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Ferreira MU, Crainey JL, Gobbi FG. The search for better treatment strategies for mansonellosis: an expert perspective. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2023; 24:1685-1692. [PMID: 37477269 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2023.2240235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Four species of the Mansonella genus infect millions of people across sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America. Most infections are asymptomatic, but mansonellosis can be associated with nonspecific clinical manifestations such as fever, headache, arthralgia, and ocular lesions (M. ozzardi); pruritus, arthralgia, abdominal pain, angioedema, skin rash, and fatigue (M. perstans and perhaps Mansonella sp. 'DEUX'); and pruritic dermatitis and chronic lymphadenitis (M. perstans). AREAS COVERED We searched the PubMed and SciELO databases for publications on mansonelliasis in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French that appeared until 1 May 2023. Literature data show that anthelmintics - single-dose ivermectin for M. ozzardi, repeated doses of mebendazole alone or in combination with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) for M. perstans, and DEC alone for M. streptocerca - are effective against microfilariae. Antibiotics that target Wolbachia endosymbionts, such as doxycycline, are likely to kill adult worms of most, if not all, Mansonella species, but the currently recommended 6-week regimen is relatively impractical. New anthelmintics and shorter antibiotic regimens (e.g. with rifampin) have shown promise in experimental filarial infections and may proceed to clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION We recommend that human infections with Mansonella species be treated, regardless of any apparent clinical manifestations. We argue that mansonellosis, despite being widely considered a benign infection, may represent a direct or indirect cause of significant morbidity that remains poorly characterized at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo U Ferreira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - James Lee Crainey
- Laboratory of Ecology and Transmissible Diseases in the Amazon, Leônidas and Maria Deane Institute, Fiocruz, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Federico G Gobbi
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Rodi M, Gross C, Sandri TL, Berner L, Marcet-Houben M, Kocak E, Pogoda M, Casadei N, Köhler C, Kreidenweiss A, Agnandji ST, Gabaldón T, Ossowski S, Held J. Whole genome analysis of two sympatric human Mansonella: Mansonella perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX". Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1159814. [PMID: 37124042 PMCID: PMC10145164 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1159814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mansonella species are filarial parasites that infect humans worldwide. Although these infections are common, knowledge of the pathology and diversity of the causative species is limited. Furthermore, the lack of sequencing data for Mansonella species, shows that their research is neglected. Apart from Mansonella perstans, a potential new species called Mansonella sp "DEUX" has been identified in Gabon, which is prevalent at high frequencies. We aimed to further determine if Mansonella sp "DEUX" is a genotype of M. perstans, or if these are two sympatric species. Methods We screened individuals in the area of Fougamou, Gabon for Mansonella mono-infections and generated de novo assemblies from the respective samples. For evolutionary analysis, a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed, and the differences and divergence times are presented. In addition, mitogenomes were generated and phylogenies based on 12S rDNA and cox1 were created. Results We successfully generated whole genomes for M. perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX". Phylogenetic analysis based on annotated protein sequences, support the hypothesis of two distinct species. The inferred evolutionary analysis suggested, that M. perstans and Mansonella sp "DEUX" separated around 778,000 years ago. Analysis based on mitochondrial marker genes support our hypothesis of two sympatric human Mansonella species. Discussion The results presented indicate that Mansonella sp "DEUX" is a new Mansonella species. These findings reflect the neglect of this research topic. And the availability of whole genome data will allow further investigations of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Rodi
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Caspar Gross
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thaisa Lucas Sandri
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Lilith Berner
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marina Marcet-Houben
- Life Science Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms and Defense, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ersoy Kocak
- NGS Competence Center Tübingen (NCCT), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michaela Pogoda
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tübingen (NCCT), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Casadei
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- NGS Competence Center Tübingen (NCCT), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Carsten Köhler
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Kreidenweiss
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Selidji Todagbe Agnandji
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Life Science Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms and Defense, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stephan Ossowski
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jana Held
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
- *Correspondence: Jana Held,
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Pérez-Ramírez RD, Lugo-Vargas R, Petano-Duque JM, Cruz-Méndez JS, Rondón-Barragán IS. First study on microscopic and molecular detection of Acanthocheilonema reconditum and Leishmania infantum coinfection in dogs in Southwest Colombia. Vet World 2023; 16:94-103. [PMID: 36855357 PMCID: PMC9967715 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.94-103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Canine vector-borne diseases represent an important issue for the welfare and health of animals, but also have great zoonotic potential. These diseases are caused by bacteria, nematodes such as filariae, and other parasites such as Leishmania spp. Given the difficulty in differentiating common microfilariae in dogs by microscopy and serological methods, molecular techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing should be valuable for reaching a reliable diagnosis. This study aimed to use microscopy and PCR to identify the microfilarial species in dogs from Valle del Cauca, Colombia, and a possible association with Leishmania infantum parasites. Materials and Methods This study was conducted on 270 dogs from Pradera and Florida municipalities. Microfilariae were detected in dogs by optical microscopy and amplification with 5.8S-ITS2-28S. Species identification was achieved through the amplification of the gene cytochrome oxidase I (COX1). Results Microscopic detection of microfilariae was possible in 4.81% (13/270) of the dogs. In addition, by PCR of COX1 and Sanger sequencing of ITS2, Acanthocheilonema reconditum was identified as the circulating microfilarial species in 12 dogs, coinfecting with the species L. infantum (Leishmania donovani complex). Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on A. reconditum and L. infantum mixed infection in dogs in Colombia, particularly in the Valle del Cauca.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Dario Pérez-Ramírez
- Research Group in Immunobiology and Pathogenesis, Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Santa Helena Highs, Ibagué-Tolima, Colombia
| | - Rodrigo Lugo-Vargas
- Research Group in Immunobiology and Pathogenesis, Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Santa Helena Highs, Ibagué-Tolima, Colombia
| | - Julieth Michel Petano-Duque
- Research Group in Immunobiology and Pathogenesis, Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Santa Helena Highs, Ibagué-Tolima, Colombia
| | - Juan Sebastian Cruz-Méndez
- Research Group in Immunobiology and Pathogenesis, Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Santa Helena Highs, Ibagué-Tolima, Colombia,Poultry Research Group, Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Santa Helena Highs, Ibagué-Tolima, Colombia
| | - Iang Schroniltgen Rondón-Barragán
