Establishment of the auxin inducible degron system for Babesia duncani: a conditional knockdown tool to study precise protein regulation in Babesia spp.

Background: Babesia duncani is a pathogen within the phylum Apicomplexa that causes human babesiosis. It poses a significant threat to public health, as it can be transmitted not only through tick bites but also via blood transfusion. Consequently, an understanding of the gene functions of this pathogen is necessary for the development of drugs and vaccines.

Transfection of : A Genetic Toolbox of this Pathogen to Advance Biology.

Human babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by pathogens. The disease, which presents with malaria-like symptoms, can be life-threatening, especially in individuals with weakened immune systems and the elderly. The worldwide prevalence of human babesiosis has been gradually rising, prompting alarm among public health experts.

Pyruvate Kinase Inhibitor Screening and Identification of Key Active Amino Acid Residues.

(), a protozoan parasite prevalent in North America, is a significant threat for human health. Given the regulatory role of pyruvate kinase I (PyK I) in glycolytic metabolism flux and ATP generation, PyK I has been considered the target for drug intervention for a long time. In this study, PyK I (BdPyK I) was successfully cloned, expressed, and purified.

Alamandine attenuates ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis by promoting osteogenic differentiation via AMPK/eNOS axis.

Background: Alamandine is a newly characterized peptide of renin angiotensin system. Our study aims to investigate the osteo-preservative effects of alamandine, explore underlying mechanism and bring a potential preventive strategy for postmenopausal osteoporosis in the future.

Methods: An ovariectomy (OVX)-induced rat osteoporosis model was established for in vivo experiments.

Continuous In Vitro Culture of in a Serum-Free Medium.

Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease, caused by haemoprotozoa genus of . Cases of transfusion-transmitted and naturally acquired infection have been reported worldwide in recent years and causing a serious public health problem. is one of the important pathogens of human babesiosis, which seriously endangers human health.

Infection Inhibits Melanoma Growth by Activating Macrophages in Mice.

is an obligate intraerythrocytic protozoan transmitted by tick. Infections caused by protozoa, including and , are shown to inhibit tumor development by activating immune responses. Th1 immune response and macrophages not only are essential key factors in infection control but also play an important role in regulating tumor development.

Establishment of a Transient and Stable Transfection System for Using a Homologous Recombination Strategy.

Genetic modification provides an invaluable molecular tool to dissect the biology and pathogenesis of pathogens. However, no report is available about the genetic modification of , a pathogen responsible for human babesiosis that is widespread in North America, suggesting the necessity to develop a genetic manipulation method to improve the strategies for studying and understanding the biology of protozoan pathogens. The establishment of a genetic modification method requires promoters, selectable markers, and reporter genes.

The Structural Basis of Lactate Dehydrogenase.

Glycolytic enzymes play a crucial role in the anaerobic glycolysis of apicomplexan parasites for energy generation. Consequently, they are considered as potential targets for new drug development. Previous studies revealed that lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a glycolytic enzyme, is a potential drug target in different parasites, such as , , , and .

Identification of a novel variant erythrocyte surface antigen-1 (VESA1) in Babesia orientalis.

Babesia orientalis, belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, is mainly accountable for water buffalo babesiosis, which adversely affected the livestock industry in China. Variant erythrocyte surface antigen-1 (VESA1), an antigen that helps infected erythrocytes to escape from host immune responses, was first reported in Babesia bovis. Various VESA1 proteins have also been characterized in other Babesia species.