Seroepidemiological study on Coxiella burnetii and associated risk factors in ruminants at Kurdistan Province,west of Iran

Q fever is zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. Ruminants are the main reservoir of this pathogen, which is often asymptomatic but lead to abortion. This study aims to survey the seroprevalence and risk factors of this zoonose among ruminants in Kurdistan province, the west of Iran. 480 blood samples were collected from ruminants including sheep, goats and cows, each 160 samples, in the age groups of <1, ≥1−3, >3−5 year with and without the history of abortion in two groups border and non-border cities in Kurdistan province. Serums were tested by use of indirect ELISA to determine specific antibodies against C. burnetii. The results indicate the seroprevalence of 46.6 % for Q fever. Seroprevalence in sheep, goats and cows were 28.58 % (n = 64), 45.53 % (n = 102) and 25.89 % (n = 58), respectively. Seroprevalence is significantly higher in animals with abortion than in those without such history (P < 0.05). The seroprevalence in the border cities has been significantly higher than other geographical areas (P < 0.05). Seroprevalence had no significant correlation with animal age (P> 0.05). This study is the first seroepidemiological study done on Q fever in ruminants of Kurdistan province, Iran. The results indicate the high seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in the area under the study. Therefore, doing an epidemiologically study aimed at isolating C. brunetii in the human population of Kurdistan province is recommended, so that the epidemiological aspect of this pathogen in the people of Kurdistan province be clarified and subsequently disease control and prevention programs be applied.     

Identification of differential protein expression and putative drug target in metacyclic stage of Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica: A quantitative proteomics and computational view

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an infectious disease that commonly caused by Leishmania (L.) major and L.tropica. Recently there has been a growing interest in proteomics analysis on Leishmania for drug target discovery. Therefore, we aimed to distinguish proteins which might be characteristic for each of the species from those shared by both to the detection of drug targets, which may become helpful for designing new drugs for CL. To identify differences in protein profiles of L. major and L. tropica, we conducted a Sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion spectra mass spectrometry (SWATH-MS) analysis. Totally 67 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) (fold change> 2 and p < 0.05) were identified between species. Of these, 42 and 25 proteins were up-regulated in L. major and L. tropica, respectively. Several enriched GO terms were identified via biological process of up-regulated proteins. Furthermore, the small molecule metabolic process and translation were detected as significant biological processes for up-regulated proteins in L. major, while translation was identified for L. tropica. Also, KEGG analysis has revealed glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and translation as the top pathways in the proteins up-regulated in L. major and L. tropica, respectively. Finally glycosomal malate dehydrogenase was identified as putative drug target using network and homology analyses. The DEPs between the species are essential in host-pathogen interactions and parasite survival in the macrophage. Furthermore, L. major and L. tropica possibly uses different pathogenicity mechanisms that leads to anthroponotic or zoonotic CL. Our results may help in the drug discovery and chemotherapeutic interventions.     

Hydrodynamic method for estimating production carrying capacity of coastal finfish cage aquaculture in Southeast Asia

This paper presents the development of a simple and generally applicable hydrodynamic method for the estimation of production carrying capacity (PCC) of coastal finfish cage aquaculture. Dimensional analysis was used to find significant and general interdependencies between the hydrodynamics at fish farm locations and particulate wastes deposited on the seafloor by fish farms. Modeled ratios of deposition to emission of particulate wastes underneath fish farms were found to be primarily a function of the flow Reynolds numbers at the farming locations and the non-dimensional settling velocity of emitted wastes. In the non-dimensional model, farming conditions include daily feed rate, proportion of unconsumed feed, and carbon content in feed and fish feces. The relationship can be used to estimate the PCC of floating net cages imposing a threshold value for deposition. Results of in-situ assessments of the benthic impacts of several fish farms in an aquaculture site in the northwest of Bali, Indonesia were used to validate and demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Predicted results were able to clearly identify fish farms operating beyond ecologically sustainable carrying capacity. The proposed method has broad applicability and could help make decisions regarding the estimation of production potential of individual farms in pristine areas, for providing first estimates in sites that have scarce data, and for assessment, expansion, and optimization of the currently operating aquaculture sites in Southeast Asia, China and potentially other data-poor island nations. As the method relies on dynamic models, it enables straightforward assessments over the entire aquaculture region.     

Genome-wide association analysis for stripe rust resistance in spring wheat(Triticum aestivum L.) germplasm

Stripe rust is a continuous threat to wheat crop all over the world. It causes considerable yield losses in wheat crop every year. Continuous deployment of adult plant resistance(APR) genes in newly developing wheat cultivars is the most judicious strategy to combat this disease. Herein, we dissected the genetics underpinning stripe rust resistance in Pakistani wheat germplasm. An association panel of 94 spring wheat genotypes was phenotyped for two years to score the infestation of stripe rust on each accession and was scanned with 203 polymorphic SSRs. Based on D' measure, linkage disequilibrium(LD) exhibited between loci distant up to 45 c M. Marker-trait associations(MTAs) were determined using mixed linear model(MLM). Total 31 quantitative trait loci(QTLs) were observed on all 21 wheat chromosomes. Twelve QTLs were newly discovered as well as 19 QTLs and 35 previously reported Yr genes were validated in Pakistani wheat germplasm. The major QTLs were QYr.uaf.2 AL and QYr.uaf.3 BS(PVE, 11.9%). Dissection of genes from the newly observed QTLs can provide new APR genes to improve genetic resources for APR resistance in wheat crop.     

