Amblyomma americanum serpin 27 (AAS27) is a tick salivary anti-inflammatory protein secreted into the host during feeding

Ticks successfully feed and transmit pathogens by injecting pharmacological compounds in saliva to thwart host defenses. We have previously used LC-MS/MS to identify proteins that are present in saliva of unfed Amblyomma americanum ticks that were exposed to different hosts. Here we show that A. americanum serine protease inhibitor (serpin) 27 (AAS27) is an immunogenic saliva protein that is injected into the host within the first day of tick feeding and is an anti-inflammatory protein that might act by blocking plasmin and trypsin functions. Although AAS27 is injected into the host throughout tick feeding, qRT-PCR and western blotting analyses indicate that the respective transcript and protein are present in high amounts within the first 24 h of tick feeding. Biochemical screening of Pichia pastoris-expressed recombinant (r) AAS27 against mammalian proteases related to host defense shows it is an inhibitor of trypsin and plasmin, with stoichiometry of inhibition indices of 3.5 and 3.8, respectively. Consistent with typical inhibitory serpins, rAAS27 formed heat- and SDS-stable irreversible complexes with both proteases. We further demonstrate that rAAS27 inhibits trypsin with ka of 6.46 ± 1.24 x 104 M-1 s-1, comparable to serpins of other tick species. We show that native AAS27 is part of the repertoire of proteins responsible for the inhibitory activity against trypsin in crude tick saliva. AAS27 is likely utilized by the tick to evade the hosts inflammation defense since rAAS27 blocks both formalin and compound 48/80-induced inflammation in rats. Tick immune sera of rabbits that had acquired resistance against tick feeding following repeated infestations with A. americanum or Ixodes scapularis ticks reacts with rAAS27. Of significant interest, antibody to rAAS27 blocks this serpin inhibitory functions. Taken together, we conclude that AAS27 is an anti-inflammatory protein secreted into the host during feeding and may represent a potential candidate for development of an anti-tick vaccine

COVID-19 impacts the expression of molecular markers associated with neuropsychiatric disorders

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was initially characterized due to its impacts on the respiratory system; however, many recent studies have indicated that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) significantly affects the brain. COVID-19 can cause neurological complications, probably caused by the induction of a cytokine storm, since there is no evidence of neurotropism by SARS-CoV-2. In line with this, the COVID-19 outbreak could accelerate the progression or affect the clinical outcomes of neuropsychiatric conditions. Thus, we analyzed differential gene expression datasets for clinical samples of COVID-19 patients and identified 171 genes that are associated with the pathophysiology of the following neuropsychiatric disorders: alcohol dependence, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, and sleep disorder. Several of the genes identified are associated with causing some of these conditions (classified as elite genes). Among these elite genes, 9 were found for schizophrenia, 6 for autism, 3 for depression/major depressive disorder, and 2 for alcohol dependence. The patients with the neuropsychiatric conditions associated with the genes identified may require special attention as COVID-19 can deteriorate or accelerate neurochemical dysfunctions, thereby aggravating clinical outcomes

Trombocitopatia e coagulopatia em bovinos associadas à infestação do carrapato Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

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Caracterização dos efeitos do veneno da taturana lonomia obliqua sobre a reatividade plaquetária

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SARSCOVIDB : a new platform for the analysis of the molecular impact of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global emergency issue for public health. This threat has led to an acceleration in related research and, consequently, an unprecedented volume of clinical and experimental data that include changes in gene expression resulting from infection. The SARS-CoV-2 infection database (SARSCOVIDB: https://sarscovidb.org/) was created to mitigate the dificulties related to this scenario. The SARSCOVIDB is an online platform that aims to integrate all differential gene expression data, at messenger RNA and protein levels, helping to speed up analysis and research on the molecular impact of COVID-19. The database can be searched from different experimental perspectives and presents all related information from published data, such as viral strains, hosts, methodological approaches (proteomics or transcriptomics), genes/proteins, and samples (clinical or experimental). All information was taken from 24 articles related to analyses of differential gene expression out of 5,554 COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2-related articles published so far. The database features 12,535 genes whose expression has been identified as altered due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thus, the SARSCOVIDB is a new resource to support the health workers and the scientific community in understanding the pathogenesis and molecular impact caused by SARS-CoV-2

O impacto do vírus Zika no Brasil e no mundo

O vírus Zika, transmitido por mosquitos do gênero Aedes, foi responsável recentemente por um grande surto de infecções e condições patológicas a ele associadas. Muitos casos de microcefalia e outras complicações neurológicas foram relacionados ao vírus, tornando-o alvo de diversas pesquisas no Brasil e no mundo. As investigações científicas, relacionadas ao Zika, em muito pouco tempo, já foram capazes de melhorar o diagnóstico, promover avanços no desenvolvimento de vacinas e outras maneiras de prevenção, bem como maior entendimento sobre as patologias associadas. Neste trabalho, todos esses aspectos foram revisados e discutidos, apresentando um panorama geral sobre o Zika e seu impacto global, especialmente no Brasil.The Zika virus, transmitted by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, was recently responsible for a major outbreak of infections and pathological associated conditions. Several cases of microcephaly and other neurological impairments were related with the virus, making Zika a target of multiple research projects in Brazil and worldwide. Scientific investigations, related to Zika, have, in a short time, already been able to improve the diagnosis, promote advances in vaccine development and other ways of prevention, as well as a better understanding of the associated pathologies. In this article, these mentioned topics were reviewed and discussed presenting an overview towards Zika and its global impact, especially in Brazil