Analysis of mosquito bloodmeals by DNA profiling

Abstract. Human specific genetic markers have been used to profile the human DNA found within a mosquito bloodmeal. In this technique, variable numbers of tandem repeat (VNTR) sequences are employed to prime amplification of human DNA in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the radiolabeled products are analysed by high resolution denaturing gel electrophoresis. Matching of DNA profiles allows identification of the individual human host. Bloodmeals of 125 female Anopheles gambiae Giles mosquitoes, caught dead or alive in verandah-trap huts wherein two people had slept overnight protected by intact insecticide-impregnated bednets, were analysed: thirty-five out of thirty-nine profiles generated were identical to those of the sleepers under the nets. Thus the blood-fed mosquitoes found after impregnated nets have been used cannot, in most cases, be explained away by entry of already fed mosquitoes into the huts.     

Amplification and analysis of human DNA present in mosquito bloodmeals

Abstract. DNA fingerprinting should permit the identification of individual human hosts of haematophagous arthropods, providing epidemi-ologically useful information, for example, the biting rates on different people and the impact of insecticide-impregnated bednets.
Investigations reported here demonstrate that it is possible to extract, amplify and fingerprint human DNA from the bloodmeals of individual female Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes kept at 24^oC for up to 10–15 h post-ingestion.     

Identification of mosquito bloodmeals using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and cytochrome b gene sequences

Abstract.  Primer pairs were designed and protocols developed to selectively amplify segments of vertebrate mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b ) mtDNA from the bloodmeals of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). The protocols use two pairs of nested COI primers and one pair of Cyt b primers to amplify short segments of DNA. Resultant sequences are then compared with sequences in GenBank, using the BLAST function, for putative host identification. Vertebrate DNA was amplified from 88% of our sample of 162 wild-caught, blood-fed mosquitoes from Oregon, U.S.A. and GenBank BLAST searches putatively identified 98% of the amplified sequences, including one amphibian, seven mammalian and 14 avian species. Criteria and caveats for putative identification of bloodmeals are discussed.     

Identification of forensically important blow fly species (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in China by mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene differentiation

Abstract Unambiguous and rapid sarcosaphagous insect species identification is an essential requirement for forensic investigations. Although some insect species are difficult to classify morphologically, they can be effectively identified using molecular methods based on similarity with abundant authenticated reference DNA sequences in local databases. However, local databases are still relatively incomplete in China because of the large land area with distinct regional conditions. In this study, 75 forensically important blow flies were collected from 23 locations in 16 Chinese provinces, and a 278‐bp segment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene of all specimens was successfully sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequenced segments showed that all Calliphorid specimens were properly assigned into nine species with relatively strong supporting values, thus indicating that the 278‐bp cytochrome oxidase subunit one region is suitable for identification of Calliphorid species. The clear difference between intraspecific threshold and interspecific divergence confirmed the potential of this region for Calliphorid species identification, especially for distinguishing between morphologically similar species. Intraspecific geographic variations were observed in Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) and Lucilia caesar (Linnaeus, 1758).     

PCR在猴B病毒鉴定中的应用研究

目的为鉴定新分离毒株是否为B病毒.方法根据ScinicarielloF报道的引物,用PCR方法扩增BV147、HSV-1、HSV-2,对扩增产物进行SacⅡ内切酶消化.结果这一对引物可同时对这3种病毒进行扩增,但只有BV147的扩增产物可被SacⅡ内切酶切开.对BV147扩增片段克隆测序的结果证实,其与美国B病毒E2490株部分基因(UL27)相对应位置的核苷酸同源性为100%.结论初步建立了检测B病毒DNA的PCR方法并测定了新分离病毒毒株的部分基因序列,证明新分离的病毒为B病毒.     

Rapid Identification of Mutans Streptococcal Species

Mutans streptococci are considered the predominant pathogens in dental caries. Three methods, i.e. dot blot hybridization analysis, PCR analysis and SDS-blue dextran-PAGE, were examined for identifying mutans streptococcal species. In dot blot hybridization, DNA probe derived from the dextranase gene (dexA) of Streptococcus mutans hybridized with different intensities under the condition of low stringency against each species of mutans streptococci although the dexA probe was specific for S. mutans under the condition of high stringency. Oligonucleotide primers for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were designed on the basis of the dexA DNA sequence. The primers amplified species-specific PCR products in the reference species (15 strains of 5 species) of mutans streptococci. An electrophoretic profile of dextranases from the mutans streptococci on SDS-blue dextran-PAGE also showed species-specific behavior. These results suggest that the three identification methods examined here are useful for distinguishing the species of mutans streptococci and also indicate that PCR analysis is suitable for simple, rapid and reliable identification of mutans streptococcal species.     

