Publications by authors named "A Alexis Lopez-Zavala"
The potential use of arginine kinase from the brown tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus as a biomarker for vector exposure in the surveillance of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Rev Argent Microbiol
December 2024
Article Synopsis
- The brown dog tick is a key vector for Rickettsia rickettsii, which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in parts of Mexico and the Southwestern U.S.
- Researchers found that a tick protein, arginine kinase (AK), could be used to identify areas with high RMSF risk by measuring immune responses in human and animal sera.
- By mutating a specific part of the AK protein, they confirmed its importance as a marker for RMSF exposure, paving the way for new methods in tracking tick presence and preventing the disease.
Article Synopsis
- A pathogenic bacterium affecting shrimp aquaculture can cause production losses up to 90%.
- Plant phenolic compounds, specifically quercetin, morin, vanillic acid, and protocatechuic acid, were tested for their antibacterial effects against two bacterial strains (Vp124 and Vp320).
- The study revealed that these phenolic compounds effectively inhibited the bacteria's growth, reduced biofilm biomass by up to 92.68%, and decreased motility, indicating their potential as agents for controlling infections in shrimp aquaculture.
Binding of green tea epigallocatechin gallate to the arginine kinase active site from the brown recluse spider (): A potential synergist to chemical pesticides.
Heliyon
July 2024
spp. spiders can cause serious public health issues. Chemical control is commonly used, leading to health and environmental problems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGreening of tuna metmyoglobin (MetMb) by thermal treatment (TT) and free cysteine is associated with sulfmyoglobin (SulfMb) production. This greening reaction (GR) was once thought to occur only in tuna species. However, recent research has revealed that not all tuna species exhibit this behavior, and it can also occur in horse MetMb.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMyoglobin is the main factor responsible for muscle pigmentation in tuna; muscle color depends upon changes in the oxidative state of myoglobin. The tuna industry has reported muscle greening after thermal treatment involving metmyoglobin (MetMb), trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), and free cysteine (Cys). It has been proposed that this pigmentation change is due to a disulfide bond between a unique cysteine residue (Cys10) found in tuna MetMb and free Cys.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF