| close to home: a history of yale and lyme disease. | yale scientists played a pivotal role in the discovery of lyme disease and are credited as the first to recognize, name, characterize, and treat the affliction. today, lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the united states, affecting approximately 20,000 people each year, with the incidence having doubled in the past 10 years [1]. lyme disease is the result of a bacterial infection transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected deer tick, which typically resu ... | 2011 | 21698040 |
| how are "atypical" sulfite dehydrogenases linked to cell metabolism? interactions between the sort sulfite dehydrogenase and small redox proteins. | sulfite dehydrogenases (sdhs) are enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of the toxic and mutagenic compound sulfite to sulfate, thereby protecting cells from adverse effects associated with sulfite exposure. while some bacterial sdhs that have been characterized to date are able to use cytochrome c as an electron acceptor, the majority of these enzymes prefer ferricyanide as an electron acceptor and have therefore been termed "atypical" sdhs. identifying the natural electron acceptor of these enzy ... | 2011 | 21833314 |
| extending the aerolysin family: from bacteria to vertebrates. | a number of bacterial virulence factors have been observed to adopt structures similar to that of aerolysin, the principal toxin of aeromonas species. however, a comprehensive description of architecture and structure of the aerolysin-like superfamily has not been determined. in this study, we define a more compact aerolysin-like domain--or aerolysin fold--and show that this domain is far more widely spread than anticipated since it can be found throughout kingdoms. the aerolysin-fold could be f ... | 2011 | 21687664 |
| molecular interactions that enable movement of the lyme disease agent from the tick gut into the hemolymph. | borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, is transmitted to humans by bite of ixodes scapularis ticks. the mechanisms by which the bacterium is transmitted from vector to host are poorly understood. in this study, we show that the f(ab)(2) fragments of bbe31, a b.burgdorferi outer-surface lipoprotein, interfere with the migration of the spirochete from tick gut into the hemolymph during tick feeding. the decreased hemolymph infection results in lower salivary glands infection, a ... | 2011 | 21695244 |
| [sequence analysis of 16s rdna gene of endosymbiont of acanthamoeba sp. cb/s1 isolated from soil]. | the endosymbiont of acantlhamoeba sp. cb/si was identified by orcein-carmine staining and 16s rdna sequence analysis. the endosymbiont bacteria were rod-shaped and darkly stained, and irregularly localized within the cytoplasm. the length of the 16s rdna was 1534 bp and its dna sequence was closely related to those of candidatus amoebophilus asioticus and acanthamoeba sp. ka/e21 with 98% homology. phylogenetic analysis showed that the endosymbiont of cb/si, the endosymbiont of ka/e21, candidatus ... | 2011 | 21826891 |
| associations between ixodes scapularis ticks and small mammal hosts in a newly endemic zone in southeastern canada: implications for borrelia burgdorferi transmission. | immature ixodes scapularis infestation and borrelia burgdorferi infection of wild small mammals were studied from june to october in 2007 and from may to october in 2008 at 71 study sites in a zone where i. scapularis populations and environmental lyme disease risk are emerging in southwestern quebec. seasonal host-seeking activity of immature i. scapularis was similar to patterns reported previously in canada and the usa: nymphal activity peaked in spring while larval activity peaked in late su ... | 2011 | 22108010 |
| Scabies mite peritrophins are potential targets of human host innate immunity. | Pruritic scabies lesions caused by Sarcoptes scabiei burrowing in the stratum corneum of human skin facilitate opportunistic bacterial infections. Emerging resistance to current therapeutics emphasizes the need to identify novel targets for protective intervention. We have characterized several protein families located in the mite gut as crucial factors for host-parasite interactions. Among these multiple proteins inhibit human complement, presumably to avoid complement-mediated damage of gut ep ... | 2011 | 21980545 |
| effects of japanese barberry (ranunculales: berberidaceae) removal and resulting microclimatic changes on ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) abundances in connecticut, usa. | japanese barberry (berberis thunbergii de candolle) is a thorny, perennial, exotic, invasive shrub that is well established throughout much of the eastern united states. it can form dense thickets that limit native herbaceous and woody regeneration, alter soil structure and function, and harbor increased blacklegged tick (ixodes scapularis say) populations. this study examined a potential causal mechanism for the link between japanese barberry and blacklegged ticks to determine if eliminating j ... | 2010 | 22182557 |
| Ticks feeding on northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) in central Saskatchewan and the unexpected detection of Ixodes scapularis larvae. | Morphological examination of ticks feeding on northern pocket gophers, Thomomys talpoides, near Clavet (Saskatchewan, Canada) revealed the presence of two genera, Ixodes and Dermacentor. All adult ticks collected were identified as I. kingi. Single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses and DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene confirmed the species identity of most Ixodes immatures as I. kingi (two nymphs and 82 larvae), and the Dermacentor immatures as D. variabilis (one ... | 2011 | 22129407 |
| spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of upper and lower extremity neuropathic pain due to lyme disease. | background. lyme disease is caused by borrelia, a bacterium transmitted by the bite of a deer tick. a slow developing encephalopathy or an axonal polyneuropathy with distal paresthesia and spinal or radicular pain rarely occurs and can be hard to treat. materials and methods. we report here the case of a 44-year-old woman with four-limb, intolerable, neuropathic pain as sequelae to lyme disease, which was resistant to conservative measures and was treated successfully with concurrent, thoracic ... | 2007 | 22151863 |
| Ehrlichia chaffeensis transcriptome in mammalian and arthropod hosts reveals differential gene expression and post transcriptional regulation. | Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis is an emerging life-threatening zoonosis caused by obligately intracellular bacterium, Ehrlichia chaffeensis. E. chaffeensis is transmitted by the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, and replicates in mononuclear phagocytes in mammalian hosts. Differences in the E. chaffeensis transcriptome in mammalian and arthropod hosts are unknown. Thus, we determined host-specific E. chaffeensis gene expression in human monocyte (THP-1) and in Amblyomma and Ixodes tick ce ... | 2011 | 21915290 |
