Tick-borne pathogens in questing adults Dermacentor reticulatus from the Eastern European population (north-eastern Poland)

Dermacentor reticulatus is tick species with an expanding geographical range in Europe, which creates the possibility of spreading microorganisms of significant veterinary and medical importance. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp., Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in adult D. reticulatus ticks from the Eastern European population in the urban and the natural biotopes of north-eastern Poland. Microorganisms were detected by PCR and identified by DNA sequencing. The overall infection rate of at least one of the pathogens was 29.6%. The predominantly was Rickettsia spp. (27.1%) (with R. raoultii-9.1%) followed by Babesia spp. (2.4%) with B. canis (1.5%) as the most frequent. Based on 18S rRNA gene sequence, three B. canis genotypes were revealed. The prevalence of R. raoultii and B. canis was significantly higher in ticks from natural biotopes. The infection rates of B. afzelii and A. phagocytophilum were determined at 0.9% and 0.3%, respectively. Co-infections were detected in 3.8% of infected ticks. In diagnosing tick-borne diseases in humans, tick-borne lymphadenopathy should not be excluded. The prevalence of different genotypes of B. canis suggests differences in the clinical picture of canine babesiosis in the area.

Neoehrlichia mikurensis-A New Emerging Tick-Borne Pathogen in North-Eastern Poland?

Neoehrlichia mikurensis is a new emerging tick-borne Gram-negative bacterium, belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae, the main vector of which in Europe is the tick Ixodes ricinus. N. mikurensis is responsible for neoehrlichiosis, occurring mostly in patients with underlying diseases. In the present study, a total of 348 I. ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected in north-eastern Poland were analyzed for the prevalence of N. mikurensis. A total of 140 questing ticks (124 of I. ricinus ticks and 16 D. reticulatus) collected with the flagging method and 208 ticks (105 and 103 I. ricinus and D. reticulatus, respectively) removed from dogs were selected for the study. cDNA (questing ticks) and total DNA (questing and feeding ticks) were analyzed by qPCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene of N. mikurensis. Positive samples were further analyzed by nested PCR and sequencing. The prevalence differed between ticks collected from vegetation (19.3%; 27/140) and ticks removed from dogs (6.7%; 14/208). The presence of the pathogen in questing and feeding D. reticulatus ticks was proven in Poland for the first time. In summary, our research showed that infections of ticks of both the most common tick species I. ricinus and D. reticulatus in north-eastern Poland are present and ticks collected from urban areas were more often infected than ticks from suburban and natural areas. The detection of N. mikurensis in I. ricinus and D. reticulatus ticks from north-eastern Poland indicates potential transmission risk for tick-bitten humans at this latitude.

Abundance of Ixodes ricinus Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and the Diversity of Borrelia Species in Northeastern Poland

Monitoring the abundance of ticks and the prevalence of pathogens in ticks is an important activity in assessing the risk of tick-borne diseases and helps to develop preventive measures. This study aimed to estimate the density of Ixodes ricinus, the prevalence of Borrelia species, and their diversity in northeastern Poland. The overall mean I. ricinus density was 9.7 ticks/100 m². There were no differences between years, subregions, or habitats of study. The Borrelia infection rate was higher in females (22.6%) and males (14.3%) than in nymphs 5.5% (MIR). The most infected ticks came from the eastern subregion (10.1%) where the incidence of borreliosis among the inhabitants was over 20% higher than in the other subregions. In the infected ticks, B. afzelii (38.3%) and B. garinii (34.5%) were predominant. B. bavariensis was confirmed in I. ricinus in Poland for the first time. The most polymorphic was B. garinii. B. miyamotoi (belonged to the European type) was identified as a mono-infection in 0.9% of ticks and in 1.5% as a co-infection with B. afzelii and with B. garinii. Besides the risk of borreliosis and co-infections with different Borrelia species, physicians should also be aware of B. miyamotoi infections among patients.

The Risk of Exposure to Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in a Spa Town in Northern Poland

The aim of this study was to determine the potential risk of human exposure to tick-borne infection in a recreation areas in a spa town located in northern Poland. Questing Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus ticks were collected in the spring of 2018. Tick-borne microorganisms were detected by PCR. Species were identified based on RFLP and the sequencing of DNA. In total, 38.3% of the ticks (34.6% of I. ricinus and 48.6% of D. reticulatus) were infected. The prevalence was 14.9% for Borrelia spp., 10.6% for Babesia spp. and 17.7% for Rickettsia spp. No Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected. Spirochaetes B. afzelii, B. garinii and B. burgdorferi s.s. were detected only in I. ricinus ticks (20.2%). The differences in the infection rates of Babesia spp. between I. ricinus (7.7%) and D. reticulatus (18.9%) were not significant. DNA of B. canis and B. venatorum were identified in both tick species. B. microti were detected in D. reticulatus ticks. The prevalence of Rickettsia spp. was significantly higher in D. reticulatus (37.8%) than that in I. ricinus (10.6%). R. raoultii was identified only in D. reticulatus and R. helvetica in I. ricinus. Co-infections of at least two pathogens were recognized in 13% of positive ticks.

