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Menajovsky MF, Espunyes J, Ulloa G, Calderon M, Diestra A, Malaga E, Muñoz C, Montero S, Lescano AG, Santolalla ML, Cabezón O, Mayor P. Toxoplasma gondii in a Remote Subsistence Hunting-Based Indigenous Community of the Peruvian Amazon. Trop Med Infect Dis 2024; 9:98. [PMID: 38787031 PMCID: PMC11125861 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed9050098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous zoonotic protozoan parasite that infects a wide variety range of warm-blooded animals. This study describes the epidemiological scenario of T. gondii in an indigenous community that relies on subsistence hunting in a well-conserved and isolated area of the Peruvian Amazon. The high seropositivity against T. gondii in humans (83.3% IgG and 6.1% IgM), wild mammals (30.45%, 17 species), peri-domestic rodents (10.0% Rattus sp.), and domestic animals (94.1% dogs and 100% cats) indicates the existence of a sylvatic cycle in the community under study. Individual age was found to be positively associated with IgG detection against T. gondii but not with IgM. It is estimated that each family consumed 5.67 infected animals per year with terrestrial species having higher infective rates than arboreal species. The main risk factors included improper handling and cooking of wild meat, poor hygiene practices, and feeding uncooked offal to domestic animals. This scenario results in a continuous process of infection and reinfection within the indigenous community with cats, dogs, and peri-domestic animals becoming infected through the ingestion of infected raw viscera. Our results emphasize the need to promote safe food handling practices and disposal of waste materials from hunted animals in such communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Fernanda Menajovsky
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
| | - Johan Espunyes
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (J.E.); (O.C.)
| | - Gabriela Ulloa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Produção Animal na Amazônia, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (UFRA), Belém 66077-830, PA, Brazil;
| | - Maritza Calderon
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15024, Peru; (M.C.); (A.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Andrea Diestra
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15024, Peru; (M.C.); (A.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Edith Malaga
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15024, Peru; (M.C.); (A.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Carmen Muñoz
- Servei de Microbiologia, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08041 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Stephanie Montero
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15015, Peru; (S.M.); (A.G.L.); (M.L.S.)
| | - Andres G. Lescano
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15015, Peru; (S.M.); (A.G.L.); (M.L.S.)
- Clima, Latin American Center of Excellence for Climate Change and Health, and Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15024, Peru
| | - Meddly L. Santolalla
- Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15015, Peru; (S.M.); (A.G.L.); (M.L.S.)
| | - Oscar Cabezón
- Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group (WildCoM), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; (J.E.); (O.C.)
- Unitat Mixta d’Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Pedro Mayor
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
- ComFauna, Comunidad de Manejo de Fauna Silvestre en la Amazonía y en Latinoamérica, Iquitos 16006, Peru
- Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas, Iquitos 16006, Peru
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Imtiaz H, Naeem S, Ahmad M. Investigating the potential of nanobonechar toward climate-smart agriculture. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2024; 46:128. [PMID: 38483731 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-01899-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Extreme climates and the unpredictability of the weather are significant obstacles to agricultural productivity. This study is the first attempt to explore the capacity of nanobonechar (NBC) for promoting climate-smart agriculture. A pot experiment was performed on maize (Zea mays L.) under a deficit irrigation system (40, 70, and 100% irrigation rates) using different soil application rates of the NBC (0, 0.5, 1, and 2% wt/wt). Additionally, the CO2-C efflux rate and cumulative CO2-C were measured in an incubation experiment. The results indicated the best performance of the 1% NBC treatment under a 70% irrigation rate in terms of the fresh and dry weights of maize plants. Total PO43- and Ca2+ were significantly higher in the plants grown in the NBC-amended soil as compared to the control, showing a gradual increase with an increase in the NBC application rate. The improved productivity of maize plants under a deficit irrigation system was associated with enhanced water-holding capacity, organic matter, and bioavailability of cations (Ca2+, K+, and Na+) and anions (PO43- and NO3-) in the soils amended with NBC. The CO2-C efflux rate and cumulative CO2-C emissions remain higher in the NBC-amended soil than in the un-amended soil, pertaining to the high contents of soil organic matter emanating from the NBC. We conclude that NBC could potentially be used as a soil amendment for promoting maize growth under a water stress condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hina Imtiaz
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Sana Naeem
- Land Resources Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad, 45500, Pakistan
| | - Mahtab Ahmad
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan.