| distinctive amino acid composition profiles in salivary proteins of the tick ixodes scapularis. | bioinformatic analysis of the amino acid composition of proteins of the tick ixodes scapularis showed that, in comparison to other secreted proteins, salivary proteins in general have higher frequencies of polar residues and lower frequencies of the non-polar residues leucine and valine. computer prediction of linear b-cell epitopes showed that polar residues were associated with the presence of high-quality epitopes and that tick salivary proteins included significantly more proteins with predi ... | 2011 | 22108016 |
| An insight into the sialotranscriptome and proteome of the coarse bontlegged tick, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes. | Ticks are mites specialized in acquiring blood from vertebrates as their sole source of food and are important disease vectors to humans and animals. Among the specializations required for this peculiar diet, ticks evolved a sophisticated salivary potion that can disarm their host's hemostasis, inflammation, and immune reactions. Previous transcriptome analysis of tick salivary proteins has revealed many new protein families indicative of fast evolution, possibly due to host immune pressure. The ... | 2011 | 21851864 |
| macrophages are critical for cross-protective immunity conferred by babesia microti against babesia rodhaini infection in mice. | although primary infection of mice with babesia microti has been shown to protect mice against subsequent lethal infection by babesia rodhaini, the mechanism behind the cross-protection is unknown. to unravel this mechanism, we investigated the influence of primary infection of mice with nonlethal b. microti using different time courses on the outcome of subsequent lethal b. rodhaini infection. simultaneous infections of mice with these parasites resulted in rapid increases in parasitemia, with ... | 2012 | 22064713 |
| the coenzyme a disulphide reductase of borrelia burgdorferi is important for rapid growth throughout the enzootic cycle and essential for infection of the mammalian host. | in a microarray analysis of the rpos regulon in mammalian host-adapted borrelia burgdorferi, bb0728 (cdr) was found to be dually transcribed by the sigma factors σ(70) and rpos. the cdr gene encodes a coenzyme a disulphide reductase (coadr) that reduces coa-disulphides to coa in an nadh-dependent manner. based on the abundance of coa in b. burgdorferi and the biochemistry of the enzyme, coadr has been proposed to play a role in the spirochaete's response to reactive oxygen species. to better und ... | 2011 | 21923763 |
| Evaluation of the preventive capacities of a topically applied azithromycin formulation against Lyme borreliosis in a murine model. | Systemic antibiotic treatment of Lyme borreliosis is effective during the early stages of the infection, while chronic manifestations of the disease may remain refractory and difficult to treat. This study was carried out in order to evaluate the potential of topically applied azithromycin to eliminate the spirochaetal organisms in the skin of the freshly bitten host and thereby prevent Lyme borreliosis. | 2011 | 21921078 |
| bioinformatic characterization and gene expression pattern of apoptosis inhibitor from macrobrachium rosenbergii challenged with infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus. | apoptosis is genetically programmed cellular killing processes that execute unnecessary or infected cells. it plays an important role in embryogenesis, homeostasis, insect metamorphosis and immunity. apoptosis inhibitor (mriap) was sequenced from the freshwater giant prawn macrobrachium rosenbergii using illumina solexa genome analyzer technique. mriap consisted of 1753 base pair nucleotides encoded 535 polypeptide with an estimated molecular mass of 60 kda. mriap amino acid sequence contains ia ... | 2011 | 21945707 |
| the enolase of borrelia burgdorferi is a plasminogen receptor released in outer membrane vesicles. | the agent of lyme disease, borrelia burgdorferi, has a number of outer membrane proteins that are differentially regulated during its life cycle. in addition to their physiological functions in the organism, these proteins also likely serve different functions in invasiveness and immune evasion. in borreliae, as well as in other bacteria, a number of membrane proteins have been implicated in binding plasminogen. the activation and transformation of plasminogen into its proteolytically active for ... | 2012 | 22083700 |
| tick as a model for the study of a primitive complement system. | ticks are blood feeding parasites transmitting a wide variety of pathogens to their vertebrate hosts. the transmitted pathogens apparently evolved efficient mechanisms enabling them to evade or withstand the cellular or humoral immune responses within the tick vector. despite its importance, our knowledge of tick innate immunity still lags far beyond other well established invertebrate models, such as drosophila, horseshoe crab or mosquitoes. however, the recent release of the american deer tick ... | 2012 | 22127888 |
| Phylogenetic Analysis of the Teneurins: Conserved Features and Premetazoan Ancestry. | Teneurins are type II transmembrane proteins expressed during pattern formation and neurogenesis with an intracellular domain that can be transported to the nucleus and an extracellular domain that can be shed into the extracellular milieu. In Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans and mouse the knockdown or knockout of teneurin expression can lead to abnormal patterning, defasciculation and abnormal pathfinding of neurites, and the disruption of basement membranes. Here we have identif ... | 2011 | 22045996 |
| Widespread dispersal of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks collected from songbirds across Canada. | Abstract Millions of Lyme disease vector ticks are dispersed annually by songbirds across Canada, but often overlooked as the source of infection. For clarity on vector distribution, we sampled 481 ticks (12 species and 3 undetermined ticks) from 211 songbirds (42 species/subspecies) nationwide. Using PCR, 52 (29.5%) of 176 Ixodes ticks tested were positive for the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. Immature blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, collected from infested songbird ... | 2011 | 21864130 |
| expression of heat shock and other stress response proteins in ticks and cultured tick cells in response to anaplasma spp. infection and heat shock. | ticks are ectoparasites of animals and humans that serve as vectors of anaplasma and other pathogens that affect humans and animals worldwide. ticks and the pathogens that they transmit have coevolved molecular interactions involving genetic traits of both the tick and the pathogen that mediate their development and survival. in this paper, the expression of heat shock proteins (hsps) and other stress response proteins (srps) was characterized in ticks and cultured tick cells by proteomics and t ... | 2010 | 22084679 |