Sucking of human blood by Placobdella costata (O. F. Müller, 1846) (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae): Case study with notes on body form

Four events of Placobdella costata sucking human blood are described.Human blood was sucked by both adult and juvenile specimens of P. costata.The feeding strategies of juveniles under parental care are presented.New data on juvenile specimens' body form are presented.Information on the potential role of mammals in dispersion and habitat preferences of leeches P. costata is considered.

Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ticks Collected from Wild Ungulates in North-Eastern Poland

This study was carried out in north-eastern Poland during two hunting seasons between 2018 and 2020. Ticks (Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus) were removed from wild cervids and boars and examined for the presence of Borrelia spirochetes and Rickettsiales members: Rickettsia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The present study contributes to the knowledge of even-toed ungulates, which are an important reservoir of the above-mentioned pathogens and a potential source of infections for humans through ticks as vectors. Almost 40% of the collected ticks (191 out of 484) were infected with the following pathogens: 3.3% with Borrelia spp., 19.2% with A. phagocytophilum and 26.9% with Rickettsia spp. Only the ticks collected from cervids carried Borrelia. Typing of the species DNA confirmed the presence of B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. lusitaniae and B. miyamotoi. An analysis of Rickettsia spp. sequences using the GenBank data revealed the presence of R. helvetica, R. raoultii and R. monacensis. Monoinfections (79.1%) dominated over co-infections (20.9%). Among co-infections, the most frequent was A. phagocytophilum/Rickettsia spp. (70%), however co-infections, including B. afzelii/A. phagocytophilum, B. afzelii/Rickettsia spp., B. miyamotoi/A. phagocytophilum and B. afzelii/B. garinii/B. lusitaniae, were also noted. Significant differences were observed in the affinity of some pathogens to their vectors. Thus, Borrelia spp. and A. phagocytophilum were more frequently detected in I. ricinus (5.3% and 23.1%) than in D. reticulatus (1.2% and 15.3%). Infection frequency with Rickettsia spp. was similar (approximately 25–29%) in both tick species. The prevalence of A. phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. in ticks removed from cervids was 19.8% and 27.1%, and in ticks from wild boars it was 13.3% and 24.4%, respectively.

S-Methyl-(2-Methoxycarbonylamino-Benzimidazole-5) Thiosulfonate as a Potential Antiparasitic Agent-Its Action on the Development of Ascaris suum Eggs In Vitro

Ascaris suum is a soil-transmitted parasite causing ascariasis in pigs, largely limiting livestock production globally. Searching for new drugs affecting all stages of nematode development is necessary and widely postulated. The in vitro activity of S-methyl-(2-methoxycarbonylamino-benzoimidasole-5) thiosulfonate on A. suum developing eggs was studied. Five concentrations of the drug were used—0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mM during 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure. After drug treatment, the eggs were washed and cultured in 0.05 M HCl at 27 °C for 20 days. Both the concentration and duration of the drug exposure had an inhibitory impact on the percentage of L₂ larvae developed. The best effect was obtained after 72 h of incubation in 5 mM drug solution, only 1.9 ± 3.3% of the larvae developed to the L₂ stage. Moreover, no SNP was detected at codon 167, which is correlated with benzimidazole resistance, in the tested samples. For the first time, it has been demonstrated that S-M-(2-MKA-BZ-5)TS seems to be a potential ovicidal anti-helminthic agent. It may lead to the elimination of parasites and reduce environmental contamination from roundworm eggs. The ovicidal effects of the drug should be additionally confirmed by further infection studies using experimental animals.

