Together or alone? Huddling energetic savings in three social mole-rat species of genus Fukomys. A dispersal perspective.

African mole-rats (Bathyergidae) are strictly subterranean rodents distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. Although the soil layer provides a temperature buffer, the temperature in their burrows is usually below their thermoneutral zone and thermogenesis is necessary to maintain a stable body temperature. In social bathyergids, an important mechanism for decreasing the thermoregulatory cost is social thermoregulation in the form of huddling. The effect of huddling may be of special importance during forming of a new family as only two adults are present and social species are known for higher heat losses from their bodies compared to solitary mole-rats. In our study, we measured the resting metabolic rate and energetic saving in three social bathyergid species which differ in body size. We compared animals that were housed individually and in pairs at two different ambient temperatures (Ta). At a temperature within their TNZ (Ta = 30 °C), no energetic savings were expected, whereas in Ta = 20 °C we expected energetic savings due to huddling. We found no energetic savings at 30 °C in any of the species, but almost 20% in the two small bodied Fukomys species F. micklemi and F. anselli at 20 °C. In the largest species, F. mechowii, no significant energetic savings were observed. Our results confirm the importance of huddling for the energetic balance of social mole-rats and show that huddling with one partner can bring substantial energetic savings, which can be allocated to other activities such as extension of established burrow systems or reproduction to increase the workforce and fulfill the purpose of dispersal.

Expression of a second open reading frame present in the genome of tick-borne encephalitis virus strain Neudoerfl is not detectable in infected cells.

A short upstream open reading frame (uORF) was recently identified in the 5' untranslated region of some tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) strains. However, it is not known if the peptide encoded by TBEV uORF (TuORF) is expressed in infected cells. Here we show that TuORF forms three phylogenetically separated clades which are typical of European, Siberian, and Far-Eastern TBEV subtypes. Analysis of selection pressure acting on the TuORF area showed that it is under positive selection pressure. Theoretically, TuORF may code for a short hydrophobic peptide embedded in a biological membrane. However, expression of TuORF was detectable neither by immunoblotting in tick and mammalian cell lines infected with TBEV nor by immunofluorescence in TBEV-infected mammalian cell lines. These results support the idea that TuORF is not expressed in TBEV-infected cell or expressed in undetectably low concentrations. Therefore we can assume that TuORF has either minor or no biological role in the TBEV life cycle.

Haptoglobin is dispensable for haemoglobin uptake by Trypanosoma brucei.

Haptoglobin is a plasma protein of mammals that plays a crucial role in vascular homeostasis by binding free haemoglobin released from ruptured red blood cells. Trypanosoma brucei can exploit this by internalising haptoglobin-haemoglobin complex to acquire host haem. Here, we investigated the impact of haptoglobin deficiency (Hp-/-) on T. brucei brucei infection and the parasite´s capacity to internalise haemoglobin in a Hp-/- mouse model. The infected Hp-/- mice exhibited normal disease progression, with minimal weight loss and no apparent organ pathology, similarly to control mice. While the proteomic profile of mouse sera significantly changed in response to T. b. brucei, no differences in the infection response markers of blood plasma between Hp-/- and control Black mice were observed. Similarly, very few quantitative differences were observed between the proteomes of parasites harvested from Hp-/- and Black mice, including both endogenous proteins and internalised host proteins. While haptoglobin was indeed absent from parasites isolated from Hp-/-mice, haemoglobin peptides were unexpectedly detected in parasites from both Hp-/- and Black mice. Combined, the data support the dispensability of haptoglobin for haemoglobin internalisation by T. b. brucei during infection in mice. Since the trypanosomes knock-outs for their haptoglobin-haemoglobin receptor (HpHbR) internalised significantly less haemoglobin from Hp-/- mice compared to those isolated from Black mice, it suggests that T. b. brucei employs also an HpHbR-independent haptoglobin-mediated mode for haemoglobin internalisation. Our study reveals a so-far hidden flexibility of haemoglobin acquisition by T. b. brucei and offers novel insights into alternative haemoglobin uptake pathways.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus inhibits rRNA synthesis and host protein production in human cells of neural origin.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), a member of the genus Flavivirus (Flaviviridae), is a causative agent of a severe neuroinfection. Recently, several flaviviruses have been shown to interact with host protein synthesis. In order to determine whether TBEV interacts with this host process in its natural target cells, we analysed de novo protein synthesis in a human cell line derived from cerebellar medulloblastoma (DAOY HTB-186). We observed a significant decrease in the rate of host protein synthesis, including the housekeeping genes HPRT1 and GAPDH and the known interferon-stimulated gene viperin. In addition, TBEV infection resulted in a specific decrease of RNA polymerase I (POLR1) transcripts, 18S and 28S rRNAs and their precursor, 45-47S pre-rRNA, but had no effect on the POLR3 transcribed 5S rRNA levels. To our knowledge, this is the first report of flavivirus-induced decrease of specifically POLR1 rRNA transcripts accompanied by host translational shut-off.

