Universal Tick Vaccines: Candidates and Remaining Challenges.

Recent advancements in molecular biology, particularly regarding massively parallel sequencing technologies, have enabled scientists to gain more insight into the physiology of ticks. While there has been progress in identifying tick proteins and the pathways they are involved in, the specificities of tick-host interaction at the molecular level are not yet fully understood. Indeed, the development of effective commercial tick vaccines has been slower than expected.

A new genotype of bovine leukemia virus in South America identified by NGS-based whole genome sequencing and molecular evolutionary genetic analysis.

Background: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a member of retroviridae family, together with human T cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and -2) belonging to the genes deltaretrovirus, and infects cattle worldwide. Previous studies have classified the env sequences of BLV provirus from different geographic locations into eight genetic groups. To investigate the genetic variability of BLV in South America, we performed phylogenetic analyses of whole genome and partial env gp51 sequences of BLV strains isolated from Peru, Paraguay and Bolivia, for which no the molecular characteristics of BLV have previously been published, and discovered a novel BLV genotype, genotype-9, in Bolivia.

Detection and molecular characterization of bovine leukemia virus in Philippine cattle.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is the etiological agent of enzootic bovine leukosis, which is the most common neoplastic disease of cattle. BLV infects cattle worldwide, imposing a severe economic impact on the dairy cattle industry. However, there are no comprehensive studies on the distribution of BLV in the Philippines, and the genetic characteristics of Philippine BLV strains are unknown.

Isolation, cloning, and pathologic analysis of Trypanosoma evansi field isolates.

In recent years, the emergence of highly pathogenic Trypanosoma evansi strains in the Philippines has resulted in substantial losses in livestock production. In this study, we isolated T. evansi from infected-water buffaloes in the Philippines and analyzed their virulence using mice and cattle.

Characterization of Meq proteins from field isolates of Marek's disease virus in Japan.

Serotype 1 strains of Marek's disease virus (MDV-1) cause malignant lymphomas in chickens (Marek's disease; MD). Although MD has been controlled by vaccination, field isolates of MDV-1 have tended to increase in virulence and cause MD even in vaccinated chickens. Meq, a putative MDV-1 oncoprotein, resembles the Jun/Fos family of basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors and can regulate the expression of viral and cellular genes as a homodimer or as a heterodimer with a variety of bZIP family proteins.

Characterization of bovine MHC DRB3 diversity in Latin American Creole cattle breeds.

In cattle, bovine leukocyte antigens (BoLAs) have been extensively used as markers for diseases and immunological traits. However, none of the highly adapted Latin American Creole breeds have been characterized for BoLA gene polymorphism by high resolution typing methods. In this work, we sequenced exon 2 of the BoLA class II DRB3 gene from 179 cattle (113 Bolivian Yacumeño cattle and 66 Colombian Hartón del Valle cattle breeds) using a polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) method.

Enhanced expression of LAG-3 on lymphocyte subpopulations from persistently lymphocytotic cattle infected with bovine leukemia virus.

An immunoinhibitory receptor, lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), which is mainly expressed in T-cells, is involved in the immune evasion of several pathogens causing chronic infections and tumors. However, unlike human or mouse LAG-3, no functional analysis of LAG-3 has been reported in domestic animals. Thus, in this study, bovine LAG-3 expression was analyzed in bovine leukemia virus (BLV)-infected cattle.

Effects of interferon-tau on cattle persistently infected with bovine viral diarrhea virus.

In this study, the antiviral effects of bovine interferon-tau (boIFN-tau) on bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) were examined in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro experiments, the replication of cytopathic and non-cytopathic BVDV was inhibited in the bovine cells treated with boIFN-tau. The replication of BVDV was completely suppressed by boIFN-tau at a concentration higher than 10(2) U/ml.

Increased bovine Tim-3 and its ligand expressions during bovine leukemia virus infection.

The immunoinhibitory receptor T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain-3 (Tim-3) and its ligand, galectin-9 (Gal-9), are involved in the immune evasion mechanisms for several pathogens causing chronic infections. However, there is no report concerning the role of Tim-3 in diseases of domestic animals. In this study, cDNA encoding for bovine Tim-3 and Gal-9 were cloned and sequenced, and their expression and role in immune reactivation were analyzed in bovine leukemia virus (BLV)-infected cattle.

Molecular cloning of bovine lymphocyte activation gene-3 and its expression characteristics in bovine leukemia virus-infected cattle.

Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II binding CD4 homologue has recently been shown as one of the mechanisms for down-regulating immune responses during chronic disease progression. For the first time, we cloned LAG-3 from two breeds of cattle (Holstein and Japanese Black), and analyzed its expression levels in cattle infected with bovine leukemia virus (BLV), a chronic viral infection that leads to immuno-suppression. The cloned cDNA of bovine LAG-3 have an open reading frame of 1551 nucleotides, encoding a polypeptide of 515 amino acids in length.

Increase of cells expressing PD-L1 in bovine leukemia virus infection and enhancement of anti-viral immune responses in vitro via PD-L1 blockade.