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Naves Aroeira C, Feddern V, Gressler V, Contreras-Castillo CJ, Hopkins DL. Growth Promoters in Cattle and Pigs: A Review of Legislation and Implications for Human Health. FOOD REVIEWS INTERNATIONAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/87559129.2021.1961268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Naves Aroeira
- Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - David Laurence Hopkins
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Centre for Red Meat and Sheep Development, Cowra, New South Wales, Australia
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Aroeira CN, Feddern V, Gressler V, Molognoni L, Daguer H, Dalla Costa OA, de Lima GJ, Contreras-Castillo CJ. Determination of ractopamine residue in tissues and urine from pig fed meat and bone meal. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2019; 36:424-433. [DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2019.1567942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina N. Aroeira
- Departamento de Zootecnia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Vivian Feddern
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Suínos e Aves, Embrapa Suínos e Aves, Concórdia, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Gressler
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Suínos e Aves, Embrapa Suínos e Aves, Concórdia, Brazil
| | - Luciano Molognoni
- Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário (Lanagro/RS), São José, Brazil
| | - Heitor Daguer
- Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário (Lanagro/RS), São José, Brazil
| | - Osmar A. Dalla Costa
- Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Suínos e Aves, Embrapa Suínos e Aves, Concórdia, Brazil
| | | | - Carmen J. Contreras-Castillo
- Departamento de Zootecnia, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
- Departamento de Agroindústria, Alimentos e Nutrição, Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz”, Universidade de São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
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Kuznetsova A, Cullingham C, McKenzie D, Aiken JM. Soil humic acids degrade CWD prions and reduce infectivity. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007414. [PMID: 30496301 PMCID: PMC6264147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), an environmentally transmissible, fatal prion disease is endemic in North America, present in South Korea and has recently been confirmed in northern Europe. The expanding geographic range of this contagious disease of free-ranging deer, moose, elk and reindeer has resulted in increasing levels of prion infectivity in the environment. Soils are involved in CWD horizontal transmission, acting as an environmental reservoir, and soil mineral and organic compounds have the ability to bind prions. Upper horizons of soils are usually enriched with soil organic matter (SOM), however, the role of SOM in prion conservation and mobility remains unclear. In this study, we show that incubation of PrPCWD with humic acids (HA), a major SOM compound, affects both the molecular weight and recovery of PrPCWD. Detection of PrPCWD is reduced as HA concentration increases. Native HA extracted from pristine soils also reduces or entirely eliminates PrPCWD signal. Incubation of CWD prions with HA significantly increased incubation periods in tgElk mice demonstrating that HA can reduce CWD infectivity. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious prion disease affecting several species of captive and wild cervids. Environmental prion contamination plays a major role in increasing incidence of CWD, with CWD infectivity being released into the environment by decaying carcasses, or shedding of biological fluids including urine, feces, and saliva. Horizontal transmission of CWD involves soils as an environmental reservoir of infectivity. Here, we tested the role of a soil organic matter compound, humic acid, for its ability to bind CWD prions and impact infectivity. A wide range of humic acid concentrations were examined representing the extensive spectrum of humic acid levels present in native soils. We found that incubation of CWD prions with high concentrations of humic acids (>2.5 g L-1) decreases the both CWD-prion signal and infectivity, whereas lower levels of humic acids did not significantly impact protein stability or infectivity. Our study provides new insights into soil-prion interactions, prions persistence in soil, and their bioavailability to grazing animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alsu Kuznetsova
- Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Debbie McKenzie
- Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Judd M. Aiken
- Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences Faculty, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Plummer IH, Johnson CJ, Chesney AR, Pedersen JA, Samuel MD. Mineral licks as environmental reservoirs of chronic wasting disease prions. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0196745. [PMID: 29719000 PMCID: PMC5931637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer (cervids) caused by misfolded prion proteins. The disease has been reported across North America and recently discovered in northern Europe. Transmission of CWD in wild cervid populations can occur through environmental routes, but limited ability to detect prions in environmental samples has prevented the identification of potential transmission "hot spots". We establish widespread CWD prion contamination of mineral licks used by free-ranging cervids in an enzootic area in Wisconsin, USA. We show mineral licks can serve as reservoirs of CWD prions and thus facilitate disease transmission. Furthermore, mineral licks attract livestock and other wildlife that also obtain mineral nutrients via soil and water consumption. Exposure to CWD prions at mineral licks provides potential for cross-species transmission to wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. Managing deer use of mineral licks warrants further consideration to help control outbreaks of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H. Plummer
