Temporal evolution of the resistance genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum in isolates from Equatorial Guinea during 20 years (1999 to 2019)

Background Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, particularly in Africa. As such, resistance to anti-malarial drugs is one of the most important problems in terms of global malaria control. This study assesses the evolution of the different resistance markers over time and the possible influence of interventions and treatment changes that have been made in Equatorial Guinea. Methods A total of 1223 biological samples obtained in the period 1999 to 2019 were included in the study. Screening for mutations in the pfdhfr, pfdhps, pfmdr1, and pfcrt genes was carried out by nested PCR and restriction-fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), and the study of pfk13 genes was carried out by nested PCR, followed by sequencing to determine the presence of mutations. Results The partially and fully resistant haplotypes (pfdhfr + pfdhps) were found to increase over time. Moreover, in 2019, the fully resistant haplotype was found to be increasing, although its super-resistant counterpart remains much less prevalent. A continued decline in pfmdr1 and pfcrt gene mutations over time was also found. The number of mutations detected in pfk13 has increased since 2008, when artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) were first introduced, with more mutations being observed in 2019, with two synonymous and five non-synonymous mutations being detected, although these are not related to resistance to ACT. In addition, the non-synonymous A578S mutation, which is the most frequent on the African continent, was detected in 2013, although not in the following years. Conclusions Withdrawal of the use of chloroquine (CQ) as a treatment in Equatorial Guinea has been shown to be effective over time, as wild-type parasite populations outnumber mutant populations. The upward trend observed in sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) resistance markers suggest its misuse, either alone or in combination with artesunate (AS) or amodiaquine (AQ), in some areas of the country, as was found in a previous study conducted by this group, which allows selective pressure from SP to continue. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) 540E and 581G do not exceed the limit of 50 and 10%, respectively, thus meaning that SP is still effective as an intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) in this country. As for the pfk13 gene, no mutations have been detected in relation to resistance to ACT. However, in 2019 there is a greater accumulation of non-synonymous mutations compared to years prior to 2008. Graphical Abstract

IOT BASED MOLECULAR MARKERS FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE STUDIES IN RICE - STRATEGY AND CHALLENGES

Rice production is constrained by diseases of fungal, bacterial and viral origin. The Internet of Things (IoT) – network of interconnected devices - is an application for disease related uses, collection of data, processing for testing and monitoring. This review article aims about how IoT can track and allows disease resistance studies in in Oryza species. Among them Xanthomonas oryzae, Magnaporthe grisea, RYMV (Rice yellow mottle virus), and brown planthopper causes the high yield losses. Disease resistance genes are identified and they are screened by the SSR (simple sequence repeats), RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphisms) analysis.

Genotypic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency protects against Plasmodium falciparum infection in individuals living in Ghana

Introduction The global effort to eradicate malaria requires a drastic measure to terminate relapse from hypnozoites as well as transmission via gametocytes in malaria-endemic areas. Primaquine has been recommended for the treatment of P. falciparum gametocytes and P. vivax hypnozoites, however, its implementation is challenged by the high prevalence of G6PD deficient (G6PDd) genotypes in malaria endemic countries. The objective of this study was to profile G6PDd genotypic variants and correlate them with malaria prevalence in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional survey of G6PDd genotypic variants was conducted amongst suspected malaria patients attending health care facilities across the entire country. Malaria was diagnosed using microscopy whilst G6PD deficiency was determined using restriction fragment length polymorphisms at position 376 and 202 of the G6PD gene. The results were analysed using GraphPad prism. Results A total of 6108 subjects were enrolled in the study with females representing 65.59% of the population. The overall prevalence of malaria was 36.31%, with malaria prevalence among G6PDd genotypic variants were 0.07% for A-A- homozygous deficient females, 1.31% and 3.03% for AA- and BA- heterozygous deficient females respectively and 2.03% for A- hemizygous deficient males. The odd ratio (OR) for detecting P. falciparum malaria infection in the A-A- genotypic variant was 0.0784 (95% CI: 0.0265–0.2319, p<0.0001). Also, P. malariae and P. ovale parasites frequently were observed in G6PD B variants relative to G6PD A- variants. Conclusion G6PDd genotypic variants, A-A-, AA- and A- protect against P. falciparum, P. ovale and P. malariae infection in Ghana.