- Research Group in Immunobiology and Pathogenesis, Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Santa Helena Highs, Ibagué-Tolima, Colombia,Poultry Research Group, Laboratory of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, Universidad del Tolima, Santa Helena Highs, Ibagué-Tolima, Colombia,Corresponding author: Iang Schroniltgen Rondón-Barragán, e-mail: Co-authors: RDP: , RL: , JMP: , JSC:
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Ehrens A, Hoerauf A, Hübner MP. Current perspective of new anti-Wolbachial and direct-acting macrofilaricidal drugs as treatment strategies for human filariasis. GMS INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 10:Doc02. [PMID: 35463816 PMCID: PMC9006451 DOI: 10.3205/id000079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Filarial diseases like lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis belong to the Neglected Tropical Diseases and remain a public health problem in endemic countries. Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis can lead to stigmatizing pathologies and present a socio-economic burden for affected people and their endemic countries. Current treatment recommendations by the WHO include mass drug administration with ivermectin for the treatment of onchocerciasis and a combination of ivermectin, albendazole and diethylcarbamazine (DEC) for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis in areas that are not co-endemic for onchocerciasis or loiasis. Limitations of these treatment strategies are due to potential severe adverse events in onchocerciasis and loiasis patients following DEC or ivermectin treatment, respectively, the lack of a macrofilaricidal efficacy of those drugs and the risk of drug resistance development. Thus, to achieve the elimination of transmission of onchocerciasis and the elimination of lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem by 2030, the WHO defined in its roadmap that new alternative treatment strategies with macrofilaricidal compounds are required. Within a collaboration of the non-profit organizations Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and partners from academia and industry, several new promising macrofilaricidal drug candidates were identified, which will be discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Ehrens
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Germany
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Germany,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marc P. Hübner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Germany,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany,*To whom correspondence should be addressed: Marc P. Hübner, Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany, Phone: +49 228 28719177, E-mail:
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Manoj RRS, Latrofa MS, Mendoza-Roldan JA, Otranto D. Molecular detection of Wolbachia endosymbiont in reptiles and their ectoparasites. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:3255-3261. [PMID: 34292377 PMCID: PMC8397688 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07237-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia, a maternally transmitted Gram-negative endosymbiont of onchocercid nematodes and arthropods, has a role in the biology of their host; thus it has been exploited for the filariasis treatment in humans. To assess the presence and prevalence of this endosymbiont in reptiles and their ectoparasites, blood and tail tissue as well as ticks and mites collected from them were molecularly screened for Wolbachia DNA using two sets of primers targeting partial 16S rRNA and Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) genes. Positive samples were screened for the partial 12S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) genes for filarioids. Of the different species of lizards (Podarcis siculus, Podarcis muralis and Lacerta bilineata) and snakes (Elaphe quatuorlineata and Boa constrictor constrictor) screened from three collection sites, only P. siculus scored positive for Wolbachia 16S rRNA. Among ectoparasites collected from reptiles (Ixodes ricinus ticks and Neotrombicula autumnalis, Ophionyssus sauracum and Ophionyssus natricis mites), I. ricinus (n = 4; 2.8%; 95% CI, 0.9–7) from P. siculus, N. autumnalis (n = 2 each; 2.8%; 95% CI, 0.9–6.5) from P. siculus and P. muralis and O. natricis (n = 1; 14.3%; 95% CI, 0.7–55.4) from Boa constrictor constrictor scored positive for Wolbachia DNA. None of the positive Wolbachia samples scored positive for filarioids. This represents the first report of Wolbachia in reptilian hosts and their ectoparasites, which follows a single identification in the intestinal cells of a filarioid associated with a gecko. This data could contribute to better understand the reptile filarioid-Wolbachia association and to unveil the evolutionary pattern of Wolbachia in its filarial host.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy. .,Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
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Manoj RRS, Latrofa MS, Epis S, Otranto D. Wolbachia: endosymbiont of onchocercid nematodes and their vectors. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:245. [PMID: 33962669 PMCID: PMC8105934 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04742-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular maternally transmitted, gram-negative bacterium which forms a spectrum of endosymbiotic relationships from parasitism to obligatory mutualism in a wide range of arthropods and onchocercid nematodes, respectively. In arthropods Wolbachia produces reproductive manipulations such as male killing, feminization, parthenogenesis and cytoplasmic incompatibility for its propagation and provides an additional fitness benefit for the host to protect against pathogens, whilst in onchocercid nematodes, apart from the mutual metabolic dependence, this bacterium is involved in moulting, embryogenesis, growth and survival of the host. Methods This review details the molecular data of Wolbachia and its effect on host biology, immunity, ecology and evolution, reproduction, endosymbiont-based treatment and control strategies exploited for filariasis. Relevant peer-reviewed scientic papers available in various authenticated scientific data bases were considered while writing the review. Conclusions The information presented provides an overview on Wolbachia biology and its use in the control and/or treatment of vectors, onchocercid nematodes and viral diseases of medical and veterinary importance. This offers the development of new approaches for the control of a variety of vector-borne diseases. Graphic Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sara Epis
- Department of Biosciences and Pediatric CRC 'Romeo Ed Enrica Invernizzi', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy. .,Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
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Bakowski MA, McNamara CW. Advances in Antiwolbachial Drug Discovery for Treatment of Parasitic Filarial Worm Infections. Trop Med Infect Dis 2019; 4:tropicalmed4030108. [PMID: 31323841 PMCID: PMC6789823 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed4030108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular bacteria now known as Wolbachia were first described in filarial worms in the 1970s, but the idea of Wolbachia being used as a macrofilaricidal target did not gain wide attention until the early 2000s, with research in filariae suggesting the requirement of worms for the endosymbiont. This new-found interest prompted the eventual organization of the Anti-Wolbachia Consortium (A-WOL) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who, among others have been active in the field of antiwolbachial drug discovery to treat filarial infections. Clinical proof of concept studies using doxycycline demonstrated the utility of the antiwolbachial therapy, but efficacious treatments were of long duration and not safe for all infected. With the advance of robotics, automation, and high-speed computing, the search for superior antiwolbachials shifted away from smaller studies with a select number of antibiotics to high-throughput screening approaches, centered largely around cell-based phenotypic screens due to the rather limited knowledge about, and tools available to manipulate, this bacterium. A concomitant effort was put towards developing validation approaches and in vivo models supporting drug discovery efforts. In this review, we summarize the strategies behind and outcomes of recent large phenotypic screens published within the last 5 years, hit compound validation approaches and promising candidates with profiles superior to doxycycline, including ones positioned to advance into clinical trials for treatment of filarial worm infections.
