Parasitology Commons^™

Asymmetric Localizations Of Lin-17/Fz And Mig-5/Dsh Are Involved In The Asymmetric B Cell Division In C. Elegans, Mingfu Wu, Michael A. Herman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

LIN-44/Wnt and LIN-17/Frizzled (Fz) function in a planar cell polarity (PCP)-like pathway to regulate the asymmetric B cell division in Caenorhabditis elegans. We observed asymmetric localization of LIN-17/Frizzled (Fz) and MIG-5/Disheveled (Dsh) during the B cell division. LIN-17∷GFP was asymmetrically localized within the B cell prior to and after the B cell division and correlated with B cell polarity. Asymmetric localization of LIN-17∷GFP was dependent upon LIN-44/Wnt and MIG-5/Dsh function. The LIN-17 transmembrane domain and a portion of the cysteine-rich domain (CRD) were required for LIN-17 function and asymmetric distribution to the B cell daughters, while the conserved KTXXXW …

Parasites, Proteomics And Performance: Effects Of Gregarine Gut Parasites On Dragonfly Flight Muscle Composition And Function, Rudolf J. Schilder, James H. Marden

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

In previous work, we found that dragonflies infected with gregarine gut parasites have reduced muscle power output, loss of lipid oxidation in their flight muscles, and a suite of symptoms similar to mammalian metabolic syndrome. Here, we test the hypothesis that changes in muscle protein composition underlie the observed changes in contractile performance. We found that gregarine infection was associated with a 10-fold average reduction in abundance of a ~155·kDa fragment of muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC; ~206·kDa intact size). Insect MHC gene sequences contain evolutionarily conserved amino acid motifs predicted for calpain cleavage, and we found that calpain digestion …

Glucocorticoid Hormone Levels Increase With Group Size And Parasite Load In Cliff Swallows, Samrrah A. Raouf, Linda C. Smith, Mary Bomberger Brown, John C. Wingfield, Charles R. Brown

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Animals often cope with adverse events by releasing glucocorticoid hormones, which in turn promote increased energy assimilation. In captive animals, crowding also leads to increased glucocorticoid activity, probably because of increased levels of social competition. We investigated how group size and ectoparasite infestations affected endogenous levels of the glucocorticoid hormone, corticosterone, in colonial cliff swallows, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota, in southwestern Nebraska, USA. Parasites were removed from some colonies by fumigating nests. Baseline levels of corticosterone in breeding adults varied significantly with whether parasites were present, colony size (measured by total number of active nests at a site), and nesting stage. …

Contributions To The Mammalogy Of Mongolia, With A Checklist Of The Species Of The Country, David S. Tinnin, Jon L. Dunnum, Jorge A. Salazar-Bravo, Nyamsuren Batsaikhan, M. Scott Burt, Scott Lyell Gardner, Terry L. Yates

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

We present accounts for 40 species of mammals collected from 15 localities in the Mongolian People's Republic. Accounts include taxonomic, morphometric, reproductive and ecological information, as well as trap effort and success. In addition, we include a brief history of mammalogical work within Mongolia, a taxonomically updated species list for the country, and a list of institutions with holdings of Mongolian mammals.

The Response Of Mice To Infection By The Parasitic Nematode Trichinella: A Comparison Of Trichinella Spiralis And Trichinella Pseudospiralis, Barry Clayton Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

The intracellular parasite Trichinella is a genus in phylum Nematoda that contains six named species including Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella pseudospiralis. These parasites infect a large variety of wild and domestic animals, human beings and a few species of birds. The parasitic strategies and the pathological effects on the host between trichinella spiralis and Trichinella pseudospiralis are quite different.

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of the physiological, immunological and pathological differences between these two species of Trichinella using infections in the mouse as a model. In the course of this research I have attempted to …

Tick Immunity To Microbial Infections: Control Of Representative Bacteria In The Hard Tick Dermacentor Variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae), Robert Johns, Shane Ceraul, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Contrasts In Tick Innate Immune Responses To Borrelia Burgdorferi Challenge: Immuno-Tolerance In Ixodes Scapularis Versus Immunocompetence In Dermacentor Variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae)., Robert Johns, Jun Ohnishi, Anne Broadwater, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Aravinda M. Desilva, Wayne L. Hynes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, transmits the Lyme disease spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi), whereas the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), is unable to transmit the bacterium. We compared the innate immune response of these ticks against spirochetes directly inoculated into the hemocoel cavity of ticks. In I. scapularis, some Borrelia were found associated with hemocytes, while numerous other spiral-shaped, intact bacteria remained free in the hemolymph. In contrast, in D. variabilis only remnants of the bacteria were evident in the hemolymph, indicating lysis; intact spirochetes were rare. Spirochetes were observed bound to or within the organs …

