Monocytes are professional antigen presenting cells (APC). They serve as precursors of macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). We have used cytopathic (cp) and non-cytopathic (ncp) Bovine Viral Diarrhea Viruses (BVDV) to determine the genes and proteins expression levels in bovine monocytes. Four specific aims were accomplished in this study. The first aim was to assess the baseline expression of the proteins involved in professional antigen presentation in bovine monocytes. The results showed that the differential detergent fractionation (DDF) approach can provide interpretable and meaningful functional information in bovine monocytes. The second aim was to evaluate the role of in vitro cp and ncp BVDV infection in the expression of the selected bovine genes involved in professional antigen presentation. The results showed that both BVDV could escape innate immune responses by modulating toll-like receptor (TLR) gene expression, followed by pro-inflammatory, type I interferon (IFN), Th1/Th2 type cytokine genes expression, and decreasing the expression levels of CD80/CD86 in professional APC. The third objective was to determine how the two biotypes affect selective antigen uptake, receptor-mediated endocytosis and non-selective uptake, macropinocytosis in bovine monocytes. The results indicated that bovine monocytes use macropinocytosis for a bulklow uptake of soluble antigens. The final aim was to characterize protein profiles in peripheral blood monocytes infected with cp BVDV isolate in vitro. Comparative profiling of the membrane and cytosolic proteins related to professional antigen presentation were assessed. The results showed that 47 bovine proteins, involved in immune function of professional APC have been significantly altered after cp BVDV infection. Overall, we hypothesize that by modulating expression levels of multiple proteins and genes related to immune responses BVDV could significantly compromise immune defense mechanisms resulting in uncontrolled immune activation or suppression.

Proliferative gill disease (PGD) caused by the myxozoan parasite Henneguya ictaluri is one of the most devastating parasitic infections in channel catfish aquaculture. Currently, there is no effective treatment for H. ictaluri and the unpredictable outbreaks can result in 100% mortality. Management strategies have been developed to prevent losses in newly stocked fingerlings by evaluating the PGD status of a pond prior to stocking, which is difficult since resident fish may not show clinical signs even when actinospore levels are lethal to naive fish. Current diagnostic methods are limited to the identification of an active infection and methods of predicting potential outbreaks have several limitations. The PGD status of a pond to be stocked can be determined using sentinel fish exposures which are labor intensive and require a source of parasite free fish. These limitations necessitated the development of more rapid and efficient means of determining actinospore concentrations to determine the risk of losing fish prior to stocking. The development of a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) assay provided a more rapid, sensitive and quantitative method of diagnosing active infections and also provides a means to predict potential PD outbreaks and determine the PGD status of a pond prior to stocking. Another approach in the control of this parasite is the identification of a less susceptible culturable species or to identify traits that could be targeted in a selective breeding program. Challenge studies have shown that the closely related blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) does not exhibit as severe an inflammatory response to H. ictaluri and mortalities are significantly lower than in channel catfish. Comparisons of PGD severity and H. ictaluri infection in channel catfish, blue catfish and channel x blue catfish backcross hybrids by gross examination, histopathology and the newly developed H. ictaluri real-time PCR (QPCR) assay supported previous research suggesting the life cycle of the parasite can not be completed as efficiently through the blue catfish host. This dissertation describes the development and validation of a QPCR assay to detect H. ictaluri in both fish tissues and environmental samples and the application of this assay in both research and production settings.

No description available.

No description available.