| reservoir targeted vaccine for lyme borreliosis induces a yearlong, neutralizing antibody response to ospa in white-footed mice. | lyme disease is caused by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi. the enzootic cycle of this pathogen requires that ixodes spp. acquire b. burgdorferi from infected wildlife reservoirs and transmit it to other uninfected wildlife. at present, there are no effective measures to control b. burgdorferi; there is no human vaccine available, and existing vector control measures are generally not acceptable to the public. however, if b. burgdorferi could be eliminated from its reservoir hosts or from the ... | 2011 | 21918116 |
| synovial lesions in experimental canine lyme borreliosis. | borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of lyme disease, which is mainly characterized by lameness in dogs. more than 95% of naturally infected dogs are asymptomatic or subclinical; however, in experimental studies, histologic synovial lesions are consistently observed in asymptomatic dogs inoculated with b. burdgorferi. this study investigates the ability of a synovial histopathologic scoring system, clinicopathologic data, and polymerase chain reaction (pcr) testing to differentiate betwee ... | 2011 | 22075774 |
| atg8: an autophagy-related ubiquitin-like protein family. | autophagy-related (atg) proteins are eukaryotic factors participating in various stages of the autophagic process. thus far 34 atgs have been identified in yeast, including the key autophagic protein atg8. the atg8 gene family encodes ubiquitin-like proteins that share a similar structure consisting of two amino-terminal α helices and a ubiquitin-like core. atg8 family members are expressed in various tissues, where they participate in multiple cellular processes, such as intracellular membrane ... | 2011 | 21867568 |
| avian hosts of ixodes pacificus (acari: ixodidae) and the detection of borrelia burgdorferi in larvae feeding on the oregon junco. | larval and nymphal western blacklegged tick, ixodes pacificus cooley & kohls (acari: ixodidae), were collected from birds, rodents, and lizards at quail ridge reserve located in napa county in northwestern california. species from three vertebrate classes were sampled simultaneously from two transects during two consecutive spring seasons. feeding larval and nymphal ticks were removed and preserved for counting, examination and testing for the presence of borrelia burgdorferi johnson, schmid, hy ... | 2011 | 21845945 |
| updates on borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex with respect to public health. | borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex is a diverse group of worldwide distributed bacteria that includes 18 named spirochete species and a still not named group proposed as genomospecies 2. descriptions of new species and variants continue to be recognized, so the current number of described species is probably not final. most of known spirochete species are considered to have a limited distribution. eleven species from the b. burgdorferi s.l. complex were identified in and strictly ass ... | 2011 | 21890064 |
| fine-scale variation in vector host use and force of infection drive localized patterns of west nile virus transmission. | the influence of host diversity on multi-host pathogen transmission and persistence can be confounded by the large number of species and biological interactions that can characterize many transmission systems. for vector-borne pathogens, the composition of host communities has been hypothesized to affect transmission; however, the specific characteristics of host communities that affect transmission remain largely unknown. we tested the hypothesis that vector host use and force of infection (i.e ... | 2011 | 21886821 |
| baculovirus induced transcripts in hemocytes from the larvae of heliothis virescens. | using rna-seq digital difference expression profiling methods, we have assessed the gene expression profiles of hemocytes harvested from heliothis virescens that were challenged with helicoverpa zea single nucleopolyhedrovirus (hzsnpv). a reference transcriptome of hemocyte-expressed transcripts was assembled from 202 million 42-base tags by combining the sequence data of all samples, and the assembled sequences were then subject to blastx analysis to determine gene identities. we used the fully ... | 2011 | 22163334 |
| unexpected diversity in shisa-like proteins suggests the importance of their roles as transmembrane adaptors. | the shisa family of single-transmembrane proteins is characterized by an n-terminal cysteine-rich domain and a proline-rich c-terminal region. its founding member, xenopus shisa, promotes head development by antagonizing wnt and fgf signaling. recently, a mouse brain-specific shisa protein ckamp44 (shisa9) was shown to play an important role in ampa receptor desensitization. we used sequence similarity searches against protein, genome and est databases to study the evolutionary origin and phylog ... | 2011 | 22120523 |
| essential oils of cupressus funebris, juniperus communis, and j. chinensis (cupressaceae) as repellents against ticks (acari: ixodidae) and mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) and as toxicants against mosquitoes. | juniperus communis leaf oil, j. chinensis wood oil, and cupressus funebris wood oil (cupressaceae) from china were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. we identified 104 compounds, representing 66.8-95.5% of the oils. the major components were: α-pinene (27.0%), α-terpinene (14.0%), and linalool (10.9%) for j. communis; cuparene (11.3%) and δ-cadinene (7.8%) for j. chinensis; and α-cedrene (16.9%), cedrol (7.6%), and β-cedrene (5.7%) for c. funebris. the essen ... | 2011 | 22129397 |
| A Surface Enolase Participates in Borrelia burgdorferi-Plasminogen Interaction and Contributes to Pathogen Survival within Feeding Ticks. | Borrelia burgdorferi, a tick-borne bacterial pathogen, causes a disseminated infection involving multiple organs known as Lyme disease. Surface proteins can directly participate in microbial virulence by facilitating pathogen dissemination via interaction with host factors. We show here that a fraction of the B. burgdorferi chromosomal gene product BB0337, annotated as enolase or phosphopyruvate dehydratase, is associated with spirochete outer membrane and is surface exposed. B. burgdorferi enol ... | 2012 | 22025510 |
| nucleosides from phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland ameliorate murine collagen-induced arthritis by impairing dendritic cell functions. | among several pharmacological compounds, phlebotomine saliva contains substances with anti-inflammatory properties. in this article, we demonstrated the therapeutic activity of salivary gland extract (sge) of phlebotomus papatasi in an experimental model of arthritis (collagen-induced arthritis [cia]) and identified the constituents responsible for such activity. daily administration of sge, initiated at disease onset, attenuated the severity of cia, reducing the joint lesion and proinflammatory ... | 2011 | 21930966 |
