Detection of two alphaviruses: Middelburg virus and Sindbis virus from enzootic amplification cycles in southwestern Uganda.

Our knowledge of alphavirus genetic diversity is mainly based on viruses isolated from anthropophilic mosquito species, humans, and livestock during outbreaks. Studies on alphaviruses from sylvatic amplification cycles in sub-Saharan Africa have been conducted less often than from epizootic environments. To gain insight into alphavirus diversity in enzootic transmission cycles, we collected over 23,000 mosquitoes in lowland rainforest and savannah gallery forest in southwestern Uganda and tested them for alphavirus infections. We detected Sindbis virus (SINV) in a Culex Culex sp. mosquito and Middelburg virus (MIDV) in Eretmapodites intermedius and Mansonia africana. MIDV is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes febrile illness in sheep, goats, and horses and was previously not known to occur in Uganda. SINV, also a mosquito-borne alphavirus, causes mild infections in humans. Full genomes of SINV and MIDV were sequenced, showing a nucleotide identity of 99% to related strains. Both isolates replicated to high titres in a wide variety of vertebrate cells. Our data suggest endemic circulation of SINV and MIDV in Uganda.

Network analysis and molecular docking studies of quercetin as a potential treatment for prostate cancer.

Globally, the prevalence of prostate cancer is only the second to lung cancer. In Africa however, the commonest cancer among men is cancer of the prostate. The use of natural compounds from plants such as quercetin is being explored as a potential cure. Quercetin is a plant-based flavonoid that has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. Although quercetin has been extensively studied, its chemo preventive mode of action is not well-understood. The molecular targets and potential mechanisms underlying the action of quercetin against prostate cancer were identified and validated using network pharmacology and molecular docking methods. The biological targets of quercetin and targets associated with prostate cancer were obtained through database mining. Overlapping targets associated with quercetin and prostate cancer were identified and used to construct a compound-disease target (C-D) network and the targets were subjected to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and protein-protein interaction analysis (PPI). A disease target- pathway network was constructed and then merged with C-D network to form a compound-disease_target-pathway (C-D-P) network. Hub targets were obtained from the C-D-P and PPI networks. The binding affinities between quercetin and the retrieved hub targets were identified. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that prostate cancer associated quercetin targets were mainly linked with pathways such as the cancer signaling pathways (HIF-1 and ErbB) and hepatitis B. Basing on the PPI and C-D-P network analysis STAT3, TP53, MAPK1, MAPK3 and KRAS were identified as the main targets and were subjected to molecular docking. The results showed quercetin's ability to stably bind to the key targets. In conclusion, this study showed the potential molecular targets and mode of action of quercetin in prostate cancer treatment. This can potentially inform the future use of quercetin in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Comparative analysis of sorghum (C4) and rice (C3) plant headspace volatiles induced by artificial herbivory.

Acute stress responses include release of defensive volatiles from herbivore-attacked plants. Here we used two closely related monocot species, rice as a representative C3 plant, and sorghum as a representative C4 plant, and compared their basal and stress-induced headspace volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although both plants emitted similar types of constitutive and induced VOCs, in agreement with the close phylogenetic relationship of the species, several mono- and sesquiterpenes have been significantly less abundant in headspace of sorghum relative to rice. Furthermore, in spite of generally lower VOC levels, some compounds, such as the green leaf volatile (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and homoterpene DMNT, remained relatively high in the sorghum headspace, suggesting that a separate mechanism for dispersal of these compounds may have evolved in this plant. Finally, a variable amount of several VOCs among three sorghum cultivars of different geographical origins suggested that release of VOCs could be used as a valuable resource for the increase of sorghum resistance against herbivores.

This paper shows how genetically related plants with similar volatile toolboxes define their own species identity in the ecological space.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants utilized in the management of candidiasis in Northern Uganda.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of resistant Candida species to antifungal drugs has led to resurgence in herbal usage globally. However, little is known about anti-candida plants. This study explored ethnomedicinal plants as treatment option for candidiasis in Pader, Northern Uganda. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of potential anti-candida plants was conducted using questionnaires, focus group discussions and field observations in March 2022. Sixty-three respondents were selected by snowball technique. The frequencies of respondents/responses were analyzed, associations of respondents' socio-demographics with indigenous knowledge of herbal usage established by Chi-square (χ2) test using SPSS 27. Informant Consensus Factor was computed to establish level of agreement on herbal usage, and thematic analysis done for focus group discussions. RESULTS: Candidiasis is still common and troublesome in Pader. All herbalist had equal chances of receiving and treating candidiasis patients irrespective of herbalist's gender, age, education level, occupation, marital status and religion (p > 0.05). About 39.7% of herbalists received candidiasis patients weekly (p < 0.01). All herbalists had knowledge on candidiasis. Death (56.8%) and discomfort (36.8%) were the major health risks of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), respectively. A total of 32 potential anti-candida plant species in 18 families were identified. Families of Fabaceae (9 species) and Asteraceae (5 species) had most plant species. Trees (50.0%) and herbs (43.8%) were the dominant life forms. The commonest plants by frequency of mention were: Momordica foetida (26), Sansevieria dawei (20), Khaya anthotheca (15), Piliostigma thonningii (10), Clerodendrum umbellatum (7), Hallea rubrostipulata (5) and unidentified plant, 'Agaba/daa layata' in Acholi dialect (5). Plant parts mainly used were roots (56.3%) and stem barks (15.6%) harvested majorly by cutting (46.9%) and uprooting (12.5%). Most respondents (females, 95%) preferred herbal to western medication (p < 0.01) due to its perceived effectiveness. There was high consensus among herbalists on herbal remedies for OPC and VVC (FIC = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS:  Pader communities have diverse indigenous knowledge on candidiasis and prefer herbal medicines to orthodox treatment for candidiasis. However, the herbalists use unsustainable harvesting techniques like uprooting whole plants and cutting main roots. Hence, the need to document such indigenous knowledge before being lost for community usage and scientific validation.