Identification Of A Defensin From The Hemolymph Of The American Dog Tick, Dermacentor Variabilis, Robert Johns, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Hemolymph from partially fed virgin Dermacentor variabilis females was collected following Borrelia burgdorferi challenge and assayed for antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and B. burgdorferi. A small inducible cationic peptide was identified by SDS-PAGE in the hemolymph of these ticks as early as 1h post challenge. Following purification by a three-step procedure involving sequential SepPak elution, reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and gel electrophoresis, the yield of the active peptide was approximately 0.1% of the total protein in the hemolymph plasma. The molecular weight, 4.2kDa, was determined by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. N-terminal sequencing by the Edman degradation …

Evolutionary Constraints On Population Structure: The Parasites Of Fundulus Zebrinus (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae) In The South Platte River Of Nebraska, John J. Janovy Jr., Scott D. Snyder, Richard E. Clopton

Biology Faculty Publications

Population and community descriptor values (parasites per host, prevalence per parasite species, variance/mean ratios, species density, and diversity indices) for the 7-species parasite community of 61 relatively homogeneous samples of Fundulus zebrinus (Pisces: Cyprinodontidae) in the South Platte River of Nebraska, U.S.A., taken over a 14-yr period, are reported. South Platte River streamflow fluctuates over two orders of magnitude on several time scales-monthly, annually, and over multiple year wet-dry cycles. Relatively homogeneous sampling of a single host species with several parasite species provided a system that allowed assessment of the contribution of evolved parasite life cycles to population structure in …

Behavioral Basis Of Second Intermediate Host Specificity Among Four Species Of Haematoloechus (Digenea: Haematoloechidae), Scott D. Snyder, John J. Janovy Jr.

Biology Faculty Publications

Cercarial behavior patterns were examined in four species of frog lung flukes (Haematoloechus spp.). Cercariae of Haematoloechus complexus, Haematoloechus medioplexus, Haematoloechus longiplexus, and Haematoloechus varioplexus were exposed to three species of experimental arthropods and an inanimate control. The number of cercariae attached to an experimental host at 5 min postexposure was recorded. Haematoloechus longiplexus and H. complexus cercariae attached to experimental hosts at higher rates than cercariae of H. medioplexus and H. varioplexus. Cercariae of H. longiplexus attached to experimental hosts in approximately the same numbers as H. complexus, but H. longiplexus penetrated only damselfly naiads, …

Second Intermediate Host-Specificity Of Haematoloechus Complexus And Haematoloechus Medioplexus (Digenea: Haematoloechidae), Scott D. Snyder, John J. Janovy

Biology Faculty Publications

Second intermediate host-specificity was examined for two species of the frog lung fluke genus Haematoloechus. Nine species of freshwater arthropods were exposed to cercariae of H. complexus and H. medioplexus. Metacercariae of H. complexus developed in all arthropod species used. Metacercariae of H. medioplexus developed only in anisopteran odonate naiads. This difference in host utilization may have epizootiological implications. The potential development of H. complexus in a greater number of arthropods than H. medioplexus may increase the chances of ingestion of H. complexus by an anuran host. The range of arthropods parasitized by H. complexus indicates that host-specificity …

Heligmosomoides Thomomyos Sp. N. (Nematoda: Heligmosomidae) From Pocket Gophers, Thomomys Spp. (Rodentia: Geomyidae), In Oregon And California, Scott L. Gardner, Douglas Jasmer

Scott L. Gardner Publications

The nematode Heligmosomoides thomomyos sp. n. is described from the small intestine of Thomomys bulbivorus and T. bottae. This is the first report of Heligmosomoides from rodents of the family Geomyidae.

Nematodes of the genus Heligmosomoides Hall, 1916 occur most commonly in arvicolid rodents. Of the 26 known species of the genus, 11 have been recorded from Nearctic rodents (Rausch and Rausch, 1973). In North America, Heligmosomoides spp. have been recorded not only from voles, but also from cricetids and murids. Heligmosomoides spp. characteristically inhabit the small intestine or cecum of their host, where they usually are found …

Agar Plate Culture Of Selected Trypanosomatidae, Amy Doran Keppel

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Summary

The study of trypanosomatid biology would benefit greatly from the acquisition of a tool for culturing such as those used in microbiology. Agar plate culture has been described several times, but until the present its potential for use in this area has been underestimated. The previous work has demonstrated that this culture method may be used to culture a wide variety of species, that these species give rise to identifiable colony phenotypes, and that these are stable regardless of the life cycle stage used to initiate the culture. It was also shown that colonies could be initiated from the …

Concomitant Infections With The Parasites Trypanosoma Musculi Kendall, 1906 And Trichinella Spiralis (Owen, 1835) Raillet, 1896 In The Laboratory Mouse, Musmusculus, Joan Chew Liang Tan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Four groups of female Swiss Webster mice were injected intraperitoneally with similar volumes of normal saline, sonicated Trypanosoma musculi and saline, sonicated trypanosomes and Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA) and FCA. When the mice became immune and thus responded negatively to a T. musculi challenge, sera were collected and administered to four other groups of mice to establish passive immunity in these animals.