| tick cell lines for study of crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus and other arboviruses. | abstract continuous cell lines derived from many of the vectors of tick-borne arboviruses of medical and veterinary importance are now available. their role as tools in arbovirus research to date is reviewed and their potential application in studies of tick cell responses to virus infection is explored, by comparison with recent progress in understanding mosquito immunity to arbovirus infection. a preliminary study of propagation of the human pathogen crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus (cc ... | 2011 | 21955214 |
| cotransmission of divergent relapsing fever spirochetes by artificially infected ornithodoros hermsi. | the soft tick ornithodoros hermsi, which ranges in specific arboreal zones of western north america, acts as a vector for the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia hermsii. two genomic groups (genomic group i [ggi] and ggii) of b. hermsii are differentiated by multilocus sequence typing yet are codistributed in much of the vector's range. to test whether the tick vector can be infected via immersion, noninfected, colony-derived o. hermsi larvae were exposed to reduced-humidity conditions before im ... | 2011 | 21965393 |
| pathogen-origin horizontally transferred genes contribute to the evolution of lepidopteran insects. | abstract: | 2011 | 22151541 |
| agents of human anaplasmosis and lyme disease at camp ripley, minnesota. | the transmission dynamics of anaplasma phagocytophilum (ap) and borrelia burgdorferi (bb) among ixodes scapularis (is) and mammalian hosts was investigated at camp ripley, an area representative of central minnesota. prevalence of white-footed mouse infection with ap and bb were 20% and 42%, respectively, with a coinfection level of 14%. peak levels of infection with both agents occurred in may. the average levels of seropositivity to ap and bb were 29.3% and 48%, respectively. of the mice infec ... | 2011 | 21867420 |
| Horizontal transmission of Rickettsia felis between cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis. | Rickettsia felis is a rickettsial pathogen primarily associated with the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. Although laboratory studies have confirmed that R. felis is maintained by transstadial and transovarial transmission in C. felis, distinct mechanisms of horizontal transmission of R. felis among cat fleas are undefined. Based on the inefficient vertical transmission of R. felis by cat fleas and the detection of R. felis in a variety of haematophagous arthropods, we hypothesize that R. felis ... | 2011 | 21967477 |
| evolution of the max and mlx networks in animals. | transcription factors (tfs) are essential for the regulation of gene expression and often form emergent complexes to perform vital roles in cellular processes. in this paper, we focus on the parallel max and mlx networks of tfs because of their critical involvement in cell cycle regulation, proliferation, growth, metabolism, and apoptosis. a basic-helix-loop-helix-zipper (bhlhz) domain mediates the competitive protein dimerization and dna binding among max and mlx network members to form a compl ... | 2011 | 21859806 |
| Failure of Topical Antibiotics to Prevent Disseminated Borrelia burgdorferi Infection Following a Tick Bite in C3H/HeJ Mice. | A prior study in mice has shown that the timely application of topical antibiotics to the skin at the tick bite site could eradicate Borrelia burgdorferi infection. That study, however, did not evaluate antibiotic preparations that are considered suitable for use in humans. In this murine study, topical application of 2% erythromycin and 3% tetracycline preparations that are acceptable for use in humans was found to be ineffective in eliminating B. burgdorferi from the tick bite site or in preve ... | 2011 | 21930606 |
| New England souvenirs. | A 54-year-old woman presented with 2 weeks of fever after a trip to the Northeastern United States. Except for an erythematous skin lesion on her right shoulder, no physical abnormality was detected. We diagnosed concomitant borreliosis and babesiosis. Both infections were possibly acquired by one bite from Ixodes scapularis. | 2011 | 22017722 |
| elimination of borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum in rodent reservoirs and ixodes scapularis ticks using a doxycycline hyclate-laden bait. | a field trial was conducted in a lyme disease-endemic area of new jersey to determine the efficacy of a doxycyline hyclate rodent bait to prophylactically protect and cure small-mammal reservoirs and reduce infection rates in questing ixodes scapularis ticks for borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum. the doxycycline-laden bait was formulated at a concentration of 500 mg/kg and delivered during the immature tick feeding season in rodent-targeted bait boxes. the percentage of infected ... | 2011 | 22144454 |
| characterizing the host and symbiont proteomes in the association between the bobtail squid, euprymna scolopes, and the bacterium, vibrio fischeri. | the beneficial symbiosis between the hawaiian bobtail squid, euprymna scolopes, and the bioluminescent bacterium, vibrio fischeri, provides a unique opportunity to study host/microbe interactions within a natural microenvironment. colonization of the squid light organ by v. fischeri begins a lifelong association with a regulated daily rhythm. each morning the host expels an exudate from the light organ consisting of 95% of the symbiont population in addition to host hemocytes and shed epithelial ... | 2011 | 21998678 |
| Ixodes scapularis salivary gland protein P11 facilitates migration of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from the tick gut to salivary glands. | Ixodes ticks harbour several human pathogens belonging to the order Rickettsiales, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human anaplasmosis. When ticks feed on A. phagocytophilum-infected mice, the pathogen enters the ticks' gut. The bacteria then migrate from the gut to infect the salivary glands of the ticks and are transmitted to the next host via the saliva. The molecular mechanisms that enable the migration of A. phagocytophilum from the gut to the salivary glands are poorly und ... | 2011 | 21921936 |
| A rickettsia genome overrun by mobile genetic elements provides insight into the acquisition of genes characteristic of an obligate intracellular lifestyle. | We present the draft genome for the Rickettsia endosymbiont of Ixodes scapularis (REIS), a symbiont of the deer tick vector of Lyme disease in North America. Among Rickettsia species (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales), REIS has the largest genome sequenced to date (>2 Mb) and contains 2,309 genes across the chromosome and four plasmids (pREIS1 to pREIS4). The most remarkable finding within the REIS genome is the extraordinary proliferation of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), which contributes t ... | 2012 | 22056929 |
