scholarly journals Breeding systems in Echinococcus granulosus (Cestoda; Taeniidae): selfing or outcrossing?

Parasitology ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. HAAG ◽  
A. M. ARAÚJO ◽  
B. GOTTSTEIN ◽  
M. SILES-LUCAS ◽  
R. C. A. THOMPSON ◽  
...  

We used the PCR–SSCP method followed by sequencing in order to assess the genetic variability of coding and non- coding parts of the genome of Echinococcus granulosus (Cestoda; Taeniidae) and to test whether or not the parasite populations are mainly self-fertilizing. For this, we analysed a sample of 110 E. granulosus metacestode isolates collected from different geographical regions (Southern Brazil, Europe and Australia) and from different intermediate hosts (ovine, bovine, human, macropod, swine and equine). Using appropriate controls, we were able to identify 4 strains in that sample (sheep, cattle, pig and horse strains). The high degree of genetic differentiation between strains, but not within, and the monomorphism found in most loci (EgAg4, EgActII, EgHbx2 and EgAg6 – non-coding – EgAgB/1 and EgND1 – coding) indicated that they are largely selfed. On the other hand, outcrossing was also shown to occur, since 5 potential hybrid genotypes between cattle and sheep strains were found in populations of Southern Brazil, but absent in other geographical areas. We suggest that both processes are adaptive. The article also reports, for the first time, the occurrence of the E. granulosus cattle strain in South America.

Author(s):  
Rafael Lucyk MAURER ◽  
Carlos GRAEFF-TEIXEIRA ◽  
José Willibaldo THOMÉ ◽  
Luís Antônio CHIARADIA ◽  
Hiroko SUGAYA ◽  
...  

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a nematode parasitic of rodents. Man may become infected by ingestion of the third stage larvae produced within the intermediate hosts, usually slugs from the family Veronicellidae. An epidemiological study carried out in a locality in southern Brazil (western Santa Catarina State) where these slugs are a crop pest and an important vector for A. costaricensis has documented for the first time the natural infection of Deroceras laeve with metastrongylid larvae. This small limacid slug is frequently found amid the folds of vegetable leaves and may be inadvertently ingested. Therefore D. laeve may have an important role in transmission of A. costaricensis to man.


1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.H. Hosseini ◽  
A. Eslami

AbstractEchinococcus granulosus is widely distributed throughout Iran, where a variety of animals act as intermediate hosts. In this study, the development and morphological characteristics of E. granulosus of sheep, cattle and camel origin were compared and, overall, the characteristics of larval and adult isolates from sheep and cattle, although similar, showed significant differences from those of the camel isolates, especially with respect to the size of rostellar hooks. Differences in the fertility rates of hydatid cyst in sheep, cattle and camel were recorded as 88%, 19% and 70% respectively.In dogs experimentally infected with the three ‘strains’ of E. granulosus, the rate of development was more rapid in the camel than in the sheep and cattle ‘strain’. In addition, adult E. granulosus derived from the camel demonstrate differences in worm length, segmentation and size, shape, number and arrangement of the genitalia when compared with worms derived from sheep and cattle. The epidemiological significance of these findings is discussed in relation to human hydatid infections in Iran.


2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 307-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzana B. Amato ◽  
José F. R. Amato

Giant water bugs (aquatic Heteroptera), Belostoma dilatatum (Dufour, 1863), were collected in rice plantation water canals, in the Municipality of Eldorado do Sul, outskirts of Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Five specimens were dissected with the objective of finding metacercariae of digenetic trematodes. Four of them (80%) were positive for metacercarial cysts of Stomylotrema vicarium Braun, 1901. The intensities of infection varied from 1 to 16 metacercariae per host (average 7.6). The cysts were whitish, translucent, and found loose among the viscera, in the abdominal and thoracic cavities. Belostoma dilatatum is a new host record for metacercarial cysts of stomylotrematid digenetic trematodes and this is the first time that aquatic hemipterans are recorded as second intermediate hosts of digenetic trematodes in Brazil.


2011 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Hajialilo ◽  
M.F. Harandi ◽  
M. Sharbatkhori ◽  
H. Mirhendi ◽  
S. Rostami

