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This page shows you the most recent publications within this specialty of the MedWorm directory.

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Toxoplasma gondii: a morphometric analysis of the wall and epithelial cells of pigs intestine.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The aim of this study was to perform a morphometric analysis of the different layers of the jejunal wall and epithelial cells of pigs with toxoplasmosis. Experiments were conducted using ten 88-day-old crossbred (Pietran x Wessex) pigs divided into two groups: control (n = 5) and experimental (n = 5). The experimental group consisted of animals inoculated orally with 5,000 sporulated oocysts of a genotype III strain of Toxoplasma gondii. At 30 and 60 days following inoculation, the animals were anaesthetised for jejunal biopsy. The intestinal segments were processed routinely for histology. Transverse cuts (4mum thick)...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 13, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: da Silva PD, Shiraishi CS, da Silva AV, Gonçalves GF, Sant'ana DD, de Almeida Araújo EJ Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Analysis of a nuclear localization signal in the p14 splicing factor in Trypanosoma cruzi.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There are only a few reported nuclear localization signals (NLS) in trypanosomes despite intensive research on nuclear metabolic processes such as mRNA processing and transcription during the recent past. Moreover, there are only two reports for a monopartite (La protein) and bipartite (H2B Histone, ESAG8) NLS in Trypanosoma brucei. We decided to investigate a NLS in Trypanosoma cruzi by selecting p14, a small RNA recognition motif (RRM) containing protein involved in the splicing process in the nucleus. Its small size (117 amino acids), and an optimized streamlined workflow for analysis in T. cruzi, allowed us to defi...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - March 13, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Westergaard GG, Bercovich N, Reinert MD, Vazquez MP Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

A putative kinase related protein (PKRP) from Plasmodium berghei mediates infection in the midgut and salivary glands of the mosquito.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The completion of the Plasmodium (malaria) life cycle in the mosquito requires the parasite to traverse first the midgut and later the salivary gland epithelium. We have identified a putative kinase related protein (PKRP) that is predicted to be an atypical protein kinase, which is conserved across many species of Plasmodium. The pkrp gene encodes a RNA of about 5,300 nucleotides that is expressed as a 90 kDa protein in sporozoites. Targeted disruption of the pkrp gene in Plasmodium berghei, a rodent model of malaria, compromises the ability of parasites to infect different tissues within the mosquito host. Early infec...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - March 11, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Purcell LA, Leitao R, Ono T, Yanow SK, Pradel G, Spithill TW, Rodriguez A Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

The development of linear regression models using environmental variables to explain the spatial distribution of Fasciola hepatica infection in dairy herds in England and Wales.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Fasciolosis caused by Fasciola hepatica is a major cause of economic loss to the agricultural community worldwide as a result of morbidity and mortality in livestock. Spatial models developed with the aid of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used to develop risk maps for fasciolosis for use in the formulation of disease control programmes. Here we investigate the spatial epidemiology of F. hepatica in dairy herds in England and Wales and develop linear regression models to explain observed patterns of exposure at a small spatial unit, the postcode area. Exposure data used for the analysis were taken from an e...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - March 11, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: M C Cann CM, Baylis M, Williams DJ Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Preface.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 20206014 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Advances in Parasitology)
Source: Advances in Parasitology - March 10, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Rollinson D, Hay SI Tags: Adv Parasitol Source Type: journals

Haemonchus contortus: Cloning and characterization of serpin.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The serpin gene of Haemonchus contortus (hc-serpin) was cloned and characterized in this study. Specific primers for rapid amplification cDNA ends (RACE) were designed based on the expression sequence tag (EST, BM173953) to amplify the 3'- and 5'-ends of hc-serpin. The full length of the cDNA of this gene was obtained by overlapping the sequences of 3'- and 5'- extremities and amplification by reverse transcription-PCR. The biochemical activities of the recombinant protein (rHc-Serpin), which was expressed in prokaryotic cells and purified by affinity chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography, were analyzed by a...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 6, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Yi D, Xu L, Yan R, Li X Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Fasciola gigantica: Histology of the digestive tract and the expression of cathepsin L.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The digestive tract of Fasciola gigantica is composed of the oral sucker, buccal tube, pharynx, esophagus, and caecum. The tegumental-type epithelium lines the first four parts of the digestive tract while the caecal-type epithelium lines the remaining parts from the caecal bifurcation. The caecal epithelial cells are classified into 3 types according to their staining properties and ultrastructural characteristics, as related to the amount of food contents in the caecal lumen. All caecal-type epithelial cells synthesize and secrete cathepsin L, a major group of enzymes in the digestive tract, as detected by in situ hy...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 6, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Meemon K, Khawsuk W, Sriburee S, Meepool A, Sethadavit M, Sansri V, Wanichanon C, Sobhon P Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Sequence-based functional annotation: what if most of the genes are unique to a genome?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The genomes of trypanosomatids are distantly related to other eukaryotes, with significant numbers of hypothetical or conserved hypothetical trypanosomatid-specific genes, whose functions cannot be determined using homology-dependent annotation methods. Here, we describe homology-independent methods to infer biological functions of genes based solely on their sequences. These approaches are not limited to trypanosomatid genomes and provide grounds for analysis of genomes of Plasmodium falciparum and other parasites associated with neglected tropical diseases. A critical evaluation of the current state of annotation of ...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - March 6, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Salavati R, Najafabadi HS Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