The cytochrome P450 gene family CYP157 does not contain EXXR in the K-helix reducing the absolute conserved P450 residues to a single cysteine

In this work, we have spectroscopically characterised CYP157C1 from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) which has the motif E(297)QSLW(301) rather than the invariant EXXR motif in the P450 K-helix. Site-directed mutagenesis of native E(297)QSLW(301) in CYP157C1 to E(297)ESLR(301) or E(297)QSRW(301) both containing standard EXXR motifs produced cytochrome P420 proteins thought to be inactive forms of P450 even though wild type CYP157C1 has the spectral properties of a normal P450. These results indicate that the EXXR motif is not required in all CYP tertiary architectures and only a single cysteine residue, which coordinates as the fifth thiolate ligand to the P450 haem iron, is invariant in all CYPs structures.     

Isolation of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the marine midge Clunio marinus (Chironomidae, Diptera) and their efficient characterization by heteroduplex analysis

Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were cloned and characterized for the marine midge Clunio marinus (Chironomidae, Diptera). The number of alleles ranged from three to 31, the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.06 to 0.83. During preliminary tests for polymorphisms, we identified subtly differing alleles due to the heteroduplexes they formed on nondenaturing gels. This allowed for the use of unlabelled primers in standard lower resolution PAGE and thus saved time and money in primer testing.     

猴 B 病毒血清学和 PCR 检测结果比较

目的：比较猴B病毒血清抗体和病毒PCR检测结果,阐明动物感染后病毒在机体内的存在状况。方法：采集成年猴血清和三叉神经组织,首先通过ELISA方法检测血清中B病毒抗体,然后采用B病毒舡和徊基因引物通过PCR方法扩增血清DNA和三叉神经组织DNA,比较2种方法的检测结果,并对扩增产物进行序列分析。结果：22份猴血清中,B病毒抗体呈阳性的有13份（59．1％）;PCR结果显示,抗体阴性动物及所有血清DNA模板中均无阳性扩增,但在13份抗体阳性动物的三叉神经组织DNA样品中,PCR阳性4份（30．8％）;gL和gD基因扩增条件及产物分析表明,舡基因的GC含量为64．1％,gD为74．2％,且舡的扩增条件和效果明显优于gD。结论：B病毒感染猴后,将在部分动物神经节中建立潜伏,而础基因更适合作为分子鉴定的靶标。     

快速检测HBV DNA的环状介导等温DNA扩增法

环状介导等温DNA扩增（LAMP）技术是一种新的核酸扩增方法,它能够高特异性、高效、快速地进行核酸的扩增。利用LAMP法检测乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）,能够在等温条件下于1h内将少量的基因拷贝数扩增至10^9,在对65份临床标本的检测中显示了较高的特异性。与现有的PCR技术相比,LAMP法更加简便快速,且在等温条件下进行,不需要复杂的仪器设备,为临床检测乙肝病毒提供了一个快速筒便的新方法。     

Detection of allelic variation within the growth hormone gene in common bream using heteroduplex analysis*

A novel method, heteroduplex analysis, was applied for detecting variation in an amplified growth hormone (GH) gene segment of common bream Abramis brama. Two-allele polymorphism was detected within a 262 bp restriction fragment. The frequency of the variant haplotype in the Main River was 0–50 and in the Danube River 0–32, but the difference was Statistically not significant.     

Molecular identification of six species of scale insects (Quadraspidiotus sp.) by RAPD-PCR: assessing the field-specificity of pheromone traps

The San-José Scale Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (SJS) is a quarantine pest in Switzerland. Its occurrence is monitored by trapping males on glue traps treated with artificial female sex pheromone that is supposed to be species-specific. However, large numbers of males were caught in locations where, for ecological reasons, this species was not expected to occur, suggesting that the pheromone is attractive for one or several otrter scale species. Because no morphological species determination key is described for males of this genus, it was not possible to test this hypothesis until now. We used randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) to establish a molecular identification key for six European Quadraspidiotus species. Because the glue used on the traps proved to be an excellent preservative, this key enabled us to identify males caught on pheromone traps in the field and to assess the species-specificity of the SJS-pheromone.     

都柏林念珠菌的PCR-RFLP鉴定

目的建立一种准确、可靠的鉴定都柏林念珠菌基因型的方法。方法临床念珠菌分离自临床生殖器念珠菌病患者,45℃温度试验时几乎不生长,且其他表型实验结果也符合都柏林念珠菌特征。对41例临床念珠菌和1例白念珠菌标准株、1例都柏林念珠菌标准株rDNA内部转录间隔区的基因进行聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增,HpyF10Ⅵ酶切后观察PAGE图谱。结果聚合酶链反应-限制性片段长度多态性（PCR-RFLP）后,39例临床株鉴定为白念珠菌。2例临床菌株带型特殊,测序后行BLAST比对分析,1例鉴定为白念珠菌,另1例尚不能肯定为都柏林念珠菌,还需要进一步以其他分子生物学方法鉴定。结论PCR-RFLP方法酶切后两种念珠菌带型区分明显,可以鉴别大部分临床菌株。基因测序是该方法有意义的补充。     

Identification of Vibrio harveyi using PCR amplification of the toxR gene

AIMS: The aim of this study was to develop an effective method for the identification of Vibrio harveyi based on using the toxR gene as a taxonomic marker. METHODS AND RESULTS: Primers for the toxR gene were designed for specificity to V. harveyi, and incorporated in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results of the PCR, which took <5 h from DNA extraction to amplification, revealed positive amplification of the toxR gene fragment in 20 V. harveyi isolates including type strains, whereas DNA from 23 other Vibrionaceae type strains and 13 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were negative. The detection limit of the PCR was 4.0 x 10(3) cells ml(-1). In addition, the technique enabled the recognition of V. harveyi from diseased fish. CONCLUSIONS: The PCR was specific and sensitive, enabling the identification of V. harveyi within 5 h. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The PCR allowed the rapid and sensitive detection of V. harveyi.     

