What's new for 'Trypanosomatids' in PubMed

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Sent on Tuesday, 2009 Dec 01
Search kinetoplastids OR kinetoplastid OR Kinetoplastida OR "trypanosoma brucei" OR leishmania OR brucei OR leishmaniasis OR "African trypanosomiasis"
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PubMed Results

Items 1 -10 of 10

1.	Parasitol Res. 2009 Nov 28. [Epub ahead of print] Further evidences on a new diagnostic approach for monitoring human Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi infection in Amazonian Brazil. Silveira FT, Lainson R, De Souza AA, Campos MB, Carneiro LA, Lima LV, Ramos PK, de Castro Gomes CM, Laurenti MD, Corbett CE. Parasitology Department, Evandro Chagas Institute (Surveillance Secretary of Health, Ministry of Health), Belém, Pará, Brazil, fernandotobias@iec.pa.gov.br. This was a prospective study carried out during a period over 2 years (May/2006-September/2008) with a cohort of 1,099 individuals of both genders, aged 1 year old and older, from an endemic area of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) in Pará state, Brazil. The object was to analyze the prevalence and incidence of human Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi infection as well as the dynamics evolution of its clinical-immunological profiles prior identified: (1) asymptomatic infection (AI); (2) symptomatic infection (SI = AVL); (3) sub-clinical oligosymptomatic infection (SOI); (4) sub-clinical resistant infection (SRI) and; (5) indeterminate initial infection (III). The infection diagnosis was performed by using both the indirect fluorescent antibody test and leishmanin skin test with amastigotes and promastigotes antigens of L. (L.) i. chagasi, respectively. A total of 187 cases of infection were recorded in the prevalence (17%), 117 in the final incidence (6.9%), and 304 in the accumulated prevalence (26.7%), which provided the following distribution into the clinical-immunological profiles: AI, 51.6%; III, 22.4%; SRI, 20.1%; SOI, 4.3%; and SI (=AVL), 1.6%. The major finding regarding the dynamics evolution of infection was concerned to III profile, from which the cases of infection evolved to either the resistant profiles, SRI (21 cases, 30.8%) and AI (30 cases, 44.1%), or the susceptible SI (=AVL; 1 case, 1.5%); the latter 16 cases remained as III till the end of the study. These results provided the conclusion that this diagnostic approach may be useful for monitoring human L. (L.) i. chagasi infection in endemic area and preventing the high morbidity of severe AVL cases.
	PMID: 19946708 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

2.	Iran Biomed J. 2009 Oct;13(4):179-85. Production and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies Recognizing a Common 57-kDa Antigen of Leishmania Species. Nejad-Moghaddam A, Abolhassani M. Hybridoma Lab., Dept. of Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Iran. Tehran, Iran 13164. mabolhassani@yahoo.com. Background: The therapy of leishmania infection is difficult and each year 1.5 million new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis and 500,000 new cases of visceral leishmaniasis are estimated, therefore, there is a need for an effective vaccine. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) is one of the suitable methods for isolation and purification of leishmania antigens. In this report, we produced several mAb against leishmania infantum antigens for antigen purification to be used as candidate vaccine. Methods: BALB/c mice were injected with freeze-thawed promastigote twice together with Freund adjuvant. Three days before fusion, antigen in saline was injected into the tail vain and then mice were killed and the spleen lymphocytes were fused with myeloma SP2/0. Results: Five mAb against promastigote form of Leishmania infantum parasite were obtained. Western-blot analysis showed that these mAb recognize a band of 57- kDa protein either in parasite lysate or on whole L. infantum, L. tropica, L. major and L. donovani. It seems that the 57 kDa-protein is the major surface leishmania antigen (gp63) that is neither stage-specific nor differentially regulated. These mAb do not recognize the recombinant gp63 antigen and seems recognizing only the native form of a gp63 isoform. The IgG1 mAb was purified by affinity column and was used to purify 57 kDa antigens from Leishmania lysate. Conclusion: Since these antibodies recognizing one specific protein band in 4 different strains of leishmania, they could be used for leishmania diagnostic kits and also for purification of antigen to be tested for its protective effect against leishmania infection.
	PMID: 19946351 [PubMed - in process]