AbstractEchinococcus granulosus, the aetiologic agent of cystic echinococcosis (CE), is one of the most important zoonotic helminthes worldwide. Isolates of the parasite show considerable genetic variation in different intermediate hosts. Several genotypes and species are described in different eco-epidemiological settings. This study investigated E. granulosus genotypes existing in livestock and humans from the province of Kerman, located in south-eastern Iran, using sequencing data of cox1 and nad1 mitochondrial genes. Fifty-eight E. granulosus isolates, including 35 from sheep, 11 from cattle, 9 from camels and 3 from goats, were collected from slaughterhouses throughout Kerman. One human isolate was obtained from a surgical case of CE. Mitochondrial cox1 and nad1 regions were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 38 isolates were sequenced. Genotypes G1 (73.7%), G3 (13.2%) and G6 (13.1%) were identified from the isolates. G1 was the most common genotype from sheep (86.7%), cattle (80%), camels (44.4%) and goats (100%). Sheep, cattle and camels were also found to be infected with the G3 genotype (buffalo strain). The human isolate was identified as the G6 genotype. Results showed that the G3 genotype occurred in different animal hosts in addition to G1 and G6 genotypes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye-Jin Kim ◽  
Tai-Soon Yong ◽  
Myeong Heon Shin ◽  
Kyu-Jae Lee ◽  
Gab-Man Park ◽  
...  

Echinococcosis occurs mainly in areas with heavy livestock farming, such as Central Asia, America, and Australia. <i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> sensu lato (s.l.) infection causes echinococcosis in intermediate hosts, such as sheep, cattle, goats, camels, and horses. Numerous cases of echinococcosis occur in Uzbekistan as stock farming is a primary industry. Epidemiological and genetic studies of <i>E. granulosus</i> s.l. are very important for mitigating its impact on public health and the economy; however, there are no such studies on <i>E. granulosus</i> s.l. in Uzbekistan. In the present study, to determine which genotypes exist and are transmitted, we isolated Echinococcus sp. from definitive hosts (one isolate each from jackal and dog) and intermediate hosts (52 isolates from humans and 6 isolates from sheep) in Uzbekistan and analyzed the isolates by sequencing 2 mitochondrial DNA components (<i>cox1</i> and <i>nad1</i>). The results showed that all of isolates except one belonged to the <i>E. granulosus</i> sensu stricto (s.s.) G1 and G3 genotypes. Phylogenetic analysis based on <i>cox1</i> sequences showed that 42 isolates from humans, 6 isolates from sheep, and one isolate from jackal were the G1 genotype, whereas the remaining 8 isolates from human and the one isolate from dog were the G3 genotype. These results suggest that the G1 and G3 genotypes of <i>E. granulosus</i> s.s. are predominant in Uzbekistan, and both wild animals and domestic animals are important for maintaining their life cycle. Only one isolate from human sample was confirmed to be <i>E. eqiinus</i> (G4 genotype), which is known to be for the first time.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 492f-493
Author(s):  
Roberto F. Vieira ◽  
James E. Simon ◽  
Peter Goldsbrough ◽  
Antonio Figueira

Essential oils extracted from basil (Ocimum spp.) by steam distillation are used to flavor foods, oral products, in fragrances, and in traditional medicines. The genus Ocimum contains around 30 species native to the tropics and subtropics, with some species naturalized and/or cultivated in temperate areas. Interand intraspecific hybridization have created significant confusion in the botanical systematics of this genus. Taxonomy of basil (O. basilicum) is also complicated by the existence of numerous varieties, cultivars, and chemotypes within the species that do not differ significantly in morphology. In this study we are using RAPD markers and volatile oil composition to characterize the genetic diversity among the most economically important Ocimum species. We hypothesize that the genetic similarity revealed by molecular markers will more accurately reflect the morphological and chemical differences in Ocimum than essential oil composition per se. Preliminary research using five Ocimum species, four undetermined species, and eight varieties of O. basilicum (a total of 19 accessions) generated 107 polymorphic fragments amplified with 19 primers. RAPDs are able to discriminate between Ocimum species, but show a high degree of similarity between O. basilicum varieties. The genetic distance between nine species and among 55 accessions within the species O. americanum, O. basilicum, O. campechianum, O. × citriodorum, O. gratissimum, O. kilimandscharium, O. minimum, O. selloi, and O. tenuiflorum will be analyzed by matrix of similarity and compared to the volatile oil profile. This research will for the first time apply molecular markers to characterize the genetic diversity of Ocimum associate with volatile oil constituent.


2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Hidalgo ◽  
Caroll Stoore ◽  
María Soledad Baquedano ◽  
Ismael Pereira ◽  
Carmen Franco ◽  
...  

