Epidemiology of Brucellosis and Genetic Diversity of <i>Brucella abortus</i> in Kazakhstan

<div><p>Brucellosis is a major zoonotic infection in Kazakhstan. However, there is limited data on its incidence in humans and animals, and the genetic diversity of prevalent strains is virtually unstudied. Additionally, there is no detailed overview of Kazakhstan brucellosis control and eradication programs. Here, we analyzed brucellosis epidemiological data, and assessed the effectiveness of eradication strategies employed over the past 70 years to counteract this infection. We also conducted multiple loci variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) of <i>Brucella abortus</i> strains found in Kazakhstan. We analyzed official data on the incidence of animal brucellosis in Kazakhstan. The records span more than 70 years of anti-brucellosis campaigns, and contain a brief description of the applied control strategies, their effectiveness, and their impact on the incidence in humans. The MLVA-16 method was used to type 94 strains of <i>B</i>. <i>abortus</i> and serial passages of <i>B</i>. <i>abortus</i> 82, a strain used in vaccines. MLVA-8 and MLVA-11 analyses clustered strains into a total of four and seven genotypes, respectively; it is the first time that four of these genotypes have been described. MLVA-16 analysis divided strains into 28 distinct genotypes having genetic similarity coefficient that varies from 60 to100% and a Hunter & Gaston diversity index of 0.871. MST analysis reconstruction revealed clustering into "Kazakhstani-Chinese (Central Asian)", "European" and "American" lines. Detection of multiple genotypes in a single outbreak confirms that poorly controlled trade of livestock plays a crucial role in the spread of infection. Notably, the MLVA-16 profile of the <i>B</i>. <i>abortus</i> 82 strain was unique and did not change during 33 serial passages. MLVA genotyping may thus be useful for epidemiological monitoring of brucellosis, and for tracking the source(s) of infection. We suggest that countrywide application of MLVA genotyping would improve the control of brucellosis in Kazakhstan.</p></div

Allelic types and HGDI of <i>B</i>. <i>abortus</i> strains for 16 loci in this study.

<p>Allelic types and HGDI of <i>B</i>. <i>abortus</i> strains for 16 loci in this study.</p

Incidence of animal brucellosis.

<p>Time in years is on the x-axis, seroprevalence (%) is on the y-axis.</p

Incidence of human brucellosis.

<p>Time in years is on the x-axis, incidence per 100,000 population is on the y-axis.</p

Geographical representation of <i>Brucella abortus</i> sample collection sites.

<p>Geographical representation of <i>Brucella abortus</i> sample collection sites.</p

Cluster analysis for 94 strains of <i>Brucella abortus</i> based on the MLVA-16 dataset.

<p>In the columns, the following data for strains are indicated: Key, serial number for the strain in the MLVA bank; GT, genotype MLVA16 in this study; MLVA-8 and MLVA-11, genotype numbers associated with the genotypes corresponding to each strain in the database; region, geographic region (NKR, North Kazakhstan Region; EKR, East Kazakhstan Region; WKR, West Kazakhstan Region); host, animal host; year, year of isolation.</p

Proteomic Analysis of <i>Sulfolobus solfataricus</i> during <i>Sulfolobus</i> Turreted Icosahedral Virus Infection

Where there is life, there are viruses. The impact of viruses on evolution, global nutrient cycling, and disease has driven research on their cellular and molecular biology. Knowledge exists for a wide range of viruses; however, a major exception are viruses with archaeal hosts. Archaeal virus–host systems are of great interest because they have similarities to both eukaryotic and bacterial systems and often live in extreme environments. Here we report the first proteomics-based experiments on archaeal host response to viral infection. <i>Sulfolobus</i> Turreted Icosahedral Virus (STIV) infection of <i>Sulfolobus solfataricus</i> P2 was studied using 1D and 2D differential gel electrophoresis (DIGE) to measure abundance and redox changes. Cysteine reactivity was measured using novel fluorescent zwitterionic chemical probes that, together with abundance changes, suggest that virus and host are both vying for control of redox status in the cells. Proteins from nearly 50% of the predicted viral open reading frames were found along with a new STIV protein with a homologue in STIV2. This study provides insight to features of viral replication novel to the archaea, makes strong connections to well-described mechanisms used by eukaryotic viruses such as ESCRT-III mediated transport, and emphasizes the complementary nature of different omics approaches

Proteomic Analysis of <i>Sulfolobus solfataricus</i> during <i>Sulfolobus</i> Turreted Icosahedral Virus Infection

Where there is life, there are viruses. The impact of viruses on evolution, global nutrient cycling, and disease has driven research on their cellular and molecular biology. Knowledge exists for a wide range of viruses; however, a major exception are viruses with archaeal hosts. Archaeal virus–host systems are of great interest because they have similarities to both eukaryotic and bacterial systems and often live in extreme environments. Here we report the first proteomics-based experiments on archaeal host response to viral infection. <i>Sulfolobus</i> Turreted Icosahedral Virus (STIV) infection of <i>Sulfolobus solfataricus</i> P2 was studied using 1D and 2D differential gel electrophoresis (DIGE) to measure abundance and redox changes. Cysteine reactivity was measured using novel fluorescent zwitterionic chemical probes that, together with abundance changes, suggest that virus and host are both vying for control of redox status in the cells. Proteins from nearly 50% of the predicted viral open reading frames were found along with a new STIV protein with a homologue in STIV2. This study provides insight to features of viral replication novel to the archaea, makes strong connections to well-described mechanisms used by eukaryotic viruses such as ESCRT-III mediated transport, and emphasizes the complementary nature of different omics approaches