Cynthia Guzmán, María Luisa Villareal-Ortega, Nelly Villalobos, Anabel Ortiz-Caltempa, Marisela Hernández, Mario Néquiz-Avendaño, Luisa-Carolina González-Ramírez, Gladis Fragoso, Edda Sciutto, César Díaz-Godínez, Julio César Carrero
{"title":"Aqueous Extracts of Carica papaya Embryogenic Callus Kill Entamoeba histolytica Trophozoites and Orally Protect against the Development of Amoebic Liver Abscesses in Hamsters.","authors":"Cynthia Guzmán, María Luisa Villareal-Ortega, Nelly Villalobos, Anabel Ortiz-Caltempa, Marisela Hernández, Mario Néquiz-Avendaño, Luisa-Carolina González-Ramírez, Gladis Fragoso, Edda Sciutto, César Díaz-Godínez, Julio César Carrero","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01071-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01071-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study evaluated the anti-amoebic properties of aqueous extracts of two Carica papaya callus clones, Wild Type (Pcc-WT-AE) and KETc7-expressing (Pcc-KETc7-AE) clones, in in vitro and in vivo assays.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>E. histolytica trophozoites cultures were exposed for 24 h to varying concentrations of the C. papaya aqueous extracts, and their viability and IC<sub>50</sub> determined by MTT assays. In in vivo studies, golden hamsters were infected intraportally with E. histolytica trophozoites and orally treated with the C. papaya aqueous extracts for 7 days. The animals were sacrificed on day 8, and the development of ALA was recorded. Comparisons were made against metronidazole (MTZ).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both extracts statistically reduced trophozoite viability at 24 h in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Pcc-KETc7-AE showed activity to the same extent as MTZ (IC<sub>50</sub> 36.08 µg/ml vs. 33.54 µg/ml, respectively), whereas Pcc-WT-AE exhibited less efficient but significant activity (IC<sub>50</sub> 113.4 µg/ml). Cell death analysis indicated that both extracts killed trophozoites by necrosis. In vivo studies showed that oral treatment with Pcc-WT-AE (4 and 8 mg/dose/hamster) completely prevented ALA development in 80% of animals, comparable to the effect of MTZ. In contrast, oral treatment with Pcc-KETc7-AE did not prevent lesions, but statistically reduced hepatomegaly, ALA size, and necrotic areas in tissue sections.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The aqueous extracts from C. papaya embryogenic callus cultures analyzed here exhibit potent, yet variable, anti-E. histolytica activity in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The activity was nearly as effective as MTZ suggesting their potential use as a new, natural and safe oral treatment for amebiasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12158857/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Delwendé Florence Ouédraogo, Hamtandi Magloire Natama, Hermann Sorgho, Sarah Bénédicte Kaboré, Mwinessobaonfou Athanase Somé, Aida Millogo, Abdoul-Rahim Ouédraogo, Pieter Guetens, Johanna Helena Kattenberg, Aly Savadogo, Halidou Tinto, Anna Rosanas-Urgell
{"title":"Performances of Malaria PfHRP2 and the Combined PfHRP2/pLDH Based Rapid Diagnostic Tests among Children Under Five Years of Age in a High Seasonal Malaria Transmission Area in Burkina Faso.","authors":"Delwendé Florence Ouédraogo, Hamtandi Magloire Natama, Hermann Sorgho, Sarah Bénédicte Kaboré, Mwinessobaonfou Athanase Somé, Aida Millogo, Abdoul-Rahim Ouédraogo, Pieter Guetens, Johanna Helena Kattenberg, Aly Savadogo, Halidou Tinto, Anna Rosanas-Urgell","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01070-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11686-025-01070-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Despite countrywide seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in Burkina Faso, malaria remains high among under-five year children during peak transmission season, questioning about SMC effectiveness and diagnostic tools accuracy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study assessed the performance of SD-Bioline malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) P.f<sup>®</sup> (PfHRP2) alongside combined SD-Bioline malaria RDT P.f<sup>®</sup> (HRP2/pLDH) and light microscopy (LM) against varATS quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as reference, among SMC-aged children in high seasonal malaria transmission setting in Burkina Faso. A two-year longitudinal study (March 2019-March 2021) conducted in Nanoro health district screened 995 suspected malaria cases. Diagnostic performances of PfHRP2-based RDT and LM were assessed in all cases, while both RDTs were evaluated in a subgroup of 401.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Malaria proportion was 79.9% (795/995), 88.7% (883/995) and 73.6% (732/995) by varATS qPCR, PfHRP2-based RDT and LM respectively. PfHRP2-based RDT and the LM showed similar accuracy [85.3% (95%CI: 83.0-87.5) and 84.6% (95%CI: 82.2-86.8), respectively], but differed in specificity [41.5% (95%CI: 34.6-48.7) versus 77.5% (95%CI: 71.1-83.1), p < 0.001]. Specificity of PfHRP2-based RDT further declined during the high transmission season compared to the low [27.1% (95%CI: 19.0-36.6) versus 58.1% (95%CI: 47.4-68.2), p < 0.001]. In the subgroup, PfHRP2/pLDH-based RDT showed higher specificity than PfHRP2-based RDT during both high [42.3% (95%CI: 28.7-56.8) versus 17.3% (95%CI: 8.2-30.3), p < 0.001] and low transmission seasons [84.0% (95%CI: 63.9-95.5) versus 60.0% (95%CI: 38.7-78.9), p < 0.001]. Moreover, LM substantially agreed with PfHRP2/pLDH-based RDT (Kappa = 0.71), but moderately with PfHRP2-based RDT (Kappa = 0.46).