Publications by authors named "Sakthivel Dhanasekaran"
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented global demand for in vitro diagnostic reagents. Supply shortages and hoarding have impacted testing capacity which has led to inefficient COVID-19 case identification and transmission control, predominantly in developing countries. Traditionally, RNA extraction is a prerequisite for conducting SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT); however, simplified methods of sample processing have been successful at bypassing typical nucleic acid extraction steps, enabling extraction-free SARS-CoV-2 NAAT workflows.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGalectin-11 (LGALS-11) and galectin-14 (LGALS-14) are ruminant specific galectins, first reported in sheep. Although their roles in parasite immunity are still being elucidated, it appears that they influence protection against parasites. In gastrointestinal infections with the nematode Haemonchus contortus, both galectin-11 and galectin-14 appear to be protective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a recently emerged and highly contagious virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of August 24, 2021, there were more than 212 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 4.4 million deaths reported globally.
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- Galectins are glycan-binding proteins essential for various cellular functions, especially in immune and inflammatory responses.
- Galectin-11 (LGALS-11) is specifically linked to combatting gastrointestinal nematodes in animals and has shown to hinder the growth of these parasites.
- The study identifies two genetic variants of LGALS-11 in sheep, highlighting differences in their anti-parasitic abilities related to dimerization, which could inform selective breeding for parasite resistance.
Our understanding of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), its clinical manifestations, and treatment options continues to evolve at an unparalleled pace. This review sought to summarize the key literature regarding transmission, case definitions, clinical management, and the burden of COVID-19. Our review of the literature showed that SARS-CoV-2 was mainly transmitted via inhalation of respiratory droplets containing the virus and had a mean incubation period of 4-6 days.
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- Fasciola hepatica is a parasitic trematode that impacts livestock and humans, causing disease and economic loss, with increasing resistance to current treatments.
- The study focuses on the interaction of two glycan-binding proteins, LGALS-11 and LGALS-14, with F. hepatica proteins, revealing novel insights into potential vaccine candidates.
- LGALS-14 identified a larger number of interacting proteins than LGALS-11, including previously tested vaccine candidates, indicating its significance in understanding host-parasite dynamics.
is the most pathogenic nematode of small ruminants. Infection in sheep and goats results in anaemia that decreases animal productivity and can ultimately cause death. The involvement of ruminant-specific galectin-11 (LGALS-11) and galectin-14 (LGALS-14) has been postulated to play important roles in protective immune responses against parasitic infection; however, their ligands are unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCloning, expression, purification and crystallographic studies of galectin-11 from domestic sheep (Ovis aries).
Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun
August 2015
Article Synopsis
- Galectins are proteins that help cells respond to sugar molecules, with galectin-11 being a specific type found only in ruminants like sheep, goats, and cattle.
- Galectin-11 is vital for critical biological functions such as reproduction and immune responses against parasites, which are essential for sustainable livestock production.
- This study details the process of expressing, purifying, and crystallizing galectin-11 from domestic sheep, achieving high-resolution X-ray data to better understand its structure and function.
Ovine rinderpest or goat plague is an economically important and contagious viral disease of sheep and goats, caused by the Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV). Differences in susceptibility to goat plague among different breeds and water buffalo exist. The host innate immune system discriminates between pathogen associated molecular patterns and self antigens through surveillance receptors known as Toll like receptors (TLR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The present study was carried out to identify and assess the expression levels of toll-like receptors (TLRs) 1-10 mRNA in corneal epithelial cells of buffalo, goat, sheep and bull.
Materials And Methods: The globes from the respective species were collected and the corneal epithelium was denuded. The expression levels of the different TLR mRNAs were assessed by densitometry of the band intensities following reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).