| emerging vector-borne diseases in dromedaries in tunisia: west nile, bluetongue, epizootic haemorrhagic disease and rift valley fever. | a total of 118 sera were collected during 2016 from two groups of dromedaries from kebili and medenine governorates in the south of tunisia. the aim of this study was to provide the first serological investigation of four emerging vector-borne diseases in two groups of dromedaries in tunisia. sera were tested by elisa and serum neutralisation test to identify west nile virus (wnv), bluetongue virus (btv), epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (ehdv) and rift valley fever virus (rvfv). in the firs ... | 2017 | 28397519 |
| identification of risk factors for primary mers-cov infection in camel workers in qatar, 2013 - 2014; a case-control study. | the transmission routes and risk factors for zoonotic mers-cov infections are still unknown. we used the who questionnaire for mers-cov case-control studies to assess risk factors for human mers-cov seropositivity at a farm complex in qatar. nine camel workers with mers-cov antibodies and 43 workers without antibodies were included. some camel-related activities may pose a higher risk of mers-cov infection, as well as cross-border movements of camels, poor hand hygiene and overnight hospital sta ... | 2017 | 28387845 |
| risk factors for mers coronavirus infection in dromedary camels in burkina faso, ethiopia, and morocco, 2015. | understanding middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) transmission in dromedary camels is important, as they consitute a source of zoonotic infection to humans. to identify risk factors for mers-cov infection in camels bred in diverse conditions in burkina faso, ethiopia and morocco, blood samples and nasal swabs were sampled in february-march 2015. a relatively high mers-cov rna rate was detected in ethiopia (up to 15.7%; 95% confidence interval (ci): 8.2-28.0), followed by burk ... | 2017 | 28382915 |
| daily rhythms of behavioral and hormonal patterns in male dromedary camels housed in boxes. | daily rhythmicity has been observed for a number of hormonal and behavioral variables in mammals. it can be entrained by several external factors, such as light-dark cycle and scheduled feeding. in dromedary camels, daily rhythmicity has been documented only for melatonin secretion and body temperature. in this study, the daily rhythmicity of behavioral repertoire, cortisol and testosterone levels was investigated in captive male camels. | 2017 | 28367365 |
| scrotal granulomatous aspergillosis in a dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius). | this report describes a case of primary subcutaneous aspergillosis in a 7-year-old neutered male dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius). | 2017 | 28356153 |
| proteomic profiling comparing the effects of different heat treatments on camel (camelus dromedarius) milk whey proteins. | camel milk is consumed in the middle east because of its high nutritional value. traditional heating methods and the duration of heating affect the protein content and nutritional quality of the milk. we examined the denaturation of whey proteins in camel milk by assessing the effects of temperature on the whey protein profile at room temperature (rt), moderate heating at 63 °c, and at 98 °c, for 1 h. the qualitative and quantitative variations in the whey proteins before and after heat treatmen ... | 2017 | 28350354 |
| cross-sectional surveillance of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) in dromedary camels and other mammals in egypt, august 2015 to january 2016. | a cross-sectional study was conducted in egypt to determine the prevalence of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) in imported and resident camels and bats, as well as to assess possible transmission of the virus to domestic ruminants and equines. a total of 1,031 sera, 1,078 nasal swabs, 13 rectal swabs, and 38 milk samples were collected from 1,078 camels in different types of sites. in addition, 145 domestic animals and 109 bats were sampled. overall, of 1,031 serologically ... | 2017 | 28333616 |
| immunogenicity of candidate mers-cov dna vaccines based on the spike protein. | mers-coronavirus is a novel zoonotic pathogen which spread rapidly to >25 countries since 2012. its apparent endemicity and the wide spread of its reservoir host (dromedary camels) in the arabian peninsula highlight the ongoing public health threat of this virus. therefore, development of effective prophylactic vaccine needs to be urgently explored given that there are no approved prophylactics or therapeutics for humans or animals to date. different vaccine candidates have been investigated but ... | 2017 | 28332568 |
| n-terminal chemical protein labeling using the naturally split gos-terl intein. | chemoselective and regioselective chemical protein labeling is of great importance, yet no current technique is sufficiently general and simple to perform. protein trans-splicing by split inteins can be used to ligate short tags with chemical labels to either the n or the c terminus of a protein. the cystag approach exploits split intein fragments without a cysteine fused with such a short tag containing a single cysteine that is easily amenable to selective modification using classical cysteine ... | 2017 | 28332258 |
| microscopic and molecular detection of camel piroplasmosis in gadarif state, sudan. | the socioeconomic importance of camels (camelus dromedarius) could not be neglected in the sudan. the present study was planned to confirm the presence of piroplasmosis in camels from the eastern region of the sudan (gedarif state) using microscopical (blood film) and molecular technique (pcr). a total of 55 camels of different sexes (34 females and 21 males) were sampled from four localities of the state between january 2011 and january 2012. the prevalence rates using parasitological and molec ... | 2017 | 28293445 |
| polydactyly suggesting local husbandry of pre-columbian camelids: a case from castillo de huarmey archaeological site, northern coast of peru. | three camelid metapodials with polydactyly (additional digits) were found at the wari culture archaeological site (dated to the middle horizon) of castillo de huarmey. the anomalous bones were excavated among numerous remains, and presumably represent animals that were sacrificed within the principal mortuary mausoleum. the bones derive from at least two individuals. the etiology of the deformities remains unknown, but the most probable causes include low genetic diversity in the herd or uninten ... | 2017 | 28290309 |
| a semi-empirical glycosylation model of a camelid monoclonal antibody under hypothermia cell culture conditions. | the impact of cell culture environment on the glycan distribution of a monoclonal antibody (mab) has been investigated through a combination of experiments and modeling. a newly developed cho duxb cell line was cultivated at two levels of initial glutamine (gln) concentrations (0, 4 mm) and incubation temperatures of (33 and 37 °c) in batch operation mode. hypothermia was applied either through the entire culture duration or only during the post-exponential phase. beyond reducing cell growth and ... | 2017 | 28285402 |