Investigation on Prevalence of Canine Trypanosomiasis in the Conservation Areas of Bwindi-Mgahinga and Queen Elizabeth in Western Uganda.

Nowadays, despite the instauration of several control strategies, animal trypanosomiasis continues to be reported all over Uganda. Few canine African trypanosomiasis (CAT) studies have been carried out, yet dogs are known Trypanosoma reservoirs that share identical home ranges with livestock and serve as parasite link between livestock and humans. This study evaluates the prevalence of CAT in dogs in the Bwindi-Mgahinga and Queen Elizabeth conservation areas. This information will be useful to evaluate the possible role of dogs in the transmission cycle of Trypanosoma species in livestock and wild animals. Trypanosome tests using microhematocrit centrifugation/dark ground microscopy technique (MHCT) followed by conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) were performed in blood samples collected from identified indigenous dogs (n = 124). Four (3.23%) out of 124 dogs were positive for CAT. One dog was positive with Trypanosoma congolense and three with T. vivax. There was no significant statistical difference in CAT prevalence rate in relation to dog's age, sex, and site (P > 0.05). This study reports what we believe is the first time detection of T. congolense and T. vivax in the indigenous dogs found in the Bwindi-Mgahinga and Queen Elizabeth conservation areas in western Uganda. The noticed T. congolense and T. vivax could be responsible for both canine and animal trypanosomiasis and represent a serious threat to the livestock industry. Therefore, there is a need for continuous trypanosomiasis surveillance and integrated management in contiguity to wildlife reserves.

Effects of habitat fragmentation, population size and demographic history on genetic diversity: the Cross River gorilla in a comparative context.

In small and fragmented populations, genetic diversity may be reduced owing to increased levels of drift and inbreeding. This reduced diversity is often associated with decreased fitness and a higher threat of extinction. However, it is difficult to determine when a population has low diversity except in a comparative context. We assessed genetic variability in the critically endangered Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli), a small and fragmented population, using 11 autosomal microsatellite loci. We show that levels of diversity in the Cross River population are not evenly distributed across the three genetically identified subpopulations, and that one centrally located subpopulation has higher levels of variability than the others. All measures of genetic variability in the Cross River population were comparable to those of the similarly small mountain gorilla (G. beringei beringei) populations (Bwindi and Virunga). However, for some measures both the Cross River and mountain gorilla populations show lower levels of diversity than a sample from a large, continuous western gorilla population (Mondika, G. gorilla gorilla). Finally, we tested for the genetic signature of a bottleneck in each of the four populations. Only Cross River showed strong evidence of a reduction in population size, suggesting that the reduction in size of this population was more recent or abrupt than in the two mountain gorilla populations. These results emphasize the need for maintaining connectivity in fragmented populations and highlight the importance of allowing small populations to expand.

Patterns of paternity and group fission in wild multimale mountain gorilla groups.

To understand variation among social systems, it is essential to know the relative reproductive success of individuals in group-living species. Particularly interesting for such studies are taxa such as mountain gorillas in which both one-male and multimale groups are common, because of the opportunity to estimate the costs and benefits to males of pursuing different reproductive strategies. We genotyped 68 individuals from two groups of multimale mountain gorilla groups in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda to determine the distribution of paternity among the males. In both groups, the dominant male sired the majority of offspring. One group underwent a fission, and we found that the eight offspring assigned to the dominant silverback (and their mothers) remained with their father, while the two offspring of unknown paternity ended up in the small group headed by the formerly subordinate silverback. This is consistent with the proposal that the outcome of group fission in primates is not only influenced by maternal relationships among individuals, but also by patrilineal relationships. Results of this study show that subordinate males may gain reproductive benefits even while queuing for dominance status. Despite ecological differences between Bwindi and the Virunga Volcanoes, male mountain gorillas living in both populations benefit from remaining in multimale groups.