Decreased prevalence of the Plasmodium falciparum Pfcrt K76T and Pfmdr1 and N86Y mutations post-chloroquine treatment withdrawal in Katete District, Eastern Zambia

Background In 2002, Zambia withdrew chloroquine as first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria due to increased treatment failure and worldwide spread of chloroquine resistance. The artemisinin combination regimen, artemether–lumefantrine, replaced chloroquine (CQ) as first choice malaria treatment. The present study determined the prevalence of CQ resistance molecular markers in the Pfcrt and Pfmdr1 genes in Eastern Zambia at 9 and 13 years after the removal of drug pressure. Methods Samples collected from Katete District during the drug therapeutic efficacy assessments conducted in 2012 and 2016 were assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) to determine the prevalence of genetic mutations, K76T on the Pfcrt gene and N86Y on the Pfmdr1 gene. A total of 204 P. falciparum-positive DBS samples collected at these two time points were further analysed. Results Among the samples analysed for Pfcrt K76T and Pfmdr1 N86Y in the present study, 112 (82.4%) P. falciparum-infected samples collected in 2012 were successfully amplified for Pfcrt and 94 (69.1%) for Pfmdr1, while 69 (65.7%) and 72 (68.6%) samples from 2016 were successfully amplified for Pfcrt and Pfmdr1, respectively. In 2012, the prevalence of Pfcrt 76K (sensitive) was 97.3%, 76T (resistant) was 1.8%, and 0.8% had both 76K and 76T codons (mixed). Similarly in 2012, the prevalence of Pfmdr1 86N (sensitive) was 97.9% and 86Y (resistant) was 2.1%. In the 2016 samples, the prevalence of the respective samples was 100% Pfcrt 76K and Pfmdr1 86N. Conclusion This study shows that there was a complete recovery of chloroquine-sensitive parasites by 2016 in Katete District, Eastern Zambia, 13 years following the withdrawal of CQ in the country. These findings add to the body of evidence for a fitness cost in CQ-resistant P. falciparum in Zambia and elsewhere. Further studies are recommended to monitor resistance countrywide and explore the feasibility of integration of the former best anti-malarial in combination therapy in the future.

High Foam Phenotypic Diversity and Variability in Flocculant Gene Observed for Various Yeast Cell Surfaces Present as Industrial Contaminants

Many contaminant yeast strains that survive inside fuel ethanol industrial vats show detrimental cell surface phenotypes. These harmful effects may include filamentation, invasive growth, flocculation, biofilm formation, and excessive foam production. Previous studies have linked some of these phenotypes to the expression of FLO genes, and the presence of gene length polymorphisms causing the expansion of FLO gene size appears to result in stronger flocculation and biofilm formation phenotypes. We performed here a molecular analysis of FLO1 and FLO11 gene polymorphisms present in contaminant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from Brazilian fuel ethanol distilleries showing vigorous foaming phenotypes during fermentation. The size variability of these genes was correlated with cellular hydrophobicity, flocculation, and highly foaming phenotypes in these yeast strains. Our results also showed that deleting the primary activator of FLO genes (the FLO8 gene) from the genome of a contaminant and highly foaming industrial strain avoids complex foam formation, flocculation, invasive growth, and biofilm production by the engineered (flo8∆::BleR/flo8Δ::kanMX) yeast strain. Thus, the characterization of highly foaming yeasts and the influence of FLO8 in this phenotype open new perspectives for yeast strain engineering and optimization in the sugarcane fuel-ethanol industry.

Detection of precisely edited CRISPR/Cas9 alleles through cointroduced restriction-fragment length polymorphisms

CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful tool for producing genomic insertions and deletions (indels) to interrogate gene function. Modified CRISPR/Cas9 protocols can produce targeted genetic changes that are more precise than indels, but founder recovery is less efficient. Focusing on producing missense mutations in zebrafish using single-stranded oligo deoxynucleotide (ssODN) donor templates, we pioneered a strategy of adding synonymous changes to create novel restriction-enzyme (RE) sites, allowing detection of rare precise edits in a modified fluorescent-PCR fragment assay. We have named this process TIARS (test for incorporation of added recognition sites). Aided by TIARS, we induced two distinct amino-acid substitutions (T979I and P1387S) in the atp7a gene among somatic tissues of CRISPR-Cas9 treated F0 zebrafish. One of these F0s transmitted the allele to atp7aT979I/+ F1 progeny, and trans heterozygosity of this allele against a null atp7a allele causes hypopigmentation, consistent with more severe pigment deficits in zebrafish or humans carrying only null mutations in atp7a/ATP7A. Design of ssODNs with novel RE recognition sites is labor-intensive, so we developed an in silico tool, TIARS Designer, and performed bioinformatic validation indicating that TIARS should be generalizable to other genes and experimental systems that employ donor template DNA.