| a frameshift mutation in kit is associated with white spotting in the arabian camel. | while the typical arabian camel is characterized by a single colored coat, there are rare populations with white spotting patterns. white spotting coat patterns are found in virtually all domesticated species, but are rare in wild species. theories suggest that white spotting is linked to the domestication process, and is occasionally associated with health disorders. though mutations have been found in a diverse array of species, fewer than 30 genes have been associated with spotting patterns, ... | 2017 | 28282952 |
| single domain antibodies for the knockdown of cytosolic and nuclear proteins. | single domain antibodies (sdabs) from camels or sharks comprise only the variable heavy chain domain. human sdabs comprise the variable domain of the heavy chain (vh) or light chain (vl) and can be selected from human antibodies. sdabs are stable, nonaggregating molecules in vitro and in vivo compared to complete antibodies and scfv fragments. they are excellent novel inhibitors of cytosolic/nuclear proteins because they are correctly folded inside the cytosol in contrast to scfv fragments. sdab ... | 2017 | 28271570 |
| middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus: review of the current situation in the world. | this article reviews the current epidemiology and clinical presentation of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) infection and describes the preparedness plan of several countries. the mers-cov was first reported in 2012 and has since infected more than 1600 patients in 26 countries, mostly in saudi arabia and the middle east. the epidemiology of the infection is compatible with multiple introductions of the virus into humans from an animal reservoir, probably dromedary camels. ... | 2016 | 28265443 |
| (1)h, (13)c and (15)n backbone chemical shift assignments of camelid single-domain antibodies against active state µ-opioid receptor. | nanobodies are single chain antibodies that have become a highly valuable and versatile tool for biomolecular and therapeutic research. one application field is the stabilization of active states of flexible proteins, among which g-protein coupled receptors represent a very important class of membrane proteins. here we present the backbone and side-chain assignment of the (1)h, (13)c and (15)n resonances of nb33 and nb39, two nanobodies that recognize and stabilize the µ-opioid receptor to opioi ... | 2017 | 28239762 |
| developmental competence of dromedary camel oocytes fertilized in vitro by frozen-thawed ejaculated and epididymal spermatozoa. | the present study aimed to compare the in vitro fertilizing capacity of frozen-thawed ejaculated and epididymal spermatozoa in order to standardize the semen preparation protocol for camel in vitro fertilization (ivf). semen samples were collected from 7 dromedary camels by means of artificial vagina (av). ten cauda epididymes were obtained from slaughtered adult camels, isolated, incised and rinsed for obtaining the sperm rich fluid. ejaculated and epididymal spermatozoa were processed for cryo ... | 2016 | 28224009 |
| serologic evidence for mers-cov infection in dromedary camels, punjab, pakistan, 2012-2015. | dromedary camels from africa and arabia are an established source for zoonotic middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) infection among humans. in pakistan, we found specific neutralizing antibodies in samples from 39.5% of 565 dromedaries, documenting significant expansion of the enzootic range of mers-cov to asia. | 2017 | 28221127 |
| noninvasive imaging of human immune responses in a human xenograft model of graft-versus-host disease. | the immune system plays a crucial role in many diseases. activation or suppression of immunity is often related to clinical outcome. methods to explore the dynamics of immune responses are important to elucidate their role in conditions characterized by inflammation, such as infectious disease, cancer or auto-immunity. immuno-pet is a non-invasive method by which disease and immune cell infiltration can be explored simultaneously. using radiolabeled antibodies or fragments derived from them, it ... | 2017 | 28209904 |
| middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) coronavirus and dromedaries. | middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) is a zoonotic viral disease that can be transmitted from dromedaries to human beings. more than 1500 cases of mers have been reported in human beings to date. although mers has been associated with 30% case fatality in human beings, mers coronavirus (mers-cov) infection in dromedaries is usually asymptomatic. in rare cases, dromedaries may develop mild respiratory signs. no mers-cov or antibodies against the virus have been detected in camelids other than ... | 2017 | 28190501 |
| localization of orexin b and receptor 2 for orexins in testicular cytotypes of the camelid alpaca (vicugna pacos). | the orexins a (oxa) and b (oxb) are two hypothalamic peptides involved in many physiological functions of the mammalian body. they act through the binding of two g-coupled receptors named receptor 1 (ox1 ) and receptor 2 (ox2 ) for orexins. the first receptor is specific for oxa, while the second binds both the substances with equal affinity. the orexins and the relative receptors have been traced by means of different techniques also at the periphery of the body and particularly in the adrenals ... | 2017 | 28181310 |
| the role of nucularia perrinii batt. (chenopodiaceae) in the camel-based sahrawi social-ecological system. | pastoral social-ecological systems (sess) are adaptive and complex systems rooted in the extensive exploitation of forage plants for livestock-based livelihoods and culture. there are species and relations that are foundational to the existence of these sess. nucularia perrinii batt. (chenopodiaceae) is an endemic halophyte plant of central and western sahara seldom cited in the scientific literature. the objective of this study was to investigate the role of this plant in the ses of the sahrawi ... | 2017 | 28179025 |
| the effect of some cryoprotectants on dromedary camel frozen-thawed semen. | the cryopreserved camel semen is often associated with poor quality and fertility. this study aimed to improve the dromedary frozen semen quality by comparing the efficiency of four cryoprotectant agents (cpas) on sperm freezability. semen samples were collected from seven male maghrabi camels, diluted with shotor diluent supplemented with glycerol (sh-g), dimethyl formamide (dmf, sh-df), dimethyl sulfoxide (dmso, sh-ds) or ethylene glycol (eg, sh-eg), all at 6% final concentration, and the samp ... | 2017 | 28176384 |
| maternal recognition of pregnancy and implantation are not associated with an interferon response of the endometrium to the presence of the conceptus in dromedary camel. | maternal recognition of pregnancy (mrp) and implantation involve appropriate interactions between the elongating conceptus and the receptive endometrium that will condition development of the feto-placental unit to term. molecular mechanisms that take place at the conceptus-endometrium interface during early pregnancy have been extensively investigated in domestic ungulates but they are still poorly understood in camelids including the dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius), a domestic species wi ... | 2017 | 28166983 |
| evaluation of a panel of antibodies for the immunohistochemical identification of immune cells in paraffin-embedded lymphoid tissues of new- and old-world camelids. | different species of camelids play an important role in the epidemiology of various emerging infectious diseases such as middle east respiratory syndrome. for precise investigations of the immunopathogenesis in these host species, appropriate immunohistochemical markers are highly needed in order to phenotype distinct immune cells populations in camelids. so far, specific immunohistochemical markers for camelid immune cells are rarely commercially available, and cross-reactivity studies are rest ... | 2017 | 28166931 |
