Road-killed wild animals: a preservation problem useful for eco-epidemiological studies of pathogens

Road-killed wild animals have been for years used for surveillance of vectors of zoonotic pathogens and may offer new opportunities for eco-epidemiological studies. In the current study, fungal infection was evaluated by PCR and nested-PCR in tissue samples collected from 19 road-killed wild animals. The necropsies were carried out and samples were collected for DNA extraction. Results, using PCR with a panfungal primer and nested PCR with specific primers, indicated that some animals are naturally infected with Amauroascus aureus, Metarhizium anisopliae, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus oryzae, Emmonsia parva, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis or Pichia stipitis. The approach employed herein proved useful for detecting the environmental occurrence of several fungi, as well as determining natural reservoirs in wild animals and facilitating the understanding of host-pathogen relationships.(FAPESP) São Paulo Research Foundatio

Substrate texture properties induce triatomine probing on bitten warm surfaces

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In this work we initially evaluated whether the biting process of <it>Rhodnius prolixus </it>relies on the detection of mechanical properties of the substrate. A linear thermal source was used to simulate the presence of a blood vessel under the skin of a host. This apparatus consisted of an aluminium plate and a nickel-chrome wire, both thermostatized and presented at 33 and 36°C, respectively. To evaluate whether mechanical properties of the substrate affect the biting behaviour of bugs, this apparatus was covered by a latex membrane. Additionally, we evaluated whether the expression of probing depends on the integration of bilateral thermal inputs from the antennae.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The presence of a latex cover on a thermal source induced a change in the biting pattern shown by bugs. In fact, with latex covered sources it was possible to observe long bites that were never performed in response to warm metal surfaces. The total number of bites was higher in intact versus unilaterally antennectomized insects. These bites were significantly longer in intact than in unilaterally antennectomized insects.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that substrate recognition by simultaneous input through thermal and mechanical modalities is required for triggering maxillary probing activity.</p

Protein–like fully reversible tetramerisation and super-association of an aminocellulose

Unusual protein-like, partially reversible associative behaviour has recently been observed in solutions of the water soluble carbohydrates known as 6-deoxy-6-(v-aminoalkyl)aminocelluloses, which produce controllable self-assembling films for enzyme immobilisation and other biotechnological applications. Now, for the first time, we have found a fully reversible self-association (tetramerisation) within this family of polysaccharides. Remarkably these carbohydrate tetramers are then seen to associate further in a regular way into supra-molecular complexes. Fully reversible oligomerisation has been hitherto completely unknown for carbohydrates and instead resembles in some respects the assembly of polypeptides and proteins like haemoglobin and its sickle cell mutation. Our traditional perceptions as to what might be considered ‘‘protein-like’’ and what might be considered as ‘‘carbohydrate-like’’ behaviour may need to be rendered more flexible, at least as far as interaction phenomena are concerned

Fucans, but Not Fucomannoglucuronans, Determine the Biological Activities of Sulfated Polysaccharides from Laminaria saccharina Brown Seaweed

Sulfated polysaccharides from Laminaria saccharina (new name: Saccharina latissima) brown seaweed show promising activity for the treatment of inflammation, thrombosis, and cancer; yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these properties remain poorly understood. The aim of this work was to characterize, using in vitro and in vivo strategies, the anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulant, anti-angiogenic, and anti-tumor activities of two main sulfated polysaccharide fractions obtained from L. saccharina: a) L.s.-1.0 fraction mainly consisting of O-sulfated mannoglucuronofucans and b) L.s.-1.25 fraction mainly composed of sulfated fucans. Both fractions inhibited leukocyte recruitment in a model of inflammation in rats, although L.s.-1.25 appeared to be more active than L.s.-1.0. Also, these fractions inhibited neutrophil adhesion to platelets under flow. Only fraction L.s.-1.25, but not L.s.-1.0, displayed anticoagulant activity as measured by the activated partial thromboplastin time. Investigation of these fractions in angiogenesis settings revealed that only L.s.-1.25 strongly inhibited fetal bovine serum (FBS) induced in vitro tubulogenesis. This effect correlated with a reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels in L.s.-1.25-treated endothelial cells. Furthermore, only parent sulfated polysaccharides from L. saccharina (L.s.-P) and its fraction L.s.-1.25 were powerful inhibitors of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) induced pathways. Consistently, the L.s.-1.25 fraction as well as L.s.-P successfully interfered with fibroblast binding to human bFGF. The incorporation of L.s.-P or L.s.-1.25, but not L.s.-1.0 into Matrigel plugs containing melanoma cells induced a significant reduction in hemoglobin content as well in the frequency of tumor-associated blood vessels. Moreover, i.p. administrations of L.s.-1.25, as well as L.s.-P, but not L.s.-1.0, resulted in a significant reduction of tumor growth when inoculated into syngeneic mice. Finally, L.s.-1.25 markedly inhibited breast cancer cell adhesion to human platelet-coated surfaces. Thus, sulfated fucans are mainly responsible for the anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiangiogenic, and antitumor activities of sulfated polysaccharides from L. saccharina brown seaweed

A study of tuberculosis in road traffic-killed badgers on the edge of the British bovine TB epidemic area

The role of badgers in the geographic expansion of the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) epidemic in England is unknown: indeed there have been few published studies of bTB in badgers outside of the Southwest of England where the infection is now endemic in cattle. Cheshire is now on the edge of the expanding area of England in which bTB is considered endemic in cattle. Previous studies, over a decade ago when bovine infection was rare in Cheshire, found no or only few infected badgers in the south eastern area of the county. In this study, carried out in 2014, road-killed badgers were collected through a network of local stakeholders (farmers, veterinarians, wildlife groups, government agencies), and Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from 21% (20/94) badger carcasses. Furthermore, there was strong evidence for co-localisation of M. bovis SB0129 (genotype 25) infection in both badgers and cattle herds at a county scale. While these findings suggest that both badgers and cattle are part of the same geographically expanding epidemic, the direction of any cross-species transmission and the drivers of this expansion cannot be determined. The study also demonstrated the utility of using road-killed badgers collected by stakeholders as a means of wildlife TB surveillance