The IL-12p70/IL-10 interplay is differentially regulated by free heme and hemozoin in murine bone-marrow-derived macrophages.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The outcome of malarial anaemia is determined by a complex interplay between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, its severity associated with accumulation of hemozoin (Hz) in macrophages, elevated IL-10 responses and impaired IL-12 production. Although free heme contributes to malarial anaemia by inducing oxidative damage of red blood cells (RBCs) and enhancing their clearance by phagocytes, its impact on IL-12/IL-10 interactions has not been fully characterized. Herein, the effect of hemin (HE) on IL-12 and IL-10 responses was studied in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) and compared with syn...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - March 5, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Cambos M, Bazinet S, Abed E, Sanchez-Dardon J, Bernard C, Moreau R, M MO, Scorza T Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Neospora caninum: Cloning and expression of a gene coding for cytokine-inducing profilin.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Profilins are actin-binding proteins that in T. gondii stimulate innate immunity in mice by binding Toll-like receptors (TLR) on dendritic cells (DC) leading to release of inflammatory cytokines, primarily IL-12 and IFN-gamma. The purpose of the present study was to characterize Neospora caninum profilin, termed NcProfilin. Recombinant NcProfilin was purified by affinity chromatography, and used to prepare specific antisera to allow characterization of native NcProfilin antigen in N. caninum tachyzoites. By immunoblotting, recombinant NcProfilin is 22 kDa, and is similar in size to the respective 22 kDa native protein....
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 4, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Jenkins MC, Tuo W, Feng X, Cao L, Murphy C, Fetterer R Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

The role of deer as vehicles to move ticks, Ixodes ricinus, between contrasting habitats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In Europe the most important hosts maintaining Ixodes ricinus tick populations are deer. Therefore, excluding deer by fencing or culling are potential tick management tools. Here we test the hypothesis that deer act as vehicles for moving ticks between two distinct habitats: forest and open heather moorland. We utilised an ideal "natural experiment" whereby forests were either fenced or unfenced to prevent or allow deer to move between habitats. We aimed to test the hypothesis that deer cause a net movement of ticks from high tick density areas, i.e. forests, to low tick density areas, i.e. open moorland. We recorded I...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - March 4, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Ruiz-Fons F, Gilbert L Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