| Molting success of Ixodes scapularis varies among individual blood meal hosts and species. | The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is an important vector of emerging human pathogens. It has three blood-feeding stages, as follows: larva, nymph, and adult. Owing to inefficient transovarial transmission, at least for the Lyme disease agent (Borrelia burgdorferi), larval ticks rarely hatch infected, but they can acquire infection during their larval blood meal. Nymphal ticks are primarily responsible for transmitting pathogens to hosts, including humans. The transition from uninfected ho ... | 2011 | 21845946 |
| Ethylmalonyl-CoA Decarboxylase, a New Enzyme Involved in Metabolite Proofreading. | A limited number of enzymes are known that play a role analogous to DNA proofreading by eliminating non-classical metabolites formed by side activities of enzymes of intermediary metabolism. Because few such "metabolite proofreading enzymes" are known, our purpose was to search for an enzyme able to degrade ethylmalonyl-CoA, a potentially toxic metabolite formed at a low rate from butyryl-CoA by acetyl-CoA carboxylase and propionyl-CoA carboxylase, two major enzymes of lipid metabolism. We show ... | 2011 | 22016388 |
| Expansion of the Midwestern focus for human granulocytic anaplasmosis into the region surrounding La Crosse, Wisconsin. | Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), shares the same enzootic life cycle as Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Although La Crosse, WI, is a well-recognized Lyme disease focus with an abundance of Ixodes scapularis vector ticks and the first documentation of HGA occurred in patients from northwestern Wisconsin, local transmission of A. phagocytophilum has not to date been documented. In this study, we evaluated DNA extrac ... | 2011 | 21918026 |
| Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, and Dirofilaria immitis among dogs in Canada. | The seropositivity of dogs to Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Ehrlichia canis antibodies, and Dirofilaria immitis antigen was assessed in Canada. Borrelia burgdorferi had the highest seroprevalence, while that of Dirofilaria immitis has not changed significantly in the past 20 y. The risk for these vector-borne infectious agents in Canadian dogs is low but widespread with foci of higher prevalence. | 2011 | 22043075 |
| Nest box-deployed bait for delivering oral vaccines to white-footed mice. | Although a wide range of interventions are available for use in reducing the public health burden of Lyme disease, additional tools are needed. Vaccinating mouse reservoirs may reduce the prevalence of spirochetal infection due to the powerful vector and reservoir competence-modulating effects of anti-outer surface protein A (OspA) antibody. A delivery system for an oral immunogen would be required for field trials of any candidate vaccine. Accordingly, we tested candidate bait preparations that ... | 2011 | 21890068 |
| A New Real-Time PCR Assay for Improved Detection of the Parasite Babesia microti. | Babesiosis is an emerging zoonosis with important public health implications, as the incidence of the disease has risen dramatically over the past decade. Because the current gold standard for detection of Babesia is microscopic examination of blood smears, accurate identification requires trained personnel. Species in the genus cannot be distinguished microscopically, and Babesia can also be confused with the early trophozoite stage (ring forms) of Plasmodium parasites. To allow more accurate d ... | 2011 | 22170915 |
| First transcriptome of the testis-vas deferens-male accessory gland and proteome of the spermatophore from Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae). | Ticks are important vectors of numerous human diseases and animal diseases. Feeding stimulates spermatogenesis, mating and insemination of male factors that trigger female reproduction. The physiology of male reproduction and its regulation of female development are essentially a black box. Several transcriptomes have catalogued expression of tick genes in the salivary glands, synganglion and midgut but no comprehensive investigation has addressed male reproduction and mating. Consequently, a ne ... | 2011 | 21949745 |
| high rates of rickettsia parkeri infection in gulf coast ticks (amblyomma maculatum) and identification of "candidatus rickettsia andeanae" from fairfax county, virginia. | the gulf coast tick, amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of rickettsia parkeri, a recently identified human pathogen that causes a disease with clinical symptoms that resemble a mild form of rocky mountain spotted fever. because the prevalence of r. parkeri infection in geographically distinct populations of a. maculatum is not fully understood, a. maculatum specimens collected as part of a tick and pathogen surveillance system in fairfax county, virginia, were screened to determine pathogen infect ... | 2011 | 21867421 |
| Infection prevalences of common tick-borne pathogens in adult lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) in Kentucky. | Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and ehrlichiosis are tick-borne diseases that are reported annually in Kentucky. We conducted a survey to describe infection prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis ticks collected in Kentucky. During 2007-2008, we collected 287 ticks (179 D. variabilis and 108 A. americanum) from canine, feral hog, horse, raccoon, white-tailed deer, and human hosts in six counties in Kentucky. Ticks were screened for Ricke ... | 2011 | 21976578 |
| A detailed history of intron-rich eukaryotic ancestors inferred from a global survey of 100 complete genomes. | Protein-coding genes in eukaryotes are interrupted by introns, but intron densities widely differ between eukaryotic lineages. Vertebrates, some invertebrates and green plants have intron-rich genes, with 6-7 introns per kilobase of coding sequence, whereas most of the other eukaryotes have intron-poor genes. We reconstructed the history of intron gain and loss using a probabilistic Markov model (Markov Chain Monte Carlo, MCMC) on 245 orthologous genes from 99 genomes representing the three of t ... | 2011 | 21935348 |
| VectorBase: improvements to a bioinformatics resource for invertebrate vector genomics. | VectorBase (http://www.vectorbase.org) is a NIAID-supported bioinformatics resource for invertebrate vectors of human pathogens. It hosts data for nine genomes: mosquitoes (three Anopheles gambiae genomes, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus), tick (Ixodes scapularis), body louse (Pediculus humanus), kissing bug (Rhodnius prolixus) and tsetse fly (Glossina morsitans). Hosted data range from genomic features and expression data to population genetics and ontologies. We describe improvements ... | 2012 | 22135296 |
| genetic diversity in ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) from six established populations in canada. | although ixodes scapularis is the most important vector of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative agent of lyme disease in north america, little is known of the genetic diversity in this tick species within the recently established populations in canada. in the present study, 153 i. scapularis adults collected from southern canada were compared genetically using single-strand conformation polymorphism (sscp) analyses in combination with dna sequencing of the mitochondrial 16s rrna gen ... | 2011 | 21890067 |
