Immunization of Mice with Recombinant Protein CobB or AsnC Confers Protection against Brucella abortus Infection

Due to drawbacks of live attenuated vaccines, much more attention has been focused on screening of Brucella protective antigens as subunit vaccine candidates. Brucella is a facultative intracellular bacterium and cell mediated immunity plays essential roles for protection against Brucella infection. Identification of Brucella antigens that present T-cell epitopes to the host could enable development of such vaccines. In this study, 45 proven or putative pathogenesis-associated factors of Brucella were selected according to currently available data. After expressed and purified, 35 proteins were qualified for analysis of their abilities to stimulate T-cell responses in vitro. Then, an in vitro gamma interferon (IFN-γ) assay was used to identify potential T-cell antigens from B. abortus. In total, 7 individual proteins that stimulated strong IFN-γ responses in splenocytes from mice immunized with B. abortus live vaccine S19 were identified. The protective efficiencies of these 7 recombinant proteins were further evaluated. Mice given BAB1_1316 (CobB) or BAB1_1688 (AsnC) plus adjuvant could provide protection against virulent B. abortus infection, similarly with the known protective antigen Cu-Zn SOD and the license vaccine S19. In addition, CobB and AsnC could induce strong antibodies responses in BALB/c mice. Altogether, the present study showed that CobB or AsnC protein could be useful antigen candidates for the development of subunit vaccines against brucellosis with adequate immunogenicity and protection efficacy

First report and multilocus genotyping of Enterocytozoon bieneusi from Tibetan pigs in southwestern China

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is a common intestinal pathogen in a variety of animals. While E. bieneusi genotypes have become better-known, there are few reports on its prevalence in the Tibetan pig. This study investigated the prevalence, genetic diversity, and zoonotic potential of E. bieneusi in the Tibetan pig in southwestern China. Tibetan pig feces (266 samples) were collected from three sites in the southwest of China. Feces were subjected to PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in 83 (31.2%) of Tibetan pigs from the three different sites, with 25.4% in Kangding, 56% in Yaan, and 26.7% in Qionglai. Prevalence varies according to age group, from 24.4% (age 0–1 years) to 44.4% (age 1–2 years). Four genotypes of E. bieneusi were identified: two known genotypes EbpC (n = 58), Henan-IV (n = 24) and two novel genotypes, SCT01 and SCT02 (one of each). We compare our results with a compilation of published results on the host range and geographical distribution of E. bieneusi genotypes in China. Phylogenetic analysis showed these four genotypes clustered to group 1 with zoonotic potential. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of three microsatellites (MS1, MS3, MS7) and one minisatellite (MS4) was successful in 47, 48, 23 and 47 positive specimens and identified 10, 10, 5 and 5 genotypes at four loci, respectively. This study indicates the potential danger of E. bieneusi to Tibetan pigs in southwestern China, and offers basic advice for preventing and controlling infections

First detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in red-bellied tree squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus) in China

Cryptosporidium spp. are opportunistic pathogens that cause diarrhea in a variety of animal hosts. Although they have been reported in many animals, no information has been published on the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in red-bellied tree squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus). A total of 287 fecal specimens were collected from Sichuan province in China; the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp., measured by nested-PCR amplification of the partial small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene, was 1.4% (4/287). Three different Cryptosporidium species or genotypes were identified: Cryptosporidium parvum (n = 1), Cryptosporidium wrairi (n = 1), and Cryptosporidium rat genotype II (n = 2). The present study is the first report of Cryptosporidium infection in red-bellied tree squirrels in China. Although there is a relatively low occurrence of Cryptosporidium, the presence of C. parvum and C. wrairi, which were previously reported in humans, indicates that red-bellied tree squirrels may be a source of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis in China

Modulating gut microbiota and metabolites with dietary fiber oat β-glucan interventions to improve growth performance and intestinal function in weaned rabbits

The effect of oat β-glucan on intestinal function and growth performance of weaned rabbits were explored by multi-omics integrative analyses in the present study. New Zealand White rabbits fed oat β-glucan [200 mg/kg body weight (BW)] for 4 weeks, and serum markers, colon histological alterations, colonic microbiome, colonic metabolome, and serum metabolome were measured. The results revealed that oat β-glucan increased BW, average daily gain (ADG), average daily food intake (ADFI), and decreased serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contents, but did not affect colonic microstructure. Microbiota community analysis showed oat β-glucan modulated gut microbial composition and structure, increased the abundances of beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, Pediococcus, Bacillus, etc. Oat β-glucan also increased intestinal propionic acid, valeric acid, and butyric acid concentrations, decreased lysine and aromatic amino acid (AAA) derivative contents. Serum metabolite analysis revealed that oat β-glucan altered host carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism. These results suggested that oat β-glucan could inhibit systemic inflammation and protect intestinal function by regulating gut microbiota and related metabolites, which further helps to improve growth performance in weaned rabbits

TELEX HEBDOMADAIRE NR 95 DU 17.09.82 DESTINE A L'ENSEMBLE DES DELEGATIONS EXTERIEURES ET BUREAUX DE PRESS ET D'INFORMATION INDEPENDANTS DANS LES PAYS TIERS = WEEKLY MEMO NO. 95 FOR 17.09.82 TO FOREIGN DELEGATIONS AND PRESS BUREAUS OF THIRD COUNTRIES

<p>High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) results of (A) commercial surfactin sample, and (B) our extract surfactin of <i>B</i>. <i>subtilis</i> HH2 in LB medium. There were three main peaks (Peak A-C) of the extract and the surfactin standard in the same location.</p

New insights into the interactions between Blastocystis, the gut microbiota, and host immunity.

The human gut microbiota is a diverse and complex ecosystem that is involved in beneficial physiological functions as well as disease pathogenesis. Blastocystis is a common protistan parasite and is increasingly recognized as an important component of the gut microbiota. The correlations between Blastocystis and other communities of intestinal microbiota have been investigated, and, to a lesser extent, the role of this parasite in maintaining the host immunological homeostasis. Despite recent studies suggesting that Blastocystis decreases the abundance of beneficial bacteria, most reports indicate that Blastocystis is a common component of the healthy gut microbiome. This review covers recent finding on the potential interactions between Blastocystis and the gut microbiota communities and its roles in regulating host immune responses

Prevalence and molecular subtyping of Blastocystis in patients with Clostridium difficile infection, Singapore

10.1186/s13071-021-04749-8Parasites and Vectors14127

Prediction of the potential distribution of Chimonobambusa utilis (Poaceae, Bambusoideae) in China, based on the MaxEnt model

Chimonobambusa utilis is a unique edible bamboo species valued for its economic and nutritional benefits. However, its existence in natural habitats is at risk due to environmental shifts and human interventions. This research utilised the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) to predict potential habitats for Ch. utilis in China, identifying key environmental factors influencing its distribution and analysing changes in suitable habitats under future climate conditions. The results show that the results of the MaxEnt model have high prediction accuracy, with an AUC (Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve) value of 0.997. Precipitation in the driest month (Bio14), altitude (Alt) and isothermality (Bio03) emerged as the primary environmental factors influencing the Ch. utilis distribution. Currently, the suitable habitats area for Ch. utilis is 10.55 × 104 km2. Projections for the 2050s and 2090s indicate potential changes in suitable habitats ranging from -3.79% to 10.52%. In general, the most suitable habitat area will decrease and shrink towards higher latitude areas in the future. This study provides a scientific basis for the introduction, cultivation and conservation of Ch. utilis