The increasing recognition of rickettsial pathogens in dogs and people.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Dogs and people are exposed to and susceptible to infection by many of the same tick-borne bacterial pathogens in the order Rickettsiales, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, Rickettsia rickettsii, R. conorii, and other spotted fever group rickettsiae. Recent findings include descriptions of novel Ehrlichia and Rickettsia species, recognition of the occurrence and clinical significance of co-infection, and increasing awareness of Rhipicephalus sanguineus-associated diseases. Newer molecular assays are available, although renewed efforts to encourage their use are needed. Th...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - March 4, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Nicholson WL, Allen KE, McQuiston JH, Breitschwerdt EB, Little SE Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Lyme borreliosis in dogs and humans in the USA.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the only established etiologic agent of Lyme borreliosis in dogs and in humans in North America. Lyme borreliosis differs in dogs and humans in terms of clinical outcome following infection, diagnostic approaches, prevention strategies and treatment recommendations. Nonetheless, serologic evidence of exposure of dogs to B. burgdorferi agrees with the geographical distribution of autochthonous transmission of the agent of Lyme borreliosis, and continued monitoring of exposure rates in dogs might allow early recognition of geographic expansion of endemic areas as well as identify hyp...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - March 4, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Little SE, Heise SR, Blagburn BL, Callister SM, Mead PS Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Longitudinal multi-locus molecular characterisation of sporadic Australian human clinical cases of cryptosporidiosis from 2005 to 2008.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Cryptosporidium is a gastrointestinal parasite that is recognised as a significant cause of non-viral diarrhea in both developing and industrialised countries. In the present study, a longitudinal analysis of 248 faecal specimens from Australian humans with gastrointestinal symptoms from 2005 to 2008 was conducted. Sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA gene locus and the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene locus revealed that 195 (78.6%) of the cases were due to infection with C. hominis, 49 (19.8%) with C. parvum and four (1.6%) with C. meleagridis. A total of eight gp60 subtype families were identified; five C. hominis subty...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 3, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Ng J, Mackenzie B, Ryan U Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Role of Chemokines in Regulation of Immunity against Leishmaniasis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Successful immunity to Leishmania depends on recruitment of appropriate immune effector cells to the site of infection and chemokines play a crucial role in the process. At the same time, Leishmania parasites possess the ability to modify the chemokine profiles of their host thereby facilitating establishment of progressive infection. Therapeutic and prophylactic strategies targeted at chemokines and their receptors provide a promising area for further research. This review highlights our current knowledge concerning the role of chemokines and their receptors in modulating leishmaniasis in both clinical settings and ex...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 3, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Oghumu SO, Lezama-Dávila CM, Isaac-Márquez AP, Satoskar AR Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

A new faecal antigen detection system for Strongyloides venezuelensis diagnosis in immunosuppressed rats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, these results may represent a first step in the development of a rapid coproantigen detection kit for strongyloidiasis. PMID: 20206167 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Experimental Parasitology)
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 2, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Gonçalves AL, Silva CV, Ueta MT, Costa-Cruz JM Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Teladorsagia circumcincta: Activation-associated secreted proteins in excretory/secretory products of fourth stage larvae are targets of early IgA responses in infected sheep.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A detailed proteomic analysis of excreted/secretory (ES) proteins derived from fourth stage larvae (L4) of Teladorsagia circumcincta identified a number of components, including N-type and C-type single domain activation-associated secreted proteins (ASPs). Immunoblotting of L4 ES extracts with abomasal mucus derived from infected, immune sheep demonstrated the immunogenicity of some of these components, including an N-type single domain ASP, designated Tci-ASP-1. The full-length cDNA encoding this protein was isolated and sequenced. Homology searches using the inferred amino acid sequence of Tci-ASP-1 showed that it h...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 2, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Nisbet AJ, Smith SK, Armstrong S, Meikle LI, Wildblood LA, Beynon RJ, Matthews JB Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Trypanosoma cruzi: Synergistic cytotoxicity of multiple amphipathic anti-microbial peptides to T. cruzi and potential bacterial hosts.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The parasite Trypanasoma cruzi is responsible for Chagas disease and its triatomine vector, Rhodnius prolixus, has a symbiotic relationship with the soil bacterium, Rhodococcus rhodnii. R. rhodnii that was previously genetically engineered to produce the anti-microbial peptide, cecropin A was co-infected with T. cruzi into R. prolixus resulting in clearance of the infectious T. cruzi in 65% of the vectors. Similar anti-microbial peptides have been isolated elsewhere and were studied for differential toxicity against T. cruzi and R. rhodnii. Of the six anti-microbial peptides tested, apidaecin, magainin II, melittin, an...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - March 2, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Fieck A, Hurwitz I, Kang AS, Durvasula R Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