Nutrient transporters in the small intestine are responsible for dietary nutrient assimilation and therefore the expression of these transporters can influence the overall nutrient status as well as the growth and development of the animal. This thesis examined correlated responses to selection in the developmental gene expression of the peptide transporter PepT1, the glutamate/aspartate transporter EAAT3, the sodium-dependent glucose transporter SGLT1, and the fructose transporter GLUT5 in the small intestine of chickens from lines divergently selected for high (HH) or low (LL) eight-week body weight and their reciprocal crosses, (HL and LH). Chicks were weighed and killed on embryonic day 20 (E20), day of hatch (DOH with no access to feed), and days 3 (D3), 7(D7), and 14 (D14) post hatch. Duodenum, jejunum, ileum and liver were collected. DNA extracted from liver was used to sex birds by PCR. RNA was extracted from the intestinal segments of four males and four females from each mating combination (MC) and time point except E20 HL males (n = 3) and D7 LL females (n = 2). Expression of nutrient transporters was assayed by real-time PCR using the relative quantification method. In comparing HH and LL males and females there was a line by segment interaction in PepT1 gene expression, with no segment difference in HH and greatest expression in the ileum of the LL (P < 0.05). There was also a MC by age by sex interaction for PepT1 gene expression (P < 0.0001) with peak gene expression occurring on DOH for LL females, on D7 for HH females, on D7 for LL males and D14 for HH males. Overall, females had greater EAAT3 expression (P < 0.03). Gene expression of EAAT3 was greatest in the ileum, intermediate in the jejunum, and least in the duodenum (P < 0.0007). There was an age by segment interaction for EAAT3 expression (P = 0.0002) and a MC by segment interaction (P < 0.02), with LL having greater expression than HH in the ileum. Females had greater SGLT1 expression than males (P < 0.0001). There was a sex by age interaction for the expression of SGLT1 (P < 0.0001). Females induced SGLT1 expression on DOH and maintained this level through D14, while males gradually increased expression through D7 and decreased expression by D14. These results indicate that expression of PepT1, EAAT3, SGLT1 are differentially expressed in male and female chickens regardless of selection for high or low juvenile body weight. These results also show a sexual dimorphism in the capacity to absorb peptides, anionic amino acids, and glucose from the intestine, which has implications for the poultry industry with regard to diet formulations for straight-run and sex-separate grow-out operations. In comparing male HH, HL, LH, and LL chicks, overall LL had the greatest level of expression (P <0.06), HH had the least level of expression (P < 0.006) and HL and LH had intermediate levels of expression (P < 0.06). Greatest PepT1 gene was expression in the ileum (P < 0.0003) and there was a MC by segment interaction with expression increasing from duodenum to ileum in LL, but there was no segment difference in any other MC (P < 0.08). Within each intestinal segment there was a MC difference (P < 0.02). There was an effect of sire for PepT1 expression, with progeny from low weight selected sires (LWS) having greater expression than progeny from high weight selected (HWS) sires (P = 0.0008). There was no difference between intestinal segments in progeny from HWS sires, however, greatest PepT1 gene expression was seen in the ileum of progeny from LWS sires (P < 0.0001). Overall, expression of EAAT3 was greatest in the ileum, intermediate in the jejunum and least in the ileum (P < 0.0001) and there was a segment by age interaction for EAAT3 expression (P < 0.0001). In all MCs except HH, EAAT3 gene expression increased from duodenum to ileum (P < 0.08). Within the ileum, the LL had greatest EAAT3 gene expression, LH and HL had intermediate gene expression, and HH had least expression (P < 0.08). Expression of SGLT1 gradually increased through D7 and decreased by D14 (P < 0.0001) and overall, was greatest in the distal small intestine (P < 0.0001). There was a MC by segment interaction, with SGLT1 gene expression being greatest in the distal small intestine in LL, LH, and HL, but greatest in the jejunum of HH (P < 0.04). Within the ileum, LL had greater SGLT1 gene expression than HH (P < 0.06). Overall, greatest GLUT5 expression was in the distal small intestine (P < 0.0001) and there was a MC by segment interaction, with expression being greatest in the distal small intestine in LL and HL (P < 0.02), greatest in the ileum of LH (P < 0.08), and greatest in the jejunum of HH (P < 0.09). Within the ileum there was a MC difference (P < 0.07). These results indicate that selection for high or low juvenile body weight may have influenced the gene expression pattern of these nutrient transporters in the small intestine, which may contribute to the overall differences in the growth and development of these lines of chickens. / Master of Science