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Nguete Nguiffo D, Wondji CS, Pone Wabo J, Mpoame M. Microfilariae infestation of goliath frogs (Conraua goliath) from Cameroon. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217539. [PMID: 31141563 PMCID: PMC6541376 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The goliath frog (Conraua goliath) is endemic to Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. It is an endangered species but little information is known about its parasites. To understand the impact of blood parasites on this species, we microscopically examined blood smears from 78 goliath frogs in February and November 2016 (dry and wet seasons) from six localities in Littoral Region of Cameroon, and we sequenced mitochondrial DNA from positive samples. Microfilariae were found in 33/78 (42.3%) goliath frogs at six locations. No other haemoparasite species was detected. Morphological characteristics of microfilariae were also described, and specimens from each frog species were similar. DNA sequencing data from the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidases sub unit I (COI) gene revealed a close relationship with Icosiella neglecta, a microfilaria documented in other European, Asian, and African frogs. However, sequences were sufficiently genetically distant (0.118) that they may define a new species of Icosiella. The infection burden of microfilariae varied by site, with season (65% in dry season to 23% in rainy season), and by sex, (male frogs had significantly higher parasite burdens than females (p < 0.0001)). However, this may have been confounded by size as the microfilaria intensity increased with frog weight (p < 0.0001), and males were larger than females. Microfilaria infection intensity varied from 1 to 120 per 50 μl of blood. Microfilaria induced a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the number of white blood cells (WBC) counted compared to uninfected frogs, but there was no statistically significant variation in red blood cell (RBC) count, plasma cholesterol level (p = 0.210) or plasma glucose level (p = 0.100).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Nguete Nguiffo
- Research Unit of Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- * E-mail:
| | - Charles S. Wondji
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Josué Pone Wabo
- Research Unit of Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Mbida Mpoame
- Research Unit of Biology and Applied Ecology, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
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Mediannikov O, Ranque S. Mansonellosis, the most neglected human filariasis. New Microbes New Infect 2018; 26:S19-S22. [PMID: 30402239 PMCID: PMC6205574 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2018.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Human mansonellosis is caused by M. perstans, M. ozzardi and M. streptocerca, the three main filarial species in the genus Mansonella. Despite accumulating evidence of a high prevalence in endemic areas, there is currently no filariasis control programme targeting mansonellosis. The health-related impact on people living with these filariae remains unknown, and evidences regarding treatment strategies are scarce. Like other neglected diseases, it mainly affects poor populations living in tropical and subtropical climates. Mansonellosis can be considered one of the most neglected tropical infectious diseases. The objective of this literature review was to draw attention to the gap of knowledge regarding Mansonella spp. taxonomy, the transmission of these arthropod-borne filariasis and the health outcomes of people living with mansonellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Mediannikov
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - S Ranque
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
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Abstract
Mansonellosis is a filarial disease caused by three species of filarial (nematode) parasites (Mansonella perstans, Mansonella streptocerca, and Mansonella ozzardi) that use humans as their main definitive hosts. These parasites are transmitted from person to person by bloodsucking females from two families of flies (Diptera). Biting midges (Ceratopogonidae) transmit all three species of Mansonella, but blackflies (Simuliidae) are also known to play a role in the transmission of M. ozzardi in parts of Latin America. M. perstans and M. streptocerca are endemic in western, eastern, and central Africa, and M. perstans is also present in the neotropical region from equatorial Brazil to the Caribbean coast. M. ozzardi has a patchy distribution in Latin America and the Caribbean. Mansonellosis infections are thought to have little pathogenicity and to be almost always asymptomatic, but occasionally causing itching, joint pains, enlarged lymph glands, and vague abdominal symptoms. In Brazil, M. ozzardi infections are also associated with corneal lesions. Diagnosis is usually performed by detecting microfilariae in peripheral blood or skin without any periodicity. There is no standard treatment at present for mansonellosis. The combination therapy of diethylcarbamazine plus mebendazole for M. perstans microfilaremia is presently one of the most widely used, but the use of ivermectin has also been proven to be very effective against microfilariae. Recently, doxycycline has shown excellent efficacy and safety when used as an antimicrobial against endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria harbored by some strains of M. perstans and M. ozzardi. Diethylcarbamazine and ivermectin have been used effectively to treat M. streptocerca infection. There are at present no estimates of the disease burden caused by mansonellosis, and thus its importance to many global health professionals and policy makers is presently limited to how it can interfere with diagnostic tools used in modern filarial disease control and elimination programs aimed at other species of filariae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy-Huong Ta-Tang
- Malaria and Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain,
| | - James L Crainey
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease Ecology in the Amazon, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Rory J Post
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, John Moores University, Liverpool
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sergio Lb Luz
- Laboratory of Infectious Disease Ecology in the Amazon, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Brazil
| | - José M Rubio
- Malaria and Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Center, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain,
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Lima NF, Veggiani Aybar CA, Dantur Juri MJ, Ferreira MU. Mansonella ozzardi: a neglected New World filarial nematode. Pathog Glob Health 2016; 110:97-107. [PMID: 27376501 PMCID: PMC4984955 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2016.1190544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mansonella ozzardi (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) is an understudied filarial nematode, originally described by Patrick Manson in 1897, that can be transmitted by two families of dipteran vectors, biting midges (most of them members of the genus Culicoides) and black flies (genus Simulium). With a patchy geographic distribution from southern Mexico to northwestern Argentina, human infection with M. ozzardi is highly prevalent in some of the Caribbean islands, along riverine communities in the Amazon Basin, and on both sides of the border between Bolivia and Argentina. There is no clinical entity unequivocally associated with M. ozzardi infection, although fever, arthralgia, headache, cold lower extremities, and itchy cutaneous rashes are occasionally mentioned in case report series. More recently, ocular manifestations (especially keratitis) have been associated with mansonelliasis, opening an important area of investigation. Here, we briefly review the biology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and clinical aspects of M. ozzardi infection and point to some existing knowledge gaps, aiming to stimulate a research agenda to help filling them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathália F. Lima
- Department de Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcelo U. Ferreira
