regulatory changes, perhaps epigenetic in origin, triggered by environmental signals. Current lice control strategies have proven unsuccessful. For instance, ivermectin represents a relatively new and very promising pediculicide. However, ivermectin resistance in the field has begun to be reported. Therefore, novel opportunities for pest control strategies are needed. Our objective here is to review the current state of knowledge on the biology, epidemiology, phylogeny, disease-vector and control of this fascinating and very intimate human parasite.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Communicable Disease Control; Evolution, Molecular; Genome; Humans; Insect Vectors; Insecticide Resistance; Insecticides; Lice Infestations; Mitochondria; Pediculus; Phylogeny; Phylogeography
PubMed: 32039050
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00474 -
Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 2023Human lice have always been a major public health concern due to their vector capacity for louse-borne infectious diseases, like trench fever, louse-borne relapsing... (Review)
Review
Human lice have always been a major public health concern due to their vector capacity for louse-borne infectious diseases, like trench fever, louse-borne relapsing fever, and epidemic fever, which are caused by Bartonella quintana, Borrelia recurrentis, and Rickettsia prowazekii, respectively. Those diseases are currently re-emerging in the regions of poor hygiene, social poverty, or wars with life-threatening consequences. These louse-borne diseases have also caused outbreaks among populations in jails and refugee camps. In addition, antibodies and DNAs to those pathogens have been steadily detected in homeless populations. Importantly, more bacterial pathogens have been detected in human lice, and some have been transmitted by human lice in laboratories. Here, we provide a comprehensive review and update on louse-borne infectious diseases/bacterial pathogens.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne; Relapsing Fever; Pediculus; Phthiraptera; Communicable Diseases
PubMed: 37567429
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102630 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Sep 2002
Topics: Animals; Ants; Borna disease virus; Cats; Depression; Dicrocoelium; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Neurosyphilis; Paintings; Phthiraptera; Rats; Toxoplasma; Wolbachia
PubMed: 12219740
DOI: 10.3201/eid0809.ad0809 -
Epidemiology and Infection Jan 2019Louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) is an epidemic disease with a fascinating history from Hippocrates' times, through the 6th century 'Yellow Plague', to epidemics in... (Review)
Review
Louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) is an epidemic disease with a fascinating history from Hippocrates' times, through the 6th century 'Yellow Plague', to epidemics in Ireland, Scotland and England in the 19th century and two large Afro-Middle Eastern pandemics in the 20th century. An endemic focus persists in Ethiopia and adjacent territories in the Horn of Africa. Since 2015, awareness of LBRF in Europe, as a re-emerging disease, has been increased dramatically by the discovery of this infection in dozens of refugees arriving from Africa.The causative spirochaete, Borrelia recurrentis, has a genome so similar to B. duttonii and B. crocidurae (causes of East and West African tick-borne relapsing fever), that they are now regarded as merely ecotypes of a single genomospecies. Transmission is confined to the human body louse Pediculus humanus corporis, and, perhaps, the head louse P. humanus capitis, although the latter has not been proved. Infection is by inoculation of louse coelomic fluid or faeces by scratching. Nosocomial infections are possible from contamination by infected blood. Between blood meals, body lice live in clothing until the host's body temperature rises or falls, when they seek a new abode.The most distinctive feature of LBRF, the relapse phenomenon, is attributable to antigenic variation of borrelial outer-membrane lipoprotein. High fever, rigors, headache, pain and prostration start abruptly, 2-18 days after infection. Petechial rash, epistaxis, jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly and liver dysfunction are common. Severe features include hyperpyrexia, shock, myocarditis causing acute pulmonary oedema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cerebral or gastrointestinal bleeding, ruptured spleen, hepatic failure, Jarisch-Herxheimer reactions (J-HR) and opportunistic typhoid or other complicating bacterial infections. Pregnant women are at high risk of aborting and perinatal mortality is high.Rapid diagnosis is by microscopy of blood films, but polymerase chain reaction is used increasingly for species diagnosis. Severe falciparum malaria and leptospirosis are urgent differential diagnoses in residents and travellers from appropriate geographical regions.High untreated case-fatality, exceeding 40% in some historic epidemics, can be reduced to less than 5% by antibiotic treatment, but elimination of spirochaetaemia is often accompanied by a severe J-HR.Epidemics are controlled by sterilising clothing to eliminate lice, using pediculicides and by improving personal hygiene.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Borrelia; Female; Humans; Insect Vectors; Male; Pediculus; Relapsing Fever
PubMed: 30869050
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268819000116 -
BioMed Research International 2016Of the three lice (head, body, and pubic louse) that infest humans, the body louse is the species involved in epidemics of louse-borne typhus, trench fever, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Of the three lice (head, body, and pubic louse) that infest humans, the body louse is the species involved in epidemics of louse-borne typhus, trench fever, and relapsing fever, but all the three cause pediculosis. Their infestations occur today in many countries despite great efforts to maintain high standards of public health. In this review, literature searches were performed through PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and EBSCOhost, with key search words of "Pediculus humanus", "lice infestation", "pediculosis", and "treatment"; and controlled clinical trials were viewed with great interest. Removing lice by hand or with a lice comb, heating infested clothing, and shaving the scalp were some of the oldest methods of controlling human lice. Despite the introduction of other resources including cresol, naphthalene, sulfur, mercury, vinegar, petroleum, and insecticides, the numbers of lice infestation cases and resistance have increased. To date, viable alternative treatments to replace insecticides have been developed experimentally in vitro. Today, the development of new treatment strategies such as symbiotic treatment and synergistic treatment (antibiotics + ivermectin) in vitro has proved effective and is promising. Here, we present an overview on managing and treating human lice and highlight new strategies to more effectively fight pediculosis and prevent resistance.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Lice Infestations; Phthiraptera
PubMed: 27529073
DOI: 10.1155/2016/8962685 -
Microbiology Spectrum Aug 2016Epidemic typhus caused by Rickettsia prowazekii is one of the oldest pestilential diseases of humankind. The disease is transmitted to human beings by the body louse... (Review)
Review
Epidemic typhus caused by Rickettsia prowazekii is one of the oldest pestilential diseases of humankind. The disease is transmitted to human beings by the body louse Pediculus humanus corporis and is still considered a major threat by public health authorities, despite the efficacy of antibiotics, because poor sanitary conditions are conducive to louse proliferation. Epidemic typhus has accompanied disasters that impact humanity and has arguably determined the outcome of more wars than have soldiers and generals. The detection, identification, and characterization of microorganisms in ancient remains by paleomicrobiology has permitted the diagnosis of past epidemic typhus outbreaks through the detection of R. prowazekii. Various techniques, including microscopy and immunodetection, can be used in paleomicrobiology, but most of the data have been obtained by using PCR-based molecular techniques on dental pulp samples. Paleomicrobiology enabled the identification of the first outbreak of epidemic typhus in the 18th century in the context of a pan-European great war in the city of Douai, France, and supported the hypothesis that typhus was imported into Europe by Spanish soldiers returning from America. R. prowazekii was also detected in the remains of soldiers of Napoleon's Grand Army in Vilnius, Lithuania, which indicates that Napoleon's soldiers had epidemic typhus. The purpose of this article is to underscore the modern comprehension of clinical epidemic typhus, focus on the historical relationships of the disease, and examine the use of paleomicrobiology in the detection of past epidemic typhus outbreaks.
Topics: Animals; Bacteriological Techniques; Disease Outbreaks; Fossils; Global Health; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans; Paleopathology; Pediculus; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Rickettsia prowazekii; Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne
PubMed: 27726780
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.PoH-0010-2015