3.	Exp Parasitol. 2009 Nov 26. [Epub ahead of print] Trypanosoma brucei brucei: Thymine 7-Hydroxylase-Like Proteins. Simmons JM, Koslowsky DJ, Hausinger RP. Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States. Two genes from Trypanosoma brucei brucei are predicted to encode Fe(II)- and alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent enzymes related to fungal thymine 7-hydroxylase. Transcription of the thymine hydroxylase-like genes is up-regulated in the bloodstream-form of the parasite over the insect form, whereas Western blot analysis indicates more cross-reactive protein in the latter life stage. The genes were cloned, the proteins purified from Escherichia coli, and both proteins were shown to bind Fe(II) and alpha-ketoglutarate, confirming proper folding. The isolated proteins were incubated with Fe(II) and alpha-ketoglutarate plus thymine, thymidine, and other putative substrates, but no activity was detected. Furthermore, no thymine 7-hydroxylase activity was detected in extracts of procyclic or bloodstream form cells. Although the functions of these proteins remain unknown, we conclude they are unlikely to be involved in thymine salvage.
	PMID: 19945457 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

4.	Protist. 2009 Nov 26. [Epub ahead of print] Guide to the Nomenclature of Kinetoplastid RNA Editing: A Proposal. Simpson L, Aphasizhev R, Lukeš J, Cruz Reyes J. Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
	PMID: 19945343 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

5.	Top Companion Anim Med. 2009 Nov;24(4):182-8. Leishmaniasis, an emerging disease found in companion animals in the United States. Petersen CA. Department of Veterinary Pathology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA. This review discusses leishmaniasis in cats and dogs in the United States. Leishmaniasis is endemic in Foxhound populations in the United States and is still being characterized in this group. Pathophysiology, clinical signs, transmission, immunology, and treatment are examined in this review. Leishmaniasis is an emergent zoonosis of great public health significance.
	PMID: 19945086 [PubMed - in process]

6.	Toxicon. 2009 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print] Antibacterial and antiparasitic effects of Bothrops marajoensis venom and its fractions: Phospholipase A(2) and L-amino acid oxidase. Costa Torres AF, Dantas RT, Toyama MH, Filho ED, Zara FJ, de Queiroz MG, Nogueira Pinto NA, de Oliveira MR, de Oliveira Toyama D, Monteiro HS, Martins AM. Post-graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Faculty, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. Some proteins present in snake venom possess enzymatic activities, such as phospholipase A(2) and L-amino acid oxidase. In this study, we verify the action of the Bothrops marajoensis venom (BmarTV), PLA(2) (BmarPLA(2)) and LAAO (BmarLAAO) on strains of bacteria, yeast, and Leishmania sp. The BmarTV was isolated by Protein Pack 5PW, and several fractions were obtained. Reverse phase HPLC showed that BmarPLA(2) was isolated from the venom, and N-terminal amino acid sequencing of sPLA(2) showed high amino acid identity with other lysine K49 sPLA(2)s isolated from Bothrops snakes. The BmarLAAO was purified to high molecular homogeneity and its N-terminal amino acid sequence demonstrated a high degree of amino acid conservation with others LAAOs. BmarLAAO was able to inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa, C. albicans and S. aureus in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect was more significant on S. aureus, with a MIC=50 mug/mL and MLC=200 mug/mL. However, the BmarTV and BmarPLA(2) did not demonstrate inhibitory capacity. BmarLAAO was able to inhibit the growth of promastigote forms of L. chagasi and L. amazonensis, with an IC(50)=2.55 mug/mL and 2.86 mug/mL for L. amazonenis and L. chagasi, respectively. BmarTV also provided significant inhibition of parasitic growth, with an IC(50) of 86.56 mug/mL for L. amazonensis and 79.02 mug/mL for L. chagasi. BmarPLA(2) did not promote any inhibition of the growth of these parasites. The BmarLAAO and BmarTV presented low toxicity at the concentrations studied. In conclusion, whole venom as well as the L-amino acid oxidase from Bothrops marajoensis was able to inhibit the growth of several microorganisms, including S. aureus, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Leishmania sp.
	PMID: 19944711 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