- Department de Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Lefoulon E, Bain O, Makepeace BL, d'Haese C, Uni S, Martin C, Gavotte L. Breakdown of coevolution between symbiotic bacteria Wolbachia and their filarial hosts. PeerJ 2016; 4:e1840. [PMID: 27069790 PMCID: PMC4824920 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is an alpha-proteobacterial symbiont widely distributed in arthropods. Since the identification of Wolbachia in certain animal-parasitic nematodes (the Onchocercidae or filariae), the relationship between arthropod and nematode Wolbachia has attracted great interest. The obligate symbiosis in filariae, which renders infected species susceptible to antibiotic chemotherapy, was held to be distinct from the Wolbachia-arthropod relationship, typified by reproductive parasitism. While co-evolutionary signatures in Wolbachia-arthropod symbioses are generally weak, reflecting horizontal transmission events, strict co-evolution between filariae and Wolbachia has been reported previously. However, the absence of close outgroups for phylogenetic studies prevented the determination of which host group originally acquired Wolbachia. Here, we present the largest co-phylogenetic analysis of Wolbachia in filariae performed to date including: (i) a screening and an updated phylogeny of Wolbachia; (ii) a co-phylogenetic analysis; and (iii) a hypothesis on the acquisition of Wolbachia infection. First, our results show a general overestimation of Wolbachia occurrence and support the hypothesis of an ancestral absence of infection in the nematode phylum. The accuracy of supergroup J is also underlined. Second, although a global pattern of coevolution remains, the signal is derived predominantly from filarial clades associated with Wolbachia in supergroups C and J. In other filarial clades, harbouring Wolbachia supergroups D and F, horizontal acquisitions and secondary losses are common. Finally, our results suggest that supergroup C is the basal Wolbachia clade within the Ecdysozoa. This hypothesis on the origin of Wolbachia would change drastically our understanding of Wolbachia evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lefoulon
- UMR7245, MCAM, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle , Paris , France
| | - Odile Bain
- UMR7245, MCAM, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle , Paris , France
| | - Benjamin L Makepeace
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool , Liverpool , United Kingdom
| | - Cyrille d'Haese
- UMR7179 MECADEV, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle , Paris , France
| | - Shigehiko Uni
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
| | - Coralie Martin
- UMR7245, MCAM, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle , Paris , France
| | - Laurent Gavotte
- UMR5554 ISEM, Université de Montpellier II , Montpellier , France
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Williams-Newkirk AJ, Rowe LA, Mixson-Hayden TR, Dasch GA. Characterization of the bacterial communities of life stages of free living lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum). PLoS One 2014; 9:e102130. [PMID: 25054227 PMCID: PMC4108322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is an abundant and aggressive biter of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife in the southeastern-central USA and an important vector of several known and suspected zoonotic bacterial pathogens. However, the biological drivers of bacterial community variation in this tick are still poorly defined. Knowing the community context in which tick-borne bacterial pathogens exist and evolve is required to fully understand the ecology and immunobiology of the ticks and to design effective public health and veterinary interventions. We performed a metagenomic survey of the bacterial communities of questing A. americanum and tested 131 individuals (66 nymphs, 24 males, and 41 females) from five sites in three states. Pyrosequencing was performed with barcoded eubacterial primers targeting variable 16S rRNA gene regions 5–3. The bacterial communities were dominated by Rickettsia (likely R. amblyommii) and an obligate Coxiella symbiont, together accounting for 6.7–100% of sequences per tick. DNAs from Midichloria, Borrelia, Wolbachia, Ehrlichia, Pseudomonas, or unidentified Bacillales, Enterobacteriaceae, or Rhizobiales groups were also detected frequently. Wolbachia and Midichloria significantly co-occurred in Georgia (p<0.00001), but not in other states. The significance of the Midichloria-Wolbachia co-occurrence is unknown. Among ticks collected in Georgia, nymphs differed from adults in both the composition (p = 0.002) and structure (p = 0.002) of their bacterial communities. Adults differed only in their community structure (p = 0.002) with males containing more Rickettsia and females containing more Coxiella. Comparisons among adult ticks collected in New York and North Carolina supported the findings from the Georgia collection despite differences in geography, collection date, and sample handling, implying that the differences detected are consistent attributes. The data also suggest that some members of the bacterial community change during the tick life cycle and that some sex-specific attributes may be detectable in nymphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Jo Williams-Newkirk
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Graduate Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Lori A. Rowe
- Biotechnology Core Facility Branch, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Tonya R. Mixson-Hayden
- Laboratory Branch, Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Gregory A. Dasch
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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Gehringer C, Kreidenweiss A, Flamen A, Antony JS, Grobusch MP, Bélard S. Molecular Evidence ofWolbachiaEndosymbiosis inMansonella perstansin Gabon, Central Africa. J Infect Dis 2014; 210:1633-8. [DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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15
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Pistone D, Bione A, Epis S, Pajoro M, Gaiarsa S, Bandi C, Sassera D. Presence of Wolbachia in three hymenopteran species: Diprion pini (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae), Neodiprion sertifer (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae), and Dahlbominus fuscipennis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2014; 14:147. [PMID: 25368078 PMCID: PMC5443607 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieu009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Sawflies are important pests of various plant species. Diprion pini (L.) and Neodiprion sertifer (Geoffroy) (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) are two of the most important sawfly pests in Italy, and both species are parasitized by the hymenopteran parasitoid Dahlbominus fuscipennis (Zetterstedt). Bacterial endosymbionts are currently studied for their high potential in strategies of biocontrol in a number of insect species. In this study, we investigated the presence of symbiotic bacteria (Wolbachia and Cardinium) in the three species of hymenoptera mentioned earlier, both in wild and laboratory populations. Although all samples were negative for the presence of Cardinium, 100% prevalence for Wolbachia was detected, as all examined individuals resulted to be PCR positive. Furthermore, 16S rDNA and ftsZ gene sequencing indicated that all individuals from the three hymenopteran species are infected by a single Wolbachia strain. Additionally, we report the presence of gynandromorphic individuals in D. pini, both in wild and laboratory-reared populations. Heat treatments on D. pini colonies removed the Wolbachia symbionts, but they also prevented the development of adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Pistone
- Natural History Collections, University Museum of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Alessandro Bione
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Viale Fanin 44, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Sara Epis
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Massimo Pajoro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Gaiarsa
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Claudio Bandi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Davide Sassera
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie e Sanità Pubblica, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy Current address: Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Pavia, via Ferrata 9, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are diseases of severe morbidity that affect the poorest of the poor in the world. The diseases are caused by filarial nematodes that are transmitted by mosquitoes or biting blackflies and are endemic to more than 80 countries worldwide, mainly in the tropics and sub-tropics. Current control programs aim to eliminate the diseases by distributing antifilarial drugs. However, the primary effect of the drugs is to kill the microfilariae in the blood or skin, thus preventing uptake by the obligate insect vector. Since the adult worms live 10 years or longer, drug distribution requires many years of treatment, which is a heavy burden on the burgeoning health care systems. Sub-optimal response, possible resistance and inadequate population coverage lessen the chances for successful elimination in all endemic areas. The search for new drugs that could enhance elimination by permanently sterilizing or killing adult worms has identified the Wolbachia intracellular bacteria of filarial nematodes as a target. Depleting the obligate endosymbionts from the worms with doxycycline or rifampicin causes a permanent block in oogenesis, embryogenesis and development, and in slow death of the adult worms. These two antibiotics are suitable for individual drug administration, but caveats exist for their inclusion in broader drug administration programs. Here we review Wolbachia as targets for antifilarial drug discovery and highlight the natural product corallopyronin A as an effective drug that is currently being developed specifically for use against filarial nematodes.