Members of the alphavirus genus pose a serious or potential threat to public health in many areas of the world. Nearly all alphaviruses are maintained in nature by transmission cycles that involve alternating replication in a susceptible vertebrate and invertebrate host. The maintenance of this transmission cycle depends on the establishment of a life-long persistent infection in the invertebrate vector host. Although alphavirus replication has been extensively studied in vertebrate models, the strand-specific replication kinetics of alphaviruses during persistent infections of the invertebrate host have not been reported. We investigated the strand-specific replication of different alphavirus genotypes in invertebrate cells. By comparing different detection strategies and chemistries, we identified an optimal ssqPCR assay design for strand-specific quantification of viral RNAs in infected cells and tissues. We found that primer sets incorporating the use of a non-target tag sequence were able to avoid real-time PCR detection of amplicons that were falsely-primed during reverse-transcription. We also determined that DNA hydrolysis probes increased the sensitivity of ssqPCR assays when compared to a double-stranded DNA-specific dye, SYBR Green. Using this information, we determined the replication kinetics of two different genotypes of o'nyong nyong virus (ONNV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in infected mosquito cells. We found that (-) strand viral RNAs persisted in invertebrate cells for up to 21 days after infection. We also found that significantly less (-) strand RNA was present in cells infected with opal variants of both ONNV and CHIKV than sense variants at several time points post infection, suggesting that the opal codon has a functional role in (-) strand RNA regulation. We also report the development of an ONNV replicon expression system. In total, the tools we developed for this report will facilitate future replication studies in the mosquito that may shed light on questions regarding the regulatory role of the opal codon and the persistence of (-) strand RNAs during long-term infections. The strand-specific replication kinetics of ONNV and CHIKV genotypes reported here will serve as a foundation for such investigations. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-09-16T11:53:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ribrioivantavarespereirabatista.pdf: 1023205 bytes, checksum: 9149da7ed1e431e5565e4816dc74a814 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Diamantino Mayra (mayra.diamantino@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-09-26T20:21:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ribrioivantavarespereirabatista.pdf: 1023205 bytes, checksum: 9149da7ed1e431e5565e4816dc74a814 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-26T20:21:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ribrioivantavarespereirabatista.pdf: 1023205 bytes, checksum: 9149da7ed1e431e5565e4816dc74a814 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-25 / FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / A suplementação do ácido linoléico conjugado trans-10, cis-10 no meio de cultivo, representa uma importante alternativa para aumento da sobrevivência dos embriões após a criopreservação. No entanto este isômero de CLA no cultivo in vitro sem antioxidante pode aumentar a taxa apoptótica. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito da adição CLA trans-10, cis-12 no cultivo in vitro de embriões sem antioxidante. Zigotos bovinos (n = 1.694) foram divididos em dois tratamentos: (T1) grupo controle, zigotos cultivados no meio CR2aa suplementado com soro fetal (n = 815); (T2) zigotos cultivados no meio CR2aa suplementado com soro fetal mais 100 µM CLA trans-10, cis-12. Os embriões foram avaliados quanto a desenvolvimento, quantidade de lípides e criotolerância. Transcritos dos RNA mensageiros (RNAm) dos genes selecionados foram mensurados pelo Real Time PCR. Suplementação de CLA trans-10, cis-12 não afeta significativamente a taxa de blastocisto (31,8% e 34,1% T1 e T2, respectivamente, p = 0,20) e nível dos RNAm dos genes relacionados com stress celular, apoptose e síntese de novo de ácido graxo. Quantidade de lípides e transcritos do RNAm do gene 1-acilglicerol-3-fosfato oaciltransferase 1 enzima relacionado a síntese de triglicérides foram significativamente reduzidos nos embriões cultivados na presença de CLA trans-10, cis-12 em comparação com o grupo controle. Teve aumento significativo na taxa de re-expansão dos blastocistos cultivados na presença de CLA trans-10, cis-12, após o descongelamento (34.4 e 56.3% para T1 e T2, respectivamente p = 0,002). Essa diferença não persistiu na taxa de eclosão (14,0% e 16,5% para T1 e T2, respectivamente, P = 0,62). Esses resultados mostram que o CLA trans-10, cis-12 reduz o acúmulo de lípides nos embriões pela redução nos níveis dos transcritos do gene 1-acilglicerol-3-fosfato o-aciltransferase 1 sem afetar a qualidade do embrião. Adicionalmente, este ácido graxo aumenta a taxa de re-expansão, no entanto, não melhora a taxa de eclosão. / Supplementation of conjugated linoleic acid trans-10, cis-10 in the culture medium, represents an important alternative to increasing the survival of embryos after cryopreservation. However the addition of culture media with CLA trans-10, cis-12 without antioxidant may increase the apoptotic rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding CLA trans-10, cis-12 in vitro culture of embryos without antioxidant. Bovine zygotes (n = 1,694) were divided into two treatments: (T1) control group, zygotes cultured in CR2aa medium supplemented with fetal calf serum (n = 815), (T2) zygotes cultured in CR2aa medium supplemented with fetal calf serum plus 100 µM CLA trans-10, cis-12. Embryos were evaluated for development, amount of lipids and cryotolerance. Transcripts of messenger RNA (mRNA) of selected genes were measured by real time PCR. Supplementation of CLA trans-10, cis-12 did not significantly affect the blastocyst rate (31.8% and 34.1% T1 and T2, respectively, p = 0,20) and the mRNA level of genes related to cell stress, apoptosis and de novo synthesis of fatty acid . Lipids and transcripts of the mRNA of the gene 1-acilglicerol-3-phosphate o-acyltransferase 1 enzyme related to the synthesis of triglycerides were significantly reduced in embryos cultured in the presence of CLA trans-10, cis-12 in comparison the control group. Had increased rate re-expansion of blastocysts cultured in the presence of CLA trans-10, cis-12, after thawing (34.4 and 56.3% for T1 and T2, respectively p = 0,002). This difference did not persist in the hatching rate (14.0 and 16.5% for T1 and T2, respectively, P = 0,62). These results show that the CLA trans-10, cis-12 reduces the accumulation of lipids in the embryos by reducing the levels of gene transcripts acilglicerol-1-3-phosphate oacyltransferase 1 without affecting the quality of the embryo. Additionally, this fatty acid increases the rate re-expansion, but does not improve the hatching rate.