| fossil rhabdoviral sequences integrated into arthropod genomes: ontogeny, evolution, and potential functionality. | retroelements represent a considerable fraction of many eukaryotic genomes and are considered major drives for adaptive genetic innovations. recent discoveries showed that despite not normally using dna intermediates like retroviruses do, mononegaviruses (i.e., viruses with nonsegmented, negative-sense rna genomes) can integrate gene fragments into the genomes of their hosts. this was shown for bornaviridae and filoviridae, the sequences of which have been found integrated into the germ line cel ... | 2011 | 21917725 |
| genotypic diversity of an emergent population of borrelia burgdorferi at a coastal maine island recently colonized by ixodes scapularis. | abstract the recent range expansion of ixodes scapularis has been accompanied by the emergence of borrelia burgdorferi. the development of genetic diversity in b. burgdorferi at these sites of emergence and its relationship to range expansion is poorly understood. we followed colonization of i. scapularis on a coastal maine island over a 17-year period. b. burgdorferi's emergence was documented, as was expansion of ospc strain diversity. ticks collected from rodents and vegetation were examine ... | 2012 | 22217172 |
| a formulation to encapsulate nootkatone for tick control. | nootkatone is a component of grapefruit oil that is toxic to the disease-vectoring tick, ixodes scapularis say, but unfortunately causes phytotoxicity to treated plants and has a short residual activity due to volatility. we prepared a lignin-encapsulated nootkatone formulation to compare with a previously used emulsifiable formulation for volatility, plant phytotoxicity, and toxicity to unfed nymphs of i. scapularis. volatility of nootkatone was measured directly by trapping nootkatone vapor in ... | 2011 | 22238870 |
| persistence of borrelia burgdorferi in rhesus macaques following antibiotic treatment of disseminated infection. | the persistence of symptoms in lyme disease patients following antibiotic therapy, and their causes, continue to be a matter of intense controversy. the studies presented here explore antibiotic efficacy using nonhuman primates. rhesus macaques were infected with b. burgdorferi and a portion received aggressive antibiotic therapy 4-6 months later. multiple methods were utilized for detection of residual organisms, including the feeding of lab-reared ticks on monkeys (xenodiagnosis), culture, imm ... | 2012 | 22253822 |
| detection of anaplasma phagocytophilum in ixodid ticks from equine-inhabited sites in the southeastern united states. | abstract anaplasma phagocytophilum is a vector-borne, obligate intracellular bacterium that invades the neutrophils and eosinophils of infected individuals, causing granulocytic anaplasmosis. equine cases have previously been reported in the united states from california, florida, and connecticut, but limited surveillance studies in the southeast have been conducted. the objective of this study was to determine a. phagocytophilum prevalence in ixodes scapularis ticks at southeastern u.s. horse ... | 2012 | 22214269 |
| of ticks, mice and men: understanding the dual-host lifestyle of lyme disease spirochaetes. | in little more than 30 years, lyme disease, which is caused by the spirochaete borrelia burgdorferi, has risen from relative obscurity to become a global public health problem and a prototype of an emerging infection. during this period, there has been an extraordinary accumulation of knowledge on the phylogenetic diversity, molecular biology, genetics and host interactions of b. burgdorferi. in this review, we integrate this large body of information into a cohesive picture of the molecular and ... | 2012 | 22230951 |
| evolution, expansion and expression of the kunitz/bpti gene family associated with long-term blood feeding in ixodes scapularis. | abstract: background: recent studies of the tick saliva transcriptome have revealed the profound role of salivary proteins in blood feeding. kunitz/bpti proteins are abundant in the salivary glands of ticks and perform multiple functions in blood feeding, such as inhibiting blood coagulation, regulating host blood supply and disrupting host angiogenesis. however, kunitz/bpti proteins in soft and hard ticks have different functions and molecular mechanisms. how these differences emerged and whet ... | 2012 | 22244187 |
| development of shuttle vectors for transformation of diverse rickettsia species. | plasmids have been identified in most species of rickettsia examined, with some species maintaining multiple different plasmids. three distinct plasmids were demonstrated in rickettsia amblyommii aar/sc by southern analysis using plasmid specific probes. copy numbers of pram18, pram23 and pram32 per chromosome in aar/sc were estimated by real-time pcr to be 2.0, 1.9 and 1.3 respectively. cloning and sequencing of r. amblyommii aar/sc plasmids provided an opportunity to develop shuttle vectors fo ... | 2011 | 22216299 |
| partitioning the aggregation of parasites on hosts into intrinsic and extrinsic components via an extended poisson-gamma mixture model. | it is well known that parasites are often highly aggregated on their hosts such that relatively few individuals host the large majority of parasites. when the parasites are vectors of infectious disease, a key consequence of this aggregation can be increased disease transmission rates. the cause of this aggregation, however, is much less clear, especially for parasites such as arthropod vectors, which generally spend only a short time on their hosts. regression-based analyses of ticks on various ... | 2011 | 22216216 |
| a survey on endoparasites and ectoparasites of stray cats from mashhad (iran) and association with risk factors. | as there appeared to be no data available on parasite infection of stray cats in the region and considering the potential threat of stray cats for animal and public health, the present study was carried out using biological samples and necropsy finding collected from cats captured in mashhad city in the northeast of iran. from a total 52 stray cats examined, 18 (34.6%) were male and 34 (65.4%) were female. ten species of endoparasites including helminthes and protozoa and two species of ectopara ... | 2011 | 23024505 |
| a deep insight into the sialotranscriptome of the gulf coast tick, amblyomma maculatum. | saliva of blood sucking arthropods contains compounds that antagonize their hosts' hemostasis, which include platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction and blood clotting; saliva of these organisms also has anti-inflammatory and immunomodullatory properties. perhaps because hosts mount an active immune response against these compounds, the diversity of these compounds is large even among related blood sucking species. because of these properties, saliva helps blood feeding as well as help the establ ... | 2011 | 22216098 |