How can tsetse population genetics contribute to African trypanosomiasis control?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In sub-Saharan Africa, tsetse transmitted Trypanosomiases have an enormous impact on human health and economic development. Both the World Health Organisation and African countries through the Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC) have recently asserted their determination to rid the sub-continent of these diseases, and it is increasingly recognised that vector control should play an important role. This review mainly focuses on population genetics of tsetse of the palpalis group, the main vectors of sleeping sickness, and reports recent results on tsetse population structure and on measu...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - March 2, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Solano P, Ravel S, de Meeûs T Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Giardiasis in dogs and cats: update on epidemiology and public health significance.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Molecular data have defined seven genetic Assemblages of Giardia duodenalis, named A-G. Humans are infected with Assemblages A and B, dogs primarily with C and D, and cats with F. Assemblage A has been subclassified into subtypes A-I to A-IV: A-I has been reported in humans and animals, A-II in humans, and A-III and IV exclusively in animals. Assemblage B has broad host specificity infecting humans and animals. Recently, small numbers of dogs and cats have been reported to also carry Assemblages A-I or B. Because these genotypes are found primarily in humans, and no comprehensive studies to address zoonotic transmissio...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - March 2, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Ballweber LR, Xiao L, Bowman DD, Kahn G, Cama VA Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Toxoplasma gondii: epidemiology, feline clinical aspects, and prevention.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite of birds and mammals. Cats are the only definitive host and thus the only source of infective oocysts, but other mammals and birds can develop tissue cysts. Although feline infections are typically asymptomatic, infection during human pregnancy can cause severe disease in the fetus. Cat owners can reduce their pets' exposure risk by keeping all cats indoors and not feeding them raw meat. Humans usually become infected through ingestion of oocyst-contaminated soil and water, tissue cysts in undercooked meat, or congenitally. Because of their fastidious nature, the passing of non-infective...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - March 2, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Elmore SA, Jones JL, Conrad PA, Patton S, Lindsay DS, Dubey JP Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Pyrimethamine induces oxidative stress in P. yoelii 17XL-infected mice: a novel immunomodulatory mechanism of action for an old antimalarial drug?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pyrimethamine is an antimalarial drug that has also been used successfully to treat autoimmune diseases such as lymphoproliferative syndrome. In this work, the effect of pyrimethamine (PYR) on the production of free radicals in malaria-infected mice was studied to better understand the drug's immunomodulatory properties. BALB/c and CBA/Ca mice were infected with Plasmodium yoelii 17XL. Seven days after infection, mice were treated with PYR or vehicle and sacrificed 24 hours later. Treatment with PYR increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in erythrocytes and the liver, augmented the levels ...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - February 26, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Legorreta-Herrera M, Retana-Ugalde R, Ventura-Gallegos JL, Narváez V Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Production of recombinant proteins from protozoan parasites.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Although the past decade has witnessed sequencing from an increasing number of parasites, modern high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies have the potential to generate complete genome sequences at even higher rates. Along with the discovery of genes that might constitute potential targets for chemotherapy or vaccination, the need for novel protein expression platforms has become a pressing matter. In addition to reviewing the advantages and limitations of the currently available and emerging expression systems, we discuss novel approaches that could overcome current limitations, including the 'pseudoparasite' conce...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 26, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Fernández-Robledo JA, Vasta GR Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

A natural immunization process prevents malaria.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 20189878 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Trends in Parasitology)
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 26, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Todryk SM Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Can any lessons be learned from the ambiguous glycan binding of PfEMP1 domains?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) is caused by Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs) accumulating in the placenta and has dire consequences for both mother and child. The multi-domain antigen VAR2CSA confers specific adhesion of IEs to chondroitin sulphate A (CSA) in the placenta, and is the leading PAM vaccine candidate. Recent data from different laboratories show that the binding properties of individual VAR2CSA domains do not reflect the native CSA-specific adhesion of IEs, which questions the relevance of the information obtained from single domain binding assays and co-crystallization experiments. He...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 26, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Dahlbäck M, Nielsen MA, Salanti A Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Hookworms of dogs and cats as agents of cutaneous larva migrans.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Dogs and cats are hosts to hookworms that may cause zoonotic disease, most notably, cutaneous larva migrans. Ancylostoma braziliense is most often implicated in dermatological lesions, and Ancylostoma caninum has been associated with eosinophilic enteritis and suggested as a possible cause of diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis in humans. Other manifestations include eosinophilic pneumonitis, localized myositis, folliculitis, erythema multiforme, or ophthalmological manifestations. Ancylostoma eggs are morphologically indistinguishable, which complicates epidemiological studies. Surveys of dermatologists, gastro...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 25, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Bowman DD, Montgomery SP, Zajac AM, Eberhard ML, Kazacos KR Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Host ontogeny and the temporal decay of similarity in parasite communities of marine fish.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Geographical distances between host populations are key determinants of how many parasite species they share. In principle, decay in similarity should also occur with increasing distance along any other dimension that characterizes some form of separation between communities. Here, we apply the biogeographical concept of distance decay in similarity to ontogenetic changes in the metazoan parasite communities of three species of marine fish from the Atlantic coast of South America. Using differences in body length between all possible pairs of size classes as measures of ontogenetic distances, we find that, using an ind...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - February 23, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Timi JT, Luque JL, Poulin R Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Flea-associated zoonotic diseases of cats in the USA: bartonellosis, flea-borne rickettsioses, and plague.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Cat-scratch disease, flea-borne typhus, and plague are three flea-associated zoonoses of cats of concern in the USA. Although flea concentrations may be heaviest in coastal and temperate climates, fleas and flea-borne disease agents can occur almost anywhere in the USA. Understanding flea-borne pathogens, and the associated risks for owners and veterinarians, is important to reduce the likelihood of zoonotic infection. PMID: 20185369 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Trends in Parasitology)
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 23, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: McElroy KM, Blagburn BL, Breitschwerdt EB, Mead PS, McQuiston JH Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Public health issues concerning the widespread distribution of canine heartworm disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Heartworms can cause serious cardiopulmonary disease in their canid hosts. Canine heartworm has become widespread in many parts of the world, and its range continues to expand. Wildlife reservoirs play a role in perpetuation and transmission of this parasite to dogs. Human heartworm infection is incidental and is typically not associated with severe clinical disease; however, because no serological test is readily available, patients must undergo invasive procedures to differentiate heartworm from other more serious diseases. Human cases have been reported mainly in areas of high canine prevalence, highlighting the imp...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 22, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Lee AC, Montgomery SP, Theis JH, Blagburn BL, Eberhard ML Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Zoonoses of people and their pets: a US perspective on significant pet-associated parasitic diseases.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 20181531 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Trends in Parasitology)
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 22, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Paul M, King L, Carlin EP Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

