Molecular characterisation of Theileria equi and risk factors associated with the occurrence of theileriosis in horses of Punjab (Pakistan)

Theileria equi (T. equi) is an obligate intra- and extra-erythrocytic parasite that causes equine theileriosis (ET) in equids. Equine theileriosis is considered a notifiable disease of global significance, a major constraint to the international movement of horses, and endemic in many countries. This disease may be difficult to diagnose, as it can produce variable and nonspecific clinical signs. A cross-sectional study was designed for the molecular characterisation of T. equi and to investigate the associated risk factors of ET accompanied by its consequences on haematological and sero-biochemical parameters. A convenience sampling of 500 blood samples were collected from ET suspect horses from January to December 2017. PCR was performed on all blood samples targeting the 18S rRNA gene of T. equi followed by sequencing; 9% animals tested positive with confirmed sequences. The isolates of this study showed high homology with Cuban, Russian and Brazilian isolates of T. equi (accession numbers KY111762.2 , MG551915.1 and KY952237.1 , respectively). Based on multivariate analysis, the principal risk factors consisted of absence of dogs on the premises and presence of tick infestation. The haemato-biochemical parameters showed a decrease in granulocytes and erythrocytes, and an increase in lymphocytes, monocytes, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean platelet volume, glucose, phosphorus and aspartate aminotransferase in positive horses. This is the first study which identified ET in Punjab (Pakistan) using molecular techniques and risk factors together with the haemato-biochemical variations in horses.     

目录

为了表达牛环形泰勒虫（Theileria annulata）截短HSP70基因编码蛋白并研究该蛋白的结构与功能特性,本研究扩增牛环形泰勒虫HSP70目的基因并构建重组质粒pMD18-T-HSP70,选取其他种的同源HSP70蛋白序列构建系统进化树;利用生物信息学方法分析HSP70基因编码蛋白的氨基酸组成、基本理化性质、亲疏水性、跨膜区结构、信号肽、可能的磷酸化位点、亚细胞定位及蛋白的二级结构和三级结构;对重组蛋白HSP70进行蛋白互作网络分析;构建原核表达载体pET28a-HSP70,筛选诱导表达条件,镍柱纯化重组蛋白及检测反应原性。结果显示,牛环形泰勒虫HSP70蛋白序列与小泰勒虫的序列同源性较高,蛋白分子质量为42 ku,理论等电点（pI）为5.61,属于酸性亲水性蛋白,无跨膜区及信号肽;蛋白功能预测结果显示,HSP70包含32个可能的磷酸化位点,亚细胞定位分析显示该蛋白主要分布于细胞质。蛋白质二级结构中α-螺旋、β-转角、无规则卷曲、延伸链分别占39.18%、8.51%、30.41%和21.91%。蛋白互作网络构建结果显示,与HSP70相互作用的蛋白主要为HSP90家族成员,另外还有伴侣蛋白GrpE同系物,预示着HSP70可能在细胞内与HSP90形成复合体发挥作用。本试验成功构建原核表达载体,获得了大小约为48 ku的融合蛋白,以0.6 mmol/L IPTG于37 ℃诱导5 h,蛋白表达较好;点状印迹及Western blotting结果表明,表达产物可被自然感染的牛环形泰勒虫阳性血清识别,具有良好的反应原性。本试验结果为进一步探讨牛环形泰勒虫HSP70功能机制提供了理论依据。     

Theileria orientalis: a review

Theileria orientalis (also known historically as T. sergenti and T. buffeli) is responsible for benign or non-transforming theileriosis, and exerts its major effect through erythrocyte destruction. The life cycle of T. orientalis is essentially similar to that of other Theileria species, except that the schizonts do not induce transformation and fatal lymphoproliferation. The pathogenesis of anaemia as a result of infection is not clearly established and may be multifaceted. Clinical signs of weakness, reluctance to walk and abortion are early but non-specific indications of disease, particularly if accompanied by a history of cattle being moved. Physical examination may reveal pallor (pale eyes, vaginal mucosa), pyrexia, and elevated heart and respiratory rates. T. orientalis is an economically important parasite of cattle in New Zealand, Australia and Japan, especially where naïve animals are introduced into an endemic area or in animals under stress. Increased awareness of the risks posed by the parasite is required to enable management practices to be implemented to minimise its impact.     

The impact of Theileria parva infections and other factors on calf mean daily weight gains in smallholder dairy farms in Murang'a District, Kenya

The association between mean daily weight gain, Theileria parva infections, clinical East Coast fever and other possible determinants of weight gain were examined in a longitudinal observational study that was conducted in cohorts of female calves from five agro-ecological zone (AEZ)-grazing strata. The strata were upper-midlands (UM) 1 zero-grazing, UM 1 open-grazing, UM 2 zero-grazing, UM 4 zero-grazing and UM 4 open-grazing. In total, 225 calves on 188 smallholder dairy farms were visited within the first 2 weeks of life and thereafter at biweekly intervals up to the age of 6 months between March 1995 and August 1996. During each visit, the calves were weighed and other calf-management practices in the farm during the visit such as housing, feeding and tick control also were recorded. Other events such as morbidity and mortality between or during the visits were also recorded.

The overall mean daily weight gains were 0.24–0.29 kg (S.D.=0.17–0.22 kg) and were lower than the recommended targets for smallholder farms of 0.40–0.50 kg. The major tendency in variability of daily weight gains was due to visit-to-visit variation (especially in calves >3 months old).

