[Construction of cDNA expression library of unfed female Haemaphysalis longicornis and immuno-screening].

OBJECTIVE: To construct a cDNA expression library from unfed female tick Haemaphysalis longicornis for screening and cloning potential antigenic genes. METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from unfed female ticks, mRNA was purified and a library of oligo (dT) -primed cDNA with added directional EcoR I /Hind III linkers was constructed from the purified mRNA. The constructed cDNA was ligated to the EcoR I /Hind III arms of the lambda SCREEN vector. Pure phage stocks were harvested by plaque purification and converted to plasmid subclones by plating phage on host strain BM25.8. Recombinant plasmids that were subcloned to E. coli BM25.8 were isolated and transformed into E. coli JM109. Recombinant plasmids abstracted from JM109 were identified by PCR and sequencing. RESULTS: The recombinant phage DNA was packaged by using phage-marker packaging extracts, resulting in a primary cDNA library with a size of 1.8 x 10(6) pfu. Data showed 100% of the library were recombinant and the titer of the amplified library was 2.4 x 10(9) pfu/ml. Forty-two clones of encoding immunodominant antigens were obtained from the cDNA library. Sequence analysis revealed 12 unique cDNA sequences and the encoded putative proteins showed similarities to H. longicornis tropomyosin mRNA, Rhipicephalus annulatus unknown larval protein mRNA, chromosome 2R of Drosophila melanogaster, mitochondrial DNA of H. flava, clones HqL09 unkown mRNA and Hq05 mRNA of H. qinghaiensis, and myosin alkali light chain protein mRNA. CONCLUSION: The cDNA expression library from unfed female H. longicornis was successfully constructed and screening of protective genes may provide candidate antigens of the tick.

[Construction of cDNA expression library of salivary gland from Boophilus microplus].

Total RNA were isolated from salivary gland dissected from partially engorged Boophilus microplus. The mRNA was purified. A library of oligo (dT)-primed cDNA with added directional EcoR I/Hind III linkers was constructed from the purified mRNA. The constructed cDNA was ligated to the EcoR I/Hind III arms of the lambda SCREEN vector. The recombinant phage DNA was packaged by phage-marker packaging extracts, resulting in a primary cDNA library with a size of 1.38x10(6) PFU. Data showed 100% of the library were recombinant and the titer of the amplified library was 2x10(9) PFU/ml. A partial cDNA encoding cytochrome oxidase C subunit II of B. microplus was screened from the expression library with rabbit serum against B. microplus salivary gland proteins. The results is suggested that the cDNA expression library has been constructed.

Micropathogen Community Analysis in Hyalomma rufipes via High-Throughput Sequencing of Small RNAs.

Ticks are important vectors in the transmission of a broad range of micropathogens to vertebrates, including humans. Because of the role of ticks in disease transmission, identifying and characterizing the micropathogen profiles of tick populations have become increasingly important. The objective of this study was to survey the micropathogens of Hyalomma rufipes ticks. Illumina HiSeq2000 technology was utilized to perform deep sequencing of small RNAs (sRNAs) extracted from field-collected H. rufipes ticks in Gansu Province, China. The resultant sRNA library data revealed that the surveyed tick populations produced reads that were homologous to St. Croix River Virus (SCRV) sequences. We also observed many reads that were homologous to microbial and/or pathogenic isolates, including bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. As part of this analysis, a phylogenetic tree was constructed to display the relationships among the homologous sequences that were identified. The study offered a unique opportunity to gain insight into the micropathogens of H. rufipes ticks. The effective control of arthropod vectors in the future will require knowledge of the micropathogen composition of vectors harboring infectious agents. Understanding the ecological factors that regulate vector propagation in association with the prevalence and persistence of micropathogen lineages is also imperative. These interactions may affect the evolution of micropathogen lineages, especially if the micropathogens rely on the vector or host for dispersal. The sRNA deep-sequencing approach used in this analysis provides an intuitive method to survey micropathogen prevalence in ticks and other vector species.

RPS8--a new informative DNA marker for phylogeny of Babesia and Theileria parasites in China.

Piroplasmosis is a serious debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. Phylogenetic relationships within piroplasmida are complex and remain unclear. We compared the intron-exon structure and DNA sequences of the RPS8 gene from Babesia and Theileria spp. isolates in China. Similar to 18S rDNA, the 40S ribosomal protein S8 gene, RPS8, including both coding and non-coding regions is a useful and novel genetic marker for defining species boundaries and for inferring phylogenies because it tends to have little intra-specific variation but considerable inter-specific difference. However, more samples are needed to verify the usefulness of the RPS8 (coding and non-coding regions) gene as a marker for the phylogenetic position and detection of most Babesia and Theileria species, particularly for some closely related species.

First report on the occurrence of Rickettsia slovaca and Rickettsia raoultii in Dermacentor silvarum in China.

BACKGROUND: Rickettsioses are among both the longest known and most recently recognized infectious diseases. Although new spotted fever group rickettsiae have been isolated in many parts of the world including China, Little is known about the epidemiology of Rickettsia pathogens in ticks from Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. METHODS: In an attempt to assess the potential risk of rickettsial infection after exposure to ticks in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, a total of 200 Dermacentor silvarum ticks collected in Xinyuan district were screened by polymerase chain reaction based on the outer membrane protein A gene. RESULTS: 22 of the 200 specimens (11%) were found to be positive by PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of OmpA sequences identified two rickettsial species, Rickettsia raoultii (4.5%) and Rickettsia slovaca (6.5%). CONCLUSIONS: This study has reported the occurrence of Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia slovaca in Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China and suggests that Dermacentor silvarum could be involved in the transmission of rickettsial agents in China. Further studies on the characterization and culture of rickettsial species found in Dermacentor silvarum should be performed to further clarify this. Additionally, the screening of human specimens for rickettsial disease in this region will define the incidence of infection.

Protection of chickens against infectious bronchitis by a recombinant fowlpox virus co-expressing IBV-S1 and chicken IFNgamma.

A fowlpox virus expressing the chicken infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) S1 gene of the LX4 strain (rFPV-IBVS1) and a fowlpox virus co-expressing the S1 gene and the chicken type II interferon gene (rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNgamma) were constructed. These viruses were assessed for their immunological efficacy on specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens challenged with a virulent IBV. Although the antibody levels in the rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNgamma-vaccinated group were lower than those in the attenuated live IB vaccine H120 group and the rFPV-IBVS1 group, the rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNgamma provided the strongest protection against an IBV LX4 virus challenge (15 out of 16 chickens immunized with rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNgamma were protected), followed by the attenuated live IB vaccine (13/16 protected) and the rFPV-IBVS1 (12/16 protected). Compared to those of the rFPV-IBVS1 and the attenuated live IB vaccine groups, chickens in the rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNgamma group eliminated virus more quickly and decreased the presence of viral antigen more significantly in renal tissue. Examination of affected tissues revealed abnormalities in the liver, spleen, kidney, lung and trachea of chickens vaccinated with the attenuated live IB vaccine and the rFPV-IBVS1 vaccine. In rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNgamma-vaccinated chickens, pathological changes were also observed in those organs, but were milder and lasted shorter. The lesions in the mock control group were the most severe and lasted for at least 20 days. This study demonstrated that chicken type II interferon increased the immunoprotective efficacy of rFPV-IBVS1-ChIFNgamma and normal weight gain in vaccinated chickens although it inhibited serum antibody production.