Study of Peptidases in Babesia bovis Strains
Author Information
Author(s): Mesplet Maria, Palmer Guy H., Pedroni Monica J., Echaide Ignacio, Florin-Christensen Monica, Schnittger Leonhard, Lau Audrey O.T.
Primary Institution: Instituto de Patobiología, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Hypothesis
Peptidases would segregate with virulence between a virulent parent Babesia bovis strain and an attenuated daughter strain.
Conclusion
Peptidases may play a role in B. bovis pathogenesis, but their gene content and expression do not account for the loss of virulence during in vivo passage.
Supporting Evidence
- The genome sequence of the virulent T2Bo strain revealed 66 peptidases.
- Microarray analyses showed no significant difference in peptidase expression between the virulent and attenuated strains.
- The study concludes that peptidase content and expression are retained during attenuation.
Takeaway
The study looked at proteins called peptidases in two types of Babesia bovis, one that makes animals sick and one that doesn't, and found that the differences in sickness aren't because of these proteins.
Methodology
The study used whole genome sequencing, targeted sequencing, microarray analyses, and quantitative PCR to analyze peptidase expression.
Limitations
The study did not identify specific virulence determinants and the results may not apply to all strains of Babesia bovis.
Participant Demographics
The study involved splenectomized calves for the attenuation process.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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