This message contains My NCBI what's new results from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Do not reply directly to this message.
Sender's message:
Sent on Thursday, 2010 Apr 22Search kinetoplastids OR kinetoplastid OR Kinetoplastida OR "trypanosoma brucei" OR leishmania OR brucei OR leishmaniasis OR "African trypanosomiasis"
Click here to view complete results in PubMed. (Results may change over time.)
To unsubscribe from these e-mail updates click here.
| PubMed Results |
| 1. | J Biol Chem. 2010 Apr 20. [Epub ahead of print]The high affinity S-adenosylmethionine plasma membrane transporter of Leishmania is a member of the folate biopterin transporter (FBT) family.Dridi L, Ahmed-Ouameur A, Ouellette M.Laval University, Canada. AbstractS-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) is an important methyl group donor that plays a central role in many essential biochemical processes. The parasite Leishmania can both synthesize and transport AdoMet. Leishmania cells resistant to the antifolate methotrexate due to a rearrangement in Folate Biopterin Transporter (FBT) genes were cross-resistant to sinefungin, a AdoMet analogue. FBT gene rearrangements were also observed in L. major cells selected for sinefungin resistance. One of the rearranged FBT gene corresponded to the main AdoMet transporter (AdoMetT1) of Leishmania as determined by gene transfection and gene inactivation experiments. AdoMetT1 was determined to be a high affinity plasma membrane transporter expressed constitutively throughout the growth phases of the parasite. Leishmania cells selected for resistance or naturally insensitive to sinefungin had lower expression of AdoMetT1. A new function in one carbon metabolism, also a pathway of interest for chemotherapeutic interventions, is described for a novel class of membrane proteins found in diverse organisms. |
| PMID: 20406813 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | |
| 2. | Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2010 Mar;104(2):171-4.Human leishmaniasis in Tuscany: a changing pattern of visceral disease?Tordini G, Giaccherini R, Sammarro G, Braito A, Zanelli G.Department of Molecular Biology, Siena University, Policlinico Santa Maria alle Scotte, Siena, Italy. tordini3@unisi.it |
| PMID: 20406584 [PubMed - in process] | |
| 3. | Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2010 Mar;104(2):163-70.Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of southern Morocco: results of entomological surveys along the Marrakech-Ouarzazat and Marrakech-Azilal roads.Boussaa S, Neffa M, Pesson B, Boumezzough A.Equipe d'Ecologie Animale et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences Semlalia, Université Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco. samia.boussaa@pharma.u-strasbg.fr AbstractSince the 1970s, Azilal and Ouarzazat have been the main foci for human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Morocco. The sandflies along the main roads linking these two foci to Marrakech city, which is considered to be an area at risk of CL, were recently surveyed. Among the 872 sandflies collected, in June 2005, on the Marrakech-Ouarzazat road, Sergentomyia fallax was the most common species (36.1%), followed by Phlebotomus sergenti (21.1%), P. papatasi (14.2%), S. minuta (11.7%), P. longicuspis (5.5%), P. alexandri (5.4%), P. perniciosus (4.1%), P. ariasi (0.9%), S. africana (0.6%) and S. dreyfussi (0.3%). On the Marrakech-Azilal road, however, S. minuta was by far the most prevalent species (63.5% of the 1983 sandflies that were collected in August 2006), followed by S. fallax (12.9%), P. perniciosus (12.4%), P. sergenti (4.0%), P. longicuspis (3.0%), P. papatasi (2.8%), S. dreyfussi (1.1%) and P. alexandri (0.2%). The distribution of potential vectors along the two transects, according to altitude and bioclimate, was explored. |
| PMID: 20406583 [PubMed - in process] | |
| 4. | Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2010 Mar;104(2):137-43.Real-time PCR in clinical practice: a powerful tool for evaluating Leishmania chagasi loads in naturally infected dogs.da Silva RN, Amorim AC, Brandão RM, de Andrade HM, Yokoo M, Ribeiro ML, Bartchewsky W, Socorro-Silva A, de Castro JA, do Monte SJ.Departamento de Parasitologia e Microbiologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brazil. AbstractThe performance of the less expensive SYBR-Green-based PCR assay, for quantifying Leishmania chagasi in smears of bone-marrow aspirates from naturally infected, mongrel dogs, was recently compared with that of a similar PCR based on TaqMan chemistry. Aspirates were obtained from 36 infected dogs and examined for parasites by direct examination, culture, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) using specific primers (based on the parasite's kinetoplast DNA), DNA extracted from a smear, and either the SYBR-Green or TaqMan chemistries. Every aspirate smear was found PCR-positive for L. chagasi (whether the assay employed SYBR Green or TaqMan) but only 74% of the aspirates were found positive by culture and only 33% by direct, microscopical examination. There was no evidence of PCR inhibition when the DNA was collected from smears, and the parasite loads estimated using the SYBR-Green PCR were almost identical to those estimated using the TaqMan PCR (r=0.99). As a method for quantifying parasite loads in dogs infected with L. chagasi (and, probably, other mammals infected with other leishmanial parasites), PCR based on SYBR Green may therefore be an appropriate and inexpensive alternative to PCR based on TaqMan, and a reliable clinical tool. |