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Chad J. Johnson
- Departments of Soil Science, Chemistry, and Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Alexandra R. Chesney
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Departments of Soil Science, Chemistry, and Civil & Environmental Engineering, Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MDS); (JAP)
| | - Michael D. Samuel
- Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MDS); (JAP)
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Ke PC, Sani MA, Ding F, Kakinen A, Javed I, Separovic F, Davis TP, Mezzenga R. Implications of peptide assemblies in amyloid diseases. Chem Soc Rev 2017; 46:6492-6531. [PMID: 28702523 PMCID: PMC5902192 DOI: 10.1039/c7cs00372b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders and type 2 diabetes are global epidemics compromising the quality of life of millions worldwide, with profound social and economic implications. Despite the significant differences in pathology - much of which are poorly understood - these diseases are commonly characterized by the presence of cross-β amyloid fibrils as well as the loss of neuronal or pancreatic β-cells. In this review, we document research progress on the molecular and mesoscopic self-assembly of amyloid-beta, alpha synuclein, human islet amyloid polypeptide and prions, the peptides and proteins associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, type 2 diabetes and prion diseases. In addition, we discuss the toxicities of these amyloid proteins based on their self-assembly as well as their interactions with membranes, metal ions, small molecules and engineered nanoparticles. Through this presentation we show the remarkable similarities and differences in the structural transitions of the amyloid proteins through primary and secondary nucleation, the common evolution from disordered monomers to alpha-helices and then to β-sheets when the proteins encounter the cell membrane, and, the consensus (with a few exceptions) that off-pathway oligomers, rather than amyloid fibrils, are the toxic species regardless of the pathogenic protein sequence or physicochemical properties. In addition, we highlight the crucial role of molecular self-assembly in eliciting the biological and pathological consequences of the amyloid proteins within the context of their cellular environments and their spreading between cells and organs. Exploiting such structure-function-toxicity relationship may prove pivotal for the detection and mitigation of amyloid diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Chun Ke
- ARC Center of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Marc-Antonie Sani
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Feng Ding
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States
| | - Aleksandr Kakinen
- ARC Center of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ibrahim Javed
- ARC Center of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Frances Separovic
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- ARC Center of Excellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
| | - Raffaele Mezzenga
- ETH Zurich, Department of Health Science & Technology, Schmelzbergstrasse 9, LFO, E23, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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Ricci A, Allende A, Bolton D, Chemaly M, Davies R, Fernández Escámez PS, Gironés R, Herman L, Koutsoumanis K, Lindqvist R, Nørrung B, Robertson L, Sanaa M, Simmons M, Skandamis P, Snary E, Speybroeck N, Kuile BT, Threlfall J, Wahlström H, Adkin A, De Koeijer A, Ducrot C, Griffin J, Ortiz Pelaez A, Latronico F, Ru G. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases born after the total feed ban. EFSA J 2017; 15:e04885. [PMID: 32625550 PMCID: PMC7010122 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sixty bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) cases of Classical or unknown type (BARB‐60 cases) were born after the date of entry into force of the EU total feed ban on 1 January 2001. The European Commission has requested EFSA to provide a scientific opinion on the most likely origin(s) of these BARB‐60 cases; whether feeding with material contaminated with the BSE agent can be excluded as the origin of any of these cases and, if so, whether there is enough scientific evidence to conclude that such cases had a spontaneous origin. The source of infection cannot be ascertained at the individual level for any BSE case, including these BARB‐60 cases, so uncertainty remains high about the origin of disease in each of these animals, but when compared with other biologically plausible sources of infection (maternal, environmental, genetic, iatrogenic), feed‐borne exposure is the most likely. This exposure was apparently excluded for only one of these BARB‐60 cases. However, there is considerable uncertainty associated with the data collected through the field investigation of these cases, due to a time span of several years between the potential exposure of the animal and the confirmation of disease, recall difficulty, and the general paucity of documented objective evidence available in the farms at the time of the investigation. Thus, feeding with material contaminated with the BSE agent cannot be excluded as the origin of any of the BARB‐60 cases, nor is it possible to definitively attribute feed as the cause of any of the BARB‐60 cases. A case of disease is classified as spontaneous by a process of elimination, excluding all other definable possibilities; with regard to the BARB‐60 cases, it is not possible to conclude that any of them had a spontaneous origin.