LmxMPK4, an essential mitogen-activated protein kinase of Leishmania mexicana is phosphorylated and activated by the STE7-like protein kinase LmxMKK5.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The essential mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase), LmxMPK4, of Leishmania mexicana is minimally active when purified following recombinant expression in Escherichia coli and was therefore unsuitable for drug screening until now. Using an E. coli protein co-expression system we identified LmxMKK5, a STE7-like protein kinase from L. mexicana, which phosphorylates and activates recombinant LmxMPK4 in vitro. LmxMKK5 is comprised of 525 amino acids and has a calculated molecular mass of 55.9 kDa. The co-expressed, purified LmxMPK4 showed strong phosphotransferase activity in radiometric kinase assays and was confi...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - February 20, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Freyend SJ, Rosenqvist H, Fink A, Melzer IM, Clos J, Jensen ON, Wiese M Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Rainfall induces time-lagged changes in the proportion of tropical aquatic hosts infected with metazoan parasites.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Rainfall serves as a powerful driving force, shifting temporal abundance and prevalence patterns in parasites and free-living aquatic organisms in tropical environments. However, there is a lack of sound evidence showing the temporal scales at which rainfall influences infection parameters of parasites in the tropics either directly by affecting the parasite life cycle or indirectly by modifying host population abundance. In the present study, we demonstrate that changes in rainfall patterns lead to changes in the proportion of infected hosts (PIH) with several parasite species, causing immediate or lagged favourable c...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - February 20, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Pech D, Aguirre-Macedo ML, Lewis JW, Vidal-Martínez VM Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Minimal zoonotic risk of cryptosporidiosis from pet dogs and cats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The role of dogs and cats in human cryptosporidiosis has been the focus of much attention. Studies in which genotyping of Cryptospiridium oocysts in feces of dogs and cats have been successful and have demonstrated that most infections in these animals are caused by host-specific C. canis and C. felis, respectively. Most human cases of cryptosporidiosis are associated with C. hominis and C. parvum; C. canis and C. felis are responsible for only a small number of cases. Thus, molecular epidemiologic studies support the contention that the risk of zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium spp. from pet cats and dogs is lo...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 20, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Lucio-Forster A, Griffiths JK, Cama VA, Xiao L, Bowman DD Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Epidemiologic and zoonotic aspects of ascarid infections in dogs and cats.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Toxocaracanis and Toxocara cati of dogs and cats, respectively, can cause significant disease in people. Human seroprevalence for Toxocara antibodies varies with factors such as geographic location, socio-economic status, and dietary habits. Risk factors for infection include geophagia and low-level education. Toxocara canis is better recognized as a cause of human toxocariasis, but Toxocara cati should not be overlooked. In addition, patent infections with Baylisascaris procyonis, the raccoon ascarid, have been increasingly recognized in dogs. Pet owners need to be properly educated about zoonotic risks, and veterinar...
Source: Trends in Parasitology - February 19, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Lee AC, Schantz PM, Kazacos KR, Montgomery SP, Bowman DD Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: journals

