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Sent on Thursday, 2012 April 12Search: kinetoplastids OR kinetoplastid OR Kinetoplastida OR "trypanosoma brucei" OR leishmania OR brucei OR leishmaniasis OR "African trypanosomiasis"
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| 1. | J Biol Chem. 2012 Apr 9. [Epub ahead of print]Purification and identification of naringenin 7-O-methyltransferase, a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the flavonoid phytoalexin sakuranetin in rice.Shimizu T, Lin F, Hasegawa M, Okada K, Nojiri H, Yamane H.SourceBiotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Japan; AbstractSakuranetin, the major flavonoid phytoalexin in rice, is induced by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, CuCl(2) treatment, jasmonic acid (JA) treatment, and infection by phytopathogens. It was recently demonstrated that sakuranetin has anti-inflammatory activity, anti-mutagenic activity, anti-pathogenic activities against Helicobacter pylori, leishmania, and trypanosoma, and contributes to the maintenance of glucose homeostasis in animals. Thus, sakuranetin is a useful compound as a plant antibiotic and a potential pharmaceutical agent. Sakuranetin is biosynthesized from naringenin by naringenin 7-O-methyltransferase (NOMT). In previous research, rice NOMT (OsNOMT) was purified to apparent homogeneity from UV-treated wild-type rice leaves, but the purified protein, named OsCOMT1, exhibited caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity and not NOMT activity. In this study, we found that OsCOMT1 does not contribute to sakuranetin production in rice in vivo, and we purified OsNOMT using the oscomt1 mutant. A crude protein preparation from UV-treated oscomt1 leaves was subjected to three sequential purification steps, resulting in a 400-fold purification from the crude enzyme preparation. Using SDS-PAGE, the purest enzyme preparation showed a minor band at an apparent molecular mass of 40 kDa. Two O-methyltransferase-like proteins, encoded by Os04g0175900 and Os12g0240900, were identified from the 40 kDa band by MALDI-TOF/TOF analysis. Recombinant Os12g0240900 protein showed NOMT activity but the recombinant Os04g0175900 protein did not. Os12g0240900 expression was induced by JA treatment in rice leaves prior to sakuranetin accumulation, and the Os12g0240900 protein showed reasonable kinetic properties to OsNOMT. On the basis of these results, we conclude that Os12g0240900 encodes an OsNOMT. |
| PMID: 22493492 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | |
| 2. | Eukaryot Cell. 2012 Apr 6. [Epub ahead of print]Over-expression of S4D mutant of Leishmania ADF/cofilin impairs flagellum assembly by affecting actin dynamics.Kumar G, Srivastava R, Mitra K, Sahasrabuddhe AA, Gupta CM.SourceDivision of Molecular and Structural Biology. AbstractLeishmania, Similarly to other eukaryotes, contains large amounts of actin and a number of actin related and binding proteins. Our earlier studies have shown that deletion of the gene corresponding to Leishmania actin depolymerizing protein (ADF/cofilin) adversely affects the flagellum assembly, intracellular trafficking and cell division. To further analyse this problem, we have now created the site-specific point mutants of ADF/cofilin and then analysed on the one hand, actin depolymerizing, G-actin binding and actin-bound nucleotide exchange activities of the mutant proteins and on the other hand, the effect of over-expression of these proteins in the wild type cells. Here, we show that S4D mutant protein failed to depolymerize F-actin but it weakly bound G-actin and inhibited the exchange of G-actin bound nucleotide. We further observed that over-expression of this protein impaired the flagellum assembly and consequently the cell motility by severely impairing the assembly of the paraflagellar rod, without significantly affecting the vesicular trafficking or cell growth. Taken together, these results indicate that dynamic actin is essentially required in assembly of the eukaryotic flagellum. |
| PMID: 22492507 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | |
| 3. | Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2012 Apr;86(4):606-12.Development of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi in Its Natural Sandfly Vector Lutzomyia longipalpis.Freitas VC, Parreiras KP, Duarte AP, Secundino NF, Pimenta PF.SourceLaboratory of Medical Entomology, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. AbstractAbstract. We analyzed the development of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi in its natural sandfly vector Lutzomyia longipalpis. In addition, we compared sandfly infections initiated with axenic amastigotes or promastigotes. Our data showed no important difference between Lu. longipalpis infection rates resulting from either type of infections. Furthermore, development of infection was equivalent in both cases. All promastigote forms were found inside the sandfly and, after blood digestion, most of the population consisted of procyclics and nectomonads. A low percentage of metacyclic forms was coincident with a high number of nectomonads during late stages of infection, but which form gives rise to metacyclic forms in L. infantum chagasi is unknown. These results also show that the promastigote infection model, at least for this situation, is suitable for obtaining of infected sandflies because it is easier and less laborious. |