| "candidatus anaplasma camelii" in one-humped camels (camelus dromedarius) in morocco: a novel and emerging anaplasma species? | there has been a growing interest in camel anaplasmosis due to its recent emergence in this reservoir species and concerns for its zoonotic potential. the epidemiology of anaplasmosis in camels therefore remains poorly understood mostly because camels belong to marginalised poor and often transhumant populations whose interests are largely neglected. most studies of anaplasmosis in camels have relied on microscopy and serology for diagnosis and only three studies, undertaken in tunisia, saudia a ... | 2017 | 28160773 |
| discovery of a junctional epitope antibody that stabilizes il-6 and gp80 protein:protein interaction and modulates its downstream signaling. | protein:protein interactions are fundamental in living organism homeostasis. here we introduce vhh6, a junctional epitope antibody capable of specifically recognizing a neo-epitope when two proteins interact, albeit transiently, to form a complex. orthogonal biophysical techniques have been used to prove the "junctional epitope" nature of vhh6, a camelid single domain antibody recognizing the il-6-gp80 complex but not the individual components alone. x-ray crystallography, hdx-ms and spr analysi ... | 2017 | 28134246 |
| joining the in vitro immunization of alpaca lymphocytes and phage display: rapid and cost effective pipeline for sdab synthesis. | camelids possess unique functional heavy chain antibodies, which can be produced and modified in vitro as a single domain antibody (sdab or nanobody) with full antigen binding ability. production of sdab in conventional manner requires active immunization of camelidae animal, which is laborious, time consuming, costly and in many cases not feasible (e.g. in case of highly toxic or infectious antigens). | 2017 | 28114943 |
| weak genetic structure in northern african dromedary camels reflects their unique evolutionary history. | knowledge on genetic diversity and structure of camel populations is fundamental for sustainable herd management and breeding program implementation in this species. here we characterized a total of 331 camels from northern africa, representative of six populations and thirteen algerian and egyptian geographic regions, using 20 str markers. the nineteen polymorphic loci displayed an average of 9.79 ± 5.31 alleles, ranging from 2 (cvrl8) to 24 (cvrl1d). average he was 0.647 ± 0.173. eleven loci d ... | 2017 | 28103238 |
| outbreak of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus in saudi arabia: a retrospective study. | the middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) is proposed to be a zoonotic disease. dromedary camels have been implicated due to reports that some confirmed cases were exposed to camels. risk factors for mers coronavirus (mers-cov) infections in humans are incompletely understood. this study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics, mortality rate, clinical manifestations and comorbidities with confirmed cases of mers-cov. | 2017 | 28056850 |
| systematic, active surveillance for middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus in camels in egypt. | middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) causes severe human infections and dromedary camels are considered an intermediary host. the dynamics of natural infection in camels are not well understood. through systematic surveillance in egypt, nasal, rectal, milk, urine and serum samples were collected from camels between june 2014 and february 2016. locations included quarantines, markets, abattoirs, free-roaming herds and farmed breeding herds. the overall seroprevalence was 71% an ... | 2017 | 28050021 |
| erectile dysfunction in male dromedary camels: clinical findings and changes in the nitric oxide metabolite, cardiac troponin i and testosterone concentrations. | this study aimed to clarify the phenomenon of erectile dysfunction (ed) in male camels and monitor the associated changes in nitric oxide metabolite (nom), cardiac troponin i (ctni), and testosterone concentrations. a total 18 camels with ed and 10 controls were included in this study. the breeding history was recorded and a thorough breeding soundness examination was performed. total nitrates and nitrites were determined in sera using the griess assay. serum ctni and testosterone were assessed ... | 2017 | 28043353 |
| current status and future direction of cryopreservation of camelid embryos. | over the past 3 decades, and similar to the horse industry, fresh embryo transfer has been widely practiced on large commercial scales in different camelid species, especially the dromedary camel and alpaca. however, the inability to cryopreserve embryos significantly reduces its broader application, and as such limits the capacity to utilize elite genetic resources internationally. in addition, cryopreservation of the semen of camelids is also difficult, suggesting an extreme sensitivity of the ... | 2017 | 28043352 |
| polyphyletic origin of mers coronaviruses and isolation of a novel clade a strain from dromedary camels in the united arab emirates. | little is known regarding the molecular epidemiology of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) circulating in dromedaries outside saudi arabia. to address this knowledge gap, we sequenced 10 complete genomes of mers-covs isolated from 2 live and 8 dead dromedaries from different regions in the united arab emirates (uae). phylogenetic analysis revealed one novel clade a strain, the first detected in the uae, and nine clade b strains. strain d998/15 had a distinct phylogenetic pos ... | 2016 | 27999424 |
| cordão formation: loess deposits in the southern coastal plain of the state of rio grande do sul, brazil. | loess consists of silt-dominated sediments that cover ~10% of the earth's surface. in southern south america it occurs in argentina, bolivia, paraguay and uruguay, and its presence in southern brazil was never studied in detail. here is proposed a new lithostratigraphic unit, cordão formation, consisting of loess deposits in the southern brazilian coastal plain. it consists of fine-very fine silt with subordinate sand and clay, found mostly in lowland areas between pleistocene coastal barriers. ... | 2016 | 27991956 |
| active-site mmp-selective antibody inhibitors discovered from convex paratope synthetic libraries. | proteases are frequent pharmacological targets, and their inhibitors are valuable drugs in multiple pathologies. the catalytic mechanism and the active-site fold, however, are largely conserved among the protease classes, making the development of the selective inhibitors exceedingly challenging. in our departure from the conventional strategies, we reviewed the structure of known camelid inhibitory antibodies, which block enzyme activities via their unusually long, convex-shaped paratopes. we s ... | 2016 | 27965386 |
| nanobodies to study g protein-coupled receptor structure and function. | ligand-induced activation of g protein-coupled receptors (gpcrs) is a key mechanism permitting communication between cells and organs. enormous progress has recently elucidated the structural and dynamic features of gpcr transmembrane signaling. nanobodies, the recombinant antigen-binding fragments of camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies, have emerged as important research tools to lock gpcrs in particular conformational states. active-state stabilizing nanobodies have elucidated several agonist- ... | 2017 | 27959623 |
