Complete genome sequence of currant latent virus (genus Cheravirus, family Secoviridae).

The complete nucleotide sequences of RNA1 and RNA2 of the Holandský červený strain of currant latent virus (CuLV) were determined using next-generation sequencing. The RNA1 is predicted to encode a polyprotein 2124 amino acid long with RdRp motifs. The RNA2 is predicted to encode a polyprotein 957 amino acid long with homology to the capsid protein of apple latent spherical virus and cherry rasp leaf virus.

Global diversity and phylogeny of the Phellinus igniarius complex (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) with the description of five new species.

The Phellinus igniarius complex corresponds to Phellinus s.s., a well supported clade in the polyphyletic Phellinus s.

Comparative Genome Analysis Reveals Divergent Genome Size Evolution in a Carnivorous Plant Genus.

The C-value paradox remains incompletely resolved after >40 yr and is exemplified by 2,350-fold variation in genome sizes of flowering plants. The carnivorous Lentibulariaceae genus Genlisea, displaying a 25-fold range of genome sizes, is a promising subject to study mechanisms and consequences of evolutionary genome size variation. Applying genomic, phylogenetic, and cytogenetic approaches, we uncovered bidirectional genome size evolution within the genus Genlisea.

Holocentromeres in Rhynchospora are associated with genome-wide centromere-specific repeat arrays interspersed among euchromatin.

Holocentric chromosomes lack a primary constriction, in contrast to monocentrics. They form kinetochores distributed along almost the entire poleward surface of the chromatids, to which spindle fibers attach. No centromere-specific DNA sequence has been found for any holocentric organism studied so far.

Centromere and telomere sequence alterations reflect the rapid genome evolution within the carnivorous plant genus Genlisea.

Linear chromosomes of eukaryotic organisms invariably possess centromeres and telomeres to ensure proper chromosome segregation during nuclear divisions and to protect the chromosome ends from deterioration and fusion, respectively. While centromeric sequences may differ between species, with arrays of tandemly repeated sequences and retrotransposons being the most abundant sequence types in plant centromeres, telomeric sequences are usually highly conserved among plants and other organisms. The genome size of the carnivorous genus Genlisea (Lentibulariaceae) is highly variable.

Fundamental Roles of the Golgi-Associated Toxoplasma Aspartyl Protease, ASP5, at the Host-Parasite Interface.

Toxoplasma gondii possesses sets of dense granule proteins (GRAs) that either assemble at, or cross the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) and exhibit motifs resembling the HT/PEXEL previously identified in a repertoire of exported Plasmodium proteins. Within Plasmodium spp., cleavage of the HT/PEXEL motif by the endoplasmic reticulum-resident protease Plasmepsin V precedes trafficking to and export across the PVM of proteins involved in pathogenicity and host cell remodelling.

Regulation of the Immune Response to α-Gal and Vector-borne Diseases.

Vector-borne diseases (VBD) challenge our understanding of emerging diseases. Recently, arthropod vectors have been involved in emerging anaphylactic diseases. In particular, the immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody response to the carbohydrate Galα1-3Galβ1-(3)4GlcNAc-R (α-gal) following a tick bite was associated with allergies to red meat, cetuximab, and gelatin.

Gene expression changes in the salivary glands of Anopheles coluzzii elicited by Plasmodium berghei infection.

Background: Malaria is a devastating infectious disease caused by Plasmodium parasites transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Salivary glands are the only mosquito tissue invaded by Plasmodium sporozoites, being a key stage for the effective parasite transmission, making the study of Anopheles sialome highly relevant.

Methods: RNA-sequencing was used to compare differential gene expression in salivary glands of uninfected and Plasmodium berghei-infected Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes.

Identification and Characterization of Anaplasma phagocytophilum Proteins Involved in Infection of the Tick Vector, Ixodes scapularis.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an emerging zoonotic pathogen transmitted by Ixodes scapularis that causes human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Here, a high throughput quantitative proteomics approach was used to characterize A. phagocytophilum proteome during rickettsial multiplication and identify proteins involved in infection of the tick vector, I.

Marine bacterial community structure resilience to changes in protist predation under phytoplankton bloom conditions.

To test whether protist grazing selectively affects the composition of aquatic bacterial communities, we combined high-throughput sequencing to determine bacterial community composition with analyses of grazing rates, protist and bacterial abundances and bacterial cell sizes and physiological states in a mesocosm experiment in which nutrients were added to stimulate a phytoplankton bloom. A large variability was observed in the abundances of bacteria (from 0.7 to 2.

Tick Salivary Sialostatin L Represses the Initiation of Immune Responses by Targeting IRF4-Dependent Transcription in Murine Mast Cells.

Coevolution of ticks and the vertebrate immune system has led to the development of immunosuppressive molecules that prevent immediate response of skin-resident immune cells to quickly fend off the parasite. In this article, we demonstrate that the tick-derived immunosuppressor sialostatin L restrains IL-9 production by mast cells, whereas degranulation and IL-6 expression are both unaffected. In addition, the expression of IL-1β and IRF4 is strongly reduced in the presence of sialostatin L.

Electron Tomography Analysis of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infection in Human Neurons.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) causes serious, potentially fatal neurological infections that affect humans in endemic regions of Europe and Asia. Neurons are the primary target for TBEV infection in the central nervous system. However, knowledge about this viral infection and virus-induced neuronal injury is fragmental.

Tick sialostatins L and L2 differentially influence dendritic cell responses to Borrelia spirochetes.

