35 research outputs found
Novel hemotropic mycoplasmas are widespread and genetically diverse in vampire bats
Bats (Order: Chiroptera) have been widely studied as reservoir hosts for viruses of concern for
human and animal health. However, whether bats are equally competent hosts of non-viral
pathogens such as bacteria remains an important open question. Here, we surveyed blood and
saliva samples of vampire bats from Peru and Belize for hemotropic Mycoplasma spp.
(hemoplasmas), bacteria that can cause inapparent infection or anemia in hosts. 16S rRNA gene
amplification of blood showed 67% (150/223) of common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) were
infected by hemoplasmas. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene amplicons revealed three novel
genotypes that were phylogenetically related but not identical to hemoplasmas described from
other (non-vampire) bat species, rodents, humans, and non-human primates. Hemoplasma
prevalence in vampire bats was highest in non-reproductive and young individuals, did not differ
by country, and was relatively stable over time (i.e., endemic). Metagenomics from pooled
D. rotundus saliva from Peru detected non-hemotropic Mycoplasma species and hemoplasma
genotypes phylogenetically similar to those identified in blood, providing indirect evidence for
potential direct transmission of hemoplasmas through biting or social contacts. This study
demonstrates vampire bats host several novel hemoplasmas and sheds light on risk factors for
infection and basic transmission routes. Given the high frequency of direct contacts that arise
when vampire bats feed on humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, the potential of these
bacteria to be transmitted between species should be investigated in future work
MHC transmission: Insights into gender bias in MS susceptibility
OBJECTIVE: Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes dominate genetic susceptibility factors in multiple sclerosis (MS). Given the general consensus that incidence and prevalence of MS has been rising and specifically in women, we evaluated MHC-gender interactions. METHODS: In a large family-based cohort consisting of 7,093 individuals (2,127 affected individuals) from 1,055 MS families, we examined MHC transmission by family structure and gender stratified by genetic distance of affected relatives from the MS proband. RESULTS: We found that affected individuals with HLA-DRB1*15-positive genotypes have higher female-to-male ratios as compared with affected individuals with HLA-DRB1*15-negative genotypes (χ(2) = 9.97, p = 0.0015) with the exception of multiplex families with 3 or more affected across 2 generations. Transmission disequilibrium test results show that HLA-DRB1*15 transmission was more distorted in collateral families vs nuclear families (χ(2) = 8.030, p = 0.0046), exclusively in affected female-female pairs (χ(2) = 7.81, p = 0.0051), but not in mixed gender pairs (χ(2) = 1.58, p = 0.21) or matched male pairs (Fisher p = 0.21). CONCLUSIONS: These observations implicate the MHC as the site of interactions and modifications mediating the female-to-male gender ratio in MS and its progressive increase. They further suggest this occurs via gene-environment interactions and epigenetic modifications in this region. The difference between collateral and nuclear families provides some insight into the inheritance, decay, and gender specificity of putative epigenetic marks
Hormone-induced caulogenesis in long-term tobacco cell lines and its effect on nuclear DNA content
Continuous-Time Flow-Limited Modeling by Convolution Area Property and Differentiation Product Rule in 4-Phase Liver Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced CT
Species of Hypholoma (Fr.) P. Kumm. (Strophariaceae, Agaricales) in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil
Neptune long-lived atmospheric features in 2013–2015 from small (28-cm) to large (10-m) telescopes
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