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Hidron A, Galvez K, Madrid C, Velez A, Arcila LM, Perez JC, Velez A. An Incidental Finding From a Blood Smear. Clin Infect Dis 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/cid/cis125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Guerrero R, Bain O, Martin C, Barbuto M. A new species of Litomosoides (Nematoda: Onchocercidae), parasite of Nectomys palmipes (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) from Venezuela: description, molecular evidence, Wolbachia pipientis screening. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2011; 58:149-56. [PMID: 21776894 DOI: 10.14411/fp.2011.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract: The onchocercid filaria Litomosoides taylori sp. n. is described from the sigmodontine cricetid Nectomys palmipes Allen et Chapman in northeast Venezuela. A voucher specimen of the new species was used for molecular analysis of the coxI and 12S rDNA genes, and screened for the presence of the endobacterium Wolbachia pipientis. Litomosoides taylori belongs to the "sigmodontis group" of Litomosoides and a combination of characters can be used to distinguish it from the remaining 18 species forming this group. Among the five Nectomys species, all living near running water, N. squamipes also harbours Litomosoides species, L. khonae in Brazil and L. navonae in Argentina. These three Litomosoides species of the "sigmodontis group" do not share any particular characters. Gene sequences of L. taylori differ from those of the five Litomosoides species available, the three of the "carinii group" being the most distant. The new species harbours W pipientis, which is concurrent with the great majority of Litomosoides species screened to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Guerrero
- Laboratorio de Biologia de Vectores y Parisitos, Instituto de Zoologia y Ecologia Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela, P.O. Box 47058, Caracas, 1041A, Venezuela
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New insights into the evolution of Wolbachia infections in filarial nematodes inferred from a large range of screened species. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20843. [PMID: 21731626 PMCID: PMC3120775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wolbachia are intriguing symbiotic endobacteria with a peculiar host range that includes arthropods and a single nematode family, the Onchocercidae encompassing agents of filariases. This raises the question of the origin of infection in filariae. Wolbachia infect the female germline and the hypodermis. Some evidences lead to the theory that Wolbachia act as mutualist and coevolved with filariae from one infection event: their removal sterilizes female filariae; all the specimens of a positive species are infected; Wolbachia are vertically inherited; a few species lost the symbiont. However, most data on Wolbachia and filaria relationships derive from studies on few species of Onchocercinae and Dirofilariinae, from mammals. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated the Wolbachia distribution testing 35 filarial species, including 28 species and 7 genera and/or subgenera newly screened, using PCR, immunohistochemical staining, whole mount fluorescent analysis, and cocladogenesis analysis. (i) Among the newly screened Onchocercinae from mammals eight species harbour Wolbachia but for some of them, bacteria are absent in the hypodermis, or in variable density. (ii) Wolbachia are not detected in the pathological model Monanema martini and in 8, upon 9, species of Cercopithifilaria. (iii) Supergroup F Wolbachia is identified in two newly screened Mansonella species and in Cercopithifilaria japonica. (iv) Type F Wolbachia infect the intestinal cells and somatic female genital tract. (v) Among Oswaldofilariinae, Waltonellinae and Splendidofilariinae, from saurian, anuran and bird respectively, Wolbachia are not detected. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The absence of Wolbachia in 63% of onchocercids, notably in the ancestral Oswaldofilariinae estimated 140 mya old, the diverse tissues or specimens distribution, and a recent lateral transfer in supergroup F Wolbachia, modify the current view on the role and evolution of the endosymbiont and their hosts. Further genomic analyses on some of the newly sampled species are welcomed to decipher the open questions.
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Harris HL, Brennan LJ, Keddie BA, Braig HR. Bacterial symbionts in insects: balancing life and death. Symbiosis 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-010-0065-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Shiny C, Krushna NSA, Archana B, Farzana B, Narayanan RB. Serum antibody responses to Wolbachia surface protein in patients with human lymphatic filariasis. Microbiol Immunol 2010; 53:685-93. [PMID: 19954456 DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2009.00172.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia surface protein (WSP), which is the most abundantly expressed protein of Wolbachia from the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi, was chosen for the present study. B-cell epitope prediction of the WSP protein sequence indicates a high antigenicity, surface probability and hydrophilicity by DNA STAR software analysis. ProPred analysis suggests the presence of HLA class II binding regions in the WSP protein that contribute to T-cell responses and isotype reactivity. In order to validate these findings, the gene coding for endosymbiont WSP was PCR-amplified from the genomic DNA of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi and cloned in T-7 expression vector pRSET-A. Western blot and ELISA at the total IgG level with recombiant WSP indicated a significantly elevated reactivity in CP compared to MF, EN and NEN individuals. Isotype ELISA also suggested an elevated reactivity in CP patients at the IgG1 level. In contrast, WSP-specific IgG4 levels were found to be elevated in MF patients compared to CP and EN. Besides this, WSP-specific IgE levels indicated an elevated reactivity in CP and MF patients compared to normals. Observations from ELISA supported the in silico predictions that indicate the presence of B- and T-cell epitopes. Hence, a combinatorial approach of in silico predictions and wet-lab studies provides interesting insights into the role of Wolbachia proteins in filarial pathogenesis.
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Coulibaly YI, Dembele B, Diallo AA, Lipner EM, Doumbia SS, Coulibaly SY, Konate S, Diallo DA, Yalcouye D, Kubofcik J, Doumbo OK, Traore AK, Keita AD, Fay MP, Traore SF, Nutman TB, Klion AD. A randomized trial of doxycycline for Mansonella perstans infection. N Engl J Med 2009; 361:1448-58. [PMID: 19812401 PMCID: PMC3410935 DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa0900863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mansonella perstans infection is common in areas of Africa where Wuchereria bancrofti, a causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, is endemic. M. perstans is refractory to standard antifilarial therapies. The recent discovery of bacterial endosymbionts (e.g., wolbachia) in most filarial species, including M. perstans, provides new therapeutic options for reducing microfilaremia. METHODS In an open-label, randomized trial, we recruited subjects with M. perstans microfilaremia, with or without concomitant W. bancrofti infection, from four villages in Mali and randomly assigned them to receive doxycycline, at a dose of 200 mg daily for 6 weeks (106 subjects), or no treatment (110). At 6 months, subjects who were coinfected with W. bancrofti underwent a second random assignment, to treatment with a single dose of albendazole (400 mg) and ivermectin (150 microg per kilogram of body weight) or no treatment. Subjects were monitored daily during the first 6-week study period for adverse events. M. perstans and W. bancrofti microfilarial levels were assessed at 6, 12, and 36 months. RESULTS At 12 months, 67 of 69 subjects who had received treatment with doxycycline only (97%) had no detectable M. perstans microfilariae per 60 microl of blood, as compared with 10 of 63 subjects who had received no treatment (16%) (relative risk, 6.18; 95% confidence interval, 3.63 to 11.89; P<0.001). At 36 months, M. perstans microfilaremia remained suppressed in 48 of 64 subjects who had received treatment with doxycycline only (75%), a finding that was consistent with a macrofilaricidal effect of doxycycline. Vomiting was more frequent in the doxycycline-treated group than in the untreated group (17% vs. 4%). CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with previous findings that M. perstans harbors the intracellular endosymbiont, wolbachia, and suggest that doxycycline is an effective therapy for M. perstans infection. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00340691.)