Three new species, Lamellodiscus tubulicornis n. sp., L. magnicornis n. sp. and L. parvicornis n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from Gymnocranius spp. (Lethrinidae: Monotaxinae) off New Caledonia, with the proposal of the new morphological group 'tubulicornis' within Lamellodiscus Johnston & Tiegs, 1922.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Three new species, Lamellodiscus tubulicornis n. sp., L. magnicornis n. sp. and L. parvicornis n. sp. (Monogenea: Diplectanidae) from Gymnocranius spp. (Lethrinidae: Monotaxinae) off New Caledonia, with the proposal of the new morphological group 'tubulicornis' within Lamellodiscus Johnston & Tiegs, 1922. Syst Parasitol. 2010 Mar;75(3):159-79 Authors: Justine JL, Briand MJ Three new species of Lamellodiscus are described from four (including two undescribed) species of Gymnocranius off New Caledonia, South Pacific. All three species have a similar body anatomy and morphology of the haptoral hard parts and a...
Source: Systematic Parasitology - February 17, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Justine JL, Briand MJ Tags: Syst Parasitol Source Type: journals

Caligus ignotus n. sp. (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on Poey's scabbardfish Evoxymetopon poeyi (Günther) off Taiwan.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Caligus ignotus n. sp. (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on Poey's scabbardfish Evoxymetopon poeyi (Günther) off Taiwan. Syst Parasitol. 2010 Mar;75(3):181-6 Authors: Ho JS, Lin CL A new species of caligid copepod, Caligus ignotus n. sp., is described from Poey's scabbardfish Evoxymetopon poeyi (Günther) (Trichiuridae) caught off the southeast coast of Taiwan. The parasite was found in the gill-cavity of this benthopelagic fish. The new species is distinguished from its congeners mainly in the structure of the female genital complex (shaped like a guitar) and abdomen (with three sections and gradually b...
Source: Systematic Parasitology - February 17, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Ho JS, Lin CL Tags: Syst Parasitol Source Type: journals

Feather mites (Astigmata: Psoroptidia) parasitising the rock ptarmigan Lagopus muta (Montin) (Aves: Galliformes) in Iceland.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Four new species of feather mites are described from the Icelandic rock ptarmigan Lagopus muta islandorum (Faber) in Iceland. These are Metamicrolichus islandicus n. sp., Myialges borealis n. sp. (Epidermoptidae), Strelkoviacarus holoaspis n. sp. (Analgidae) and Tetraolichus lagopi n. sp. (Pterolichidae). This is the first report on feather mites associated with the Icelandic rock ptarmigan. Brief comments on the systematics and biology of corresponding feather mite genera are given. For two species, originally described in Pterolichus Robin, 1868 (Pterolichidae), new combinations are proposed, i.e. Tetraolichus gaudi ...
Source: Systematic Parasitology - February 17, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Mironov SV, Skirnisson K, Thorarinsdottir ST, Nielsen OK Tags: Syst Parasitol Source Type: journals

Contracaecum gibsoni n. sp. and C. overstreeti n. sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) from the Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus (L.) in Greek waters: genetic and morphological evidence.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Two new species of Contracaecum Railliet & Henry, 1912, previously referred to as C. multipapillatum sp. A and C. multipapillatum sp. B by Nascetti et al. (1990) from the Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus (L.) in the Ambracian Gulf off Greece, are described as C. gibsoni n. sp. and C. overstreeti n. sp., respectively. Morphological analysis and the differential diagnosis of genetically recognised male specimens of C. gibsoni and C. overstreeti with respect to C. multipapillatum (von Drasche, 1882) (sensu lato) from Egretta alba (L.) in northern Colombia and other morphologically related Contracaecum spp. enabled ...
Source: Systematic Parasitology - February 17, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Mattiucci S, Paoletti M, Solorzano AC, Nascetti G Tags: Syst Parasitol Source Type: journals

