Search results for "PROTOZOAN"
showing 10 items of 135 documents
Ultrastructure, fractionation and biochemical analysis of Cryptosporidium parvum sporozoites.
1999
Abstract Sporozoites of the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum were subjected to cell disruption and subcellular fractionation using a sucrose density step gradient. With this procedure, highly enriched preparations of the parasite membrane, the micronemes, dense granules and amylopectin granules were produced. No separate fraction containing rhoptries was obtained, however this organelle was found in defined fractions of the gradient, still associated with the apical tip of the sporozoites. Using negative staining, the internal structure of the micronemes was revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Micronemes and dense granules showed characteristic protein compositions by …
Differential expression of Cryptosporidium parvum genes encoding sporozoite surface antigens in infected HCT-8 host cells.
2006
Intracellular replication of Cryptosporidium parvum (Apicomplexa) involves the generation of several asexual and sexual forms of the parasite. During the stage conversions, complex mechanisms lead to differential structural and functional properties of the parasite. These require a well tuned gene transcription machinery. For the first time the gene expression of four surface proteins of C. parvum sporozoites, CP15, CP17, P23, and GP900 were analysed in parallel by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In addition, CP17 and P23 antigens were detected in infected host cells by immunofluorescence using antisera raised against recombinant forms of the proteins. The results show that…
First Report of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti in Rodents in Finland
2014
Tick-borne diseases pose an increasingly important public health problem in Europe. Rodents are the reservoir host for many tick-transmitted pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti, which can cause human granulocytic anaplasmosis and babesiosis, respectively. To estimate the presence of these pathogens in rodents in Finland, we examined blood samples from 151 bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and demonstrate, for the first time, that A. phagocytophilum and B. microti commonly infect bank voles (in 22% and 40% of animals, respectively) in Finland. Sequence analysis of a fragment of 18S rRNA showed that the B. microti strain isolated was identical to the Munich strain, …
Bacteria and free-living amoeba in the Lascaux Cave.
2008
3 pages, 1 table, 18 references. The collaboration of the Lascaux restoration team is highly appreciated. We thank Marisa Chelius for valuable comments on the manuscript.
Characterisation of a Cryptosporidium parvum-specific cDNA clone and detection of parasite DNA in mucosal scrapings of infected mice.
1998
A cDNA library was constructed using total RNA extracted from oocysts and sporozoites of the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. The expression library was screened with an anti-C. parvum antiserum and a clone, Cp3.4, with a 2043 bp insert, was extracted. Southern blot analysis demonstrated a single copy gene that was located on a 1.6 Mb chromosome. The gene was found to be C. parvum specific as Cp3.4 did not cross-hybridise with chromosomal DNA from three other apicomplexan parasites. The cDNA encodes a polypeptide with a predicted membrane helix at its C-terminal end which is flanked by stretches of acidic amino acids. Overall, the polypeptide has a low isoelectric point (pI) of 3.…
The cost-effectiveness of neonatal versus prenatal screening for congenital toxoplasmosis
2019
BackgroundCongenital Toxoplasmosis (CT) can have severe consequences. France, Austria, and Slovenia have prenatal screening programs whereas some other countries are considering universal screening to reduce congenital transmission and severity of infection in children. The efficiency of such programs is debated increasingly as seroprevalence among pregnant women and incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis show a steady decrease. In addition, uncertainty remains regarding the effectiveness of pre- and postnatal treatments.MethodTo identify cost-effective strategies, prenatal and neonatal screenings were compared using a decision-analytic model based on French guidelines and current knowledge …
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in wild dolphins from the Spanish Mediterranean coast.
2004
Although Toxoplasma gondii infection has been found occasionally in cetaceans, little is known of the prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii in wild dolphins. Antibodies to T. gondii were determined in serum samples from 58 dolphins stranded in the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Modified agglutination test was used to determine T. gondii antibodies, and a titer of 1:25 was considered indicative of T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 4 of 36 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), in 2 of 4 common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), in 4 of 7 bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and in 1 harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). Antibodies were not found in 9 Risso's dolphin…
Molecular interaction of artemisinin with translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) of Plasmodium falciparum
2012
Malaria causes millions of death cases per year. Since Plasmodium falciparum rapidly develops drug resistance, it is of high importance to investigate potential drug targets which may lead to novel rational therapy approaches. Here we report on the interaction of translationally controlled tumor protein of P. falciparum (PfTCTP) with the anti-malarial drug artemisinin. Furthermore, we investigated the crystal structure of PfTCTP. Using mass spectrometry, bioinformatic approaches and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, we identified novel binding sites of artemisinin which are in direct neighborhood to amino acids 19-46, 108-134 and 140-163. The regions covered by these residues are know…
Detection of primary DNA damage in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by means of modified microgel electrophoresis.
1997
The assessment of genotoxic potential in surface water requires test methods, among which are those that detect initial DNA damage in organisms of aquatic biocenosis. The microgel electrophoresis (MGE) "comet assay" was applied to a ubiquitous unicellular green alga (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) to detect DNA damage caused by genotoxins. For this, the test protocol described by Singh NP et al. [Exp Cell Res 175: 184-191, 1988] was modified. Major modifications were the use of alkaline lysis buffer with ionic detergents and the reduction of preincubation and electrophoresis times. Short-time exposure of Chlamydomonas to the well-known genotoxicants 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO), N-nitrosodi…
The wild boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) as secondary reservoir of Fasciola hepatica in Galicia (NW Spain)
2013
Fasciolosis is an emerging or reemerging human and animal disease in numerous parts of the world. In Galicia (NW, Spain), the wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the main wild ungulate in terms of abundance and distribution. Its population has continuously increased over the past decades and this population growth has been accompanied by a reduction of habitats, so that the wild boar populations encroach more and more frequently onto agricultural lands. The increase of the interface area between livestock and the wild boars frequently involves the sharing of pastures and water sources, so that the circulation of common pathogens is propitiated. This is the first report concerning the importance of th…