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaya I Coulibaly
- Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odontostomatology, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
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An endosymbiotic bacterium in a plant-parasitic nematode: Member of a new Wolbachia supergroup. Int J Parasitol 2009; 39:1045-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2009.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Ishmael N, Hotopp JCD, Ioannidis P, Biber S, Sakamoto J, Siozios S, Nene V, Werren J, Bourtzis K, Bordenstein SR, Tettelin H. Extensive genomic diversity of closely related Wolbachia strains. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2009; 155:2211-2222. [PMID: 19389774 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.027581-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Using microarray-based comparative genome hybridization (mCGH), the genomic content of Wolbachia pipientis wMel from Drosophila melanogaster was compared to the closely related Wolbachia from D. innubila (wInn), D. santomea (wSan), and three strains from D. simulans (wAu, wRi, wSim). A large number of auxiliary genes are identified in these five strains, with most absent/divergent genes being unique to a given strain. Each strain caused an average of approximately 60 genes to be removed from the core genome. As such, these organisms do not appear to have the streamlined genomes expected of obligate intracellular bacteria. Prophage, hypothetical and ankyrin repeat genes are over-represented in the absent/divergent genes, with 21-87% of absent/divergent genes coming from prophage regions. The only wMel region absent/divergent in all five query strains is that containing WD_0509 to WD_0511, including a DNA mismatch repair protein MutL-2, a degenerate RNase, and a conserved hypothetical protein. A region flanked by the two portions of the WO-B prophage in wMel is found in four of the five Wolbachia strains as well as on a plasmid of a rickettsial endosymbiont of Ixodes scapularis, suggesting lateral gene transfer between these two obligate intracellular species. Overall, these insect-associated Wolbachia have highly mosaic genomes, with lateral gene transfer playing an important role in their diversity and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadeeza Ishmael
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.,J. Craig Venter Institute, 9708 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Julie C Dunning Hotopp
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.,J. Craig Venter Institute, 9708 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Panagiotis Ioannidis
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Ioannina, 30100 Agrinio, Greece
| | - Sarah Biber
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Joyce Sakamoto
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Stefanos Siozios
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Ioannina, 30100 Agrinio, Greece
| | - Vishvanath Nene
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.,J. Craig Venter Institute, 9708 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - John Werren
- Biology Department, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Kostas Bourtzis
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Management, University of Ioannina, 30100 Agrinio, Greece
| | - Seth R Bordenstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.,Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Hervé Tettelin
- Institute for Genome Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.,J. Craig Venter Institute, 9708 Medical Center Dr., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
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Lee SA, Lee SG, Choi EJ, Hyun C. Prevalence of the endosymbiont Wolbachia in heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis). Vet Rec 2008; 163:484-6. [PMID: 18931357 DOI: 10.1136/vr.163.16.484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S-A Lee
- Section of Small Animal Internal Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 201-100, Korea
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Raverdy S, Foster JM, Roopenian E, Carlow CK. The Wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia malayi has an active pyruvate phosphate dikinase. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2008; 160:163-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2008.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2008] [Revised: 04/29/2008] [Accepted: 04/30/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Keiser PB, Coulibaly Y, Kubofcik J, Diallo AA, Klion AD, Traoré SF, Nutman TB. Molecular identification of Wolbachia from the filarial nematode Mansonella perstans. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2008; 160:123-8. [PMID: 18538871 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2008.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2008] [Revised: 04/23/2008] [Accepted: 04/24/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachiae are bacterial endosymbionts of insects and many filarial nematodes whose products trigger inflammation in filarial infections. The dependence of the parasites on their endosymbionts has also led to the use of antibiotics directed against the Wolbachiae, therapy that has been demonstrated to have a profound salutary effect on filarial infections. The identification of Wolbachiae in Mansonella species has been conclusively shown for Mansonella ozzardi (Mo), but not for Mansonella perstans (Mp). Using primers known to amplify the 16S ribosomal DNA of other filarial Wolbachiae, an identical 1393bp band was found in all samples tested. Sequence analysis of these samples demonstrated a single consensus sequence for Mp Wolbachia 16S rDNA that was most similar to Wolbachia sequences from other filarial nematodes. When aligned with the only other Mansonella Wolbachia sequence (Mo) there were only 8 nucleotide differences in the 1369bp overlapping sequence. Phylogenetic dendrograms, examining the relationship of the Mp Wolbachia to other Wolbachia 16S rDNA, showed that the Wolbachia tracked almost identically to the 5S rRNA of their parasite host. Wolbachia surface protein (WSP) was also demonstrated in protein extracted from Mp-containing whole blood. In advance of a treatment trial of Mp, a method for the quantitation of Mp Wolbachia was developed and used to demonstrate not only a relationship between microfilarial numbers and Wolbachia copy numbers, but also to demonstrate the effect of antibiotic on ridding Mp of Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Keiser
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Pfarr K, Foster J, Slatko B, Hoerauf A, Eisen JA. On the taxonomic status of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis: should this species name include the intracellular bacteria of filarial nematodes? Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2007; 57:1677-1678. [PMID: 17684235 PMCID: PMC3182117 DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.65248-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Pfarr
- Institute for Medical, Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Clinic Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jeremy Foster
- Molecular Parasitology Division, New England Biolabs, 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Barton Slatko
- Molecular Parasitology Division, New England Biolabs, 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute for Medical, Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Clinic Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jonathan A Eisen
- UC Davis Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Tsai KH, Huang CG, Wang LC, Yu YW, Wu WJ, Chen WJ. Molecular evidence for the endosymbiont Wolbachia in a non-filaroid nematode, Angiostrongylus cantonensis. J Biomed Sci 2007; 14:607-15. [PMID: 17562224 DOI: 10.1007/s11373-007-9181-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2007] [Accepted: 05/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia harbored by most filarial parasites, is critical to both embryogenesis and microfilarial development, and may lead to inflammation and pathogenesis in infected hosts. Based on alignment of the sequences from the wsp, ftsZ, and 16S rRNA genes, Wolbachia was demonstrated to exist in Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a non-filaroid nematode. Although the wsp gene may not be the best candidate for evolutionary analysis of Wolbachia, this gene has been sequenced from a broader coverage of the host species, making it feasible to be used for phylogenetic analysis in this study. The results from both Neighbor-joining and Maximum parsimony methods showed that this novel Wolbachia does not belong to any of the known groups (C or D) of nematode-derived Wolbachia. In addition, the wsp gene sequence of this newly identified endosymbiont revealed a high degree of identity (98%) with that from Diaea circumlita c2, tentatively classified into the putative group G. This suggests that Wolbachia from A. cantonensis could represent a deeply branched lineage in Wolbachia evolution or the occurrence of horizontal transfer between infected hosts. In conclusion, the findings provide some insights into our understanding of the evolution of Wolbachia, particularly the isolate from A. cantonensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Hsien Tsai
- Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
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Panaram K, Marshall JL. F supergroup Wolbachia in bush crickets: what do patterns of sequence variation reveal about this supergroup and horizontal transfer between nematodes and arthropods? Genetica 2006; 130:53-60. [PMID: 16924406 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-006-0020-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2005] [Accepted: 05/09/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis, an intracellular, alpha-proteobacterium, is commonly found in arthropods and filarial nematodes. Most infected insects are known to harbor strains of Wolbachia from supergroups A or B, whereas supergroups C and D occur only in filarial nematodes. Here, we present molecular evidence from two genes (ftsZ and 16S rDNA) that 2 Orthopterans (the bush cricket species Orocharis saltator and Hapithus agitator; Gryllidae: Eneopterinae) are infected with Wolbachia from the F supergroup. Additionally, a series of PCR tests revealed that these bush cricket specimens did not harbor nematodes, thus indicating that our positive results were not a by-product of nematodes being present in these cricket samples. Patterns of molecular variation suggest that (1) strains of F supergroup Wolbachia exhibit less genetic variation than the nematode-specific C and D supergroups but more than the A and B supergroups found in arthropods and (2) that there is no evidence of recombination within F supergroup strains. The above data support previous findings that F supergroup Wolbachia is not only harbored in both nematodes and arthropods, but that horizontal transfer has likely occurred recently between these diverse taxonomic groups (although the exact details of such horizontal transmissions remain unclear). Moreover, the limited genetic variation and lack of recombination in the F supergroup suggest that this clade of Wolbachia has radiated relatively rapidly with either (1) little time for recombination to occur or (2) selection against recombination as occurs in the mutualistic C and D strains of Wolbachia - both of which remain to be explored further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchana Panaram
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019-0498, USA
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31
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Fenn K, Blaxter M. Wolbachia genomes: revealing the biology of parasitism and mutualism. Trends Parasitol 2006; 22:60-5. [PMID: 16406333 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2005.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2005] [Revised: 10/07/2005] [Accepted: 12/09/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia bacteria are endosymbiotic partners of many animal species, in which they behave as either parasites (in arthropod hosts) or mutualists (in nematode hosts). What biochemistry and biology underpin these diverse lifestyles? The recent complete sequencing of genomes from Wolbachia that infect the arthropod Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode Brugia malayi, together with the partial genome sequencing of three Wolbachia strains found in drosophilids, enables this question to begin to be addressed. Parasitic arthropod Wolbachia are characterized by the presence of phages that carry ankyrin-repeat proteins; these proteins might be exported to the host cell to manipulate reproduction. In nematode Wolbachia, which lack these phages, several biochemical pathways can deliver essential metabolites to the nematode hosts. Nematode Wolbachia might also have a role in modulating the mammalian host immune system but the sequenced Wolbachia genomes lack the genes to synthesize lipopolysaccharide, raising questions about the nature of the inducing molecule. The Wolbachia surface protein might carry out this function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn Fenn
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, Universityof Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories, King's Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
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32
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Casiraghi M, Bordenstein SR, Baldo L, Lo N, Beninati T, Wernegreen JJ, Werren JH, Bandi C. Phylogeny of Wolbachia pipientis based on gltA, groEL and ftsZ gene sequences: clustering of arthropod and nematode symbionts in the F supergroup, and evidence for further diversity in the Wolbachia tree. Microbiology (Reading) 2005; 151:4015-4022. [PMID: 16339946 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.28313-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Current phylogenies of the intracellular bacteria belonging to the genus Wolbachia identify six major clades (A–F), termed ‘supergroups’, but the branching order of these supergroups remains unresolved. Supergroups A, B and E include most of the wolbachiae found thus far in arthropods, while supergroups C and D include most of those found in filarial nematodes. Members of supergroup F have been found in arthropods (i.e. termites), and have previously been detected in the nematode Mansonella ozzardi, a causative agent of human filariasis. To resolve the phylogenetic positions of Wolbachia from Mansonella spp., and other novel strains from the flea Ctenocephalides felis and the filarial nematode Dipetalonema gracile, the authors generated new DNA sequences of the Wolbachia genes encoding citrate synthase (gltA), heat-shock protein 60 (groEL), and the cell division protein ftsZ. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the designation of Wolbachia from Mansonella spp. as a member of the F supergroup. In addition, it was found that divergent lineages from Dip. gracile and Cte. felis lack any clear affiliation with known supergroups, indicating further genetic diversity within the Wolbachia genus. Finally, although the data generated did not permit clear resolution of the root of the global Wolbachia tree, the results suggest that the transfer of Wolbachia spp. from arthropods to nematodes (or vice versa) probably occurred more than once.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Casiraghi
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Sezione di Patologia Generale e Parassitologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - S R Bordenstein
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - L Baldo
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Sezione di Patologia Generale e Parassitologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - N Lo
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - T Beninati
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Sezione di Patologia Generale e Parassitologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - J J Wernegreen
- Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - J H Werren
- Department of Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - C Bandi