Isospora piacobrai n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the masked yellowthroat Geothlypis aequinoctialis (Gmelin) (Passeriformes: Parulidae) in South America.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A new coccidian species (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) obtained from masked yellowthroat Geothlypis aequinoctialis (Gmelin) is reported from Brazil. Isospora piacobrai n. sp. has oöcysts which are subspheroidal to ovoidal, measure 15.8 x 10.5 mum and have a smooth, bilayered wall c. 1.2 mum thick. A micropyle and oöcyst residuum are absent, but a polar granule is present. Its sporocysts are ovoidal and measure 15.8 x 10.5 mum. The Stieda body is knob-like and prominent, the substieda body large, trapezoidal and homogeneous, and the sporocyst residuum composed of granules of different sizes. Sporozoites a...
Source: Systematic Parasitology - February 17, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Berto BP, Luz HR, Flausino W, Ferreira I, Lopes CW Tags: Syst Parasitol Source Type: journals

Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) chimalapasensis n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) from the freshwater fish Awaous banana (Valenciennes) (Gobiidae) in Mexico.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) chimalapasensis n. sp. (Eoacanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) is described from the intestine of Awaous banana (Valenciennes) (Pisces: Gobiidae) collected in the Río Negro, a tributary in the upper Río Coatzacoalcos basin, Santa María Chimalapa, Oaxaca State, Mexico. It is the third species of Neoechinorhynchus Stiles & Hassall, 1905 described from Mexican freshwater fishes, although 36 other species are known from freshwater fishes in the Americas. Like four other species of Neoechinorhynchus from freshwater fishes in North America and Mexico, N. (N.) limi Muzz...
Source: Systematic Parasitology - February 17, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Salgado-Maldonado G, Caspeta-Mandujano JM, Martínez-Ramírez E Tags: Syst Parasitol Source Type: journals

Protein export in Plasmodium parasites: from the endoplasmic reticulum to the vacuolar export machine.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
It is somewhat paradoxical that the malaria parasite's survival strategy involves spending almost all of its blood-stage existence residing behind a two-membrane barrier in a host red blood cell, yet it gives considerable attention to exporting parasite-encoded proteins back across these membranes. These exported proteins are thought to play diverse roles and are crucial in pathogenic processes, such as re-modelling of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton and mediating the export of a major virulence protein known as Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), and in metabolic processes such as nutrient upta...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - February 16, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Crabb BS, de Koning-Ward TF, Gilson PR Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Trichomonas vaginalis: Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and 17B-estradiol alter NTPDase activity and gene expression.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We investigated the effect of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and 17beta-estradiol on NTPDase activity in fresh clinical (VP60) and long-term-grown (30236 ATCC) isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis followed by NTPDase gene transcriptional analysis. ATP hydrolysis was activated in vitro by 17beta-estradiol (0.01-1.0 muM) in the VP60 isolate. Treatment for 2 h with 17beta-estradiol (0.01-1 muM) promoted an inhibition in nucleotide hydrolysis in the 30236 isolate whereas the 12 h-treatment promoted an activation of nucleotide hydrolysis in both isolates. ADP hydrolysis was inhibited in vitro by 1.0-5.0 muM DHEAS in th...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - February 13, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Rückert C, Stuepp CD, Gottardi B, Rosa J, Cisilotto J, Borges FP, Rosemberg DB, Bogo MR, Tasca T, De Carli GA, Bonan CD Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Interactions of antimicrobial peptides with Leishmania and trypanosomes and their functional role in host parasitism.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are multifunctional components of the innate systems of both insect and mammalian hosts of the pathogenic trypanosomatids Leishmania and Trypanosoma species. Structurally diverse AMPs from a wide range of organisms have been shown to have in vitro activity against these parasites acting mainly to disrupt surface-membranes. In some cases AMPs also localize intracellularly to affect calcium levels, mitochondrial function and the induction of autophagy, necrosis and apoptosis. In this review we discuss the work done in the area of AMP interactions with trypanosomatid protozoa and propose pote...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - February 13, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: McGwire BS, Kulkarni MM Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Giardia duodenalis: Kinetics of cyst elimination and the systemic humoral and intestinal secretory immune responses in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) experimentally infected.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, systemic and intestinal humoral immune responses were related to the control of giardiasis in this experimental model. PMID: 20159014 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Experimental Parasitology)
Source: Experimental Parasitology - February 13, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Amorim RM, Silva DA, Taketomi EA, Morato MG, Mundim MJ, Ribeiro DP, Oliveira TC, Viana JC, Gomes MA, Cury MC Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