| first complete mitochondrial genome data from ancient south american camelids - the mystery of the chilihueques from isla mocha (chile). | in south american societies, domesticated camelids were of great cultural importance and subject to trade and translocation. south american camelids were even found on remote and hard to reach islands, emphasizing their importance to historic and pre-historic south american populations. isla mocha, a volcanic island 35 km offshore of central-south chile, is an example of such an island. when dutch and spanish explorers reached the island in the early 17th century, they found that domesticated ca ... | 2016 | 27929050 |
| [gastrointestinal bezoars]. | gastrointestinal bezoars are a concretion of indigested material that can be found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and some animals. this material forms an intraluminal mass, more commonly located in the stomach. during a large period of history animal bezoars were considered antidotes to poisons and diseases. we report a historical overview since bezoars stones were thought to have medicinal properties. this magic conception was introduced in south america by spanish conquerors. in chil ... | 2016 | 27905655 |
| structural analysis of single domain antibodies bound to a second neutralizing hot spot on ricin toxin's enzymatic subunit. | ricin toxin is a heterodimer consisting of rta, a ribosome-inactivating protein, and rtb, a lectin that facilitates receptor-mediated uptake into mammalian cells. in previous studies, we demonstrated that toxin-neutralizing antibodies target four spatially distinct hot spots on rta, which we refer to as epitope clusters i-iv. in this report, we identified and characterized three single domain camelid antibodies (vhh) against cluster ii. one of these vhhs, v5e1, ranks as one of the most potent ri ... | 2017 | 27903650 |
| livestock susceptibility to infection with middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus. | middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) cases continue to be reported, predominantly in saudi arabia and occasionally other countries. although dromedaries are the main reservoir, other animal species might be susceptible to mers coronavirus (mers-cov) infection and potentially serve as reservoirs. to determine whether other animals are potential reservoirs, we inoculated mers-cov into llamas, pigs, sheep, and horses and collected nasal and rectal swab samples at various times. the presence of m ... | 2017 | 27901465 |
| generation of camelid vhh bispecific constructs via in-cell intein-mediated protein trans-splicing. | production of various combinations of bispecific variable domain of heavy chain of heavy chain-only antibody (vhh) constructs to evaluate their therapeutic potential usually requires several gene-engineering steps. here, we present an alternative method of creating bispecific vhh constructs in vivo through protein trans-splicing (pts) reaction; this method may reduce the number of gene manipulation steps required. as a proof-of-concept, we constructed a bispecific antibody (bsab) containing an a ... | 2017 | 27881685 |
| camelid and shark single domain antibodies: structural features and therapeutic potential. | in addition to canonical antibodies composed of heavy and light chains, the adaptive immune systems of camelids and cartilaginous fish comprise heavy-chain only isotypes (hcab) devoid of light chains, where antigen-binding is mediated exclusively by one variable domain. due to their inherent favorable attributes, such as high affinity and specificity for their cognate antigen, extraordinary stability, small size and, most importantly, the possibility to complement classical antibodies in terms o ... | 2016 | 27865111 |
| optimization of the cryopreservation of dromedary camel semen: cryoprotectants and their concentration and equilibration times. | research into an optimal cryoprotectant, its concentration and equilibration time underlies the successful cryopreservation of dromedary camel spermatozoa. this study assessed the cryo-efficiency of different cryoprotectants, their concentration and equilibration time and any interactions. in experiment 1, semen samples (n = 4 males; 2 ejaculates/male) were frozen using green buffer containing one of four cryoprotectants (3% glycerol, ethylene glycol, methyl formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide) and us ... | 2017 | 27818266 |
| rapid capture and labeling of cells on single domain antibodies-functionalized flow cell. | current techniques to characterize leukocyte subgroups in blood require long sample preparation times and sizable sample volumes. a simplified method for leukocyte characterization using smaller blood volumes would thus be useful in diagnostic settings. here we describe a flow system comprised of two functionalized graphene oxide (go) surfaces that allow the capture of distinct leukocyte populations from small volumes blood using camelid single-domain antibodyfragments (vhhs) as capture agents. ... | 2017 | 27816596 |
| camelid single-domain antibodies: a versatile tool for in vivo imaging of extracellular and intracellular brain targets. | detection of intracerebral targets with imaging probes is challenging due to the non-permissive nature of blood-brain barrier (bbb). the present work describes two novel single-domain antibodies (vhhs or nanobodies) that specifically recognize extracellular amyloid deposits and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles, the two core lesions of alzheimer's disease (ad). following intravenous administration in transgenic mouse models of ad, in vivo real-time two-photon microscopy showed gradual ex ... | 2016 | 27671875 |
| dromedary immune response and specific kv2.1 antibody generation using a specific immunization approach. | voltage-gated potassium (kv) channels form cells repolarizing power and are commonly expressed in excitable cells. in non-excitable cells, kv channels such as kv2.1 are involved in cell differentiation and growth. due to the involvement of kv2.1 in several physiological processes, these channels are promising therapeutic targets. to develop kv2.1 specific antibody-based channel modulators, we applied a novel approach and immunized a dromedary with heterologous ltk- cells that overexpress the mou ... | 2016 | 27320844 |
| evaluation of two platelet-rich plasma processing methods and two platelet-activation techniques for use in llamas and alpacas. | objective to evaluate 2 processing methods (commercial kit vs conical tube centrifugation) for preparing platelet rich plasma (prp) for use in llamas and alpacas. samples blood samples (30 ml each) aseptically collected from 6 healthy llamas and 6 healthy alpacas. procedures prp was prepared from blood samples by use of a commercial kit and by double-step conical tube centrifugation. a cbc was performed for blood and prp samples. platelets in prp samples were activated by means of a freeze-thaw ... | 2016 | 27805447 |