7.	Exp Parasitol. 2009 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print] Leishsmania (Leishmania) amazonensis infection: muscular involvement in BALB/c and C3H.HeN mice. Silva-Almeida M, Carvalho LO, Abreu-Silva AL, d'Escoffier LN, Calabrese KS. Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Pavilhão Carlos Chagas, 3 degrees andar, Av. Brasil, 4365, Manguinhos, CEP 20045-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Recent studies have provided some insights into L. (L.) amazonensis muscular infection in dogs, although, muscular disease due to leishmaniasis has been poorly documented. The aim of our study was to evaluate involvement of Leishmania in muscular infection of two distinct mouse strains (BALB/c and C3H.He), with different genetic backgrounds. BALB/c mice, susceptible to Leishmania infection, showed, at the beginning of infection, a great number of infected macrophages among muscle fibers; however, in C3H.He resistant mice, muscle fibers were less damaged than in BALB/c mice, but some parasitized macrophages could be seen among them. A follow up of the infection showed an intense inflammatory infiltrate mainly composed of infected macrophages in BALB/c muscles and the presence of amastigotes within muscle fibers; while C3H.He mice exhibited a moderate inflammatory infiltrate among skeletal muscle fibers and an absence of amastigotes. Total destruction of muscles was observed in BALB/c mice in the late phase of infection (day 90) while C3H.He mice showed a process of muscle repair. We concluded that: 1) the muscles of BALB/c mice were more affected by leishmaniasis than those of C3/H.He mice; 2) Leishmania amastigotes are capable of infecting muscular fibers, as observed in BALB/c mice; 3) as inflammatory infiltrate is less intense in C3H.He mice these animals are capable of restoring muscular fibers.
	PMID: 19944691 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

8.	Exp Parasitol. 2009 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print] Trypanosoma cruzi: A kinetoplast-associated protein of the photolyase/cryptochrome family. Gabaldón MC, Labrador L, Arraiz G, Concepción JL, Avilan L. Laboratorio de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, La Hechicera, Mérida 5101, Venezuela. A photolyase-like protein gene found in the Trypanosoma cruzi genome database was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli resulting in the formation of inclusion bodies. Antibodies against this protein were used to determine expression of the protein in the different forms of the parasite. It was visualized in the epimastigote form but not in amastigote or trypomastigote forms obtained from culture in Vero cells. In epimastigotes, this protein is located at the level of the mitochondrion associated to both sides of the kinetoplast. Sequence analyses indicated that this protein, as well as other photolyases from Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma brucei are related to single-stranded photolyases or cryptochromes DASH.
	PMID: 19944689 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

9.	Am J Hum Genet. 2009 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print] Loss-of-Function Mutations in the Human Ortholog of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ODA7 Disrupt Dynein Arm Assembly and Cause Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia. Duquesnoy P, Escudier E, Vincensini L, Freshour J, Bridoux AM, Coste A, Deschildre A, de Blic J, Legendre M, Montantin G, Tenreiro H, Vojtek AM, Loussert C, Clément A, Escalier D, Bastin P, Mitchell DR, Amselem S. Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U.933, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6 and Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Armand-Trousseau, 75571 Paris cedex 12, France. Cilia and flagella are evolutionarily conserved structures that play various physiological roles in diverse cell types. Defects in motile cilia result in primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), the most prominent ciliopathy, characterized by the association of respiratory symptoms, male infertility, and, in nearly 50% of cases, situs inversus. So far, most identified disease-causing mutations involve genes encoding various ciliary components, such those belonging to the dynein arms that are essential for ciliary motion. Following a candidate-gene approach based on data from a mutant strain of the biflagellated alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii carrying an ODA7 defect, we identified four families with a PCD phenotype characterized by the absence of both dynein arms and loss-of-function mutations in the human orthologous gene called LRRC50. Functional analyses performed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and in another flagellated protist, Trypanosoma brucei, support a key role for LRRC50, a member of the leucine-rich-repeat superfamily, in cytoplasmic preassembly of dynein arms.
	PMID: 19944405 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

10.	Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics. 2009 Sep;7(3):87-95. Computational Analysis of Cysteine Proteases (Clan CA, Family Cl) of Leishmania major to Find Potential Epitopic Regions. Saffari B, Mohabatkar H. Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. Leishmania is associated with a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from simple cutaneous to invasive visceral leishmaniasis. Here, the sequences of ten cysteine proteases of types A, B and C of Leishmania major were obtained from GeneDB database. Prediction of MHC class I epitopes of these cysteine proteases was performed by NetCTL program version 1.2. In addition, by using BcePred server, different structural properties of the proteins were predicted to find out their potential B cell epitopes. According to this computational analysis, nine regions were predicted as B cell epitopes. The results provide useful information for designing peptide-based vaccines.
	PMID: 19944381 [PubMed - in process]