A single parasite gene determines strain-specific protective immunity against malaria: the role of the Merozoite Surface Protein I.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Despite many decades of research, no registered vaccine against the pathogenic blood stages of the malaria parasite exists, translating into the loss of many hundreds of thousands of young lives each year in tropical Africa. Although many parasite proteins have been shown to induce immune responses in the host, proof for their induction of protective immunity is still lacking. We previously reported a novel genetic approach called linkage group selection (LGS) for rapid identification of target antigens of strain-specific protective immunity (SSPI) against malaria. In preliminary LGS experiments, we crossed two genetic...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - February 11, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Cheesman S, O'Mahony E, Pattaradilokrat S, Degnan K, Knott S, Carter R Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Imatinib has a fatal impact on morphology, pairing stability and survival of adult Schistosoma mansoni in vitro.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Schistosomes cause bilharzia (schistosomiasis), one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases for human and animals worldwide. Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only widely used drug for treatment and control of this parasitemia. Since a vaccine is not yet available, and in light of emerging resistance against PZQ, the search for alternatives has high priority. Here we present that Imatinib, a compound used in human cancer therapy (Gleevec; STI-571), significantly affected schistosome morphology and physiology invitro. Besides its negative effect on gonad development and pairing stability, Imatinib led to pathological alteratio...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - February 8, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Beckmann S, Grevelding CG Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Australian dingoes are definitive hosts of Neospora caninum.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To provide objective data on the potential role of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) in the life-cycle of Neospora caninum in Australia, the production of N. caninum oocysts by experimentally infected canids was investigated. Three dingo pups raised in captivity and three domestic dogs were fed tissue from calves infected with an Australian isolate of N. caninum, Nc-Nowra. Oocysts of N.caninum, confirmed by species-specific PCR, were shed in low numbers by one dingo pup at 12 to 14 days p.i.. The remaining animals did not shed oocysts. Furthermore, the blood from two out of three dingoes tested positive for DNA of N. caninum...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - February 8, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: King JS, Slapeta J, Jenkins DJ, Al-Qassab SE, Ellis JT, Windsor PA Tags: Int J Parasitol Source Type: journals

Eimeria acervulina: The influence of inoculation dose on transmission between broiler chickens.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The course and clinical appearance of an Eimeria species infection in chicken flocks depend on the response of an individual bird to infection and on population dynamics of the infection in the flock. Differences in ingested numbers of oocysts may affect oocyst load in the flock and the subsequent infectious dose for not yet infected birds. To study the link between numbers of oocysts excreted by infected birds and transmission of Eimeria acervulina, experiments were carried out with 42 pairs of broiler chickens using inoculation doses with 5, 50, 500 or 50,000 sporulated oocysts. In each pair one bird was inoculated a...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - February 7, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Velkers FC, Bouma A, Graat EA, Klinkenberg D, Stegeman JA, de Jong MC Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Acanthamoeba castellanii: Morphological analysis of the interaction with human cornea.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The present study demonstrates that when Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites are co-cultivated with isolated human corneas, the amoeba can be invasive and cause damage to the intact corneal epithelium without the requirement of previous corneal abrasion. After adhesion, A. castellanii trophozoites migrate between cells forming bumps on the corneal cell layers and reaching Bowman s membrane in 3 h, although no evidence of cell damage was observed until the phagocytic process was detected. Likewise, conditioned medium produced damage to the corneal cells that was proportional to the time of incubation, but this cytopha...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - February 7, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: Omaña-Molina M, González-Robles A, Salazar-Villatoro LI, Cristóbal-Ramos AR, González-Lázaro M, Salinas-Moreno E, Méndez-Cruz R, Sánchez-Cornejo M, De la Torre-González E, Martínez-Palomo A Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals

Detection of matrix metallopeptidase-9-like proteins in Trypanosoma cruzi.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, the cell-associated and extracellular peptidases of T. cruzi grown in modified Roitman's complex (MRC) medium were analyzed by measuring peptidase activity in gelatin-containing zymograms. Our results showed that the cell-associated peptidases as well as peptidases extracellularly released by T. cruzi displayed two distinct proteolytic classes: cysteine and metallopeptidase activities. The major cysteine peptidase, cruzipain, synthesized by T. cruzi cells was detected in cellular parasite content, as a 50 kDa reactive polypeptide, after probing with anti-cruzipain antibody. In addition, metallo-type peptidas...
Source: Experimental Parasitology - February 4, 2010 Category: Parasitology Authors: de Melo AC, de Souza EP, Elias CG, Dos Santos AL, Branquinha MH, d'Ávila-Levy CM, Dos Reis FC, de Araujo Lima AP, de Souza Pereira MC, Meirelles MN, Vermelho AB Tags: Exp Parasitol Source Type: journals