Analyses of the gut microbial composition of domestic pig louse Haematopinus suis.

Haematopinus suis is an obligatory ectoparasite of the domestic pig, serving as a vector of several swine pathogens and posing great threats to the pig industry. The gut microbiome of lice is thought of an important mediator of their healthy physiology. However, there is a great paucity of lice-associated microbial communities' structure and function.

Comprehensive analysis of the global impact and distribution of tick paralysis, a deadly neurological yet fully reversible condition.

SUMMARYTick paralysis is a potentially fatal condition caused by neurotoxins secreted by the salivary glands of certain ticks. Documented cases have been reported worldwide, predominantly in the United States, Canada, and Australia, with additional reports from Europe and Africa. This condition also affects animals, leading to significant economic losses and adverse impacts on animal health and welfare.

The plasma viral communities associate with clinical profiles in a large-scale haematological patients cohort.

Background: Haematological patients exhibit immune system abnormalities that make them susceptible to viral infections. Understanding the relationship between the virome in the blood plasma of haematological patients and their clinical characteristic is crucial for disease management. We aimed to explore the presence of viral pathogens and identify close associations between viral infections and various clinical features.

An apicoplast-localized deubiquitinase contributes to the cell growth and apicoplast homeostasis of Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii is among the most important parasites worldwide. The apicoplast is a unique organelle shared by all Apicomplexan protozoa. Increasing lines of evidence suggest that the apicoplast possesses its own ubiquitination system.

Correction: Matthew et al. A Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay Specific to Is Suitable for Use at Point-of-Care. 2022, , 594.

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One-pot synthesis of AuPt@FeO nanoparticles with excellent peroxidase-like activity for development of ultrasensitive colorimetric lateral flow immunoassay of cardiac troponin I.

Detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) plays a critical role in diagnosing acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In this report, a new kind of spherical AuPt@FeO core@shell nanoparticles (termed as AuPt@FeO NPs) were one-pot synthesized by a redox interaction-engaged strategy (RIES) without the addition of any surfactants or reducing agents. The as-synthesized AuPt@FeO NPs not only retain the plasmonic activity of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), but also possess excellent catalytic activities of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and FeO nanoclusters.

Roles of Cysteine Proteases in Biology and Pathogenesis of Parasites.

Cysteine proteases, also known as thiol proteases, are a class of nucleophilic proteolytic enzymes containing cysteine residues in the enzymatic domain. These proteases generally play a pivotal role in many biological reactions, such as catabolic functions and protein processing, in all living organisms. They specifically take part in many important biological processes, especially in the absorption of nutrients, invasion, virulence, and immune evasion of parasitic organisms from unicellular protozoa to multicellular helminths.

PP2Acα-B'/PR61 Holoenzyme of Toxoplasma gondii Is Required for the Amylopectin Metabolism and Proliferation of Tachyzoites.

Here, we report that the inhibition of the PP2A subfamily by okadaic acid results in an accumulation of polysaccharides in the acute infection stage (tachyzoites) of Toxoplasma gondii, which is a protozoan of global zoonotic importance and a model for the apicomplexan parasites. The loss of the catalytic subunit α of PP2A (Δ) in RHΔ leads to the polysaccharide accumulation phenotype in the base of tachyzoites as well as residual bodies and significantly compromises the intracellular growth and the virulence . A metabolomic analysis revealed that the accumulated polysaccharides in Δ are derived from interrupted glucose metabolism, which affects the production of ATP and energy homeostasis in the T.

Hymenolepis diminuta, phylogenetic analyses of nuclear rRNA + ITS and mitochondrial cox1 and its infections in non-human primates.

Hymenolepis diminuta is a tapeworm commonly found worldwide in small rodents such as rats with occasional reports in other definitive hosts such as primates including chimpanzees and humans. It has not been reported in African green monkey (AGM, Chlorocebus sabaeus), and the parasite's molecular phenotype and phylogeny remain primitively sketchy. The aims of the current study were to determine if H.

Redundant targeting signals of the apicoplast-resident protein TgMnmA in Toxoplasma gondii involve trans-organellar function.

The apicoplast, which is the result of secondary endosymbiosis, is a distinctive subcellular organelle and a crucial therapeutic target for apicomplexan parasites. The majority of apicoplast-resident proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome and target the apicoplast via bipartite targeting signals consisting of a signal peptide and a transit peptide. The properties and functions of these peptides are poorly understood, which hinders the identification of apicoplast proteins and the study for plastid evolution.

Haem transporter HRG-1 is essential in the barber's pole worm and an intervention target candidate.