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Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Prion Pathology in Medulla Oblongata-Possible Routes of Infection and Host Susceptibility. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:396791. [PMID: 26457299 PMCID: PMC4589575 DOI: 10.1155/2015/396791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), the most frequent human prion disorder, is characterized by remarkable phenotypic variability, which is influenced by the conformation of the pathologic prion protein and the methionine/valine polymorphic codon 129 of the prion protein gene. While the etiology of sCJD remains unknown, it has been hypothesized that environmental exposure to prions might occur through conjunctival/mucosal contact, oral ingestion, inhalation, or simultaneous involvement of the olfactory and enteric systems. We studied 21 subjects with definite sCJD to assess neuropathological involvement of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and other medullary nuclei and to evaluate possible associations with codon 129 genotype and prion protein conformation. The present data show that prion protein deposition was detected in medullary nuclei of distinct sCJD subtypes, either valine homozygous or heterozygous at codon 129. These findings suggest that an "environmental exposure" might occur, supporting the hypothesis that external sources of contamination could contribute to sCJD in susceptible hosts. Furthermore, these novel data could shed the light on possible causes of sCJD through a "triple match" hypothesis that identify environmental exposure, host genotype, and direct exposure of specific anatomical regions as possible pathogenetic factors.
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Rheological Study of Agar Hydrogels for Soft Capsule Shells. Pharm Chem J 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11094-014-1004-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Chapron Y, Charlet L, Sahai N. Fate of pathological prion (PrP(sc)92-138) in soil and water: prion-clay nanoparticle molecular dynamics. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2013; 32:1802-16. [PMID: 24152238 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2013.836461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic prion protein scrapie (PrP(sc)) may contaminate soils for decades and remain in water in colloidal suspension, providing infection pathways for animals through the inhalation of ingested dust and soil particles, and drinking water. We used molecular dynamics simulations to understand the strong binding mechanism of this pathogenic peptide with clay mineral surfaces and compared our results to experimental works. We restricted our model to the moiety PrP(92-138), which is a portion of the whole PrP(sc) molecule responsible for infectivity and modeled it using explicit solvating water molecules in contact with a pyrophyllite cleavage plane. Pyrophyllite is taken as a model for common soil clay, but it has no permanent structural charge. However, partial residual negative charges occur on the cleavage plane slab surface due to a slab charge unbalance. The charge is isotropic in 2D and it was balanced with K(+) ions. After partially removing potassium ions, the peptide anchors to the clay surface via up to 10 hydrogen bonds, between protonated lysine or histidine residues and the oxygen atoms of the siloxane cavities. Our results provide insight to the mechanism responsible for the strong association between the PrP(sc) peptide and clay nanoparticles and the associations present in contaminated soil and water which may lead to the infection of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Chapron
- a AIED, Research , 108 rue du puy, La Terrasse , 38660 , France
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Jacobson KH, Kuech TR, Pedersen JA. Attachment of pathogenic prion protein to model oxide surfaces. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:6925-34. [PMID: 23611152 PMCID: PMC4091914 DOI: 10.1021/es3045899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Prions are the infectious agents in the class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which affect humans, deer, sheep, and cattle. Prion diseases of deer and sheep can be transmitted via environmental routes, and soil is has been implicated in the transmission of these diseases. Interaction with soil particles is expected to govern the transport, bioavailability and persistence of prions in soil environments. A mechanistic understanding of prion interaction with soil components is critical for understanding the behavior of these proteins in the environment. Here, we report results of a study to investigate the interactions of prions with model oxide surfaces (Al2O3, SiO2) using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and optical waveguide light mode spectroscopy. The efficiency of prion attachment to Al2O3 and SiO2 depended strongly on pH and ionic strength in a manner consistent with electrostatic forces dominating interaction with these oxides. The presence of the N-terminal portion of the protein appeared to promote attachment to Al2O3 under globally electrostatically repulsive conditions. We evaluated the utility of recombinant prion protein as a surrogate for prions in attachment experiments and found that its behavior differed markedly from that of the infectious agent. Our findings suggest that prions would tend to associate with positively charged mineral surfaces in soils (e.g., iron and aluminum oxides).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt H. Jacobson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Thomas R. Kuech
