Background: Trypanosomosis or Surra, caused by the flagellated hemoprotozoan parasite Trypanosoma evansi, is a disease of economic importance through its wide prevalence in domestic livestock in tropical countries. In the absence of a protective vaccine, management of the disease relies on a few available chemotherapeutic agents. Although humoral immunity is the mainstay of resistance to T. evansi, the ability of the parasite to vary its immunodominant surface proteins to subvert the immune system has forced vaccine efforts to target a variety of invariant epitopes. Beta tubulin, an integral component of the trypanosome cytoskeleton, was therefore targeted using the recombinant form of the protein for immunization.
Methods: The 1329 bp coding sequence of beta tubulin gene was PCR amplified and cloned in pQE-TriSystem expression vector. Recombinant beta tubulin was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli as a 46 KDa fusion protein and used for immunization of mice. The Ig response was studied by ELISA, whereas the cytokine response was measured using a cytometric bead-based assay quantified by flow cytometry.
Result: Immunization with recombinant beta (β)-tubulin protein induced a beta-tubulin specific humoral immune response of predominantly IgG2a isotype. Lethal challenge with T. evansi blood-form trypomastigotes post-immunization elicited a robust anamnestic response. An abundance of IFN-γ further confirmed the Th-1 bias of the protective response. We also observed extended survival and better control of the challenge infection in the immunized mice.
Conclusions: A robust anamnestic response following challenge including a Th-1 serum cytokine profile coupled with increased survival is indicative of protective immunity in the immunized mice. These observations suggest that β-tubulin of T. evansi is a viable antigenic target for development of a vaccine against this important livestock pathogen.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-1189-3 | DOI Listing |
Plant Dis
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Xuchang, China;
Tobacco ( L.) is an economically important crop in China. In April 2024, field tobacco (cv.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Dis
January 2025
Auburn University, Horticulture, Auburn, Alabama, United States;
Botryosphaeria stem blight is a fungal disease of blueberry caused by members of the Botryosphaeriaceae family, which can lead to rapid wilting of leaves and stems, often resulting in significant yield loss and even plant death. Botryosphaeria stem blight is a major disease in Alabama, however, information on the distribution and causal pathogens for stem blight in Alabama is limited. This study surveyed blueberry farms in Alabama and nearby parts of Georgia and Mississippi to reveal the occurrence, species identities, and virulence of causal pathogens for Botryosphaeria stem blight.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Mol Life Sci
December 2024
Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea.
Over the past few decades, microtubules have been targeted by various anticancer drugs, including paclitaxel and eribulin. Despite their promising effects, the development of drug resistance remains a challenge. We aimed to define a novel cell death mechanism that targets microtubules using eribulin and to assess its potential in overcoming eribulin resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Ecophysiology, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg 35043, Germany.
In most bacteria, cell division depends on the tubulin-homolog FtsZ that polymerizes in a GTP-dependent manner to form the cytokinetic Z-ring at the future division site. Subsequently, the Z-ring recruits, directly or indirectly, all other proteins of the divisome complex that executes cytokinesis. A critical step in this process is the precise positioning of the Z-ring at the future division site.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
December 2024
Department of Herbal and Animal Production, Kırıkkale Vocational School, Kırıkkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
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