Publications by authors named "Elizabeth J Castaneda Ortiz"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the role of Myb proteins in the encystation process of the parasite causing amebiasis, a leading cause of death from parasitic diseases.
  • Researchers identified 48 MYB-domain-containing genes, classifying them into different types based on their structure, indicating their multifunctional roles in various cellular processes like transcription regulation and chromatin remodeling.
  • The findings point to Myb proteins' involvement in regulating genes needed for encystation and other cellular functions, laying the groundwork for future research into treatment options for amebiasis.
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Amoebiasis is the third leading cause of death among protozoon parasitic diseases in the lower-middle income countries. Understanding the molecular events that control gene expression such as transcription factors, their DNA binding mode and target sequences can help to develop new antiamoebic drugs against Entamoeba histolytica. In this paper we performed a genome and structural analysis of a specific transcription factor.

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Rhipicephalus microplus is the most widely distributed tick worldwide and causes significant economic losses in the livestock industry. It directly affects hosts (especially in large infestations) by feeding on blood and piercing the skin and indirectly affects hosts as a vector of pathogens that cause infectious diseases, such as bovine babesiosis. Current research on the control of ticks is focused on integrated tick control programmes, including vaccination treatment with acaricides and completely blocking pathogen transmission.

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Telomeric Repeat Binding Factors (TRFs) are architectural nuclear proteins with critical roles in telomere-length regulation, chromosome end protection and, fusion prevention, DNA damage detection, and senescence regulation. , the parasite responsible of human amoebiasis, harbors three homologs of human TRFs, based on sequence similarities to their Myb DNA binding domain. These proteins were dubbed EhTRF-like I, II and III.

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The protozoan parasite is exposed to reactive oxygen and nitric oxide species that have the potential to damage its genome. harbors enzymes involved in DNA repair pathways like Base and Nucleotide Excision Repair. The majority of DNA repairs pathways converge in their final step in which a DNA ligase seals the DNA nicks.

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Background: Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia. In their host vector, Babesia spp. undergo sexual reproduction.

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The molecular mechanisms involved during the infection of Rhipicephalus microplus midgut cells by Babesia bigemina are of great relevance and currently unknown. In a previous study, we found a voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC)-like protein (BmVDAC) that may participate during parasite invasion of midgut cells. In this work, we investigated BmVDAC expression at both mRNA and protein levels and examined BmVDAC localization in midgut cells of ticks infected with B.

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Strain superinfection occurs when a second strain infects a host already infected with and having mounted an immune response to a primary strain. The incidence of superinfection with Anaplasma marginale, a tick-borne rickettsial pathogen of domestic and wild ruminants, has been shown to be higher in tropical versus temperate regions. This has been attributed to the higher prevalence of infection, with consequent immunity against primary strains and thus greater selective pressure for superinfection with antigenically distinct strains.

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Superinfection occurs when a second, genetically distinct pathogen strain infects a host that has already mounted an immune response to a primary strain. For antigenically variant pathogens, the primary strain itself expresses a broad diversity of variants over time. Thus, successful superinfection would require that the secondary strain express a unique set of variants.

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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs of ~22 nucleotides that function as negative regulators of gene expression by either inhibiting translation or inducing deadenylation-dependent degradation of target transcripts. Notably, deregulation of miRNAs expression is associated with the initiation and progression of human cancers where they act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors contributing to tumorigenesis. Abnormal miRNA expression may provide potential diagnostic and prognostic tumor biomarkers and new therapeutic targets in cancer.

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