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings suggest revising of malaria RDT recommendations, promoting PfHRP2/pLDH-based RDTs to improve malarial and non-malarial fevers management in SMC-aged children.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"132"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12159090/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis and the Possible Role of C-Reactive Protein in the Pathogenesis of Myocardial Infarction in Patients from Iraq; A Case Control Study.","authors":"Al-Abbas Fadhil Jasim, Amal Khudair Khalaf","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01073-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-025-01073-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The objective of this study was to assess the seroepidemiological prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection, as well as the serum concentrations and expression levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction (MI) in Iraq.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This case-control study involved 200 patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction (MI) and a control group of 200 healthy individuals (non-MI) in Baghdad, Iraq, conducted from September 2023 to October 2024. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM levels, along with serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), were evaluated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Additionally, the expression level of CRP was measured through real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies was found in 111 individuals (55.5%) within the MI group, compared to 92 individuals (42.9%) in the non-MI group. Serum levels and expression of the CRP gene were significantly elevated (P < 0.001) in MI patients who were seropositive for T. gondii antibodies, in comparison to both seronegative MI patients and non-MI participants. The results of the multivariate analysis indicated that individuals aged 30 to 40 years had a 2.14 times higher likelihood of being infected with T. gondii compared to other age groups (p = 0.032, CI = 1.121-4.21). Additionally, MI patients who consumed raw or undercooked meat exhibited 2.26 times greater likelihood of T. gondii infection compared to those who did not consume such meat (p = 0.003, OR = 2.26, CI = 1.372-4.861). Furthermore, female participants diagnosed with MI showed a 3.21-fold increased probability of contracting Toxoplasma infection (p = 0.002, CI = 1.521-7.321).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We found a high prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in patients with MI compared to those without MI. These findings suggest a potential role of CRP in the pathogenesis of MI. Furthermore, elevated levels of CRP may provide a valuable framework for further investigation into the role of T. gondii in the context of MI. However, additional studies are needed to confirm these findings by evaluating some key biomarkers, as high-sensitivity (Hs-CRP).</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"133"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohamed M Baz, Esraa A Elhawary, Abeer H A Abdelhafiz, Reham M Mostafa, Mohammed H Alruhaili, Hattan S Gattan, Abdelfattah Selim, Mohammed E Gad, Heba F Abd-Elkhalek
{"title":"Efficacy of Hot Capsicum annuum Extracts Against the Biological Activity of Culex pipiens and Musca domestica Larvae with their Phytochemical Profiles.","authors":"Mohamed M Baz, Esraa A Elhawary, Abeer H A Abdelhafiz, Reham M Mostafa, Mohammed H Alruhaili, Hattan S Gattan, Abdelfattah Selim, Mohammed E Gad, Heba F Abd-Elkhalek","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01066-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-025-01066-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The extensive use of chemical pesticides poses risks to the environment and human health due to the toxicity and poor biodegradability. Alternative natural practices, including the use of natural molecules, are needed to achieve more sustainable production methods to meet consumer and societal expectations. Plants contain a wide range of potential phytochemicals that target a specific target, are rapidly biodegradable, are environmentally friendly, and have a variety of therapeutic effects, making them a treasure trove of biological materials.