Molecular detection and identification of Babesia bovis and Trypanosoma spp. in one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) breeds in Egypt.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Camels are a unique source of milk and meat, which helps recover from several diseases that affect humans worldwide. In Egypt, one of the great obstacles for this industry is tick-borne diseases. This study aimed to characterize blood parasite infections, such as Babesia (B.) bovis and Trypanosoma (T.) spp. in one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) (n=142) breeds in Halayeb and Shalateen, Egypt, through phylogenetic analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prevalence of B. bovis and Trypanosoma spp. was identified in camels using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting the Rhoptry-Associated Protein-1 and internal transcribed spacer 1 genes, respectively. A nested PCR technique was conducted to detect B. bovis. At the same time, KIN multispecies PCR assay was employed to diagnose and classify trypanosome DNA in camels. RESULTS: B. bovis was detected in 4/142 camels with an infection rate of 2.81%. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the strain of B. bovis isolated from this population was closely related to strains isolated from Argentine, the United States, and Brazil. Moreover, Trypanosoma evansi was detected in 8/142 camels with an infection rate of 5.63%. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that this isolated strain T. evansi was closely related to Trypanosoma theileri detected from cattle in Brazil. CONCLUSION: The obtained data indicated the existence of B. bovis and T. evansi in camels from two provinces of Egypt. The obtained findings have economic significance and reflect the importance of implementing effective prevention and control methods across Egypt to reduce the incidence of B. bovis and T. evansi in camels.

Molecular identification of Trichodina compacta Van As and Basson, 1989 (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) from cultured Oreochromis niloticus in Egypt and its impact on immune responses and tissue pathology.

Trichodinids are peritrichous ciliated protozoa that affect both wild and cultured fishes. Several Trichodina species have low host specificity and are morphologically distinct, facilitating their identification based primarily on the presence of adhesive discs and the number of attached denticles. A trichodinid species named Trichodina compacta was first reported by Van As and Basson (1989) (Protozoa: Ciliophora: Peritrichia). However, in trichodinid infestations, morphological characteristics are insufficient for identifying the infesting species. Therefore, molecular and phylogenetic analyses are considered to be promising and useful tools for identifying the infesting species. This study aimed to achieve the molecular identification of a trichodinid infestation in Nile tilapia and to construct the phylogenetic relationships between the identified species and other peritrichous parasites. Moreover, we also aimed to study the pathological and immunological impacts of trichodinids on fry tissue to improve our understanding of the immune responses of teleost fish to trichodinae parasitic infestations and develop a better control method. Here, we used molecular techniques to identify the isolated trichodina species as T. compacta and demonstrated that Trichodina infestation in Nile tilapia is associated with remarkable immunogenic and inflammatory responses (increased il-1ß expression and decreased il-8 and tgf-ß expression). These findings improve our understanding of the responses of teleost fish to trichodinid parasite infestation and will be helpful for the development of novel control strategies that reverse the inflammatory and immunogenic alterations that occur in infested fish.

Molecular characterization of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in Holstein cows.

Vitamin D plays a vital role in calcium homeostasis, growth, and immunoregulation. Because little is known about the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene in cattle, the aim of the present investigation was to present the molecular characterization of exons 5 and 6 of the VDR gene in Holstein cows. DNA extraction, genomic sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, synteny mapping and single nucleotide gene polymorphism analysis of the VDR gene were performed to assess blood samples collected from 50 clinically healthy Holstein cows. The results revealed the presence of a 450-base pair (bp) nucleotide sequence that resembled exons 5 and 6 with intron 5 enclosed between these exons. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship between the sequenced VDR region and that found in Hereford cattle. A close association between this region and the corresponding region in small ruminants was also documented. Moreover, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that caused the replacement of a glutamate with an arginine in the deduced amino acid sequence was detected at position 7 of exon 5. In conclusion, Holstein and Hereford cattle differ with respect to exon 5 of the VDR gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the VDR gene based on nucleotide sequence produced different results from prior analyses based on amino acid sequence.