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
- Corresponding author address: Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, 1525 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706 1299; phone: (608) 263-4971; fax: (608) 265-2595;
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Tomaszewski JE, Madliger M, Pedersen JA, Schwarzenbach RP, Sander M. Adsorption of insecticidal Cry1Ab protein to humic substances. 2. Influence of humic and fulvic acid charge and polarity characteristics. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2012; 46:9932-9940. [PMID: 22862550 DOI: 10.1021/es302248u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the fate and potential risks of transgenic Cry proteins in soils requires understanding of Cry protein adsorption to soil particles. The companion paper provided evidence that patch-controlled electrostatic attraction (PCEA) and the hydrophobic effect contributed to Cry1Ab protein adsorption to an apolar humic acid (HA). Here, we further assess the relative importance of these contributions by comparing Cry1Ab adsorption to seven humic substances varying in polarity and charge, at different solution pH and ionic strength, I. Cry1Ab adsorption to relatively apolar HAs at I = 50 mM exhibited rapid initial rates, was extensive, and was only partially reversible at pH 5-8, whereas adsorption to more polar fulvic acids was weak and reversible or absent at pH >6. The decrease in adsorption with increasing HS polarity at all tested pH strongly supports a large contribution from the hydrophobic effect to adsorption, particularly at I = 50 mM when PCEA was effectively screened. Using insect bioassays, we further show that Cry1Ab adsorbed to a selected HA retained full insecticidal activity. Our results highlight the need to consider adsorption to soil organic matter in models that assess the fate of Cry proteins in soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne E Tomaszewski
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP), Zurich, Switzerland
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Saunders SE, Bartz JC, Bartelt-Hunt SL. Soil-mediated prion transmission: is local soil-type a key determinant of prion disease incidence? CHEMOSPHERE 2012; 87:661-667. [PMID: 22265680 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.12.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2011] [Revised: 12/23/2011] [Accepted: 12/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases, including chronic wasting disease (CWD) and scrapie, can be transmitted via indirect environmental routes. Animals habitually ingest soil, and results from laboratory experiments demonstrate prions can bind to a wide range of soils and soil minerals, retain the ability to replicate, and remain infectious, indicating soil could serve as a reservoir for natural prion transmission and a potential prion exposure route for humans. Preliminary epidemiological modeling suggests soil texture may influence the incidence of prion disease. These results are supported by experimental work demonstrating variance in prion interactions with soil, including variance in prion soil adsorption and soil-bound prion replication with respect to soil type. Thus, local soil type may be a key determinant of prion incidence. Further experimental and epidemiological work is required to fully elucidate the dynamics of soil-mediated prion transmission, an effort that should lead to effective disease management and mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel E Saunders
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Peter Kiewit Institute, Omaha, NE 68182, USA
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Dominguez-Bello MG, Blaser MJ. The Human Microbiota as a Marker for Migrations of Individuals and Populations. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-081309-145711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin J. Blaser
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016;