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Sezione di Patologia Generale e Parassitologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Casiraghi M, Bain O, Guerrero R, Martin C, Pocacqua V, Gardner SL, Franceschi A, Bandi C. Mapping the presence of Wolbachia pipientis on the phylogeny of filarial nematodes: evidence for symbiont loss during evolution. Int J Parasitol 2004; 34:191-203. [PMID: 15037105 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2003.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2003] [Revised: 09/29/2003] [Accepted: 10/09/2003] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis is a bacterial endosymbiont associated with arthropods and filarial nematodes. In filarial nematodes, W. pipientis has been shown to play an important role in the biology of the host and in the immuno-pathology of filariasis. Several species of filariae, including the most important parasites of humans and animals (e.g. Onchocerca volvulus, Wuchereria bancrofti and Dirofilaria immitis) have been shown to harbour these bacteria. Other filarial species, including an important rodent species (Acanthocheilonema viteae), which has been used as a model for the study of filariasis, do not appear to harbour these symbionts. There are still several open questions about the distribution of W. pipientis in filarial nematodes. Firstly the number of species examined is still limited. Secondly, it is not clear whether the absence of W. pipientis in negative species could represent an ancestral characteristic or the result of a secondary loss. Thirdly, several aspects of the phylogeny of filarial nematodes are still unclear and it is thus difficult to overlay the presence/absence of W. pipientis on a tree representing filarial evolution. Here we present the results of a PCR screening for W. pipientis in 16 species of filariae and related nematodes, representing different families/subfamilies. Evidence for the presence of W. pipientis is reported for five species examined for the first time (representing the genera Litomosoides, Litomosa and Dipetalonema); original results on the absence of this bacterium are reported for nine species; for the remaining two species, we have confirmed the absence of W. pipientis recently reported by other authors. In the positive species, the infecting W. pipientis bacteria have been identified through 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. In addition to the screening for W. pipientis in 16 species, we have generated phylogenetic reconstructions based on mitochondrial gene sequences (12S rDNA; COI), including a total of 28 filarial species and related spirurid nematodes. The mapping of the presence/absence of W. pipientis on the trees generated indicates that these bacteria have possibly been lost during evolution along some lineages of filarial nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Casiraghi
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Sezione di Patologia Animale e Parassitologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Fischer P, Bonow I, Büttner DW, Kamal IH, Liebau E. An aspartate aminotransferase of Wolbachia endobacteria from Onchocerca volvulus is recognized by IgG1 antibodies from residents of endemic areas. Parasitol Res 2003; 90:38-47. [PMID: 12743802 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-002-0813-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2002] [Accepted: 11/22/2002] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia are intracellular alpha-proteobacteria, closely related to Rickettsia, that infect various arthropods and filarial parasites. In the present study, the cDNA encoding the aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) of Wolbachia from the human pathogenic filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus (Ov-WolAspAT) was identified. At the amino acid level, the identity of the Ov-WolAspAT was 56% to Rickettsia prowazekii AspAT and 54% to the AspAT of the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, but the highest degree of identity was found to the putative AspAT of Wolbachia from Brugia malayi and Drosophila melanogaster (85%). All of these bacterial AspATs are members of the AspAT subclass Ib. A 35 kDa fragment of the Ov-WolAspAT was expressed in Escherichia coli, and immunolocalization using polyclonal antibodies against this antigen revealed that Ov-WolAspAT is present in a considerable proportion of the Wolbachia from O. volvulus, as well as in the endobacteria of several other filarial parasites. Western blot analysis using recombinant Ov-WolAspAT as antigen showed that IgG1 antibodies were present in 70 (51%) individuals living in areas endemic for O. volvulus, B. malayi or Wuchereria bancrofti and no IgG4 or IgE antibodies were found. Among 40 sera of persons from Uganda and Liberia who were putatively not infected with human filarial parasites, 11 (28%) individuals presented IgG1 antibodies, while none of the 33 sera from healthy Europeans and none of the 14 sera from patients with proven Rickettsia or Brucella infections reacted with the antigen. These results also show that an intracellular protein of Wolbachia endobacteria (WolAspAT) acts as antigen in human filariasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Fischer
- Molecular Parasitology Section, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.
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Abstract
The symbiosis of filarial nematodes and intracellular Wolbachia bacteria has recently been exploited as a target for antibiotic therapy of filariasis. Antibiotic treatment of filarial nematodes results in sterility and inhibits larval development and adult worm viability. In the first trial on human onchocerciasis depletion of bacteria following treatment with doxycycline resulted in a complete and long-term block of embryogenesis. Bacteria are unable to repopulate nematode tissues up to 18 months after depletion, suggesting these effects may be permanent. Following ivermectin treatment, individuals given antibiotic therapy showed sustained reductions in skin microfilariae, with the majority of people remaining microfilarial negative 12-18 months after treatment. Since Wolbachia also contribute to the inflammatory pathogenesis of filarial disease, antibiotic therapy could, in addition to effects on worm fertility or viability, prevent the onset or development of filarial pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Taylor
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
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Bandi C, Trees AJ, Brattig NW. Wolbachia in filarial nematodes: evolutionary aspects and implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of filarial diseases. Vet Parasitol 2001; 98:215-38. [PMID: 11516587 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-4017(01)00432-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The presence of intracellular bacteria in the body of various species of filarial nematodes, including important parasites such as Brugia malayi, Dirofilaria immitis, and Onchocerca volvulus, was observed as early as the mid-1970s. These bacteria were shown to be transovarially transmitted (from the female worm to the offspring) and to be present in significant amounts in the body of the nematode. As highlighted by their discoverers, the potential importance of these bacteria is fairly obvious: (1) bacteria-derived molecules should be considered as having an immunological and pathological role in filarial diseases; (2) the interaction between the bacteria and the filarial host deserves investigation, in view of the possibility that the bacteria are needed by the host nematode and could thus represent a target for therapy. Other authors, independently from the discovery of these intracellular bacteria, showed that the antibiotic tetracycline (which is well known for its efficacy on intracellular bacteria) had detrimental effects on two species of filarial nematodes (Brugia pahangi and Litomosoides sigmodontis). It is therefore surprising that for more than 20 years, no further investigations focused on the bacteria of filarial nematodes, nor on the anti-filarial properties of tetracycline. Recently, the bacteria of filarial nematodes have been independently "rediscovered" by research groups from the schools of Hamburg, Liverpool and Milan. These bacteria are now classified as Wolbachia, and the basic aspects of their phylogenetic history and relationship with the Wolbachia of arthropods have been reconstructed. In addition, their implications for the pathogenesis and treatment of filarial diseases have started to be uncovered. This paper, which is authored by representatives of the three European schools who reopened this research area, reviews our present knowledge of these fascinating microorganisms, highlighting the complexity of a symbiotic system which involves, in addition to the nematode and its bacterium, the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bandi
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Igiene e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria, Sezione di Patologia, Generale e Parassitologia, Università di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
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