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Toxicity of hot Capsicum annuum extracts was tested against 3<sup>rd</sup> instar larvae of Culex pipiens and Musca domestica. LC₅₀ values were determined using serial concentrations, and phytochemical profiling was performed to identify active compounds with molecular docking studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In this study, different exposure periods of various Capsicum annuum extracts showed high insecticidal activity against mosquito and housefly larvae. The petroleum ether (CAPe) extract from C. annuum was the most effective (100 MO%) against Culex pipiens (LC<sub>50</sub> = 150.46 ppm) and Musca domestica larvae (LC<sub>50</sub> = 0.18 mg/ml) 24 h after treatment. The LC<sub>50</sub> dose of the CAPe extract led to a negative effect on the insect metabolism process represented by a significant decrease in the activity level of protease, lipase, α-amylase, and invertase enzymes in both mosquito and fly larvae. Antimicrobial activity tests showed that the CAPe extract killed all of the microbes that were tested, except for Penicillium glabrum. The UPLC/MS comparison of the four Capsicum extracts led to the possible identification of eighty metabolites. The large amounts of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and capsaicinoids were in line with what has been written about the genus Capsicum. Moreover, the multivariate data analysis showed that capsaicinoids, sophorolipids, triterpenoids, and phenolic acids were abundant in the methanol extract compared to flavonoids, triterpenoids, and fatty acids for the petroleum ether extract. Simultaneously, the docking results showed that all of the docked compounds could fit into the digestive lysosome active site of M. domestica (2H5Z).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The major compounds in petroleum ether extract were able to interact with essential amino acids at the target sites of both Cx. pipiens and M. domestica, and therefore the insects' life-supporting functions were negatively affected. Overall, CAPe extract from Capsicum annuum could be a promising ecofriendly bioinsecticide.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144245671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José Pompeu de Araujo Neto, Csaba Székely, Jhonata Eduard, Marcia de Nazare Sacco Dos Santos, Camila Maria Barbosa Pereira, Evonnildo Costa Gonçalves, Michele Velasco, José Ledamir Sindeaux Neto
{"title":"Hepatic coccidiosis in Bagre Bagre (Linnaeus, 1766) from the Brazilian Amazon Region Caused by Calyptospora Matosi n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae).","authors":"José Pompeu de Araujo Neto, Csaba Székely, Jhonata Eduard, Marcia de Nazare Sacco Dos Santos, Camila Maria Barbosa Pereira, Evonnildo Costa Gonçalves, Michele Velasco, José Ledamir Sindeaux Neto","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01064-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-025-01064-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Coccidia (Coccidiasina) is a subclass of Apicomplexa, known to cause gastrointestinal diseases in animals. Although its importance is recognized, there are few taxonomic studies of coccidia in fish, especially in biomes with high diversity, such as the Brazilian Amazon. Therefore, the present study investigated infections by coccidian microparasites found in the hepatic region of the Coco sea catfish, Bagre bagre.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Parasitological analyses were performed on 50 specimens of B. bagre collected in Bragança and Curuça, in northern Brazil, between January and December 2021.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Infections caused by coccidiosis were identified in 35 of these specimens, which were infected by parasites of the genus Calyptospora, including both sporulated and non-sporulated forms in the hepatic stroma of the hosts. The oocysts were spherical (mean diameter: 10.52 ± 0.29 μm) and contained four spheroid sporocysts (mean diameter: 4.22 ± 0.23 μm). A consensus sequence (1,320 bp) of the SSU rDNA gene from these parasites was compared with GenBank sequences of other species of the class Coccidiomorphea and the genetic distances indicated that they represented a new species.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The combination of the morphometric and phylogenetic evidence supports conclusively the existence of a new species of the genus Calyptospora, which is denominated Calyptospora matosi n. sp.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"126"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144232833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Molecular Evidence for Greater Diversity Within Acanthamoeba.","authors":"Daniele Corsaro","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01068-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-025-01068-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The opportunistic parasite Acanthamoeba comprises several genotypes. However, partial rDNA sequences and previous work suggest the possible existence of other, as yet unrecorded lineages. This study aims to identify such sequences and clarify their relationships.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, a broad search for possible new rDNA sequences belonging to Acanthamoeba and its closest relatives was conducted by exploring available data in GenBank.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Several partial sequences, including 18S and/or LSU rDNA sequences, were identified, representing additional genotypes within the Acanthamoeba culbertsoni and Acanthamoeba micheli groups, as well as entirely new near-basal lineages for which no morphological data are available. Furthermore, some sequences could belong to new species of Protacanthamoeba, Luapeleamoeba, and/or a close relative within Acanthamoebidae.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study identified several highly divergent partial 18 S/LSU rDNA sequences that branch consistently in phylogenetic trees and likely represent new lineages. Given the increasing diversity of Acanthamoeba and its close relatives, further efforts to isolate these strains for morphological study are recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"128"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144232834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Germán Augusto Murrieta Morey, Jennifer Anais Sarmiento, Enrique Rios Isern, Jefferson Yunis Aguinaga