Differences in mean daily gains were associated with AEZ-grazing strata and calf-level factors that included breed of calf, calf sickness, incidence of ECF, feeding of milk, concentrate feeds and minerals and interaction between calf age and AEZ-grazing strata (P<0.05). ECF and other calf sicknesses exerted a temporal effect on calf-growth at the height of illness and immediately after; calves later recovered the lost growth except where other factors such as poor calf nutrition prevailed. Improvement in calf-growth in Murang’a District is achievable and extension services should continue to target individual-calf-level management practices.     

Studies on the Epidemiology of Tropical Theileriosis (Theileria annulata Infection) in Cattle in Central Anatolia,Turkey

An epidemiological survey for Theileria annulata infection was conducted in 12 selected villages around Ankara in Central Anatolia, Turkey, during the period April 1990 to January 1993. During the survey, 198 cattle of 30 local breeds, 84 Holstein-Friesian×local breeds and 84 Holstein-Friesian breed were examined for antibodies to T. annulata and the presence of the vector ticks. Four species of Hyalomma ticks were identified: Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, Hyalomma anatolicum excavtum, Hyalomma detritum and Hyalomma marginatum marginatum. Salivary gland staining indicated that infected adult ticks of all four species were present and, therefore, were implicated in the transmission of tropical theileriosis in the field. Generally, the Hyalomma infestation rate was low, with the heaviest infestations occurring on the older animals. Young adults and calves had very low infestation rates. Most ticks seen on cattle were adults, very few nymphs were found. The blood smear and serological examination of the 198 cattle conducted in March, before the start of the first disease season, showed that the prevalence of piroplasmosis was 11.1% (22 out of 198) and the seroprevalence of T. annulata was 10.6% (21 out of 198). Forty-three animals were then excluded from the study because they were seropositive and/or harboured piroplasms. Ninety-two seronegative animals showed piroplasmosis (92 out of 155) and 34 seronegative animals became seropositive for T. annulata (34 out of 155) during the three disease seasons. One animal became clinically ill with tropical theileriosis and required treatment. The incidence of cattle showing piroplasmosis and disease in the total study sample was 50.7% and 0.5% per disease season, respectively. The seroconversion rate of new infection with T. annulata in the total study was 14.3% per animal season. The number of cattle showing piroplasmosis was much greater than the number of seropositive cattle, which may indicate the presence of another species of Theileria. The two different management systems encountered in the study were considered to have influenced the tick infestation levels.     

Transmission of Theileriosis in the Traditional Farming Sector in the Southern Province of Zambia during 1995–1996

The incidence of first contact with the protozoan Theileria parva was determined in three traditional cattle herds in the Southern Province of Zambia in 1995 and 1996. The majority of first contacts occurred during the dry season in June, July and August, at a time of nymphal activity and in the absence of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus adults, indicating that larva to nymph transmission plays a more prominent role than nymph to adult transmission under the prevailing conditions.     

牛瑟氏泰勒虫P33表面蛋白基因的克隆与序列分析

为分析吉林省流行的牛瑟氏泰勒虫基因序列，根据GenBank上发表的牛瑟氏泰勒虫P33表面蛋白基因序列设计合成一对引物，用PCR方法扩增出牛瑟氏泰勒虫的基因片段，并成功地将该基因纯化后克隆到pGEM-TEasy载体上，将经EcoRⅠ酶切鉴定和PCR鉴定为阳性的重组质粒进行测序。结果表明克隆的基因片段长度为868bp，编码283个氨基酸，有2个潜在的糖基化位点。核苷酸同源性分析表明，该基因片段与韩国株（AF521557）、日本株（AB016280）、俄罗斯株（AB016279）的核苷酸序列同源性分别为99．4％、88.0％、88．1％。     

马泰勒虫不同PCR检测方法的比较

为寻求一种快速、有效的马泰勒虫PCR检测方法，用Bec-UF2、Equi-R；EMA-1F、EMA-1R两对引物对56份马血液样本中马泰勒虫的核蛋白体基因和表面蛋白基因进行了常规PCR方法检测，用EMA-5、EMA-6；EMA-7、EMA-8两对引物对56份马血液样本中马泰勒虫的表面蛋白基因进行了PCR和套式PCR方法检测。结果显示，以Bec-UF2、Equi-R为引物的PCR方法的阳性检出率为57．1％（32／56），以EMA-5、EMA-6；EMA-7、EMA-8为引物的套式PCR方法的阳性检出率为51．8％（29／56），以EMA-1F、EMA-1R为引物的PCR方法的阳性检出率为17．9％（10／56）。结果表明，以Bec-UF2、Equi-R为引物的常规PCR方法为检测马泰勒虫的最佳方法。     

牛瑟氏泰勒虫p23-IL-18融合基因的原核表达

为了研发牛瑟氏泰勒虫病基因工程亚单位疫苗,本实验将p23-IL-18融合基因克隆到pET-28a原核表达载体,构建pET-28a-p23-IL-18重组原核表达质粒,经BamHⅠ和EcoRⅠ双酶切鉴定后在37 ℃用IPTG诱导表达,对表达产物进行SDS-PAGE和Western blotting分析。结果表明,成功构建牛瑟氏泰勒虫pET-28a-p23-IL-18原核表达质粒,目的基因在大肠杆菌中成功获得表达,融合蛋白的分子量约为48ku,并被牛瑟氏泰勒虫阳性血清所识别,具有良好的反应原性。本研究结果为牛瑟氏泰勒虫病基因工程亚单位疫苗的制备奠定了基础。