| epidemiological investigation of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus in dromedary camel farms linked with human infection in abu dhabi emirate, united arab emirates. | the objective of this research was to investigate the prevalence of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) infection primarily in dromedary camel farms and the relationship of those infections with infections in humans in the emirate of abu dhabi. nasal swabs from 1113 dromedary camels (39 farms) and 34 sheep (1 farm) and sputum samples from 2 mers-cov-infected camel farm owners and 1 mers-cov-infected sheep farm owner were collected. samples from camels and humans underwent rea ... | 2016 | 27357298 |
| vaccines against middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus for humans and camels. | middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) is caused by a novel betacoronavirus that was isolated in late 2012 in saudi arabia. the viral infections have been reported in more than 1700 humans, ranging from asymptomatic or mild cases to severe pneumonia with a mortality rate of 40%. it is well documented now that dromedary camels contract the infection and shed the virus without notable symptoms, and such animals had been infected by at least the early 1980s. the mechanism of camel ... | 2017 | 27786402 |
| inhibition of glycosylation on a camelid antibody uniquely affects its fcγri binding activity. | glycoengineering of mabs has become common practice in attempts to generate the ideal mab candidate for a wide range of therapeutic applications. the effects of these glycan modifications on the binding affinity of igg mabs for fcγriiia and their cytotoxicity are well known. however, little is understood about the effect that these modifications have on binding to the high affinity fcγri receptor. this study analyzed the effect of variable n-glycosylation on a human-llama hybrid mab (eg2-hfc, 80 ... | 2017 | 27721040 |
| mers-cov recombination: implications about the reservoir and potential for adaptation. | recombination is a process that unlinks neighboring loci allowing for independent evolutionary trajectories within genomes of many organisms. if not properly accounted for, recombination can compromise many evolutionary analyses. in addition, when dealing with organisms that are not obligately sexually reproducing, recombination gives insight into the rate at which distinct genetic lineages come into contact. since june 2012, middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) has caused 1,1 ... | 2016 | 27774293 |
| ovulation-inducing factor (oif/ngf) in seminal plasma: a review and update. | the ovulation-inducing effect of seminal plasma was first reported in bactrian camels over 30 years ago, and the entity responsible was dubbed 'ovulation-inducing factor' (oif). more recent studies, primarily in llamas and alpacas, characterized the biological and chemical properties of oif and ultimately identified it as βngf. this recent discovery has allowed a convergence of knowledge previously separated by discipline and by mechanism; that is, neurobiology and reproductive biology, and auto ... | 2016 | 27762054 |
| mers-cov at the animal-human interface: inputs on exposure pathways from an expert-opinion elicitation. | nearly 4 years after the first report of the emergence of middle-east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) and nearly 1800 human cases later, the ecology of mers-cov, its epidemiology, and more than risk factors of mers-cov transmission between camels are poorly understood. knowledge about the pathways and mechanisms of transmission from animals to humans is limited; as of yet, transmission risks have not been quantified. moreover the divergent sanitary situations and exposures to animals ... | 2016 | 27761437 |
| camelid vh h affinity ligands enable separation of closely related biopharmaceuticals. | interest in new and diverse classes of molecules such as recombinant toxins, enzymes, and blood factors continues to grow for use a biotherapeutics. compared to monoclonal antibodies, these novel drugs typically lack a commercially available affinity chromatography option, which leads to greater process complexity, longer development timelines, and poor platformability. to date, for both monoclonal antibodies and novel molecules, affinity chromatography has been mostly reserved for separation of ... | 2017 | 27677057 |
| exposures among mers case-patients, saudi arabia, january-february 2016. | | 2016 | 27606432 |
| sortase a-mediated site-specific labeling of camelid single-domain antibody-fragments: a versatile strategy for multiple molecular imaging modalities. | a generic site-specific conjugation method that generates a homogeneous product is of utmost importance in tracer development for molecular imaging and therapy. we explored the protein-ligation capacity of the enzyme sortase a to label camelid single-domain antibody-fragments, also known as nanobodies. the versatility of the approach was demonstrated by conjugating independently three different imaging probes: the chelating agents chx-a"-dtpa and nota for single-photon emission computed tomograp ... | 2016 | 27147480 |
| an outbreak of middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) due to coronavirus in al-ahssa region, saudi arabia, 2015. | between 19 april and 23 june 2015, 52 laboratory-confirmed cases of middle east respiratory syndrome due to coronavirus (mers) were reported from al-ahssa region, eastern saudi arabia. the first seven cases occurred in one family; these were followed by 45 cases in three public hospitals. the objectives of this investigation were to describe the epidemiological characteristic of the cluster and identify potential risk factors and control measures to be instituted to prevent further occurrence of ... | 2016 | 27714741 |
| comparison of visual and electronic devices for individual identification of dromedary camels under different farming conditions. | the camel industry uses traditional (i.e., iron brands and ear tags) and modern (i.e., microchips) identification (id) systems without having performance results of reference. previously iron-branded ( = 45; 1 yr) and microchipped ( = 59; 7 yr) camels showed problems of healing (8.6% of brands) and reading (only 42.9% of brands and 69.5% of microchips were readable), which made their use inadvisable. with the aim of proposing suitable id systems for different farming conditions, an on-field stud ... | 2016 | 27695805 |
| the structure of a furin-antibody complex explains non-competitive inhibition by steric exclusion of substrate conformers. | proprotein convertases (pcs) represent highly selective serine proteases that activate their substrates upon proteolytic cleavage. their inhibition is a promising strategy for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. inhibitory camelid antibodies were developed, targeting the prototypical pc furin. kinetic analyses of them revealed an enigmatic non-competitive mechanism, affecting the inhibition of large proprotein-like but not small peptidic substrates. here we present the crystal struc ... | 2016 | 27670069 |
| identification of useful nanobodies by phage display of immune single domain libraries derived from camelid heavy chain antibodies. | the discovery of functional heavy chain-only antibodies devoid of light chains in sera of camelids and sharks in the early nineties provided access to the generation of minimal-sized, single-domain, in vivo affinity-matured, recombinant antigenbinding fragments, also known as nanobodies. | 2016 | 27669966 |