Questing Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) as a vector of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Borrelia miyamotoi in an urban area of north-eastern Poland

Green areas located within large cities, as natural ecotypes, are a convenient habitat for ticks and their use as recreational areas is associated with the potential risk of acquiring tick-borne diseases. This study estimated the I. ricinus tick density, prevalence of infection with Borrelia species and the diversity of these bacteria in a green urban area (Olsztyn) of north-eastern Poland, an endemic region of tick-borne diseases. The ticks were collected during spring and autumn of 2015, at sites differing in the degree of human pressure and habitat. Borrelia species detection, typing and a molecular phylogenetic analysis were carried out based on the sequenced flaB gene. The overall mean abundance of I. ricinus was 2.0 ± 1.55 ticks per 100 m². The density of I. ricinus did not vary significantly between sites. According to semi-qualitative tick abundance categories, the collection sites were classified as 'very low' and 'low' tick abundance category. The overall infection rate of I. ricinus with Borrelia spirochaetes was 27.4%. The infection rate of adult ticks (42.0%) was three times higher than with nymphs (14.3%). Based on the restriction patterns and sequencing, B. afzelii (93.1%; 27/29), B. valaisiana 3.5% (1/29) and B. miyamotoi (3.5%; 1/29), related to the relapsing fever (RF) spirochaetes, were detected. No co-infections were found. Borrelia miyamotoi, detected for the first time in ticks in the north-eastern urban areas of Poland, was identical to isolates described as European-type. The Borrelia spirochaete infection rate of I. ricinus ticks in an urban area indicated a high risk of LB. Physicians should also be aware of B. miyamotoi infections among patients with a history of tick-bites in north-eastern Poland.

Infective larvae of Anisakis simplex (Nematoda) accumulate trehalose and glycogen in response to starvation and temperature stress

Anisakis simplex L3 larvae infect fish and other seafood species such as squid or octopi; therefore, humans consuming raw or undercooked fish may become accidental hosts for this parasite. These larvae are induced to enter hypometabolism by cold temperatures. It is assumed that sugars (in particular trehalose and glycogen) are instrumental for survival under environmental stress conditions. To elucidate the mechanisms of environmental stress response in A. simplex, we observed the effects of starvation and temperature on trehalose and glycogen content, the activity of enzymes metabolizing those sugars, and the relative expression of genes of trehalose and glycogen metabolic pathways. The L3 of A. simplex synthesize trehalose both in low (0°C) and high temperatures (45°C). The highest content of glycogen was observed at 45°C at 36 h of incubation. On the second day of incubation, tissue content of trehalose depended on the activity of the enzymes: TPS was more active at 45°C, and TPP was more active at 0°C. The changes in TPP activity were consistent with the transcript level changes of the TPP gene, and the trehalose level, while glycogen synthesis correlates with the expression of glycogen synthase gene at 45°C; this suggests that the synthesis of trehalose is more essential. These results show that trehalose plays a key role in providing energy during the thermotolerance and starvation processes through the molecular and biochemical regulation of trehalose and glycogen metabolism.

Summary: Carbohydrate metabolism in L3 of A. simplex is affected by temperature shock and by starvation. The metabolic shift from glycogen to trehalose suggests that blocking or silencing the trehalose synthesis pathway could be a limiting factor for Anisakis life and development.

Developmental changes in gene expression and enzyme activities of anabolic and catabolic enzymes for storage carbohydrates in the honeybee, Apis mellifera

Glycogen and trehalose are important sources of energy in insects. The expression of genes encoding the key metabolic enzymes-glycogen synthase (GS), glycogen phosphorylase (GP), trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS-1), soluble trehalase (Tre-1) and membrane-bound trehalase (Tre-2)-was analyzed in 12 developmental stages of Apis mellifera worker brood. The content of GS and GP proteins, TPS activity, total trehalase activity, and the activity of Tre-1 and Tre-2 were determined. Transcript quantity was not always correlated with the content of the encoded GS or GP protein. The correlation was higher for GS (r = 0.797) than GP (r = 0.651). The expression of the glycogen synthase gene (gs) and the glycogen phosphorylase gene (gp) was high in 4- and 7-day-old larvae and in pupae, excluding the last pupal stage. The expression of the tps-1 gene was highest in the mid-pupal stage and contributed to higher enzyme activity in that stage. The expression of the tre-1 gene was higher than the expression of the tre-2 gene throughout development. In newly hatched workers, the expression of genes encoding catabolic enzymes of both carbohydrates, gp and tre-1, was higher than the expression of genes encoding anabolic enzymes. The results of this study suggest that sugar metabolism genes have somewhat different control mechanisms during larval development and metamorphosis.