{"title":"A new dactylogyrid from Myloplus asterias.","authors":"Germán Augusto Murrieta Morey, Jennifer Anais Sarmiento, Enrique Rios Isern, Jefferson Yunis Aguinaga","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01057-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-025-01057-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>To deepen the knowledge of monogenoids associated with Amazonian fish, studies focused on description, identification and analysis are sought. In this way, the data on the parasitic fauna focused on this group of parasites can be kept up to date. Based on the above, the main objective of this research was to identify new species of monogenoids in the gills of M. asterias acquired in the Santa Clara Market, located in the lower area of Nanay, Loreto-Peru.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Thirty specimens of M. asterias were acquired in the \"Santa Clara\" Market, in the city of Iquitos, Loreto-Peru. According to fishermen, specimens were captured in the Nanay River. Samples were collected between August 2024 and February 2025 and analyzed in the \"Laboratorio de Parasitología y Sanidad Acuícola\" from \"Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana\" (IIAP) in Iquitos, Loreto-Peru.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A new species of Monogenoidea was discovered parasitizing the gills of M. asterias. Anacanthorus santaclarae n. sp. is characterized by presenting a MCO as a straight grooved tube with a flared base, presenting a thin elongated expansion with a curved claw-shaped termination in its distal part; a long accessory piece, not articulated with the MCO base, presented as a rod in the form of a can opener.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This is the first data on the parasites of M. asterias. Anacanthorus santaclarae n. sp. is the eighth documented species of the genus in Peru.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"127"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144232832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John Matthew F Gicom, Alonna Leanne L Egaran, Edric John S Follante, Mariah Kaye R Ebora, Christine Marianne G Dapal, Katrina Theresa M Balboa, Klyde Irene M Ligot, Jose Ma M Angeles
{"title":"Preliminary Exploration of Paper-based ELISA with Recombinant Thioredoxin Peroxidase-1 for Detection of Human Schistosomiasis.","authors":"John Matthew F Gicom, Alonna Leanne L Egaran, Edric John S Follante, Mariah Kaye R Ebora, Christine Marianne G Dapal, Katrina Theresa M Balboa, Klyde Irene M Ligot, Jose Ma M Angeles","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01069-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-025-01069-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study addresses these limitations by evaluating a field-deployable diagnostic alternative, a paper-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) incorporating recombinant thioredoxin peroxidase-1 (rSjTPx-1).</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>The study focused on optimizing the antigen concentration and serum dilution parameters to enhance assay performance. Subsequently, the diagnostic utility of the optimized rSjTPx-1 paper-based ELISA was evaluated using archived serum samples from individuals in a schistosomiasis-endemic region of the Philippines. These samples had been previously classified using the conventional rSjTPx-1 ELISA as seronegative (n = 3), seropositive with low optical density (OD) values (n = 3), and seropositive with high OD values (n = 3). Compared to the conventional rSjTPx-1-ELISA, the paper-based format demonstrated a sensitivity of 83%, specificity of 100%, and a kappa value of 0.769, indicating substantial agreement.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Although slightly less sensitive than the conventional rSjTPx-1-ELISA, the paper-based format offers significant advantages in terms of portability, ease of use, and suitability for resource-limited settings. These results suggest that the rSjTPx-1 paper-based ELISA could be an accessible diagnostic tool for S. japonicum in endemic regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"125"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144214524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mahendra D Jamdhade, Pavan Kumar Mysuru Shivalingappa, Ashwini N Atre, Kiran N Mahale, Milind S Patole, Harsh Pawar