| global ecology and epidemiology of borrelia garinii spirochetes. | lyme borreliosis (lb) is a tick-transmitted infectious disease caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s. l.). in europe, three different borrelia species are the main causative agents of lb: b. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.), borrelia afzelii, and borrelia garinii. the latter depends heavily on birds as its main reservoir hosts. in fact, birds can act both as biological carriers of borrelia and transporters of infected ticks. the seasonal migration of many bird species not only aid in the ... | 2011 | 22957111 |
| chronic lyme disease and co-infections: differential diagnosis. | in lyme disease concurrent infections frequently occur. the clinical and pathological impact of co-infections was first recognized in the 1990th, i.e. approximately ten years after the discovery of lyme disease. their pathological synergism can exacerbate lyme disease or induce similar disease manifestations. co-infecting agents can be transmitted together with borrelia burgdorferi by tick bite resulting in multiple infections but a fraction of co-infections occur independently of tick bite. cli ... | 2012 | 23400696 |
| cautioning the use of degree-day models for climate change projections in the presence of parametric uncertainty. | developmental models, such as degree-day models, are commonly used to predict the impact of future climate change on the intensity, distribution, and timing of the transmission of infectious diseases, particularly those caused by pathogens carried by vectors or intermediate hosts. resulting projections can be useful in policy discussions concerning regional or national responses to future distributions of important infectious diseases. although the simplicity of degree-day models is appealing, l ... | 2012 | 23387122 |
| granulocytic anaplasmosis in a horse from saskatchewan. | this report describes a case of equine granulocytic anaplasmosis in a horse from saskatchewan. morulae were visualized within blood neutrophils, and the diagnosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (pcr). the organism was identified as the human pathogenic strain of anaplasma phagocytophilum by pcr and dna sequencing of 3 independent genes. | 2012 | 23372198 |
| impact of vector dispersal and host-plant fidelity on the dissemination of an emerging plant pathogen. | dissemination of vector-transmitted pathogens depend on the survival and dispersal of the vector and the vector's ability to transmit the pathogen, while the host range of vector and pathogen determine the breath of transmission possibilities. in this study, we address how the interaction between dispersal and plant fidelities of a pathogen (stolbur phytoplasma tuf-a) and its vector (hyalesthes obsoletus: cixiidae) affect the emergence of the pathogen. using genetic markers, we analysed the geog ... | 2012 | 23284774 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum in questing ixodes ricinus ticks: comparison of prevalences and partial 16s rrna gene variants in urban, pasture, and natural habitats. | urban, natural, and pasture areas were investigated for prevalences and 16s rrna gene variants of anaplasma phagocytophilum in questing ixodes ricinus ticks. the prevalences differed significantly between habitat types, and year-to-year variations in prevalence and habitat-dependent occurrence of 16s rrna gene variants were detected. | 2012 | 23263964 |
| salivary gland proteome of the human malaria vector, anopheles campestris-like (diptera: culicidae). | anopheles campestris-like is proven to be a high-potential vector of plasmodium vivax in thailand. in this study, a. campestris-like salivary gland proteins were determined and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (sds-page), two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. the total amount of salivary gland proteins in the mosquitoes aged 3-5 days was approximately 0.1 ± 0.05 μg/male and 1.38 ± 0.01 μg/female. sds-page analy ... | 2012 | 23263250 |
| identification of tropomyosin and its immunological properties from larvae of cattle tick, boophilus annulatus. | boophilus annulatus is an obligate blood feeder tick that can cause great losses in animals due to anemia and its ability to injure its host skin directly. the aim of this study was identification of cattle humoral immune response to some tick proteins during experimental infestation. | 2013 | 23914237 |
| annotation of protein domains reveals remarkable conservation in the functional make up of proteomes across superkingdoms. | the functional repertoire of a cell is largely embodied in its proteome, the collection of proteins encoded in the genome of an organism. the molecular functions of proteins are the direct consequence of their structure and structure can be inferred from sequence using hidden markov models of structural recognition. here we analyze the functional annotation of protein domain structures in almost a thousand sequenced genomes, exploring the functional and structural diversity of proteomes. we find ... | 2011 | 24710297 |
| antibodies reacting with jcpyv_vp2 _167-15mer as a novel serological marker for jc polyomavirus infection. | jc polyomavirus (jcpyv) is a widespread human polyomavirus that usually resides latently in its host, but can be reactivated under immune-compromised conditions potentially causing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (pml). detection of antibodies against the major capsid protein vp1 currently is the main marker for assessment of infection with jcpyv. | 2014 | 25273879 |
| new superfamilies of eukaryotic dna transposons and their internal divisions. | despite their enormous diversity and abundance, all currently known eukaryotic dna transposons belong to only 15 superfamilies. here, we report two new superfamilies of dna transposons, named sola and zator. sola transposons encode ddd-transposases (transposase, tpase) and are flanked by 4-bp target site duplications (tsd). elements from the sola superfamily are distributed in a variety of species including bacteria, protists, plants, and metazoans. they can be divided into three distinct groups ... | 2009 | 19174482 |
| prolyl oligopeptidase from the blood fluke schistosoma mansoni: from functional analysis to anti-schistosomal inhibitors. | blood flukes of the genus schistosoma cause schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that infects over 240 million people worldwide, and for which there is a need to identify new targets for chemotherapeutic interventions. our research is focused on schistosoma mansoni prolyl oligopeptidase (smpop) from the serine peptidase family s9, which has not been investigated in detail in trematodes. | 2015 | 26039195 |