Parasitic roundworms (nematodes) have lost genes involved in the de novo biosynthesis of haem, but have evolved the capacity to acquire and utilise exogenous haem from host animals. However, very little is known about the processes or mechanisms underlying haem acquisition and utilisation in parasites. Here, we reveal that HRG-1 is a conserved and unique haem transporter in a broad range of parasitic nematodes of socioeconomic importance, which enables haem uptake via intestinal cells, facilitates cellular haem utilisation through the endo-lysosomal system, and exhibits a conspicuous distribution at the basal laminae covering the alimentary tract, muscles and gonads.

: A Neglected Protozoan Infection in the Oral Cavities of Humans and Dogs-A Scoping Review.

is a flagellated protozoan parasite found in the oral cavities of humans and animals and has been associated with periodontal disease, the most prevalent inflammatory disease affecting them all. Studies have shown that can cause damage to mammalian cells and secretes virulent proteins, such as cysteine. It is presently considered zoonotic.

Host autophagy limits proliferation in the absence of IFN-γ by affecting the hijack of Rab11A-positive vesicles.

Introduction: Autophagy has been recognized as a bona fide immunological process. Evidence has shown that this process in IFN-γ stimulated cells controls proliferation or eliminates its infection. However, little is known about the effect of infection on the host cell autophagy in the absence of IFN-γ.

A Novel Mitochondrial Genome Fragmentation Pattern in the Buffalo Louse (Psocodea: Haematopinidae).

Sucking lice are obligate ectoparasites of mammalian hosts, causing serious public health problems and economic losses worldwide. It is well known that sucking lice have fragmented mitochondrial (mt) genomes, but many remain undetermined. To better understand patterns of mt genome fragmentation in the sucking lice, we sequenced the mt genome of the buffalo louse using next-generation sequencing (NGS).

The first apicoplast tRNA thiouridylase plays a vital role in the growth of .

Toxoplasmosis caused by the protozoan is one of the most common parasitic diseases in humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. Lys, Glu, and Gln-specific tRNAs contain a super-modified 2-thiourea (sU) derivatives at the position 34, which is essential for all living organisms by maintaining the structural stability and aminoacylation of tRNA, and the precision and efficiency of codon recognition during protein translation. However, the enzyme(s) involved in this modification in remains elusive.

Development of an Immunochromatographic Test Based on Rhoptry Protein 14 for Serological Detection of Infection in Swine.

, a worldwide distributed apicomplexan protozoan, can infect almost all warm-blooded animals and may cause toxoplasmosis. In order to provide a point-of-care detection method for infection, an immunochromatographic test (ICT) was established. The proposed test uses recombinant rhoptry protein 14 (ROP14) conjugated with 20 nm gold particles, recombinant protein A as the detection line and monoclonal antibody TgROP14-5D5 as the control line.

Draft Genome Sequence of Strain Hs-4:NIH.

is a flagellated parasite that plays an important role in periodontal disease, with high prevalence worldwide. Its pathogenesis remains largely unknown, and there is very little information on its genome. Here, we present the whole-genome shotgun sequence of T.

Lateral flow immunoassay with peptide-functionalized gold nanoparticles for rapid detection of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B.

In this work, a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) with peptide functionalized gold nanoparticles (termed as biotin-peptide-AuNPs) has been developed for rapid, semi-quantitative detection of PTP1B activity without using any sophisticated equipment. In this method, the anti-phosphotyrosine (anti-pY) monoclonal antibody and streptavidin were used as test line and control line, respectively. The biotin-peptide-AuNPs contain 10% biotinylated peptide ligand carry a motif SDGHEpYIYVDP with pY (phosphotyrosine) and 90% pentapeptide (CALNN) ligand, which are used as PTP1B substrates and LFIA labelling probes.

A Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Assay Specific to Is Suitable for Use at Point-of-Care.

is a flagellated protozoan that inhabits the human and canine oral cavity in patients with poor oral hygiene and periodontal disease. The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay could provide clinicians with a quick, cheap and reliable diagnostic test used for the detection of in various settings. In this study, we aimed to develop a LAMP assay that can detect with high sensitivity and specificity.

Transthyretin-Like Protein TTR-31 Plays Roles in Post-Embryonic Larval Development and Potentially Apoptosis of Germ Cells.

Transthyretin (TTR)-like proteins play multi-function roles in nematode and are important component of excretory/secretory product in . In this study, we functionally characterised a secretory transthyretin-like protein in the barber's pole worm . A full-length of transthyretin-like protein-coding gene () was identified in this parasitic nematode, representing a counterpart of in .