AbstractCystic echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the metacestode of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. The disease is characterized by the development of cystic structures inside viscera of the intermediate host, mainly liver and lungs. These cysts are formed by three layers: germinal, laminated, and adventitial layer, the latter being the local host immune response. Metacestodes that develop protoscoleces, the infective stage to the definitive host, are termed fertile, whereas cysts that do not produce protoscoleces are termed non-fertile. Sheep usually harbor fertile cysts while cattle usually harbor non-fertile cysts. Adventitial layers with fibrotic resolution are associated to fertile cysts, whereas a granulomatous reaction is associated with non-fertile cysts. The aim of this study was to analyze cellular distribution in the adventitial layer of fertile and non-fertile E. granulosus sensu stricto cysts found in liver and lungs of cattle and sheep. A total of 418 cysts were analyzed, 203 from cattle (8 fertile and 195 non-fertile) and 215 from sheep (64 fertile and 151 non-fertile). Fertile cysts from cattle showed mixed patterns of response, with fibrotic resolution and presence of granulomatous response in direct contact with the laminated layer, while sheep fertile cysts always displayed fibrotic resolution next to the laminated layer. Cattle non-fertile cysts display a granulomatous reaction in direct contact with the laminated layer, whereas sheep non-fertile cysts display a granulomatous reaction, but in direct contact with the fibrotic resolution. This shows that cattle and sheep cystic echinococcosis cysts have distinct local immune response patterns, which are associated to metacestode fertility.


Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Luana Bontempo ◽  
Daniela Bertoldi ◽  
Pietro Franceschi ◽  
Fabio Rossi ◽  
Roberto Larcher

Umbrian tobacco of the Virginia Bright variety is one of the most appreciated tobaccos in Europe, and one characterized by an excellent yield. In recent years, the Umbria region and local producers have invested in introducing novel practices (for production and processing) focused on environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Due to this, tobacco from Umbria is a leading commodity in the global tobacco industry, and it claims a high economic value. The aim of this study is then to assess if elemental and isotopic compositions can be used to protect the quality and geographical traceability of this particular tobacco. For the first time the characteristic value ranges of the stable isotope ratios of the bio-elements as a whole (δ2H, δ13C, δ15N, δ18O, and δ34S) and of the concentration of 56 macro- and micro-elements are now available, determined in Virginia Bright tobacco produced in two different areas of Italy (Umbria and Veneto), and from other worldwide geographical regions. The ranges of variability of elements and stable isotope ratios had slightly different results, according to the three geographical origins considered. In particular, Umbria samples presented significantly lower content of metals potentially dangerous for human health. The results of this first exploratory work highlight the possibility of characterizing tobacco from Umbria, and suggest widening the scope of the survey throughout Italy and foreign regions, in order to be used to describe the geographical origin of tobacco in general and verify the origin of the products on the market.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1630
Author(s):  
Min-Goo Seo ◽  
Byung-Eon Noh ◽  
Hak Seon Lee ◽  
Tae-Kyu Kim ◽  
Bong-Goo Song ◽  
...  

Since 2010, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has established centers at 16 locations to monitor disease vectors and pathogens. Here, we examined tick populations to understand the geographical and temporal distribution of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) vectors in 2020. From April to November, 63,376 ticks were collected from traps to monitor tick populations, with a trap index of 41.3. Tick incidence varied from April to October, with population peaks observed for nymphs in May, adults in July, and larvae in September. The predominant tick species were Haemaphysalis longicornis, Haemaphysalis spp., H. flava, Ixodes spp., Amblyomma testudinarium, and Ixodes nipponensis. Approximately 50% of the collected ticks were pooled into 2973 groups to detect the rate of SFTSV infection in ticks. The minimum infection rate (MIR) of SFTSV was 0.2%, and Andong had the highest MIR for SFTSV (4.0%). The B3 genotype was the most prevalent (52.2%) followed by B2 (28.6%), B5 (15.9%), B4 (1.6%), and B6 (1.6%). We identified widely distributed tick species and a high degree of diversity in SFTSV strains in ticks from different geographical regions. The results may provide a basis for future epidemiological studies and risk assessments for tick-borne diseases.


1996 ◽  
Vol 459 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Ching-Prado ◽  
W. Pérez ◽  
A. Reynés-Figueroa ◽  
R. S. Katiyar ◽  
D. Ravichandran ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThin films of SrBi2Nb2O9 (SBN) with thicknesses of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 μ were grown by Sol-gel technique on silicon, and annealed at 650°C. The SBN films were investigated by Raman scatering for the first time. Raman spectra in some of the samples present bands around 60, 167, 196, 222, 302, 451, 560, 771, 837, and 863 cm−1, which correspond to the SBN formation. The study indicates that the films are inhomogeneous, and only in samples with thicknesses 0.4 μ the SBN material was found in some places. The prominent Raman band around 870 cm−1, which is the A1g mode of the orthorhombic symmetry, is assigned to the symmetric stretching of the NbO6 octahedrals. The frequency of this band is found to shift in different places in the same sample, as well as from sample to sample. The frequency shifts and the width of the Raman bands are discussed in term of ions in non-equilibrium positions. FT-IR spectra reveal a sharp peak at 1260 cm−1, and two broad bands around 995 and 772 cm−1. The bandwidths of the latter two bands are believed to be associated with the presence of a high degree of defects in the films. The experimental results of the SBN films are compared with those obtained in SBT (T=Ta) films. X-ray diffraction and SEM techniques are also used for the structural characterization.


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