Caligus tunisiensis n. sp. (Copepoda: Caligidae) parasitic on the painted comber Serranus scriba (L.) (Perciformes: Serranidae) from the Mediterranean Sea,off the Tunisian coast

Systematic Parasitology - A new species of parasitic copepod, Caligus tunisiensis n. sp. (Caligidae), is described based on two female specimens collected from the gills of the painted comber,...     

Molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant Panton-valentine leukocidin positive <Emphasis Type="Italic">staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> clones disseminating in Tunisian hospitals and in the community

Background

The spread of MRSA strains at hospitals as well as in the community are of great concern worldwide. We characterized the MRSA clones isolated at Tunisian hospitals and in the community by comparing them to those isolated in other countries.

Results

We characterized 69 MRSA strains isolated from two Tunisian university hospitals between the years 2004-2008. Twenty-two of 28 (79%) community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) strains and 21 of 41 (51%) healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) strains were PVL-positive. The PVL-positive strains belonged to predicted founder group (FG) 80 in MLST and carried either type IVc SCCmec or nontypeable SCCmec that harbours the class B mec gene complex. In contrast, very diverse clones were identified in PVL-negative strains: three FGs (5, 15, and 22) for HA-MRSA strains and four FGs (5, 15, 45, and 80) for CA-MRSA strains; and these strains carried the SCCmec element of either type I, III, IVc or was nontypeable. The nucleotide sequencing of phi7401PVL lysogenized in a CA-MRSA strain JCSC7401, revealed that the phage was highly homologous to phiSA2mw, with nucleotide identities of more than 95%. Furthermore, all PVL positive strains were found to carry the same PVL phage, since these strains were positive in two PCR studies, identifying gene linkage between lukS and mtp (major tail protein) and the lysogeny region, both of which are in common with phi7401PVL and phiSa2mw.

Conclusions

Our experiments suggest that FG80 S. aureus strains have changed to be more virulent by acquiring phi7401PVL, and to be resistant to β-lactams by acquiring SCCmec elements. These novel clones might have disseminated in the Tunisian community as well as at the Tunisian hospitals by taking over existing MRSA clones.

     

Chikungunya Virus Infection Results in Higher and Persistent Viral Replication in Aged Rhesus Macaques Due to Defects in Anti-Viral Immunity

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a re-emerging mosquito-borne Alphavirus that causes a clinical disease involving fever, myalgia, nausea and rash. The distinguishing feature of CHIKV infection is the severe debilitating poly-arthralgia that may persist for several months after viral clearance. Since its re-emergence in 2004, CHIKV has spread from the Indian Ocean region to new locations including metropolitan Europe, Japan, and even the United States. The risk of importing CHIKV to new areas of the world is increasing due to high levels of viremia in infected individuals as well as the recent adaptation of the virus to the mosquito species Aedes albopictus. CHIKV re-emergence is also associated with new clinical complications including severe morbidity and, for the first time, mortality. In this study, we characterized disease progression and host immune responses in adult and aged Rhesus macaques infected with either the recent CHIKV outbreak strain La Reunion (LR) or the West African strain 37997. Our results indicate that following intravenous infection and regardless of the virus used, Rhesus macaques become viremic between days 1–5 post infection. While adult animals are able to control viral infection, aged animals show persistent virus in the spleen. Virus-specific T cell responses in the aged animals were reduced compared to adult animals and the B cell responses were also delayed and reduced in aged animals. Interestingly, regardless of age, T cell and antibody responses were more robust in animals infected with LR compared to 37997 CHIKV strain. Taken together these data suggest that the reduced immune responses in the aged animals promotes long-term virus persistence in CHIKV-LR infected Rhesus monkeys.     

Steroid 21-hydroxylase gene mutational spectrum in 50 Tunisian patients: Characterization of three novel polymorphisms

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is an autosomal recessive disease of steroid biosynthesis in humans. More than 90% of all CAH cases are caused by mutations of the 21-hydroxylase gene (CYP21A2), and approximately 75% of the defective CYP21A2 genes are generated through an intergenic recombination with the neighboring CYP21A1P pseudogene. In this study, the CYP21A2 gene was genotyped in 50 patients in Tunisia with the clinical diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency. CYP21A2 mutations were identified in 87% of the alleles. The most common point mutation in our population was the pseudogene specific variant p.Q318X (26%). Three novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci were identified in the CYP21A2 gene which seems to be specific for the Tunisian population. The overall concordance between genotype and phenotype was 98%. With this study the molecular basis of CAH has been characterized, providing useful results for clinicians in terms of prediction of disease severity, genetic and prenatal counseling.     

A chimeric scorpion alpha-toxin displays de novo electrophysiological properties similar to those of alpha-like toxins.

BotXIV and LqhalphaIT are two structurally related long chain scorpion alpha-toxins that inhibit sodium current inactivation in excitable cells. However, while LqhalphaIT from Leiurus quinquestriatus hebraeus is classified as a true and strong insect alpha-toxin, BotXIV from Buthus occitanus tunetanus is characterized by moderate biological activities. To assess the possibility that structural differences between these two molecules could reflect the localization of particular functional topographies, we compared their sequences. Three structurally deviating segments located in three distinct and exposed loops were identified. They correspond to residues 8-10, 19-22, and 38-43. To evaluate their functional role, three BotXIV/LqhalphaIT chimeras were designed by transferring the corresponding LqhalphaIT sequences into BotXIV. Structural and antigenic characterizations of the resulting recombinant chimera show that BotXIV can accommodate the imposed modifications, confirming the structural flexibility of that particular alpha/beta fold. Interestingly, substitution of residues 8-10 yields to a new electrophysiological profile of the corresponding variant, partially comparable to that one of alpha-like scorpion toxins. Taken together, these results suggest that even limited structural deviations can reflect functional diversity, and also that the structure-function relationships between insect alpha-toxins and alpha-like scorpion toxins are probably more complex than expected.     

Monkeypox virus viral chemokine inhibitor (MPV vCCI), a potent inhibitor of rhesus macrophage inflammatory protein-1

Monkeypox virus (MPV) is an orthopoxvirus with considerable homology to variola major, the etiologic agent of smallpox. Although smallpox was eradicated in 1976, the outbreak of MPV in the U.S. highlights the health hazards associated with zoonotic infections. Like other orthopoxviruses, MPV encodes a secreted chemokine binding protein, vCCI that is abundantly expressed and secreted from MPV infected cells. EMSA data shows vCCI efficiently binds rhesus MIP-1α (rhMIP-1α) at near one to one stoichiometry. In vitro chemotaxis experiments demonstrate that vCCI completely inhibits rhMIP-1α mediated chemotaxis, while in vivo recruitment assays in rhesus macaques using chemokine-saturated implants show a decrease in the number of CD14⁺ cells responding to rhMIP-1α when vCCI is present, suggesting vCCI is effectively inhibiting chemokine function both in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, we demonstrate that vCCI can diminish the severity of the acute phase and completely inhibit the relapsing phase of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) disease. These data represent the first in vitro and in vivo characterization of vCCI emphasizing its function as a potent inhibitor of rhMIP-1α. Furthermore, the ability of vCCI to inhibit relapsing EAE disease represents a novel therapeutic approach for treating chemokine-mediated diseases.