Decreased Prevalence of the Plasmodium Falciparum Pfcrt K76T and Pfmdr1 N86Y Mutations Post- Chloroquine Treatment Withdrawal in Katete District, Eastern Zambia

Background: In 2002, Zambia withdrew chloroquine as first line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria due to increased treatment failure and world-wide spread of chloroquine resistance. The artemisinin combination regimen artemether-lumefantrine replaced chloroquine as first choice malaria treatment. The present study determined the prevalence of chloroquine resistance molecular markers in the malaria parasite Pfcrt and Pfmdr1 genes in Eastern Zambia at nine and thirteen years after the removal of drug pressure.Methods: We assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) the prevalence of the genetic mutations, K76T on the Pfcrt gene and N86Y on the Pfmdr1 gene in samples collected from Katete District during drug therapeutic efficacy assessments conducted in 2012 and 2016.Results: A total of 204 P. falciparum positive samples from 2012 and 2016 were further analysed for Pfcrt K76T and Pfmdr1 N86Y. 112 P. falciparum infected samples collected in 2012 were successfully amplified for Pfcrt and Pfmdr1, while 69 (65.7%) and 72 (68.6%) samples from 2016 were successfully amplified for Pfcrt and Pfmdr1. In 2012, the prevalence of Pfcrt 76K was 97.3%, 76T was 1.8%, and 0.8% had both 76K and 76T codons. The prevalence of Pfmdr1 86N was 97.9% and 86Y was 2.1%. In the 2016 samples, the prevalence of the respective parasite genotypes was 100% Pfcrt 76K and Pfmdr1 86N.Conclusion: This study shows that there was a complete recovery of chloroquine-sensitive parasites by 2016 in Katete District, thirteen years following the withdrawal of CQ. These findings add to the body of evidence for a fitness cost in chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum in Zambia and elsewhere. Further studies are recommended to explore the feasibility of integration of the former best antimalarial in combination therapy in the future.

Length polymorphisms of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in assisted selection for lipoxygenase-free in soybean

Beany flavor of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is caused by oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by the action of three lipoxygenases (LOX1, LOX2 and LOX3) present in mature seeds. The unpleasant flavor restricts human consumption of soybean products. This problem could be solved through genetic elimination of alleles that code these enzymes. Parental cultivars and two hybrid population were selected and analyzed using genetic markers for alleles locus, encoding Lox1, Lox2 and Lox3 free. The SSR marker Satt212 confirmed the presence of the homozygous null-allele Lx3 in the cultivar BRS 213, which were used for hybridization with BR 36. Heterozygote F1 hybrid plants and homozygous Lx3 lines in F2 segregating populations were successfully identified. The SSR markers Sat090 and Sat417 was the most effective diagnostic marker among the all SSR markers tested. Satt090 and Satt417 confirmed the presence of the homozygous Lx2 null-allele in the parental cultivar BRS 213 by flanking Lx2 loci at 3,00 and 2,77 cM, respectively. The presence of Lx2 null allele in The F2 segregating populations between BRS 213 and BRS 155 were successfully identified with a selection efficiency of 98% and have great potential for further application in the Brazilian breeding program aimed at improving soybean seed quality.

Bioprospecting of Sechium spp. varieties for the selection of characters with pharmacological activity

Bioprospecting identifies new sources of compounds with actual or potential economic value that come from biodiversity. An analysis was performed regarding bioprospecting purposes in ten genotypes of Sechium spp., through a meta-analysis of 20 information sources considering different variables: five morphological, 19 biochemical, anti-proliferative activity of extracts on five malignant cell lines, and 188 polymorphic bands of amplified fragment length polymorphisms, were used in order to identify the most relevant variables for the design of genetic interbreeding. Significant relationships between morphological and biochemical characters and anti-proliferative activity in cell lines were obtained, with five principal components for principal component analysis (SAS/ETS); variables were identified with a statistical significance (< 0.7 and Pearson values ≥ 0.7), with 80.81% of the accumulation of genetic variation and 110 genetic bands. Thirty-nine (39) variables were recovered using NTSYSpc software where 30 showed a Pearson correlation (> 0.5) and nine variables (< 0.05), Finally, using a cladistics analysis approach highlighted 65 genetic bands, in addition to color of the fruit, presence of thorns, bitter flavor, piriform and oblong shape, and also content of chlorophylls a and b, presence of cucurbitacins, and the IC50 effect of chayote extracts on the four cell lines.