Growth conditions of clostridium perfringens type B for production of toxins used to obtain veterinary vaccines

The diseases caused for Clostridium perfringens are generically called enterotoxemias because toxins produced in the intestine may be absorbed into the general circulation. C. perfringens type B, grown in batch fermentation, produced toxins used to obtain veterinary vaccines. Glucose in concentrations of 1.4–111.1 mM was used to define the culture medium. The minimum concentration for a satisfactory production of vaccines against clostridial diseases was 55.6 mM. Best results were brought forth by meat and casein peptones, both in the concentration 5.0 g l^?1 in combination with glucose and a culture pH maintained at 6.5 throughout the fermentation process. The production of lactic, acetic and propionic organic acids was observed. Ethanol was the metabolite produced in the highest concentration when cultures maintained steady pH of 6.5 with exception of cultures with initial glucose concentration of 1.4 mM, where the highest production was of propionic acid. Maximal cell concentration and the highest toxin title concomitantly low yield coefficient to organic acids and ethanol were obtained using basal medium containing 111.1 mM glucose under a controlled pH culture (pH) 6.5 in batch fermentations of C. perfringens type B. These data contribute to improve process for industrial toxin production allowing better condition to produce a toxoid vaccine.     

Enzymatic activities and protein profile of latex from Calotropis procera.

The laticifer fluid of Calotropis procera is rich in proteins and there is evidence that they are involved in the pharmacological properties of the latex. However, not much is known about how the latex-containing proteins are produced or their functions. In this study, laticifer proteins of C. procera were pooled and examined by 1D and 2D electrophoresis, masses spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) and characterized in respect of proteolytic activity and oxidative enzymes. Soluble laticifer proteins were predominantly composed of basic proteins (PI>6.0) with molecular masses varying between 5 and 95 kDa. Proteins with a molecular mass of approximately 26,000 Da were more evident. Strong anti-oxidative activity of superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) (1007.74+/-91.89 Ug(-1)DM) and, to a lesser extent ascorbate peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.1) (0.117(d)+/-0.013 microMol H(2)O(2)g(-1)min(-1)), were detected. However, catalase (EC 1.11.1.6) was absent. The strong proteolytic activities of laticifer proteins from C. procera were shown to be shared by at least four distinct cysteine proteinases (EC 3.4.22.16) that were isolated by gel filtration chromatography. Serine and metaloproteinases were not detected and aspartic proteinase activities were barely visible. Chitinases (EC 3.2.1.14) were also isolated in a chitin column and their activities quantified. The presence of these enzymatic activities in latex from C. procera may confirm their involvement in resistance to phytopathogens and insects, mainly in its leaves where the latex circulates abundantly.     

Recurrent seasonal changes in bacterial growth efficiency,metabolism and community composition in coastal waters

The microbial response to environmental changes in coastal waters of the eastern Cantabrian Sea was explored for four years by analysing a broad set of environmental variables along with bacterial community metabolism and composition. A recurrent seasonal cycle emerged, consisting of two stable periods, characterized by low bacterial metabolic activity (winter) from October to March, and high bacterial metabolic activity (summer) from May to August. These two contrasting periods were linked by short transition periods in April (T_A) and September (T_S). The phylogenetic groups Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were dominant during winter and summer respectively, and their recurrent alternation was mainly driven by the bloom of eukaryotic phytoplankton before T_A and the bloom of prokaryotic phytoplankton before T_S. Bacterial growth efficiency remained high and stable during the winter and summer periods but dropped during the two short transition periods. Our results suggest that bacterial growth efficiency should be considered a very resilient property that reflects different stages in the adaptation of the bacterial community composition to the environmental changes occurring throughout the seasonal cycle in this coastal ecosystem.     

Artificial covering on trap nests improves the colonization of trap-nesting wasps

To evaluate the role that a trap‐nest cover might have on sampling methodologies, the abundance of each species of trap‐nesting Hymenoptera and the parasitism rate in a Canadian forest were compared between artificially covered and uncovered traps. Of trap tubes exposed at eight forest sites in six trap‐nest boxes, 531 trap tubes were occupied and 1216 individuals of 12 wasp species of four predatory families, Vespidae (Eumeninae), Crabronidae, Sphecidae and Pompilidae emerged over 2 years, and no bee species were found. Results indicated that artificial covering led to a significant increase in the number of nested tubes of Ancistrocerus adiabatus, Ancistrocerus antilope, Ancistrocerus campestris and Auplopus mellipes, and significant effects of covering were not found for the other species. No significant difference in the overall parasitism rate between covered and uncovered traps was noted. These suggested that the covering technique could provide more opportunities for some wasp species to colonize trap nests.     

Epidemiology of Disappearing Plasmodium vivax Malaria: A Case Study in Rural Amazonia

Background

New frontier settlements across the Amazon Basin pose a major challenge for malaria elimination in Brazil. Here we describe the epidemiology of malaria during the early phases of occupation of farming settlements in Remansinho area, Brazilian Amazonia. We examine the relative contribution of low-density and asymptomatic parasitemias to the overall Plasmodium vivax burden over a period of declining transmission and discuss potential hurdles for malaria elimination in Remansinho and similar settings.