The inhibitory receptor programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) are involved in immune evasion mechanisms for several pathogens causing chronic infections. Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway restores anti-virus immune responses, with concomitant reduction in viral load. In a previous report, we showed that, in bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection, the expression of bovine PD-1 is closely associated with disease progression.

Analysis of transcriptional activities of the Meq proteins present in highly virulent Marek's disease virus strains, RB1B and Md5.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) is an oncogenic herpesvirus that causes malignant lymphomas in chickens. Recent field isolates of MDV have tended to exhibit increasing virulence, and MDV strains are currently classified into four categories based on their relative virulence. Meq, a putative MDV oncoprotein, resembles the Jun/Fos family of basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors and can regulate the expression of viral and cellular genes as a homodimer or as a heterodimer with a variety of bZIP family proteins.

Molecular detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in cattle and Ixodes persulcatus ticks.

The tick-borne pathogen, Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum), the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), is increasingly becoming a public health concern as an aetiological agent for emerging infectious disease. We found A.

Molecular identification and expression analysis of lipocalins from blood feeding taiga tick, Ixodes persulcatus Schulze.

Lipocalins have been known for their several biological activities in blood-sucking arthropods. Recently, the identification and characterization of lipocalins from Ixodes ricinus (LIRs) have been reported and functions of lipocalins are well documented. In this study, we have characterized four Ixodes persulcatus lipocalins that were discovered while analyzing I.

Genetic analysis and development of species-specific PCR assays based on ITS-1 region of rRNA in bovine Eimeria parasites.

At present, morphological characteristics of oocyst is the only achievable method for the identification of bovine coccidia to the species level. In this study, the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) region of ribosomal RNA genes of six bovine Eimeria species; E. alabamensis, E.

Cross immunity with Haemaphysalis longicornis glutathione S-transferase reduces an experimental Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus infestation.

Recombinant Glutathione S-transferase of Haemaphysalis longicornis (rGST-Hl) was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified by affinity chromatography and used in the immunization of cattle. Western blot analysis showed positive antibody response in cattle immunized with rGST-Hl. The tests also showed that immunized bovine sera recognize native Rhipicephalus microplus proteins in different tissue extracts.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of bovine programmed death-1.

Recent work has shown that PD-1, an immune inhibitory receptor, is involved in mechanisms for down-regulating immune responses during tumor progression or chronic viral infection. However, in the case of bovine diseases, there have been no reports on this molecule due to lack of information about bovine PD-1. In this study, we performed identification and preliminary characterization of the bovine PD-1 gene in two breeds of cattle.

Cytokine profiles in chickens infected with virulent and avirulent Marek's disease viruses: interferon-gamma is a key factor in the protection of Marek's disease by vaccination.

Marek's disease has been controlled byvaccination with avirulent strains of MDV. However, the protection mechanism following vaccination is not fully understood. In this study immune responses of PBMC and splenocytes derived from vaccinated chickens challenged with virulent MDV were examined using real-time PCR and ELISA.

Cloning and characterization of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus voraxinalpha and its effect as anti-tick vaccine.

Male tick-derived voraxinalpha and voraxinbeta, a pair of testicular proteins, are transferred to female via copulation to stimulate female blood feeding in the tick Amblyomma hebraeum (A. hebraeum). Immunized animals with recombinant (r-)voraxinalpha and voraxinbeta have been shown as highly resistant to the tick infestation.

Molecular detection of trypanosomes in cattle in South America and genetic diversity of Trypanosoma evansi based on expression-site-associated gene 6.

In South American countries, trypanosomiasis as a result of Trypanosoma evansi and Trypanosoma vivax infections causes significant economic losses in livestock. The objectives of this study were to characterize the epidemiology of bovine trypanosomiasis in South America and to draw a comparison between South American and Asian T. evansi isolates based on the polymorphisms in their transferrin receptor encoding gene 6.

Comparative immunogenicity of Haemaphysalis longicornis and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus calreticulins.

The ticks Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and Haemaphysalis longicornis are blood-sucking ectoparasites of bovines, causing serious damages to the livestock production. The main control method for these ticks is based on acaricides. However, the use of vaccines has been studied as a promising control strategy.

Microarray analysis of host immune responses to Marek's disease virus infection in vaccinated chickens.

Marek's disease (MD) is a commercially important disease of chickens caused by MD virus (MDV). Although avirulent MDV strains have been used for vaccination to prevent MD outbreaks, the protective mechanism of the vaccine has not been elucidated. In this study, a comprehensive transcriptional analysis using microarray was conducted in MDV-infected chickens with and without vaccination at 7 and 21 days post-infection (dpi).

Development and application of a quantitative real-time PCR for the diagnosis of Surra in water buffaloes.

Trypanosoma evansi (T. evansi) causes the disease called Surra in domestic animals, which is of great economic importance in South Asian countries. In order to improve the diagnosis of Surra, we endeavored to develop a real-time PCR assay for the detection and quantification of parasites in water buffaloes using specific primers for the T.

Classification of new BVDV isolates from Philippine water buffalo using the viral E2 region.

Characterization of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) isolates has been focused of several studies this last decade. Until now lots of new strains are being unfolded maybe due to the viral fast mutation ability. As we focused our research on water buffalo immunology, we were able to identify a probable new BVDV isolates.