| laboratory confirmation of lyme disease. | lyme disease can be confirmed in the laboratory by isolation or detection of its causative agent, a tick-borne spirochete borrelia burgdorferi, or by a diagnostic change in the titre of antibodies specific to the agent. b burgdorferi can be isolated and cultivated in barbour-stoenner-kelly ii medium. it can be detected by light microscopy in tissue sections or, rarely, in blood smears using various staining methods. there is interest in the development of alternative detection methods, including ... | 1991 | 22529712 |
| field studies on lyme disease in north america. | the primary tick vector of borrelia burgdorferi in eastern and central north america is ixodes dammini; in western north america, ixodes pacificus. searching for the appropriate vector is the first step in determining whether a region is endemic and enzootic for the spirochete b burgdorferi, the etiological agent of lyme disease, followed by examination of the ticks (questing or already attached to hosts) and wildlife for the spirochete. questing ticks can be collected through a variety of metho ... | 1991 | 22529709 |
| consensus conference on lyme disease. | | 1991 | 22529708 |
| the search for ixodes dammini and borrelia burgdorferi in nova scotia. | twenty-four ixodes dammini ticks (23 adults and one nymph) have been recovered in nova scotia since 1984. there has not been a systematic search for larvae and none has been identified. the recovery of the nymph from a road-killed yellow throat bird, geothypis trichas, in late may 1990 supports the contention that migrating birds are bringing deer ticks into the province every spring. in march and april 1991, four adult deer ticks were identified, suggesting that these ticks had overwintered. th ... | 1992 | 22416195 |
| western blot as a confirmatory test for lyme disease. | | 1993 | 22346434 |
| emerging zoonotic diseases. | | 1995 | 22514399 |
| first case of (imported) babesiosis diagnosed in canada. | this paper describes the first case of babesiosis diagnosed in canada. this case highlights the need for clinicians to be aware of diseases that may be endemic elsewhere and the importance of a travel history in a patient's assessment. | 1998 | 22346559 |
| effect of prior exposure to noninfected ticks on susceptibility of mice to lyme disease spirochetes. | to determine whether prior exposure to nearctic ixodes vector ticks protects native reservoir mice from tick-borne infection by lyme disease spirochetes, we compared their infectivities for white-footed mice and laboratory mice that had been repeatedly infested by noninfected deer ticks. nymphal ticks readily engorged on tick-exposed laboratory mice, but their feeding success on white-footed mice progressively declined. tick-borne spirochetes readily infected previously tick-infested mice. thus, ... | 1998 | 9797328 |
| clinical manifestations of tick-borne infections in children. | | 2000 | 10882645 |
| lyme disease vaccine. | | 2000 | 20177519 |
| lyme disease vaccine. | | 2000 | 18159278 |
| mapping lyme disease incidence for diagnostic and preventive decisions, maryland. | to support diagnostic and preventive decision making, we analyzed incidence of lyme disease in maryland on the zip code level. areas of high incidence were identified on the upper eastern shore of the chesapeake bay and in counties north and east of baltimore city. these latter foci, especially, are not visible when mapping lyme disease on the county level. | 2002 | 11971779 |
| wildlife as source of zoonotic infections. | zoonoses with a wildlife reservoir represent a major public health problem, affecting all continents. hundreds of pathogens and many different transmission modes are involved, and many factors influence the epidemiology of the various zoonoses. the importance and recognition of wildlife as a reservoir of zoonoses are increasing. cost-effective prevention and control of these zoonoses necessitate an interdisciplinary and holistic approach and international cooperation. surveillance, laboratory ca ... | 2004 | 15663840 |
| sustained-release formulation of doxycycline hyclate for prophylaxis of tick bite infection in a murine model of lyme borreliosis. | the prophylactic potential of a single injection of sustained-release doxycycline hyclate (atridox) was compared to that of a single oral dose of doxycycline hyclate in a murine model of lyme borreliosis. prophylaxis, as measured by the lack of cultivable spirochetes and demonstrable pathology, was noted for 43% of orally treated mice; in contrast, the sustained-release doxycycline hyclate completely protected mice from infection and resultant pathology. | 2004 | 15215128 |
| seasonal population dynamics and behaviour of insects in models of vector-borne pathogens. | | 2004 | 20041037 |
| lyme disease: is it or is it not? | | 2005 | 18159514 |
| an insight into the sialome of the blood-sucking bug triatoma infestans, a vector of chagas' disease. | triatoma infestans is a hemiptera, vector of chagas' disease that feeds exclusively on vertebrate blood in all life stages. hematophagous insects' salivary glands (sg) produce potent pharmacological compounds that counteract host hemostasis, including anticlotting, antiplatelet, and vasodilatory molecules. to obtain a further insight into the salivary biochemical and pharmacological complexity of this insect, a cdna library from its sg was randomly sequenced. also, salivary proteins were submitt ... | 2007 | 18207082 |
| surveillance of arthropod vector-borne infectious diseases using remote sensing techniques: a review. | epidemiologists are adopting new remote sensing techniques to study a variety of vector-borne diseases. associations between satellite-derived environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, and land cover type and vector density are used to identify and characterize vector habitats. the convergence of factors such as the availability of multi-temporal satellite data and georeferenced epidemiological data, collaboration between remote sensing scientists and biologists, and the availabilit ... | 2007 | 17967056 |
| geographical distribution and diversity of bacteria associated with natural populations of drosophila melanogaster. | drosophila melanogaster is one of the most widely used model systems in biology. however, little is known about its associated bacterial community. as a first step towards understanding these communities, we compared bacterial 16s rrna gene sequence libraries recovered from 11 natural populations of adult d. melanogaster. bacteria from these sequence libraries were grouped into 74 distinct taxa, spanning the phyla proteobacteria, bacteroidetes, and firmicutes, which were unevenly spread across h ... | 2007 | 17400769 |
| the laboratory diagnosis of lyme borreliosis: guidelines from the canadian public health laboratory network. | lyme borreliosis is uncommonly seen in canada. most cases have occurred in close proximity to small geographical areas where infected ticks have become established. although few cases are seen, thousands of patients are tested yearly. unless patients are carefully selected and an appropriately sensitive and specific testing algorithm is applied, large numbers of patients without lyme borreliosis will be incorrectly diagnosed. the canadian public health laboratory network has developed the presen ... | 2007 | 18923770 |