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) can cause acute upper respiratory tract disease, abortion, neonatal death and neurological disease in horses. Rapid, accurate and timely diagnosis of EHV-1 infection in horses is important to curtail the spread of this pathogen. It has been reported that the neuropathogenic phenotype of EHV-1 can result from a single non-synonymous nucleotide substitution at position 2254 (A→G2254) in open reading frame 30 (ORF30). This was the basis for the development of an allelic discrimination, real-time PCR assay to distinguish between potential neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic EHV-1 strains. However, PCR analysis of a panel of EHV-1 abortion isolates revealed that other point mutations within ORF30 could produce false negative results with this previously described assay. Therefore, one of the objectives of this dissertation project was to develop a more sensitive and specific allelic discrimination real-time PCR assay for the detection of EHV-1. This was achieved by redesigning the primers and probes targeting ORF30. The new assay was ten times more sensitive than the original assay, with a lower detection limit of 10 infectious virus particles. While mutations within EHV-1’s genome can hinder diagnosis, they can also impact the virulence of the virus. Objective two, therefore, was to determine if sequential cell passage of T953 would induce sufficient attenuation of the EHV-1 genome to produce a low virulence phenotype. Two separate groups of 28 BALB/c mice were inoculated with either the parental strain or passage 135 (T953 P135) of EHV-1 strain T953. The animals were observed for fourteen days, euthanized and their tissues analyzed for the presence of EHV-1. At the conclusion of the fourteen day observation period, all of the mice infected with T953 P135 survived and regained their pre-inoculation body condition. Furthermore, there were significant differences in virus titer and viral DNA concentrations between T953 P135 and the parental strain, further confirming the attenuated phenotype of the virus. Taken together, data from this study clearly demonstrates that sequential cell culture passage of the neuropathogenic T953 strain of EHV-1 results in attenuation for young adult BALB/C mice.

This work is aimed at the study of the effect of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) on the production and characteristics of ligninolytic enzymes (laccase, Mn-dependent peroxidase and lignin peroxidase) in I. lacteus, T. versicolor, P. chrysosporium and P. ostreatus cultures grown on two types of liquid media. Enzyme activity production in fungal cultures was affected by the composition of culture medium. In the case of P. chrysosporium, the addition of EE2 to the complex- medium cultures led to a MnP activity stimulation and simultaneously LiP production was partially repressed in these cultures. In the mineral MM medium, no effect of EE2 on enzyme production by P. chrysosporium was observed. In EE2 treated MM cultures of P. ostreatus lower MnP activities were found when compared to biotic controls. In the case of T. versicolor cultures, the addition of EE2 to the complex medium caused laccase and LiP stimulation in the cultures. In the MM medium, however, only laccase production was affected by EE2. I. lacteus MnP production was partially repressed by EE2 in MM medium. In contrast to that, significantly higher MnP activities were detected in complex- medium I. lacteus cultures after the treatment with EE2. Further EE2 degradation by the fungal cultures was studied. The highest degradation effeciency was...

Die Kryptosporidiose stellt aufgrund ihres zoonotischen Charakters und der Entwicklung chronischer Durchfälle bei Immunsupprimierten ein hohes Gesundheitsrisiko für den Menschen, aber ebenso für Tiere dar. Derzeit verfügbare Therapeutika ermöglichen keine zuverlässige Bekämpfung klinischer Symptome oder eine Erregerelimination, daher ist die Erforschung neuer Therapieansätze dringend notwendig. CDPK stellen in diesem Zusammenhang interessante Zielmoleküle dar, da sie zwar in Pflanzen und Protisten einschließlich Apikomplexa, jedoch nicht in Pilzen und Säugetieren vorkommen. Trotz der Entdeckung vielversprechender neuer Wirkstoffe gegen CpCDPK1 in den letzten Jahren ist zur Lokalisation und Funktion von CDPK in C. parvum wenig bekannt.Diese Arbeit belegt die Transkription von sechs CpCDPK in vitro und beschreibt erstmals die Länge der 3’UTR von CpCDPK. Die Translation wurde durch den Nachweis spezifischen Proteins in Sporozoiten im Immunoblot sowie die Lokalisation von CpCDPK1 mit Hilfe der Immunfluoreszenz belegt. Möglicherweise wird die CpCDPK1 durch N-Myristoylierung an Membranen gebunden, an die Oberfläche von Zoiten gebracht und sezerniert. Eine Rolle des Enzyms im Invasions- und Egressmechanismus des Parasiten wird diskutiert.