Composition of fatty acids in the Varroa destructor mites and their hosts, Apis mellifera drone-prepupae

The fatty acid (FA) profile of lipids extracted from the Varroa destructor parasitic mite and its host, drone-prepupae of Apis mellifera, was determined by gas chromatography (GC). The percentages of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were generally similar in parasites and their hosts. Fatty acids were arranged in the following descending order based on their content: MUFAs (ca. 52-55%), SFAs (ca. 41%) and PUFAs (ca. 3%). The predominant fatty acids were oleic acid (46% in mites, 44% in prepupae) and palmitic acid (23% and 30%, respectively). Varroa parasites differed from their hosts in the quantity of individual FAs and in their FA profiles. Three PUFAs noted in the host were not observed in parasitic mites, whereas the presence of C21:0, C24:0 and C22:1 FAs was reported in mites, but not in drones.

Esterases of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae), parasitic mite of the honeybee

Varroa destructor is an ectoparasite that causes serious damage to the population of the honeybee. Increasing resistance of the parasite to acaricides is related, among others, to metabolic adaptations of its esterases to facilitate decomposition of the chemicals used. Esterases are a large heterogeneous group of enzymes that metabolize a number of endogenous and exogenous substrates with ester binding. The aim of the present study was to determine the activity of esterases in the body extracts (BE) and excretion/secretion products (E/SP) of the mite. The enzymes contained in the E/SP should originate mainly from the salivary glands and the alimentary system and they may play a particularly important role in the first line of defence of the mite against acaricides. Activity of cholinesterases (ChEs) [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase], carboxylesterases (CEs) and phosphatases [alkaline phosphatase (AP) and acid phosphatase (AcP)] was investigated. The activity of all the enzymes except AChE was higher in the E/SP than in the BE. ChEs from the BE and from the E/SP reacted differently on eserine, a ChE inhibitor. Eserine inhibited both enzymes from the BE, increased decomposition of acetylcholine, but did not influence hydrolysis of butyrylcholine by the E/SP. Activity of the CEs from the BE in relation to the esters of carboxylic acids can be presented in the following series: C10 > C12 > C14 > C8 > C2 > C4 = C16, while activity of the CEs from the E/SP was: C4 > C8 > C2 > C14 > C10 > C12 > C16. The inhibitor of CEs, triphenyl phosphate, reduced the activity of esterases C2–C8 and C14–C16; however, it acted in the opposite way to CEs C10 and C12. The activity of both phosphatases was higher in the E/SP than in the BE (AcP about twofold and AP about 2.6-fold); the activities of AP and AcP in the same material were similar. Given the role of esterases in resistance to pesticides, further studies are necessary to obtain complete biochemical characteristics of the enzymes currently present in V. destructor.

The activity of carbohydrate-degrading enzymes in the development of brood and newly emerged workers and drones of the Carniolan honeybee, Apis mellifera carnica

The activity of glycogen Phosphorylase and carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes α-amylase, glucoamylase, trehalase, and sucrase was studied in the development of the Carniolan honey bee, Apis mellifera carnica Pollman (Hymenoptera: Apidae), from newly hatched larva to freshly emerged imago of worker and drone. Phosphorolytic degradation of glycogen was significantly stronger than hydrolytic degradation in all developmental stages. Developmental profiles of hydrolase activity were similar in both sexes of brood; high activity was found in unsealed larvae, the lowest in prepupae followed by an increase in enzymatic activity. Especially intensive increases in activity occurred in the last stage of pupae and newly emerged imago. Besides α-amylase, the activities of other enzymes were higher in drone than in worker broods. Among drones, activity of glucoamylase was particularly high, ranging from around three times higher in the youngest larvae to 13 times higher in the oldest pupae. This confirms earlier suggestions about higher rates of metabolism in drone broods than in worker broods.

Hydrolases of Hysterothylacium aduncum (Nematoda)

BACKGROUND

Enzymatic activity is an indicator of an organism's metabolic rate which depends on, i.e., environmental conditions, developmental stage, physiological stage, and sex. The API ZYM test was applied to compare activities of 19 hydrolases of female and male Hysterothylacium aduncum.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sexually mature nematodes were isolated from eelpout individuals caught in the Gulf of Gdańsk. Enzymatic activity of the hydrolases and the protein content was determined in nematode extracts using API ZYM and Bradford's method, respectively.

RESULTS

The females and males tested showed a total of 13 enzymes to be active. The males showed additionally the presence of alpha-fucosidase. Acidic and alkaline phosphatases had very high activities in both sexes; short-chain fatty acid esterases, leucine and valine aminopeptidases, alpha-glucosidase, and N-acetylglucosaminidase were highly active. H. aduncum showed no trypsin- and chymotrypsin-specific activities; similarly, no activity of alpha-galactosidase, alpha-mannosidase, and beta-glucuronidase was revealed. Except for lipase (C14), hydrolases were more active in females than in males, which is related to metabolic rate being higher in females due to their reproductive function.