| PMID: 20406580 [PubMed - in process] | |
Publication Types:
|
| 5. | Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2009 Dec;104(8):1159-64.Surveillance of Chagas disease vectors in municipalities of the state of Ceará, Brazil.Gonçalves TC, Freitas AL, Freitas SP.Setor de Entomologia Médica e Forense, Laboratório de Transmissores de Leishmanioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. tcmonte@ioc.fiocruz.br AbstractThe present study aimed to analyse the dwelling infestation rates and the distribution and natural Trypanosoma cruzi infection rates, among triatomines captured in the 13 municipalities of the state of Ceará. The records relating to the capture of intradomicile and peridomicile triatomines during the Chagas disease control program of 1998-2008 were available. Among the triatomines captured and in all of the municipalities studied, Triatoma brasiliensis presented the highest incidence in intradomicile and Triatoma pseudomaculata in peridomicile and some were positive for infection by T. cruzi. We emphasise that it is important to have sustainable epidemiological surveillance in the region, since when the control measures decreased, the incidence of T. pseudomaculata in intradomicile grew. |
| PMID: 20140377 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] | |
| Related articles Free article | |
 | |
MeSH Terms:
|
| 6. | Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2009 Dec;104(8):1139-47.Clinical and laboratory status of patients with chronic Chagas disease living in a vector-controlled area in Minas Gerais, Brazil, before and nine years after aetiological treatment.Lana M, Lopes LA, Martins HR, Bahia MT, Machado-de-Assis GF, Wendling AP, Martins-Filho OA, Montoya RA, Dias JC, Albajar-Viñas P, Coura JR.Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Escola de Farmácia. AbstractTwenty-eight Chagas disease patients (CD), 22 with the indeterminate clinical form (IND) and six with the cardiac or digestive form (CARD/DIG), were treated with benznidazole and underwent clinical and laboratorial analysis before (IND and CARD/DIG) and nine years after [patients after treatment (CDt), patients with the indeterminate clinical form at treatment onset (INDt) and with the cardiac or digestive form at treatment onset (CARD/DIGt)] treatment. The data demonstrate that 82.1% of CDt patients (23/28) remained clinically stable and 95.4% of the INDt (21/22) and 33.3% of the CARD/DIGt (2/6) patients showed unaltered physical and laboratorial examinations. The clinical evolution rate was 2%/year and was especially low in INDt patients (0.5%/year) relative to CARD/DIGt patients (7.4%/year). Positive haemoculture in treated patients was observed in 7.1% of the cases. None of the INDt (0/21) and 33.3% of the CARD/DIGt (2/6) patients displayed positive cultures. The PCR presented a positive rate significantly higher (85.2%, 23/27) than haemoculture and two samples from the same patient revealed the same result 57.7% of the patients. Conventional serology-ELISA on 16 paired samples remained positive in all individuals. Semi-quantitative ELISA highlighted significant decreases in reactivity, particularly in INDt relative to IND. Non-conventional serology-FC-ALTA-IgG, after treatment, showed positive results in all sera and 22 paired samples examined at seven and nine years after treatment, demonstrated significantly lower reactivity, particularly in INDt patients. This study was retrospective in nature, had a low number of samples and lacked an intrinsic control group, but the data corroborate other results found in the literature. The data also demonstrate that, even though a cure has not been detected in the none-treated patients, the benefits for clinical evolution were selectively observed in the group of INDt patients and did not occur for CARD/DIGt patients. |
| PMID: 20140375 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] | |
| Related articles Free article | |
| | |
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
Substances:
|
| 7. | Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2009 Dec;104(8):1100-10.A new approach for potential drug target discovery through in silico metabolic pathway analysis using Trypanosoma cruzi genome information.Alves-Ferreira M, Guimarães AC, Capriles PV, Dardenne LE, Degrave WM.Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. AbstractThe current drug options for the treatment of chronic Chagas disease have not been sufficient and high hopes have been placed on the use of genomic data from the human parasite Trypanosoma cruzi to identify new drug targets and develop appropriate treatments for both acute and chronic Chagas disease. However, the lack of a complete assembly of the genomic sequence and the presence of many predicted proteins with unknown or unsure functions has hampered our complete view of the parasite's metabolic pathways. Moreover, pinpointing new drug targets has proven to be more complex than anticipated and has revealed large holes in our understanding of metabolic pathways and their integrated regulation, not only for this parasite, but for many other similar pathogens. Using an in silicocomparative study on pathway annotation and searching for analogous and specific enzymes, we have been able to predict a considerable number of additional enzymatic functions in T. cruzi. Here we focus on the energetic pathways, such as glycolysis, the pentose phosphate shunt, the Krebs cycle and lipid metabolism. We point out many enzymes that are analogous to those of the human host, which could be potential new therapeutic targets. |
