Changes in Bacterial Gut Composition in Parkinson's Disease and Their Metabolic Contribution to Disease Development: A Gut Community Reconstruction Approach.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease with the major symptoms comprising loss of movement coordination (motor dysfunction) and non-motor dysfunction, including gastrointestinal symptoms. Alterations in the gut microbiota composition have been reported in PD patients vs. controls.

Cell Traversal Protein for Ookinetes and Sporozoites (CelTOS) Functionally Restricted Regions Are Involved in Specific Host-Pathogen Interactions.

Following the injection of sporozoites by a female mosquito into the dermis, they become engaged on a long journey to hepatic tissue where they must migrate through different types of cell to become established in parasitophorous vacuoles in hepatocytes. Studies have shown that proteins such as cell traversal protein for ookinetes and sporozoites (CelTOS) play a crucial role in cell-traversal ability. Although CelTOS has been extensively studied in various species and included in pre-clinical assays it remains unknown which CelTOS (CelTOS) regions are key in its interaction with traversed or target cells (Kupffer or hepatocytes) and what type of pressure, association and polymorphism these important regions could have to improve their candidacy as important vaccine antigens.

Evidence of functional divergence in MSP7 paralogous proteins: a molecular-evolutionary and phylogenetic analysis.

Background: The merozoite surface protein 7 (MSP7) is a Plasmodium protein which is involved in parasite invasion; the gene encoding it belongs to a multigene family. It has been proposed that MSP7 paralogues seem to be functionally redundant; however, recent experiments have suggested that they could have different roles.

Results: The msp7 multigene family has been described in newly available Plasmodium genomes; phylogenetic relationships were established in 12 species by using different molecular evolutionary approaches for assessing functional divergence amongst MSP7 members.

Inferring natural selection signals in Plasmodium vivax-encoded proteins having a potential role in merozoite invasion.

Detecting natural selection signals in Plasmodium parasites antigens might be used for identifying potential new vaccine candidates. Fifty-nine Plasmodium vivax-Sal-I genes encoding proteins having a potential role in invasion were used as query for identifying them in recent P. vivax strain genome sequences and two closely-related Plasmodium species.

Heterogeneous genetic diversity pattern in Plasmodium vivax genes encoding merozoite surface proteins (MSP) -7E, -7F and -7L.

Background: The msp-7 gene has become differentially expanded in the Plasmodium genus; Plasmodium vivax has the highest copy number of this gene, several of which encode antigenic proteins in merozoites.

Methods: DNA sequences from thirty-six Colombian clinical isolates from P. vivax (pv) msp-7E, -7F and -7L genes were analysed for characterizing and studying the genetic diversity of these pvmsp-7 members which are expressed during the intra-erythrocyte stage; natural selection signals producing the variation pattern so observed were evaluated.

Low genetic diversity in the locus encoding the Plasmodium vivax P41 protein in Colombia's parasite population.

Background: The development of malaria vaccine has been hindered by the allele-specific responses produced by some parasite antigens' high genetic diversity. Such antigen genetic diversity must thus be evaluated when designing a completely effective vaccine. Plasmodium falciparum P12, P38 and P41 proteins have red blood cell binding regions in the s48/45 domains and are located on merozoite surface, P41 forming a heteroduplex with P12.

Low genetic diversity and functional constraint in loci encoding Plasmodium vivax P12 and P38 proteins in the Colombian population.

Background: Plasmodium vivax is one of the five species causing malaria in human beings, affecting around 391 million people annually. The development of an anti-malarial vaccine has been proposed as an alternative for controlling this disease. However, its development has been hampered by allele-specific responses produced by the high genetic diversity shown by some parasite antigens.

Genetic diversity and selection in three Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 7 (Pvmsp-7) genes in a Colombian population.

A completely effective vaccine for malaria (one of the major infectious diseases worldwide) is not yet available; different membrane proteins involved in parasite-host interactions have been proposed as candidates for designing it. It has been found that proteins encoded by the merozoite surface protein (msp)-7 multigene family are antibody targets in natural infection; the nucleotide diversity of three Pvmsp-7 genes was thus analyzed in a Colombian parasite population. By contrast with P.