An established dose of innoculum of Trichinella spiralis larvae (8.1 larvae/gram of body weight) was given to all the mice by gastric gavage. These mice were killed 26 days later and the musculature digested with artificial gastric juice …

The Comparative Histochemistry Of The Infective Oncospheres Of Oochoristica Osheroffi Meggitt, 1934, And Oochoristica Scelopori Voge And Fox, 1950, (Cyclophyllidea: Linstowiidae) With Notes On The Origins Of The Egg Membranes, Gary R. Coulter

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Infective oncospheres of Oochorlstica osheroffi and Oochoristica scelopori were compared using fifteen histochemical tests. Vital stains were also used.

Carnoy’s-fixed gravid proglottids were vacuum-embedded in a paraffin-piccolyte mixture and cut transversely at 6 microns. Sections were tested for the presence of phosphatases, proteins, sclerotin precursors, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and acid mucopolysaccharides.

Oncospheres were histochemlcally very similar. Heavy concentrations of mucoproteins and glycoproteins were detected in the oncospheral coat of O. scelopori. Acid phosphatase was found in the embryophore of O. osheroffi, but could not be demonstrated in O. scelopori. No evidence of a sclerotized egg capsule was …

Some Aspects Of Carbohydrate Metabolism In The Cercariae Of Schistosoma Mansoni Sambon, 1907, A. Eugene Dunham Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Cercariac of Schistosoma mansoni were studied for glycogen utilization, uptake of glucose from solution, lactic acid production, and respiration.

Using the anthrone method of determination of carbohydrate, the amount of glycogen used by a single cercaria in 4 hours is determined as 43.2 x 10^-4 μg ± 6.6 x 10^-4 μg.

Glucose was not observed to have been used from solution under the conditions of the experiment, even in the presence of trehalose. The determinations were made by the Glucostat method.

After deproteinization and desugarization, aliquots of supernatant from cercarial suspensions were analyzed for lactic acid using p-phenylphenol …

Concurrent Infections Of Schistosoma Mansoni And Trypanosoma Equiperdum In Mice, Venus Ee-Siriporn

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this investigation was to determine factors which may influence the survival time of mice infected with Trypanosoma equiperdum and the effects of T. equiperdum on mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni.

In order to maintain experimentally obtained standard hours of survival (88 hrs) in mice inoculated intraperitoneally with 150,000 T. equiperdum, it was found that trypanosomes removed from the donor rat should be kept at 25 C and all counts, dilutions of the organisms, and injection should be completed within 1 hour after removal from the donor host. Survival time of mice is increased as the …

Carbon Dioxide Fixation In Schistosoma Mansoni, Clint Earl Carter

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Adults of the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni were perfused from the hepatic portal system of CF1 female mice sixty to seventy days post infection. The worms were then incubated in Eagle’s minimal essential medium with glutamate and 0.03 mg/100 ml of nonlabelled aspartic acid. To this medium was added 10 μc of either NaH¹⁴0₃, glucose-UC¹⁴ or aspartate-4-C¹⁴. The worms were found to fix carbon from the NaH¹⁴0₃ and to incorporate the glucose and aspartate. The amount of activity recovered in five different chemical fractions after two hours incubation was determined …

The Effect Of Schistosoma Mansoni On Free Amino Acid Levels In Mice, Richard D. Tkachuck

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Free amino acid levels in the blood plasma of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907, were measured at 3, 6, and 9 weeks post-infection with an automatic amino acid analyzer. Significant differences between experimental and control animals occurred at all three time periods. At 3 weeks, asparagine, alanine, citrulline, proline, methionine, and threonine levels all were lower in the infected animals. At 6 weeks, four differences were noted. Alpha-amino-n-butyric acid, ornithine, lysine, and histidine all had lower values in infected animals. At 9 weeks there were 12 differences. Tyrosine, phenylalanine, threonine, serine, proline, citrulline, glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, and …

Some Monogenetic Trematodes From The Galapagos Islands And The Neighboring Pacific, Frank Grose Meserve

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Introduction

Trematodes are parasitic, unsegmented, flattened (rarely cylindrical) worms. They have ventral, anterior, posterior or median attachment organs. The sense organs are poorly developed. The mouth is terminal or ventral and subterminal. The intestine is usually forked with or without lateral branches. The animals, with few exceptions, are hermaphroditic. The ovary is usually single. They have one, two, or more testes. The development is direct with only one host in the ectoparasitic Monogenea and indirect in the Digenea which have two or more hosts. The digenetic trematodes usually parasitize vertebrates which serve as their primary hosts and invertebrates (Mollusca) which …