Global Lipidomics Reveals the Lipid Composition Heterogeneity of Extracellular Vesicles from Drug-Resistant .

: The rise of drug-resistant strains presents a significant challenge in the treatment of Leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by these parasites have gained attention for their role in drug resistance and host-pathogen interactions. : This study developed and applied a novel lipidomics workflow to explore the lipid profiles of EVs from three types of drug-resistant strains compared to a wild-type strain.

Unique clones secrete populations of extracellular vesicles with unique protein profile and variable infectious capability.

The study of extracellular vesicles has become an incredibly important field of study, but the inherent heterogeneity of these vesicles continues to make their study challenging. The genetic variability and well-documented protocols for the growth and vesicle isolation from parasites provide a unique opportunity to compare the heterogeneity of different populations secreted by clones. was cultured on solid SDM agar plates and 8 clonal colonies were selected.

The effect of fluralaner treatment of small mammals on the endemic cycle of Borrelia burgdorferi in a natural environment.

Among approaches aimed at reducing Lyme disease risk in the environment, those targeting reservoirs of Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson are promising because they have the potential to reduce both the density of questing Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidea) ticks and the prevalence of B. burgdorferi in the tick population. In this 4-yr field study, we treated a population of wild small mammals with 2 densities of fluralaner baits and investigated the effect of the treatment on 3 parameters of the endemic cycle of B.

Ecological determinants of leishmaniasis vector, Lutzomyia spp.: A scoping review.

Leishmania spp. are zoonotic parasites transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, including those of the Lutzomyia genus, which can cause leishmaniases in both humans and dogs. Lutzomyia spp.

CRISPR-Cas9 high-throughput screening to study drug resistance in .

Parasites of the genus pose a global health threat with limited treatment options. New drugs are urgently needed, and genomic screens have the potential to accelerate target discovery, mode of action, and resistance mechanisms against these new drugs. We describe here our effort in developing a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen in , an organism lacking a functional nonhomologous end joining system that must rely on microhomology-mediated end joining, single-strand annealing, or homologous recombination for repairing Cas9-induced double-stranded DNA breaks.

Extracellular Vesicles: Translational Agenda Questions for Three Protozoan Parasites.

The protozoan parasites Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi continue to exert a significant toll on the disease landscape of the human population in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Control measures have helped reduce the burden of their respective diseases-malaria, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease-in endemic regions.

Systematic Exploration of Functional Group Relevance for Anti-Leishmanial Activity of Anisomycin.

Assessment of structure-activity relationships for anti-protozoan activity revealed a strategy for preparing potent anisomycin derivatives with reduced host toxicity. Thirteen anisomycin analogs were synthesized by modifying the alcohol, amine, and aromatic functional groups. Examination of anti-protozoal activity against various strains of and cytotoxicity against leucocytes with comparison against the parent natural product demonstrated typical losses of activity with modifications of the alcohol, amine, and aromatic meta-positions.

Pet ownership and lifestyle behaviours of immunosuppressed individuals and their relatives in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures will likely have a detrimental impact on immunosuppressed individuals' lifestyle behaviours. Increasing evidence suggests that pet ownership is positively associated with healthier lifestyle. Yet, no study has investigated the potential benefits of pet ownership on lifestyle behaviours of immunosuppressed individuals, a population at increased risk of COVID-19 complications.

Identification and analysis of the DNA content of small extracellular vesicles isolated from Leishmania parasites.

Here, we focus on Leishmania extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their DNA content, detailing a protocol for the isolation of these nanoparticles and their subsequent genomic characterization. We describe a robust and comprehensive approach for obtaining, storing, and analyzing EVs derived from cultured parasites. We detail a user-friendly bioinformatics pipeline for sequence analysis and visualization of CNV analysis and ploidy changes.

Leishmania parasites exchange drug-resistance genes through extracellular vesicles.

Leishmania are eukaryotic parasites that have retained the ability to produce extracellular vesicles (EVs) through evolution. To date, it has been unclear if different DNA entities could be associated with Leishmania EVs and whether these could constitute a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Herein, we investigate the DNA content of EVs derived from drug-resistant parasites, as well as the EVs' potential to act as shuttles for DNA transfer.

Sex under pressure: stress facilitates Leishmania in vitro hybridization.

The selection of Leishmania hybrids in axenic culture was considered rare until recently, when Louradour and Ferreira et al., demonstrated that induced DNA damage facilitates genetic exchange, resulting in full genome tetraploid progenies in vitro. Meiosis-related gene homologues HAP2, GEX1, and RAD51 were found to be involved, opening new avenues for functional genomic studies.

Identification of asymptomatic Leishmania infections: a scoping review.

Background: Asymptomatic Leishmania infection may play an important role in the transmission of the parasite in endemic areas. At present there is no consensus on the definition of asymptomatic Leishmania infection, nor is there a safe and accessible gold standard test for its identification.

Methods: This paper presents a scoping review to summarize definitions of asymptomatic Leishmania infection found in the literature, as well as to detail the approach (molecular, serological, cellular, and/or parasitological tests) used by researchers to identify this asymptomatic population.

Three different mutations in the DNA topoisomerase 1B in Leishmania infantum contribute to resistance to antitumor drug topotecan.

Background: The evolution of drug resistance is one of the biggest challenges in leishmaniasis and has prompted the need for new antileishmanial drugs. Repurposing of approved drugs is a faster and very attractive strategy that is gaining supporters worldwide. Different anticancer topoisomerase 1B (TOP1B) inhibitors have shown strong antileishmanial activity and promising selective indices, supporting the potential repurposing of these drugs.

Exposure to Tick-Borne Pathogens in Cats and Dogs Infested With in Quebec: An 8-Year Surveillance Study.

Cats that spend time outdoors and dogs are particularly at risk of exposure to ticks and the pathogens they transmit. A retrospective study on data collected through passive tick surveillance was conducted to estimate the risk of exposure to tick-borne pathogens in cats and dogs bitten by blacklegged ticks () in the province of Quebec, Canada, from 2010 to 2017. Blacklegged ticks collected from these host animals were tested by PCR for sensu stricto, , and .