Broad-range survey of vector-borne pathogens and tick host identification of Ixodes ricinus from Southern Czech Republic.

Ixodes ricinus ticks are vectors of numerous human and animal pathogens. They are host generalists able to feed on more than 300 vertebrate species. The prevalence of tick-borne pathogens is influenced by host-vector-pathogen interactions that results in spatial distribution of infection risk. Broad-range polymerase chain reaction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) was used to analyze 435 I. ricinus nymphs from four localities in the south of the Czech Republic for the species identification of tick-borne pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes were the most common pathogen detected in the ticks; 21% of ticks were positive for a single genospecies and 2% were co-infected with two genospecies. Other tick-borne pathogens detected included Rickettsia helvetica (3.9%), R. monacensis (0.2%), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (2.8%), Babesia venatorum (0.9%), and Ba. microti (0.5%). The vertebrate host of the ticks was determined using PCR followed by reverse line blot hybridization from the tick's blood-meal remnants. The host was identified for 61% of ticks. DNA of two hosts was detected in 16% of samples with successful host identification. The majority of ticks had fed on artiodactyls (50.7%) followed by rodents (28.6%) and birds (7.8%). Other host species were wild boar, deer, squirrels, field mice and voles.

Abundance of Ixodes ricinus and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in the nature reserve Siebengebirge, Germany, in comparison to three former studies from 1978 onwards.

BACKGROUND: During the last decades, population densities of Ixodes ricinus and prevalences of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. have increased in different regions in Europe. In the present study, we determined tick abundance and the prevalence of different Borrelia genospecies in ticks from three sites in the Siebengebirge, Germany, which were already examined in the years 1987, 1989, 2001 and 2003. Data from all investigations were compared. METHODS: In 2007 and 2008, host-seeking I. ricinus were collected by monthly blanket dragging at three distinct vegetation sites in the Siebengebirge, a nature reserve and a well visited local recreation area near Bonn, Germany. In both years, 702 ticks were tested for B. burgdorferi s.l. DNA by nested PCR, and 249 tick samples positive for Borrelia were further genotyped by reverse line blotting. RESULTS: A total of 1046 and 1591 I. ricinus were collected in 2007 and 2008, respectively. In comparison to previous studies at these sites, the densities at all sites increased from 1987/89 and/or from 2003 until 2008. Tick densities and Borrelia prevalences in 2007 and 2008, respectively, were not correlated for all sites and both years. Overall, Borrelia prevalence of all ticks decreased significantly from 2007 (19.5%) to 2008 (16.5%), thus reaching the same level as in 2001 two times higher than in 1987/89 (7.6%). Since 2001, single infections with a Borrelia genospecies predominated in all collections, but the number of multiple infections increased, and in 2007, for the first time, triple Borrelia infections occurred. Prevalences of Borrelia genospecies differed considerably between the three sites, but B. garinii or B. afzelii were always the most dominant genospecies. B. lusitaniae was detected for the first time in the Siebengebirge, also in co-infections with B. garinii or B. valaisiana. CONCLUSIONS: Over the last two centuries tick densities have changed in the Siebengebirge at sites that remained unchanged by human activity since they belong to a nature reserve. Abiotic and biotic conditions most likely favored the host-seeking activity of I. ricinus and the increase of multiple Borrelia infections in ticks. These changes have led to a potential higher risk of humans and animals to be infected with Lyme borreliosis.