Background: Transmission of pathogens by ticks is greatly supported by tick saliva released during feeding. Dendritic cells (DC) act as immunological sentinels and interconnect the innate and adaptive immune system. They control polarization of the immune response towards Th1 or Th2 phenotype.

Biomass and abundance biases in European standard gillnet sampling.

The European Standard EN 14757 recommends gillnet mesh sizes that range from 5 to 55mm (knot-to-knot) for the standard monitoring of fish assemblages and suggests adding gillnets with larger mesh sizes if necessary. Our research showed that the recommended range of mesh sizes did not provide a representative picture of fish sizes for larger species that commonly occur in continental Europe. We developed a novel, large mesh gillnet which consists of mesh sizes 70, 90, 110 and 135mm (knot to knot, 10m panels) and assessed its added value for monitoring purposes.

Highly divergent 18S rRNA gene paralogs in a Cryptosporidium genotype from eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus).

Cryptosporidium is an apicomplexan parasite that causes the disease cryptosporidiosis in humans, livestock, and other vertebrates. Much of the knowledge on Cryptosporidium diversity is derived from 18S rRNA gene (18S rDNA) phylogenies. Eukaryote genomes generally have multiple 18S rDNA copies that evolve in concert, which is necessary for the accurate inference of phylogenetic relationships.

Centromeres Off the Hook: Massive Changes in Centromere Size and Structure Following Duplication of CenH3 Gene in Fabeae Species.

In most eukaryotes, centromere is determined by the presence of the centromere-specific histone variant CenH3. Two types of chromosome morphology are generally recognized with respect to centromere organization. Monocentric chromosomes possess a single CenH3-containing domain in primary constriction, whereas holocentric chromosomes lack the primary constriction and display dispersed distribution of CenH3.

Ixodes ricinus salivary serpin IRS-2 affects Th17 differentiation via inhibition of the interleukin-6/STAT-3 signaling pathway.

Th17 cells constitute a subset of CD4(+) T lymphocytes that play a crucial role in protection against extracellular bacteria and fungi. They are also associated with tissue injury in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here, we report that serpin from the tick Ixodes ricinus, IRS-2, inhibits Th17 differentiation by impairment of the interleukin-6 (IL-6)/STAT-3 signaling pathway.

Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) spp. (Nematoda: Camallanidae) from fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana, including P. (S.) serranochromis n. sp. parasitic in Serranochromis spp. (Cichlidae).

Three species of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) Baylis, 1923 (Camallanidae) (Nematoda: Camallanidae) were found in the digestive tract of freshwater fishes from the Okavango River, Botswana, i.e. P.

Procamallanus (Procamallanus) spp. (Nematoda: Camallanidae) in fishes of the Okavango River, Botswana, including the description of P. (P.) pseudolaeviconchus n. sp. parasitic in Clarias spp. (Clariidae) from Botswana and Egypt.

Parasitological dissections of fishes from the Okavango River, Botswana, revealed the presence of nematodes of the subgenus Procamallanus (Procamallanus) Baylis, 1923 in five fish species belonging to three different families. Based on light and scanning electron microscopical examinations, they proved to represent one previously known and one new species, i.e.

Two gonad-infecting species of Philometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) from marine fishes off the northern coast of Australia.

Two different gonad-infecting species of Philometra Costa, 1845 were collected from the ovary of marine perciform fishes, the blackspotted croaker Protonibea diacanthus (Sciaenidae) and the John's snapper Lutjanus johnii (Lutjanidae), from off the northern coast of Australia. Nematodes (males and females) from P. diacanthus represent a new taxon, Philometra protonibeae n.

Transferable antibiotic resistance plasmids from biogas plant digestates often belong to the IncP-1ε subgroup.

Manure is known to contain residues of antibiotics administered to farm animals as well as bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). These genes are often located on mobile genetic elements. In biogas plants (BGPs), organic substrates such as manure and plant material are mixed and fermented in order to provide energy, and resulting digestates are used for soil fertilization.

Microsporidia and Cryptosporidium in horses and donkeys in Algeria: detection of a novel Cryptosporidium hominis subtype family (Ik) in a horse.

A total of 219 and 124 individual fecal samples of horses and donkeys, respectively, were screened for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp., Encephalitozoon spp., and Enterocytozoon bieneusi DNA by genus-specific nested PCR.

Determination of factors associated with natural soil suppressivity to potato common scab.

Common scab of potatoes is a disease, which is difficult to manage due to complex interactions of the pathogenic bacteria (Streptomyces spp.) with soil, microbial community and potato plants. In Bohemian-Moravian Highlands in the Czech Republic two sites (Vyklantice and Zdirec) were selected for a study of common scab disease suppressivity.

Avian schistosomes and outbreaks of cercarial dermatitis.

Cercarial dermatitis (swimmer's itch) is a condition caused by infective larvae (cercariae) of a species-rich group of mammalian and avian schistosomes. Over the last decade, it has been reported in areas that previously had few or no cases of dermatitis and is thus considered an emerging disease. It is obvious that avian schistosomes are responsible for the majority of reported dermatitis outbreaks around the world, and thus they are the primary focus of this review.

A re-assessment of species diversity within the 'revolutum' group of Echinostoma Rudolphi, 1809 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) in Europe.

Species of Echinostoma Rudolphi, 1809 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) belonging to the 'revolutum' species complex were re-examined based on material gathered in an extensive sampling programme in eight countries in Europe. The morphology of the life-cycle stages was studied in naturally and experimentally infected snail and bird hosts. A review, with an updated synonymy, is presented for six European species, including one new to science, i.