| engineered autonomous human variable domains. | the complex multi-chain architecture of antibodies has spurred interest in smaller derivatives that retain specificity but can be more easily produced in bacteria. domain antibodies consisting of single variable domains are the smallest antibody fragments and have been shown to possess enhanced ability to target epitopes that are difficult to access using multidomain antibodies. however, in contrast to natural camelid antibody domains, human variable domains typically suffer from low stability a ... | 2016 | 27655414 |
| cumulus cell expansion and first polar body extrusion during in vitro oocyte maturation in relation to morphological and morphometric characteristics of the dromedary camel ovary. | the morphological and morphometric characteristics of the ovary are fundamental properties for in vitro oocyte maturation. nuclear maturation, including first polar body (1pb) extrusion, cytoplasmic maturation and cumulus cell (cc) expansion are the criteria for in vitro maturation (ivm) of oocyte. this study was designed to determine the effect of morphological and morphometric features of the ovary on cc expansion and 1pb extrusion during ivm of oocyte in the adult female dromedary camel. the ... | 2016 | 27650260 |
| main anatomical and histological features of the tonsils in the camel (camelus dromedarius). | the tonsils, located around the pharyngeal cavity, constitute the first defence barrier against intruding microorganisms and antigens. the present work aimed to study the anatomical and histological aspects of camel tonsils in order to elucidate their role. the study was carried out on 12 camel heads fixed by infusion with 10 % neutral buffered formalin. a careful dissection of the oral cavity, the soft palate and the pharynx was conducted to explore the morphological aspect of different tonsils ... | 2016 | 27639878 |
| a rational engineering strategy for designing protein a-binding camelid single-domain antibodies. | staphylococcal protein a (spa) and streptococcal protein g (spg) affinity chromatography are the gold standards for purifying monoclonal antibodies (mabs) in therapeutic applications. however, camelid vhh single-domain abs (sdabs or vhhs) are not bound by spg and only sporadically bound by spa. currently, vhhs require affinity tag-based purification, which limits their therapeutic potential and adds considerable complexity and cost to their production. here we describe a simple and rapid mutagen ... | 2016 | 27631624 |
| evaluation of cholesterol- treated dromedary camel sperm function by heterologous ivf and ai. | cholesterol (cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins: clc) treatment of dromedary camel sperm prior to freezing enhances cryosurvival. the present study first validated the efficacy of a heterologous zona-free goat oocyte assay (n=115 oocytes) to evaluate camel sperm function in vitro (experiment 1: n=6 bulls), then examined the effects of clc treatment (1.5mg/ml clc; clc+) versus no treatment (0 clc) of fresh (experiment 2: n=4 bulls) and frozen-thawed (experiment 3: n=5 bulls) camel sperm to penetrat ... | 2016 | 27622555 |
| global analysis of vhhs framework regions with a structural alphabet. | the vhhs are antigen-binding region/domain of camelid heavy chain antibodies (hcab). they have many interesting biotechnological and biomedical properties due to their small size, high solubility and stability, and high affinity and specificity for their antigens. hcab and classical iggs are evolutionary related and share a common fold. vhhs are composed of regions considered as constant, called the frameworks (frs) connected by complementarity determining regions (cdrs), a highly variable regio ... | 2016 | 27613403 |
| phage display derived ignar v region binding domains for therapeutic development. | phage display technology has revolutionized the science of drug discovery by transforming the generation and manipulation of ligands, such as antibody fragments, enzymes, and peptides. the basis of this technology is the expression of recombinant proteins or peptides fused to a phage coat protein, and subsequent isolation of ligands based on a variety of catalytic, physicochemical/binding kinetic and/or biological characteristics. an incredible number of diagnostic and therapeutic domains have b ... | 2016 | 27604606 |
| inoculation of goats, sheep, and horses with mers-cov does not result in productive viral shedding. | the middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) was first recognized in 2012 and can cause severe disease in infected humans. dromedary camels are the reservoir for the virus, although, other than nasal discharge, these animals do not display any overt clinical disease. data from in vitro experiments suggest that other livestock such as sheep, goats, and horses might also contribute to viral transmission, although field data has not identified any seropositive animals. in order to un ... | 2016 | 27548203 |
| dual anti-idiotypic purification of a novel, native-format biparatopic anti-met antibody with improved in vitro and in vivo efficacy. | bispecific antibodies are of great interest due to their ability to simultaneously bind and engage different antigens or epitopes. nevertheless, it remains a challenge to assemble, produce and/or purify them. here we present an innovative dual anti-idiotypic purification process, which provides pure bispecific antibodies with native immunoglobulin format. using this approach, a biparatopic igg1 antibody targeting two distinct, hgf-competing, non-overlapping epitopes on the extracellular region o ... | 2016 | 27546726 |
| seasonal immunohistochemical reactivity of s-100 and α-smooth muscle actin proteins in the epididymis of dromedary camel, camelus dromedarius. | the s-100 and alpha smooth muscle actin (α-sma) proteins have been localised in epididymal tissue of several mammalian species, but there have been no data for a seasonal work in camel. the aim of this study was to investigate the immunoreactivities of s-100 and α-sma proteins in the epididymis of dromedary camel during breeding and nonbreeding seasons. the immunopositive signals for both proteins were observed in different regions of camel epididymis. s-100-immunopositive signals were noted in ... | 2016 | 27506493 |
| reference values and repeatability of the schirmer tear tests i and ii in domesticated, clinically normal dromedary camels (camelus dromedarius). | to determine the normal values and repeatability for schirmer tear test (stt) in clinically normal dromedary camels and to analyze the influence of the age and gender on these values. | 2016 | 27491827 |
| middle east respiratory syndrome virus pathogenesis. | coronaviruses (covs) are enveloped rna viruses that infect birds, mammals, and humans. infections caused by human coronaviruses (hcovs) are mostly associated with the respiratory, enteric, and nervous systems. the hcovs only occasionally induce lower respiratory tract disease, including bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia. in 2002 to 2003, a global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars) was the seminal detection of a novel cov (sars-cov). a decade later (june 2012), another no ... | 2016 | 27486737 |
| reply to marom et al.: mitochondrial panmixia in dromedaries predates ancient caravan trading. | | 2016 | 27486242 |
| daily rhythms of physiological parameters in the dromedary camel under natural and laboratory conditions. | camels are well adapted to hot arid environments and can contribute significantly to the economy of developing countries in arid regions of the world. full understanding of the physiology of camels requires understanding of the internal temporal order of the body, as reflected in daily or circadian rhythms. in the current study, we investigated the daily rhythmicity of 20 physiological variables in camels exposed to natural oscillations of ambient temperature in a desert environment and compared ... | 2016 | 27474007 |