Methods

Eight community-wide cross-sectional surveys, involving 584 subjects, were carried out in Remansinho over 3 years and complemented by active and passive surveillance of febrile illnesses between the surveys. We used quantitative PCR to detect low-density asexual parasitemias and gametocytemias missed by conventional microscopy. Mixed-effects multiple logistic regression models were used to characterize independent risk factors for P. vivax infection and disease.

Principal Findings/Conclusions

P. vivax prevalence decreased from 23.8% (March–April 2010) to 3.0% (April–May 2013), with no P. falciparum infections diagnosed after March–April 2011. Although migrants from malaria-free areas were at increased risk of malaria, their odds of having P. vivax infection and disease decreased by 2–3% with each year of residence in Amazonia. Several findings indicate that low-density and asymptomatic P. vivax parasitemias may complicate residual malaria elimination in Remansinho: (a) the proportion of subpatent infections (i.e. missed by microscopy) increased from 43.8% to 73.1% as P. vivax transmission declined; (b) most (56.6%) P. vivax infections were asymptomatic and 32.8% of them were both subpatent and asymptomatic; (c) asymptomatic parasite carriers accounted for 54.4% of the total P. vivax biomass in the host population; (d) over 90% subpatent and asymptomatic P. vivax had PCR-detectable gametocytemias; and (e) few (17.0%) asymptomatic and subpatent P. vivax infections that were left untreated progressed to clinical disease over 6 weeks of follow-up and became detectable by routine malaria surveillance.     

Complete mitochondrial genome from South American catfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum</Emphasis> (Eigenmann &amp; Eigenmann) and its impact in Siluriformes phylogenetic tree

The cachara (Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum) is a Neotropical freshwater catfish from family Pimelodidae (Siluriformes) native to Brazil. The species is of relative economic importance for local aquaculture production and basic biological information is under development to help boost efforts to domesticate and raise the species in commercial systems. The complete cachara mitochondrial genome was obtained by assembling Illumina RNA-seq data from pooled samples. The full mitogenome was found to be 16,576 bp in length, showing the same basic structure, order, and genetic organization observed in other Pimelodidae, with 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rNA genes, 22 trNAs, and a control region. Observed base composition was 24.63% T, 28.47% C, 31.45% A, and 15.44% G. With the exception of NAD6 and eight tRNAs, all of the observed mitochondrial genes were found to be coded on the H strand. A total of 107 SNPs were identified in P. reticulatum mtDNA, 67 of which were located in coding regions. Of these SNPs, 10 result in amino acid changes. Analysis of the obtained sequence with 94 publicly available full Siluriformes mitogenomes resulted in a phylogenetic tree that generally agreed with available phylogenetic proposals for the order. The first report of the complete Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum mitochondrial genome sequence revealed general gene organization, structure, content, and order similar to most vertebrates. Specific sequence and content features were observed and may have functional attributes which are now available for further investigation.     

First comprehensive analysis of Aedes aegypti bionomics during an arbovirus outbreak in west Africa: Dengue in Ouagadougou,Burkina Faso, 2016–2017

BackgroundDengue’s emergence in West Africa was typified by the Burkina Faso outbreaks in 2016 and 2017, the nation’s largest to date. In both years, we undertook three-month surveys of Aedes populations in or near the capital city Ouagadougou, where the outbreaks were centered.MethodologyIn 1200LG (urban), Tabtenga (peri-urban) and Goundry (rural) localities, we collected indoor and outdoor resting mosquito adults, characterized larval habitats and containers producing pupae and reared immature stages to adulthood in the laboratory for identification. All mosquito adults were identified morphologically. Host species (from which bloodmeals were taken) were identified by PCR. Generalized mixed models were used to investigate relationships between adult or larval densities and multiple explanatory variables.ResultsFrom samples in 1,780 houses, adult Ae. aegypti were significantly more abundant in the two urban localities (Tabtenga and 1200 LG) in both years than in the rural site (Goundry), where Anopheles spp. were far more common. Results from adult collections indicated a highly exophilic and anthropophilic (>90% bloodmeals of human origin) vector population, but with a relatively high proportion of bloodfed females caught inside houses. Habitats producing most pupae were waste tires (37% of total pupae), animal troughs (44%) and large water barrels (30%).While Stegomyia indices were not reliable indicators of adult mosquito abundance, shared influences on adult and immature stage densities included rainfall and container water level, collection month and container type/purpose. Spatial analysis showed autocorrelation of densities, with a partial overlap in adult and immature stage hotspots.ConclusionResults provide an evidence base for the selection of appropriate vector control methods to minimize the risk, frequency and magnitude of future outbreaks in Ouagadougou. An integrated strategy combining community-driven practices, waste disposal and insecticide-based interventions is proposed. The prospects for developing a regional approach to arbovirus control in West Africa or across Africa are discussed.