Nitrogen fertilization affects yields and storage compound contents in seeds of field-grown soybeans cv Enrei (Glycine max. L) and its super-nodulating mutant En-b0-1 through changing N2 fixation activity of the plants

ABSTRACT

We compared the protein and oil contents, seed yields, and natural abundance of ¹⁵N (σ¹⁵N) of seeds from the plants of the cultivar Enrei, which has moderate nodulating ability (Enrei) with those of its two near-isogenic lines (NILs), a super-nodulating genotype of Enrei, i.e., En-b0-1, and a non-nodulating genotype of Enrei, i.e., En1282. Plants of these three genotypes were grown on four types of field plots with different types of urea coated slow-release nitrogen (N) fertilizers (CUSLNFs) which delivered N in different manners during plant growth . The seed yield of the En1282 plants was similar to that of the Enrei plants but much greater than that of the En-b0-1 plants when the plants were grown on the field to which a CUSLNF with a long lifespan was applied. The amounts of protein per seed were positively correlated with those of oil per seed in the case of En1282 plants irrespective of the field N conditions. The seed protein contents were proportional to the seed weight in both En1282 and Enrei plants. Such a relationship was not observed in the En-b0-1 plants, and the protein and oil contents in the seeds of En-b0-1 plants were negatively correlated with each other. These observations suggested that the N supply to maturing seeds was a key to the protein contents in the En1282 and Enrei plants and that the C supply to maturing seeds was a key to the protein contents in the En-b0-1 plants. The comparison of the σ¹⁵N values, protein contents, and seed yields of seeds from En1282 plants suggested that the Enrei plants assimilated considerable amounts of N from the soil during the late plant growth. We concluded that high N₂ fixation activity depressed the amounts of oil per seed and changed the protein and oil contents in soybean seeds.     

Milk vetch dwarf virus infection in the Solanaceae and Caricaceae families in Southeast Asia

Milk vetch dwarf virus (MDV) is an important member of the genus Nanovirus and is transmitted by the aphid Aphis craccivora. MDV has multiple single-stranded DNA genome components, each approximately 1 kb, and two or three alpha-satellite molecules. It mainly infects plants of the legume family Fabaceae. Recently, papaya (Carica papaya) collected in Yesan, South Korea, displaying symptoms of leaf yellowing and dwarfism, was identified as a new host for MDV. To examine the geographical distribution of MDV, papaya samples with symptoms were harvested in South Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan in August 2018, along with tomato and pepper samples grown in adjacent fields in Vietnam. The results revealed the presence of MDV not only in papaya but also in pepper and tomato. This MDV infection in members of the Solanaceae family was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization performed using a PCR product of segment S as a probe. Based on sequence analysis of three MDV components (M, S, and C3), we verified the presence of three different isolates of MDV in these three countries and homology between sequences of isolates from papaya and from members of the Solanaceae from Vietnam. Taken together, our results clearly demonstrate MDV infection in Vietnam and Taiwan for the first time and confirm that MDV can infect economically important pepper and tomato.     

Serological survey of Toxoplasma gondii in captive nonhuman primates in zoos in Spain

Toxoplasma gondii is a widely distributed zoonotic protozoan parasite, which can affect most warm-blooded species. Some species of non-human primates (NHPs) are highly susceptible to T. gondii infection. The aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in NHPs housed in zoos in Spain. Sera from 189 NHPs belonging to 33 species were collected in eight zoos. Additionally, 10 of the 189 animals were longitudinally sampled. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 48 NHPs (25.4%; confidence interval of 95% (CI_95%): 19.2–31.6) using a modified agglutination test (MAT; cut-off = 25). Seropositive animals had titers of 25 (6.3%), 50 (8.3%), 100 (8.3%) and ≥500 (68.8%). Seropositivity was detected in 15 of the 33 species (45.5%). Of the 10 NHPs sampled more than once, two animals (one Barbary macaque [Macaca sylvanus] and one common chimpanzee [Pan toglodytes]) seroconverted along the study period, while one seropositive chimpanzee increased antibody titers over time. The Hominidae family (OR = 5.9; CI_95%: 2.7–12.8) and sex (females) (OR = 2.1; CI_95%: 1.1–4.1) were risk factors potentially associated with seropositivity to T. gondii. Our results evince a widespread circulation of T. gondii in NHPs in zoos in Spain, which may be of conservation concern. Control measures should be implemented to minimize the risk of exposure of these species to T. gondii.