| toward developing a preventive mers-cov vaccine-report from a workshop organized by the saudi arabia ministry of health and the international vaccine institute, riyadh, saudi arabia, november 14-15, 2015. | middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) remains a serious international public health threat. with the goal of accelerating the development of countermeasures against mers coronavirus (mers-cov), funding agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and researchers across the world assembled in riyadh, saudi arabia, on november 14-15, 2015, to discuss vaccine development challenges. the meeting was spearheaded by the saudi ministry of health and co-organized by the international vaccine institute, so ... | 2016 | 27439020 |
| the therapeutic effects of camel milk: a systematic review of animal and human trials. | the clinical effectiveness and value of camel milk as a therapeutic agent is currently unclear. medline (1946 to march 2016), embase (1974 to march 2016), and google scholar were searched using the following terms: milk, bodily secretions, camels, camelus, camelini, camelidae, dromedary, bactrian camel, body fluid, and bodily secretions. articles identified were reviewed if the study was investigating the use of camel milk for the potential treatment of diseases affecting humans. of 430 studies, ... | 2016 | 27432772 |
| nanobodies as versatile tools to understand, diagnose, visualize and treat cancer. | since their discovery, nanobodies have been used extensively in the fields of research, diagnostics and therapy. these antigen binding fragments, originating from camelid heavy-chain antibodies, possess unusual hallmarks in terms of (small) size, stability, solubility and specificity, hence allowing cost-effective production and sometimes outperforming monoclonal antibodies. in this review, we evaluate the current status of nanobodies to study, diagnose, visualize or inhibit cancer-specific prot ... | 2016 | 27428417 |
| pregnancy-associated changes of igg and serum n-glycosylation in camel (camelus dromedarius). | the dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius) is an agriculturally important species of high economic value but of low reproductive efficiency. serum and igg n-glycosylation are affected by physiological and pathogenic changes and might therefore be a useful diagnostic tool in camel livestock management. this study presents the first comprehensive annotation of the n-glycome from dromedary camel serum as well as their single-domain and conventional antibodies and its subsequent application for camel ... | 2016 | 27428249 |
| allosteric nanobodies reveal the dynamic range and diverse mechanisms of g-protein-coupled receptor activation. | g-protein-coupled receptors (gpcrs) modulate many physiological processes by transducing a variety of extracellular cues into intracellular responses. ligand binding to an extracellular orthosteric pocket propagates conformational change to the receptor cytosolic region to promote binding and activation of downstream signalling effectors such as g proteins and β-arrestins. it is well known that different agonists can share the same binding pocket but evoke unique receptor conformations leading t ... | 2016 | 27409812 |
| data of rational process optimization for the production of a full igg and its fab fragment from hybridoma cells. | this data article focuses on the production of monoclonal antibodies (mab) and their fragments fab and f(ab')2. here, we present the data of an optimization protocol to improve the product yield of a hybridoma cell process using a design of experiment (doe) strategy. furthermore, the data of the evaluated conditions were used to test feeding strategies in shake flasks. they were verified in controlled 2 l fed-batch bioreactor processes. supplementing the culture medium with human insulin-like gr ... | 2016 | 27366780 |
| intramolecular trimerization, a novel strategy for making multispecific antibodies with controlled orientation of the antigen binding domains. | here, we describe a new strategy that allows the rapid and efficient engineering of mono and multispecific trivalent antibodies. by fusing single-domain antibodies from camelid heavy-chain-only immunoglobulins (vhhs) to the n-terminus of a human collagen xviii trimerization domain (tie(xviii)) we produced monospecific trimerbodies that were efficiently secreted as soluble functional proteins by mammalian cells. the purified vhh-tie(xviii) trimerbodies were trimeric in solution and exhibited exce ... | 2016 | 27345490 |
| sars and mers: recent insights into emerging coronaviruses. | the emergence of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) in 2012 marked the second introduction of a highly pathogenic coronavirus into the human population in the twenty-first century. the continuing introductions of mers-cov from dromedary camels, the subsequent travel-related viral spread, the unprecedented nosocomial outbreaks and the high case-fatality rates highlight the need for prophylactic and therapeutic measures. scientific advancements since the 2002-2003 severe acute ... | 2016 | 27344959 |
| mers and the dromedary camel trade between africa and the middle east. | dromedary camels are the most likely source for the coronavirus that sporadically causes middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) in humans. serological results from archived camel sera provide evidence for circulation of mers coronavirus (mers-cov) among dromedary camels in the greater horn of africa as far back as 1983 and in saudi arabia as far back as 1992. high seroprevalences of mers-cov antibodies and the high virus prevalence in saudi arabian dromedary camels indicate an endemicity of the ... | 2016 | 27324244 |
| generation and characterization of cd1d-specific single-domain antibodies with distinct functional features. | ligation of the cd1d antigen-presenting molecule by monoclonal antibodies (mabs) can trigger important biological functions. for therapeutic purposes camelid-derived variable domain of heavy-chain-only antibodies (vhh) have multiple advantages over mabs because they are small, stable and have low immunogenicity. here, we generated 21 human cd1d-specific vhh by immunizing lama glama and subsequent phage display. two clones induced maturation of dendritic cells, one clone induced early apoptosis i ... | 2016 | 27312006 |
| a bispecific antibody promotes aggregation of ricin toxin on cell surfaces and alters dynamics of toxin internalization and trafficking. | jjx12 is an engineered bispecific antibody against ricin, a member of the medically important a-b family of toxins that exploits retrograde transport as means to gain entry into the cytosol of target cells. jjx12 consists of rta-d10, a camelid single variable domain (vhh) antibody directed against an epitope on ricin's enzymatic subunit (rta), linked via a 15-mer peptide to rtb-b7, a vhh against ricin's bivalent galactose binding subunit (rtb). we previously reported that jjx12, but not an equim ... | 2016 | 27300140 |
| corrigendum to "plasma leptin, glucose and non-esterified fatty acid variations in dromedary camels exposed to prolonged periods of underfeeding or dehydration" [comp. biochem. physiol., a 166 (2013) 177-185]. | | 2016 | 27292549 |