{"title":"Characterization of NUDIX hydrolase from Leishmania major.","authors":"Mahendra D Jamdhade, Pavan Kumar Mysuru Shivalingappa, Ashwini N Atre, Kiran N Mahale, Milind S Patole, Harsh Pawar","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01065-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-025-01065-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>NUDIX hydrolases represent a universal family of enzymes found across all domains of life that specialize in cleaving diverse organic pyrophosphates. These enzymes share a distinctive and evolutionarily conserved 23-amino acid signature sequence known as the NUDIX box domain. Functionally, NUDIX hydrolases play crucial regulatory roles in cellular metabolism, participating in diverse physiological processes including responses to both abiotic and biotic stressors. The cellular localization and enzymatic function of Nudix Hydrolase in L. major in removal of oxidatively damaged nucleotides was not studied.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Genome sequence of Leishmania major, was searched and analyzed for NUDIX motif, it revealed nine proteins had NUDIX box domain. Further bioinformatics analysis was performed to find one or more motifs in addition to Peroxisomal Targeting Sequence (PTS-1). Cellular localization of the LmjF.31.2950 (LmNH) in L. major and the complementation assay was performed using mutT defective Escherichia coli.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Nine genes with NUDIX box domain were found in L. major genome. One of the gene products, encoded by LmjF.31.2950 (LmNH), had additional motifs like NADH pyrophosphatase zinc ribbon domain and a canonical peroxisomal targeting sequence type-1 (PTS-1). Expression of GFP fusion protein with C-terminally cloned LmNH, in L. major, showed the fusion protein is targeted to microbody organelles as seen by the punctuate fluorescence. Proteomic analysis of purified glycosomes from L. major showed the presence of a single peptide with complete homology to LmNH. Complementation assay in mutT defective Escherichia coli confirmed the 'anti-mutator' function of LmNH. This preliminary report indicates that LmNH may play an important role in the nucleotide metabolism in L. major glycosomes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In the present study, we have successfully identified and characterized LmjF.31.2950 (LmNH), a novel NUDIX hydrolase in Leishmania major, that functions as a glycosome-targeted NADH pyrophosphatase.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"124"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144207347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samar Habib, Heba Hany, Manal Elzoheiry, Manar S Elmehankar, Suzan H Elgendy, Emadeldeen Hussin, Khaled Elmasry, Wafaa A Aboukamar
{"title":"Autophagic Response of the Liver Cells to Schistosoma mansoni Infection and Praziquantel Treatment.","authors":"Samar Habib, Heba Hany, Manal Elzoheiry, Manar S Elmehankar, Suzan H Elgendy, Emadeldeen Hussin, Khaled Elmasry, Wafaa A Aboukamar","doi":"10.1007/s11686-025-01028-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-025-01028-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The autophagy process is critical for cell survival, homeostasis, and functions. Autophagy deregulation was linked to several liver diseases; however, little is known about autophagy status during schistosomiasis and praziquantel (PZQ) treatment. This study is exploring autophagy status during schistosomiasis and praziquantel treatment in the hepatocytes, macrophages, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in mice, and linking the variations in these levels to the parasitic parameters.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>CD-1 Swiss female albino mice were allocated into three groups: negative control, Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni)-infected, and the third group was S. mansoni-infected and treated with PZQ. Liver sections were stained for autophagy markers (LC3 and P62) by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At 12 weeks post infection, P62 increased in S. mansoni-infected mice in hepatocytes, macrophages, and HSCs compared to negative controls (P = 0.038, P < 0.001, P = 0.004, respectively) and decreased in PZQ-treated group compared to S. mansoni-infected mice in hepatocytes and macrophages only (P < 0.001, P = 0.004, respectively). LC3 displayed higher levels in S. mansoni-infected mice compared to negative controls in hepatocytes, macrophages, and HSCs (P = 0.01, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively), while in PZQ-treated group, it decreased in macrophages and HSCs compared to S. mansoni-infected mice (P = 0.016, P < 0.001, respectively). Correlations were found between the number of eggs and autophagy status, mostly in HSCs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Schistosomiasis inhibits autophagy in hepatocytes, macrophages, and HSCs, while PZQ treatment reverses autophagy levels in hepatocytes and macrophages, but not in HSCs. More research is needed to understand the autophagy behavior in HSCs during different stages of schistosomiasis to promote development of autophagy-based anti-fibrotic drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":6932,"journal":{"name":"Acta Parasitologica","volume":"70 3","pages":"120"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144198010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}