| PMID: 22492144 [PubMed - in process] | |
| 4. | Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2012 Apr;86(4):601-5.Identification and Characterization of a Novel Leishmania donovani Antigen for Serodiagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis.Kumar S, Kumar D, Chakravarty J, Rai M, Sundar S.SourceDepartment of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi-India. AbstractAbstract. Despite several drawbacks, rK39-based rapid immunochromatographic test is widely used for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Indian subcontinent. There is an urgent need to develop a better antigen. In this study we separated crude soluble antigens of Leishmania donovani by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and hybridized with pool sera from pre- and post-treated VL patients, 6 months follow-up, endemic healthy (EHC), and nonendemic healthy controls (NEHC) by Western blotting. The sensitivity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with identified protein was 95% (confidence interval [CI] = 89.6-98.01%), whereas the specificity for EHC, NEHC, and different disease groups were 96.3% (CI = 89.8-98.6%), 100% (CI = 95.8-100%), and 97.4% (CI = 91.02-99.3%), respectively. This specific antigen was subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and after tryptic digestion, antigen was characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Further analysis showed that it is a member of the heat shock protein family of 70 kDa, designated as BHUP1, and has great potential in the diagnosis of VL. |
| PMID: 22492143 [PubMed - in process] | |
| 5. | Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2012 Apr;86(4):598-600.rK39 Antigen for the Diagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis by Using Human Saliva.Vaish M, Singh OP, Chakravarty J, Sundar S.SourceDepartment of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. AbstractAbstract. The rK39 rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT) is now being widely used in the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) using serum. We evaluated the presence of anti-rK-39 antibody in human saliva being noninvasive to replace the invasive procedures of diagnosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and ICT assays were performed in 300 subjects: 114-confirmed VL patients, 95 and 47 healthy controls from endemic and nonendemic regions, respectively, and 44 subjects with different diseases. Sensitivity in saliva was 83.3% by ELISA and 82.5% by ICT, compared with 100% for both ICT and ELISA in serum. Specificity in saliva was 100%, 90.5%, and 88.6% with ELISA, and 91.48%, 91.57%, and 84.06% using ICT, in nonendemic, endemic, and different diseases, respectively. In serum, specificity was 97%, 88.5%, and 89% by ELISA and 100%, 94.7%, and 95.5% by ICT in nonendemic, endemic, and different diseases, respectively. Saliva is not suitable for diagnosis of VL because of low sensitivity. |
| PMID: 22492142 [PubMed - in process] | |
| 6. | Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012 Apr 3. [Epub ahead of print]Structural insights into selectivity and cofactor binding in snake venom l-amino acid oxidases.Ullah A, Souza TA, Betzel C, Murakami MT, Arni RK.SourceCentro Multiusuário de Inovação Biomolecular, Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil. Abstractl-Amino acid oxidases (LAAOs) are flavoenzymes that catalytically deaminate l-amino acids to corresponding α-keto acids with the concomitant production of ammonia (NH(3)) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). Particularly, snake venom LAAOs have been attracted much attention due to their diverse clinical and biological effects, interfering on human coagulation factors and being cytotoxic against some pathogenic bacteria and Leishmania ssp. In this work, a new LAAO from Bothrops jararacussu venom (BjsuLAAO) was purified, functionally characterized and its structure determined by X-ray crystallography at 3.1Å resolution. BjsuLAAO showed high catalytic specificity for aromatic and aliphatic large side-chain amino acids. Comparative structural analysis with prokaryotic LAAOs, which exhibit low specificity, indicates the importance of the active-site volume in modulating enzyme selectivity. Surprisingly, the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor was found in a different orientation canonically described for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic LAAOs. In this new conformational state, the adenosyl group is flipped towards the 62-71 loop, being stabilized by several hydrogen-bond interactions, which is equally stable to the classical binding mode. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc. |
| PMID: 22490662 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | |
| 7. | Euro Surveill. 2012 Mar 22;17(12). pii: 20126.Call for papers for a special issue on the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in Europe.[No authors listed] |
| PMID: 22490313 [PubMed - in process] | |