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Almberg ES, Cross PC, Johnson CJ, Heisey DM, Richards BJ. Modeling routes of chronic wasting disease transmission: environmental prion persistence promotes deer population decline and extinction. PLoS One 2011; 6:e19896. [PMID: 21603638 PMCID: PMC3094393 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 04/19/2011] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal disease of deer, elk, and moose transmitted through direct, animal-to-animal contact, and indirectly, via environmental contamination. Considerable attention has been paid to modeling direct transmission, but despite the fact that CWD prions can remain infectious in the environment for years, relatively little information exists about the potential effects of indirect transmission on CWD dynamics. In the present study, we use simulation models to demonstrate how indirect transmission and the duration of environmental prion persistence may affect epidemics of CWD and populations of North American deer. Existing data from Colorado, Wyoming, and Wisconsin's CWD epidemics were used to define plausible short-term outcomes and associated parameter spaces. Resulting long-term outcomes range from relatively low disease prevalence and limited host-population decline to host-population collapse and extinction. Our models suggest that disease prevalence and the severity of population decline is driven by the duration that prions remain infectious in the environment. Despite relatively low epidemic growth rates, the basic reproductive number, R(0), may be much larger than expected under the direct-transmission paradigm because the infectious period can vastly exceed the host's life span. High prion persistence is expected to lead to an increasing environmental pool of prions during the early phases (i.e. approximately during the first 50 years) of the epidemic. As a consequence, over this period of time, disease dynamics will become more heavily influenced by indirect transmission, which may explain some of the observed regional differences in age and sex-specific disease patterns. This suggests management interventions, such as culling or vaccination, will become increasingly less effective as CWD epidemics progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Almberg
- Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America.
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Smith CB, Booth CJ, Pedersen JA. Fate of prions in soil: a review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 2011; 40:449-461. [PMID: 21520752 PMCID: PMC3160281 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2010.0412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Prions are the etiological agents of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSSEs), a class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans and other mammals. The pathogenic prion protein is a misfolded form of the host-encoded prion protein and represents the predominant, if not sole, component of the infectious agent. Environmental routes of TSE transmission areimplicated in epizootics of sheep scrapie and chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer, elk, and moose. Soil represents a plausible environmental reservoir of scrapie and CWD agents, which can persist in the environment for years. Attachment to soil particles likely influences the persistence and infectivity of prions in the environment. Effective methods to inactivate TSE agents in soil are currently lacking, and the effects of natural degradation mechanisms on TSE infectivity are largely unknown. An improved understanding of the processes affecting the mobility, persistence, and bioaviailability of prions in soil is needed for the management of TSE-contaminated environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christen B. Smith
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, Univ. of Wisconsin, 1525 Observatory Dr., Madison, WI 53706
| | - Clarissa J. Booth
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center, Univ. of Wisconsin, 1525 Observatory Dr., Madison, WI 53706
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David Walter W, Walsh DP, Farnsworth ML, Winkelman DL, Miller MW. Soil clay content underlies prion infection odds. Nat Commun 2011; 2:200. [PMID: 21326232 PMCID: PMC3105318 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2010] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors—especially soil properties—have been suggested as potentially important in the transmission of infectious prion diseases. Because binding to montmorillonite (an aluminosilicate clay mineral) or clay-enriched soils had been shown to enhance experimental prion transmissibility, we hypothesized that prion transmission among mule deer might also be enhanced in ranges with relatively high soil clay content. In this study, we report apparent influences of soil clay content on the odds of prion infection in free-ranging deer. Analysis of data from prion-infected deer herds in northern Colorado, USA, revealed that a 1% increase in the clay-sized particle content in soils within the approximate home range of an individual deer increased its odds of infection by up to 8.9%. Our findings suggest that soil clay content and related environmental properties deserve greater attention in assessing risks of prion disease outbreaks and prospects for their control in both natural and production settings. The infectious prion diseases affect numerous hoofed animal species, and it has been suggested that the properties of the local soil affect transmission of these diseases. Here, the authors studied two North American locations and demonstrate that soil clay content can influence the infection rate in deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- W David Walter
- United States Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1484, USA
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