CONCLUSION

Comparison of the results obtained with earlier data produced with API ZYM allowed suggesting that the hydrolase pattern may be more affected by habitat in the host than by the taxonomic affiliation of nematode.

The total protein content, protein fractions and proteases activities of drone prepupae of Apis mellifera due to varrosis

The proteins level and activities of acid and alkaline proteases in whole body extracts of drone prepupae of Apis mellifera naturally infested with Varroa destructor were studied. The infested and a non-infested group did not differ significantly in their total protein content. However, some differences in protein profiles were found. A lack of three protein fractions of moderate and lower molecular weight in infested prepupae was noted. Moreover, some differences in the quantity of protein in most of the fractions were observed. The activity of acid proteases from infested prepupae was lower (p < 0.05) compared with the activity of these proteases from the non-infested one group. The infested drone had higher activity of alkaline proteases than non-infested but this difference was not statisticaly significant.

Purification and characterization of acid trehalase from muscle of Ascaris suum (Nematoda)

Acid trehalase (EC 3.2.1.28) was isolated from muscle of Ascaris suum by fractionating with ammonium sulfate, acetone and column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and phenyl sepharose CL-4B. The purified homogeneous preparation of native acid trehalase exhibited a molecular mass of 76 kDa and of 38 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The enzyme has the optimum pH 4.9, pI 4.3, Km of 6.6 mM and Vmax=34.5 nM min(-1) x mg(-1). Besides trehalose, it hydrolyses sucrose, isomaltose and maltose and, to a lesser degree melezitose, and it does not act on cellobiose and lactose. Acid trehalase was activated by MgCl2, KNO3, NaCl, CaCl2, CH2ICOOH and p-chloromercuribenzoate and inhibited by EDTA, ZnSO4 and FeCl3.

The enzymes of glycogen and trehalose catabolism from Hysterothylacium aduncum (Nematoda: Anisakidae)

The activity of alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, maltase, trehalase, glycogen phosphorylase and trehalose phosphorylase was measured in extracts from larval and adult Hysterothylacium aduncum (Rudolphi, 1802), parasitic nematode of marine fish. The content of glycogen and trehalose in the worm's body was also determined. Both the hydrolytic and phosphorolytic paths of sugar decomposition are present in H. aduncum. In the larvae glycogen was utilised mainly via the hydrolytic path. In the adults the activities of phosphorolytic enzymes were higher than in the larvae. In both stages the activity of trehalose phosphorylase is present. In adult nematodes it is uncommonly high. The dominating sugars in the adults were glucose and glycogen, while in the larvae it was trehalose.

[The enzymes of carbohydrates metabolism from Cysttidicola farionis (Cystidicolidae)]

The content of glycogen, glucose and trehalose was measured in larvae and adults of Cystidicola farionis, the parasite isolated from the swim bladder of Osmerus eperlanus from Vistula Lagoon. Activity of glycogen phosphorylase, alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, maltase, trehalase, and trehalose phosphorylase were measured. The highest activity was recorded for alpha-amylase 10.07 +/- 0.97 mu/mg and 7.47 +/- 0.24 mu/mg, next maltase 1.34 +/- 0.63 micromol/mg and 2.06 +/- 1.65 micronol/mg respectively for larvae and adults. The activity of glucoamylase was nearly the same for adults and larvae (about 0.20 micromol/mg). The trehalase activity was higher at adults (0.49 +/- 0.42 micromol/mg) than at larvae (0.18 +/- 0.12 micromol/mg). The activity of glycogen phosphorylase was much higher at larvae (3.58 +/- 1.49 micromol/mg) than at adults parasite (0.10 +/- 0.02 micromol/mg). The trehalose phosphorylase was present in both stages of parasite, but its activity was low. The content of glycogen and glucose was two-times higher in the adults' body than in larvae.

[The concentration of trehalose and acitvity of trehalase from Galleria mellonella larvae infected by Steinernema affinis, Bovien 1937 (Nematoda: Rhabditida: Steinernematidae)]

The experimental studies were conducted on caterpillars of wax moth Galleria mellonella infected with Steinernema affinis larvae. The concentration of trehalose and the activity of trehalase were measured during the invasion lasting 48h. The level of trehalose and activity of enzyme were slightly lower in infected insects in comparison to the control animals.