| 8. | J Small Anim Pract. 2012 Apr 10. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2012.01201.x. [Epub ahead of print]Clinicopathological study of canine transmissible venereal tumour in leishmaniotic dogs.Marino G, Gaglio G, Zanghì A.SourceDepartment of Veterinary Public Health, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, Messina, Italy. AbstractIntroduction: Canine transmissible venereal tumour is occasionally observed in leishmaniotic dogs, and Leishmania amastigotes can be harboured in canine transmissible venereal tumour cells. Objectives: The aim of this paper was to investigate the clinicopathological significance of the association of both diseases. Methods: Nineteen dogs affected by canine transmissible venereal tumour and canine leishmaniasis were studied retrospectively. Results: In these dogs, the tumour manifested a large size and often aggressive behaviour (42%) and no predictive sign of spontaneous regression was observed. Sporadic Leishmania amastigotes were found within the canine transmissible venereal tumour in three cases, probably transported by infected macrophages often infiltrating the tumour. A high Leishmania parasitisation of canine transmissible venereal tumour was observed in two other cases and verified by immunohistochemistry. Clinical Significance: Canine transmissible venereal tumour is a tumour of the dog able to harbour a large number of Leishmania parasites. Alternatively, the systemic disease (canine leishmaniasis) may lower the immune defence against malignancy (canine transmissible venereal tumour). © 2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association. |
| PMID: 22489831 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] | |
| 9. | Parasitol Res. 2012 Jan;110(1):73-80. Epub 2011 May 28.Highly debilitating natural Trypanosoma vivax infections in Brazilian calves: epidemiology, pathology, and probable transplacental transmission.Batista JS, Rodrigues CM, Olinda RG, Silva TM, Vale RG, Câmara AC, Rebouças RE, Bezerra FS, García HA, Teixeira MM.SourceDepartment of Animal Sciences, Federal Rural University of the Semiarid (UFERSA), Av. Francisco Mota, Br 110, Km 47-59, 59625-900, Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. jaelsoares@hotmail.com AbstractClinical, epidemiological, and pathological aspects of trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma vivax in calves were reported for the first time in northeast Brazil. Clinical and epidemiological data, packed cell volumes (PCV), and parasitemia were assessed in 150 calves in May 2009 (rainy season-survey 1) and in 153 calves in November 2009 (dry season-survey 2) in three farms (A, B, and C). Prevalence of T. vivax in calves examined in the survey 1 was 63.3%, 65.0%, and 80.0% in farms A, B, and C, respectively. Morbidity varied from 63.3% to 80%, mortality from 15% to 30% and lethality from 23% to 37.5%. In survey 1, for all farms, high parasitemia (from 30.3 to 26.2 × 10(6) parasites/mL), fever (from 39.8 to 40.3°C), low PCV (from 15.7% to 18.1%), and body score (from 2.5 to 3.5) were detected. Calves showed depression, weight loss, pale mucous membranes, enlarged lymph nodes, edema of the dewlap, cough, coryza, and diarrhea. The animals from farms A and B were treated with diminazene aceturate. Six months after, in survey 2, non-treated calves from farm C showed values for prevalence (81.82), morbidity (81.82), mortality (12.73), and lethality (15.55) similar to those in survey 1 (P > 0.05). Also in survey 2, four calves aging merely 1-3 days old presented high parasitemia levels (from 32 × 10(6) to 74 × 10(6) parasites/mL), suggesting transplacental transmission. In conclusion, trypanosomiasis by T. vivax constitutes high prevalent disease for calves raised in Brazilian semiarid and may have transplacental transmission. |
| PMID: 21626156 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] | |
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| 10. | Parasitol Res. 2012 Jan;110(1):135-9. Epub 2011 May 26.Trypanosoma spp. in Swedish game animals.Neumüller M, Nilsson K, Påhlson C.SourceDepartment of Biology and Chemical Engineering, Mälardalen University, Box 883, 72123, Västerås, Sweden. AbstractSerum and blood samples from 36 game animals, shot during the hunting seasons 2007-2009, were collected and analyzed for the presence of Trypanosoma spp. by three methods: isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and serology. Only fissiped animals were included, four different ruminants and wild boar. Trypanosomes could be isolated from two of the animals, and eight had detectable parasite DNA. Seven animals had high titers of anti-trypanosoma IgG antibodies. The two isolated strains, one from roe dear and one from European elk, were determined to Trypanosoma theileri by partial DNA sequencing of the 18S ribosomal gene. In the seven boars, no Trypanosoma were detected, but four out of seven strongly positive serological samples came from this group. This is the first study in Scandinavia on the presence of Trypanosoma in game animals. The results indicate that trypanosomiasis is frequently occurring among Swedish game animals. |
| PMID: 21614542 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] | |
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