| PMID: 20140370 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] | |
| Related articles Free article | |
| | |
MeSH Terms:
Substances:
|
| 8. | Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2009 Dec;104(8):1055-62.Inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi proline racemase affects host-parasite interactions and the outcome of in vitro infection.Coutinho L, Ferreira MA, Cosson A, Batista MM, Batista Dda G, Minoprio P, Degrave WM, Berneman A, Soeiro Mde N.Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Av Brasil 4365, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. AbstractProline racemase is an important enzyme of Trypanosoma cruzi and has been shown to be an effective mitogen for B cells, thus contributing to the parasite's immune evasion and persistence in the human host. Recombinant epimastigote parasites overexpressing TcPRAC genes coding for proline racemase present an augmented ability to differentiate into metacyclic infective forms and subsequently penetrate host-cells in vitro. Here we demonstrate that both anti T. cruzi proline racemase antibodies and the specific proline racemase inhibitor pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid significantly affect parasite infection of Vero cells in vitro. This inhibitor also hampers T. cruzi intracellular differentiation. |
| PMID: 20140365 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] | |
| Related articles Free article | |
| | |
MeSH Terms:
Substances:
|
| 9. | Acta Trop. 2010 Mar;113(3):269-78. Epub 2009 Dec 3.Interaction of the monoxenic trypanosomatid Blastocrithidia culicis with the Aedes aegypti salivary gland.Nascimento MT, Garcia MC, da Silva KP, Pinto-da-Silva LH, Atella GC, Motta MC, Saraiva EM.Laboratório de Imunobiologia das Leishmanioses, Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. AbstractBlastocrithidia culicis is a monoxenous trypanosomatid that inhabits mosquitoes. Although its life cycle in these insects has not been described, we recently demonstrated that B. culicis colonizes the Aedes aegypti digestive tract and is also able to reach the mosquito's haemocoel. In this work, we describe the interaction of B. culicis with the A. aegypti salivary gland in vitro and in vivo. Ultrastructural analysis reveals different steps of the invasion process, beginning with the insertion of the B. culicis anterior flagellum into the basal lamina of the gland and ending with the protozoan inside the salivary gland acini compartment. Carbohydrates are involved in the initial adhesion of B. culicis cells to the salivary glands, as demonstrated by protozoan binding inhibition assays and fluorescent lectin labeling of the trypanosomatid-salivary gland interaction. B. culicis is able to survive after incubation in vitro in the mosquito haemolymph, and trypanosomatid binding to salivary glands was confirmed by the injection of radioactively labeled protozoa into the mosquito haemocoel. These results suggest that salivary gland invasion could be part of the B. culicis life cycle in A. aegypti, raising the possibility that B. culicis can be transmitted by these mosquitoes. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
| PMID: 19962365 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] | |
| Related articles | |
 | |
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
Substances:
|
| 10. | Acta Trop. 2010 Mar;113(3):257-62. Epub 2009 Nov 27.Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and vector control activities in rural communities of the southern Gran Chaco (Argentina).Moreno ML, Moretti E, Basso B, Céspedes MF, Catalá SS, Gorla DE.Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica (CRILAR), Mendoza y E. Ríos, 5301 Anillaco, La Rioja, Argentina. AbstractWe compared age-related seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection with history of vector control interventions and social and ecological changes in three historically endemic departments of Cordoba province, Argentina, covering an area of 42,600 km(2) of the Gran Chaco region. Using a cross sectional design, blood samples of 5240 people between 6 months and 40 years of age, living in 192 rural communities were analyzed to detect T. cruzi infection using ELISA tests, and confirmed with indirect immunofluorescent antibody test and indirect haemoagglutination. Overall seroprevalence was 5.4%, 7.9% and 7.5% in the north, northwest and west studied areas (average for all areas 6.95%). Seroprevalence for T cruzi increased with population age, especially in age classes older than 15 years of age. Communities of the north and west areas showed 0.59% seroprevalence for T. cruzi in children below 15 years of age, whereas children of the same age in the northwest region showed a seroprevalence of 3.08%. Comparative analyses indicate that vector control activities and land use changes during the last decades are the most likely causes of the overall reduction of T. cruzi prevalence. Results suggest that the vectorial transmission of T. cruzi has been strongly reduced and probably interrupted in the north and west areas, but it is still active in the northwestern rural settlements of Córdoba province. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
| PMID: 19945420 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] | |
| Related articles | |
| | |
MeSH Terms:
Substances:
|
No comments:
Post a Comment