| combined hybridization capture and shotgun sequencing for ancient dna analysis of extinct wild and domestic dromedary camel. | the performance of hybridization capture combined with next-generation sequencing (ngs) has seen limited investigation with samples from hot and arid regions until now. we applied hybridization capture and shotgun sequencing to recover dna sequences from bone specimens of ancient-domestic dromedary (camelus dromedarius) and its extinct ancestor, the wild dromedary from jordan, syria, turkey and the arabian peninsula, respectively. our results show that hybridization capture increased the percent ... | 2017 | 27289015 |
| proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (pcsk9) single domain antibodies are potent inhibitors of low density lipoprotein receptor degradation. | single domain antibodies (sdabs) correspond to the antigen-binding domains of camelid antibodies. they have the same antigen-binding properties and specificity as monoclonal antibodies (mabs) but are easier and cheaper to produce. we report here the development of sdabs targeting human pcsk9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) as an alternative to anti-pcsk9 mabs. after immunizing a llama with human pcsk9, we selected four sdabs that bind pcsk9 with a high affinity and produced them ... | 2016 | 27284008 |
| the camel rhinarium: a study revealing the presence of the nasal plane in dromedary camel (camelus dromedarius), with special reference to its epidermal structure. | the aim of this study was to prove that the nasal plane (planum nasale) present in camel (camelus dromedarius). furthermore, it was the first description of the gross and primary microscopic anatomy as well as the epidermal ultrastructure of the camel nasal plane. grossly, the camel rhinarium was formed of the glabrous grayish-black skin that extended to cover the philtrum and the medial nasal angles. it was composed of two perinasal parts and an inter-labial part. a shallow groove was passed ac ... | 2017 | 27282130 |
| effects of age and period of fattening on carcass and non-carcass characteristics of one-humped camels. | this study was conducted to compare the carcass characteristics and quantity of carcass and non-carcass components of 2- and 3-year-old male camels fattened for either 3 or 6 months. twelve 2-year-old camels with an average body live weight of 268.5 ± 21.4 kg and twelve 3-year-old camels with an average body live weight of 307.5 ± 29.9 kg were used in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. for carcass analysis, three camels from each group were selected and slaughtere ... | 2016 | 27256367 |
| middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) origin and animal reservoir. | middle east respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (mers-cov) is a novel coronavirus discovered in 2012 and is responsible for acute respiratory syndrome in humans. though not confirmed yet, multiple surveillance and phylogenetic studies suggest a bat origin. the disease is heavily endemic in dromedary camel populations of east africa and the middle east. it is unclear as to when the virus was introduced to dromedary camels, but data from studies that investigated stored dromedary camel sera and geogr ... | 2016 | 27255185 |
| development and application of functionalized protein binders in multicellular organisms. | protein-protein interactions are crucial for almost all biological processes. studying such interactions in their native environment is critical but not easy to perform. recently developed genetically encoded protein binders were shown to function inside living cells. these molecules offer a new, direct way to assess protein function, distribution and dynamics in vivo. a widely used protein binder scaffold are the so-called nanobodies, which are derived from the variable domain of camelid heavy- ... | 2016 | 27241221 |
| a camelid-derived antibody fragment targeting the active site of a serine protease balances between inhibitor and substrate behavior. | a peptide segment that binds the active site of a serine protease in a substrate-like manner may behave like an inhibitor or a substrate. however, there is sparse information on which factors determine the behavior a particular peptide segment will exhibit. here, we describe the first x-ray crystal structure of a nanobody in complex with a serine protease. the nanobody displays a new type of interaction between an antibody and a serine protease as it inserts its complementary determining region- ... | 2016 | 27226628 |
| crystal structures of the human doublecortin c- and n-terminal domains in complex with specific antibodies. | doublecortin is a microtubule-associated protein produced during neurogenesis. the protein stabilizes microtubules and stimulates their polymerization, which allows migration of immature neurons to their designated location in the brain. mutations in the gene that impair doublecortin function and cause severe brain formation disorders are located on a tandem repeat of two doublecortin domains. the molecular mechanism of action of doublecortin is only incompletely understood. anti-doublecortin an ... | 2016 | 27226599 |
| back to the roots and routes of dromedary domestication. | | 2016 | 27226295 |
| time course of mers-cov infection and immunity in dromedary camels. | knowledge about immunity to middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) in dromedary camels is essential for infection control and vaccination. a longitudinal study of 11 dam-calf pairs showed that calves lose maternal mers-cov antibodies 5-6 months postparturition and are left susceptible to infection, indicating a short window of opportunity for vaccination. | 2016 | 27224315 |
| genomics and zoonotic infections: middle east respiratory syndrome. | the emergence of middle east respiratory syndrome (mers) and the discovery of mers coronavirus (mers-cov) in 2012 suggests that another sars-like epidemic is occurring. unlike the severe acute respiratory syndrome (sars) epidemic, which rapidly disappeared in less than one year, mers has persisted for over three years. more than 1,600 cases of mers have been reported worldwide, and the disease carries a worryingly high fatality rate of >30%. a total of 182 mers-cov genomes have been sequenced, i ... | 2016 | 27217178 |
| dystocia in dromedary camels: prevalence, forms, risks and hematobiochemical changes. | the objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of dystocia in camel herds, its forms in primi- and multipara, the risks to fetus and dam, and the associated hematobiochemical changes. a total of 1890 calvings were surveyed for the prevalence of dystocia. cases with dystocia (n=107) were examined for causes and treated with traction, fetotomy or cesarean section. logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors. the dependent variables were the fetal and maternal mortal ... | 2016 | 27211280 |
| ancient and modern dna reveal dynamics of domestication and cross-continental dispersal of the dromedary. | dromedaries have been fundamental to the development of human societies in arid landscapes and for long-distance trade across hostile hot terrains for 3,000 y. today they continue to be an important livestock resource in marginal agro-ecological zones. however, the history of dromedary domestication and the influence of ancient trading networks on their genetic structure have remained elusive. we combined ancient dna sequences of wild and early-domesticated dromedary samples from arid regions wi ... | 2016 | 27162355 |