Project description:Streptococcus suis is an important zoonotic pathogen that can cause meningitis and sepsis in both pigs and humans. In this study,we evaluated the genetic difference of 40 Streptococcus suis strains belonging to various sequence types by comparative genomic hybridization to identify genes associated with the variation in pathogenicity using NimbleGen’s tilling microarray platform. Application of Comparative Phylogenomics to Identify Genetic Differences Relating to Pathogenicity of Streptococcus suis
Project description:Gene expression profiling revealed rapid activation of immunity, both local and systemic, which however did not provide protection of fish against the parasite. Major changes of transcriptome responses wwere observed between days 5 and 10 Atlantic salmon was challenged with L. salmonis at the copepod stage. Skin, spleen, and head kidney were sampled from challenged and control fish at 1, 3, 5 dpi (corresponding to the copepod stage); 10 and 15 dpi (chalimus stage). A total of forty samples of spleen and skin form infected salmon (4 individuals from the 5 time points) were used for microarray analyses.. Test samples were labeled with Cy5 and hybridized to pooled control samples labeled with Cy3 from the same time-points. Competitive hybridization to the arrays was followed by washing, scanning, image analysis, and data analysis. Selected genes were analyzed with RT-qPCR.
Project description:Gene expression profiling revealed rapid activation of immunity, both local and systemic, which however did not provide protection of fish against the parasite. Major changes of transcriptome responses wwere observed between days 5 and 10 Atlantic salmon was challenged with L. salmonis at the copepod stage. Skin, spleen, and head kidney were sampled from challenged and control fish at 1, 3, 5 dpi (corresponding to the copepod stage); 10 and 15 dpi (chalimus stage). A total of forty samples of spleen and skin form infected salmon (4 individuals from the 5 time points) were used for microarray analyses.. Test samples were labeled with Cy5 and hybridized to pooled control samples labeled with Cy3 from the same time-points. Competitive hybridization to the arrays was followed by washing, scanning, image analysis, and data analysis. Selected genes were analyzed with RT-qPCR.
Project description:This project characterizes the metabolic consequences of the daily physiological rhythms and diel vertical migration for the model subtropical copepod, Pleuromamma xiphias. P. xiphias were collected near the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series in plankton tows at different times of day, representing different parts of their daily vertical migration. Single copepods were isolated from the tows and flash-frozen for proteomics analysis.
Project description:Molecular phylogenomics investigates evolutionary relationships based on genomic data. However, despite genomic sequence conservation, changes in protein interactions can occur relatively rapidly and may cause strong functional diversification. To investigate such functional evolution, we here combine phylogenomics with interaction proteomics. We develop this concept by investigating the molecular evolution of the shelterin complex, which protects telomeres, across 16 vertebrate species from zebrafish to humans covering 450 million years of evolution. Our phylointeractomics screen discovers previously unknown telomere-associated proteins and reveals how homologous proteins undergo functional evolution. For instance, we show that TERF1 evolved as a telomere-binding protein in the common stem lineage of marsupial and placental mammals. Phylointeractomics is a versatile and scalable approach to investigate evolutionary changes in protein function and thus can provide experimental evidence for phylogenomic relationships.
Project description:Streptococcus suis is an important zoonotic pathogen that can cause meningitis and sepsis in both pigs and humans. In this study,we evaluated the genetic difference of 40 Streptococcus suis strains belonging to various sequence types by comparative genomic hybridization to identify genes associated with the variation in pathogenicity using NimbleGenM-bM-^@M-^Ys tilling microarray platform. Application of Comparative Phylogenomics to Identify Genetic Differences Relating to Pathogenicity of Streptococcus suis Comparative genomic analysis on the 40 S.suis strains of different serotypes and ST types through tilling arrays
Project description:Dracunculus medinensis, also called the Guinea worm, is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis, a debilitating neglected tropical disease in humans. The parasite is currently targeted by the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program (GWEP). Historically, GWEP in endemic countries have focused on interrupting transmission of the disease through intervention such as isolation and management of patients, health education, provision of improved water sources and promotion of filtering drinking water from unimproved water sources to avoid ingestion of the copepod intermediate host (IH) that may contain infectious third-stage larvae, and treatment of water sources to kill copepods. The recent shift of Guinea worm infections in animals - particularly domestic dogs - has introduced an additional challenge to the eradication program, underscoring the urgent need for diagnostics and therapeutics. Understanding the parasite biology and survival strategies in the mammalian host, the copepod IH, and fresh water is pivotal to identifying new control measures. Comparative transcriptomic analysis provides a powerful tool to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying parasite survival and adaptations. Here, we compared the transcriptome of adult gravid female and first-stage larvae (L1), the stage infective for the copepod IH. Comparative transcriptomic analysis of two adult females and their L1 revealed an upregulation of genes involved in translation, transcription, and DNA repair in L1, likely reflecting adaptations essential for survival in freshwater and subsequent infection of copepods. Additionally, genes involved in cuticle formation were upregulated in adult females highlighting the role of cuticle integrity in retaining millions of L1 until the gravid female worm emerges. We identified highly expressed genes in the adult female that may represent promising candidates for diagnostic markers.This study provides novel insights into the biology of the Guinea worm by examining the transcriptome of L1 and adult female stages. These findings could support the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics to advance the ongoing eradication effort.