Interleukin IL-1B gene polymorphism in Tunisian patients with chronic hepatitis B infection: Association with replication levels

Approaches based on association studies have proven useful in identifying genetic predictors for many diseases, including susceptibility to chronic hepatitis B. In this study we were interested by the IL-1B genetic variants that have been involved in the immune response and we analyzed their role in the susceptibility to develop chronic hepatitis B in the Tunisian population. IL - 1B is a potent proinflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in inflammation of the liver. Polymorphic gene IL-1 ( − 511, +3954) was analyzed in a total of 476 individuals: 236 patients with chronic hepatitis B from different cities of Tunisia recruited in Pasteur Institute between January 2017 and December 2018 and 240 controls. Genomic DNA was obtained using the standard salting-out method and genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism. For − 511C>T polymorphism a significant association was found between patients and controls when comparing the genotypic (P = 0.007; χ² = 9.74 and odds ratio [OR] = 0.60; confidence interval [CI] = 0.41–0.89) and allelic (P = 0.001; χ² = 10.60) frequencies. When the viral load was taken into account a highly significant difference was found (P = 9 × 10⁻⁴; χ² = 10.89). For +3954C>T polymorphism a significant association was found between patients and controls when comparing genotypic (P = 0.0058; χ² = 7.60 and OR = 1.67; CI = 1.14–2.46) and allelic (P = 0.0029; χ² = 8.81) frequencies. T allele can be used as a strong marker for hepatitis B virus disease for both polymorphisms.     

人传染性软疣病毒快速PCR检测方法的建立

为了能够对传染性软疣病毒(MCV)感染做出准确快速的实验室诊断,从14例临床MCV患者皮疹处提取获得病毒DNA,设计引物并进行PCR扩增获得预期的167bp的片段,经测序并与已报道的序列比对,完全一致。而使用痘病毒科其他病毒的特异引物(正痘病毒和副痘病毒属)则没有特异扩增条带。将病毒DNA进行系列稀释后行PCR扩增,结果表明PCR检测方法的敏感性为5×10-4ng/μL。     

用反转录—聚合酶链反应检测B组轮状病毒

轮状病毒（Ｒｏｔａｖｉｒｕｓ）是属于呼肠病毒科（Ｒｅｏｖｉｒｉｄａｅ）的双链ＲＮＡ（ｄｓＲＮＡ）病毒。至今已将轮状病毒分为七个组（Ａ～Ｇ）。已经发现的Ｂ组轮状病毒分别来自人、大鼠、牛、猪、羊。近十年来,通过轮状病毒的研究,轮状病毒Ｂ组已被公认为引起人...     

Genetic analysis of Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans carbon monoxide dehydrogenase genes cooF and cooS

Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans is an extremely thermophilic, Gram-positive bacterium growing on carbon monoxide (CO) as single carbon and energy source and producing only H(2) and CO(2). Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase is a key enzyme for CO metabolism. The carbon monoxide dehydrogenase genes cooF and cooS from C. hydrogenoformans were cloned and sequenced. These genes showed the highest similarity to the cooF genes from the archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus and the cooS gene from the bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum, respectively. The cooS gene was identified immediately downstream of cooF, however, the cooF and cooS genes from C. hydrogenoformans have substantially different codon usage, and the cooF gene Arg codon usage pattern, dominated by AGA and AGG, resembles the archaeal pattern. The data therefore suggest lateral transfer of these genes, possibly from different donor species.     

Identification of Belgian mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) by DNA barcoding

Since its introduction in 2003, DNA barcoding has proven to be a promising method for the identification of many taxa, including mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae). Many mosquito species are potential vectors of pathogens, and correct identification in all life stages is essential for effective mosquito monitoring and control. To use DNA barcoding for species identification, a reliable and comprehensive reference database of verified DNA sequences is required. Hence, DNA sequence diversity of mosquitoes in Belgium was assessed using a 658 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene, and a reference data set was established. Most species appeared as well‐supported clusters. Intraspecific Kimura 2‐parameter (K2P) distances averaged 0.7%, and the maximum observed K2P distance was 6.2% for Aedes koreicus. A small overlap between intra‐ and interspecific K2P distances for congeneric sequences was observed. Overall, the identification success using best match and the best close match criteria were high, that is above 98%. No clear genetic division was found between the closely related species Aedes annulipes and Aedes cantans, which can be confused using morphological identification only. The members of the Anopheles maculipennis complex, that is Anopheles maculipennis s.s. and An. messeae, were weakly supported as monophyletic taxa. This study showed that DNA barcoding offers a reliable framework for mosquito species identification in Belgium except for some closely related species.