Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Cristina Acin, Rosa Bolea, Marta Monzon, Eva Monleon, Bernardino Moreno, Hicham Filali, Belen Marin, Diego Sola, Marina Betancor, Isabel M. Guijarro, Mirta Garcia, Antonia Vargas, Juan Jose Badiola
Summary: Prion diseases, such as scrapie, are fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by a conformational change from PrPC to PrPSc. Understanding the etiology, transmission pathways, tissue infectivity, and detection methods is crucial for disease control.
Article
Immunology
Justin J. Greenlee, S. Jo Moore, Eric D. Cassmann, Zoe J. Lambert, Robyn D. Kokemuller, Jodi D. Smith, Robert A. Kunkle, Qingzhong Kong, M. Heather West Greenlee
Summary: The study found that white-tailed deer are susceptible to the classic scrapie agent from sheep, and the molecular profiles of PrPSc in infected deer are difficult to differentiate from those with chronic wasting disease (CWD).
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomas Barrio, Enric Vidal, Marina Betancor, Alicia Otero, Inmaculada Martin-Burriel, Marta Monzon, Eva Monleon, Marti Pumarola, Juan Jose Badiola, Rosa Bolea
Summary: Neurotrophins and their receptors, including p75(NTR), were studied in the brains of scrapie-affected sheep and infected mice, showing p75(NTR) overexpression in early stages in sheep and higher abundance of p75(NTR) immunostained cells in infected mice. These findings suggest a potential role of p75(NTR) in the neurodegeneration associated with prion diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Abdelkader Amara, Kefia Elmehatli, Michele Angelo Di Bari, Laura Pirisinu, Rihab Andolsi, Souhir Gachout, Boubaker Ben Smida, Meriem Handous, Heni Haj Ammar, Roukaya Khorchani, Malek Zrelli, Barbara Iulini, Caterina Lucia Florio, Maria Caramelli, Cristina Casalone, Laura De Antoniis, Geraldina Riccardi, Elena Esposito, Matteo Giovannelli, Claudia D'Agostino, Barbara Chiappini, Romolo Nonno, Umberto Agrimi, Gabriele Vaccari
Summary: This study reports the investigation results of a suspected case of classical scrapie in Tunisia, confirming its presence in the country and highlighting the need to enhance epidemiological surveillance and diagnostic capacity for prion diseases in the region.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adelaida Hernaiz, Sara Sentre, Marina Betancor, Oscar Lopez-Perez, Monica Salinas-Pena, Pilar Zaragoza, Juan Jose Badiola, Janne Markus Toivonen, Rosa Bolea, Inmaculada Martin-Burriel
Summary: Scrapie is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy characterized by the presence of the abnormal prion protein PrPSc. This study investigates the involvement of DNA methylation in scrapie pathogenesis by analyzing the levels of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in infected brain tissues of sheep and mice. The results show a decrease in 5mC levels and opposite patterns of 5hmC between the two models. Additionally, expression analysis of epigenetic regulatory genes reveals differences between the disease models. These findings support the role of DNA methylation and associated enzymes in the neurodegenerative course of prion diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Alba Marin-Moreno, Patricia Aguilar-Calvo, Juan Carlos Espinosa, Maria Zamora-Ceballos, Jose Luis Pitarch, Lorenzo Gonzalez, Natalia Fernandez-Borges, Leonor Orge, Olivier Andreoletti, Romolo Nonno, Juan Maria Torres
Summary: The study on the diversity of goat scrapie strains in Europe revealed the complexity in classifying isolates and differences between scrapie strains in sheep and goats. It also emphasized that classical scrapie in small ruminants is caused by multiple prion strains, not a single strain like epidemic BSE-C.
VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Kun-Hua Yu, Cheng-Ping Jheng, Cheng- Lee
Summary: This study demonstrates the antiamyloidogenic and antioxidative activities of quercetin on mouse prion protein. Quercetin binds to the C-terminal region of moPrP, accelerating fibrillation and changing the structure of the fibrils. Unlike typical prion fibrils, quercetin-bound fibrils are sensitive to proteinase K and have a loosely structured. This research provides a valuable contribution to the development of antiamyloidogenic treatments.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Marina Betancor, Belen Marin, Alicia Otero, Carlos Hedman, Antonio Romero, Tomas Barrio, Eloisa Sevilla, Jean-Yves Douet, Alvina Huor, Juan Jose Badiola, Olivier Andreoletti, Rosa Bolea
Summary: The transmission of atypical scrapie to cattle can lead to the emergence of BSE-like prion seeding activity, even though the infected cattle did not show clinical signs of prion disease.
VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mafalda Casanova, Carla Machado, Paula Tavares, Joao Silva, Christine Fast, Anne Balkema-Buschmann, Martin H. Groschup, Leonor Orge
Summary: Portugal was one of the first European countries to report cases of Atypical Scrapie (ASc), and they confirmed through murine bioassays that the ASc strain present in Portuguese sheep corresponds to ASc Nor98.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Tyler A. Harm, Jodi D. Smith, Eric D. Cassmann, Justin J. Greenlee
Summary: The study evaluated the efficacy of different chemical treatments for scrapie inactivation, finding partial reduction in PrPSc immunoreactivity but also an impact on survival rate and incubation periods in experimental sheep.
RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Pablo Alarcon, Francisco Marco-Jimenez, Verity Horigan, Angel Ortiz-Pelaez, Brenda Rajanayagam, Aidan Dryden, Hugh Simmons, Timm Konold, Carmen Marco, Judith Charnley, John Spiropoulos, Claire Cassar, Amie Adkin
Summary: The effectiveness of current cleaning and disinfection protocols for classical scrapie outbreaks on farms remains unclear, with recommendations mainly based on laboratory experiments. Experts suggest that there are no practical, cost-effective alternatives at the moment, therefore control should focus on a combination of cleaning and disinfection, temporal bans on restocking, and replacement with less susceptible livestock.
PREVENTIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Adelaida Hernaiz, Arianne Sanz, Sara Sentre, Beatriz Ranera, Oscar Lopez-Perez, Pilar Zaragoza, Juan J. Badiola, Hicham Filali, Rosa Bolea, Janne M. Toivonen, Inmaculada Martin-Burriel
Summary: This study found DNA methylation alterations in the thalamus of sheep infected with scrapie, a form of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. Hypomethylated regions were associated with genes involved in transmembrane transport and cell adhesion, while hypermethylated regions were related to genes involved in intracellular signal transduction. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes and genes highly expressed in specific types of CNS cells contained differentially methylated regions.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
M. K. F. Salamat, A. Gossner, B. Bradford, N. Hunter, J. Hopkins, F. Houston
Summary: Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, also known as prion diseases, are fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect both humans and animals. The study suggests that tissue or cell-specific receptors or cofactors may play a role in controlling differential susceptibility to infection. While endogenous retroviruses (ERV) could potentially be one of these cofactors, the study did not find specific differential expression of OERV in lymphoid tissues following scrapie infection in sheep, unlike previous studies in prion-infected mice and macaques, highlighting the complex interactions involved in prion disease pathogenesis.
VETERINARY IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Angela Chong, James D. Foster, Wilfred Goldmann, Lorenzo Gonzalez, Martin Jeffrey, Matthew J. O'Connor, Keith Bishop, Ben C. Maddison, E. Fiona Houston, Kevin C. Gough, Nora Hunter
Summary: The study reports on mixed-prion infections in sheep with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and scrapie. The results showed that VRQ/ARQ sheep challenged with mixed infections developed scrapie-like incubation periods, while VRQ/VRQ sheep challenged with BSE showed scrapie-like incubation periods.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Christopher J. Silva, Eric D. Cassmann, Justin J. Greenlee, Melissa L. Erickson-Beltran, Jesus R. Requena
Summary: The transmissibility and progression of scrapie in sheep is heavily influenced by specific amino acid polymorphisms in PrPC. Sheep expressing the K171 polymorphism are partially resistant to scrapie, with a longer incubation period observed. The quantification of the K171 polymorphism in sheep scrapie samples provides important information about the composition of PrPSc.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Petala, D. Dafou, M. Kostoglou, Th Karapantsios, E. Kanata, A. Chatziefstathiou, F. Sakaveli, K. Kotoulas, M. Arsenakis, E. Roilides, T. Sklaviadis, S. Metallidis, A. Papa, E. Stylianidis, A. Papadopoulos, N. Papaioannou
Summary: Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage is used as an early warning indicator of virus spreading in communities, but the accuracy of quantitative measurements may be affected by the adsorption of virus fragments onto suspended solids in wastewater. Factors such as the presence of other dissolved chemicals can influence the capacity of adsorption. The research develops a physicochemical model to rationalize the quantitative measurements of viral fragments in sewage, with the ratio of specific absorption over dissolved oxygen showing the highest correlation with viral copies.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Elisavet Lioulia, Panagiotis Mokos, Emmanuel Panteris, Dimitra Dafou
Summary: This study demonstrates the UBE2T/MAPK-ERK/beta-catenin axis as a critical regulator of cell state transition and EMT in HCC.
MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Korina Karagianni, Spyros Pettas, Georgia Christoforidou, Eirini Kanata, Nikolaos Bekas, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Dimitra Dafou, Theodoros Sklaviadis
Summary: RNA editing plays a role in transcriptome diversification by modifying RNA in relation to genome-encoded information. This review focuses on RNA editing in psychiatric, neurological, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune brain disorders and discusses its potential as a therapeutic and diagnostic target. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of RNA editing in disease development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Korina Karagianni, Spyros Pettas, Eirini Kanata, Elisavet Lioulia, Katrin Thune, Matthias Schmitz, Ioannis Tsamesidis, Evgenia Lymperaki, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Theodoros Sklaviadis, Dimitra Dafou
Summary: The catechol-type diterpene Carnosic acid (CA) and its metabolite Carnosol (CS) from Rosmarinus officinalis have antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, reducing the accumulation and disrupting the aggregation of disease-associated PrP in prion diseases.
Review
Cell Biology
Spyros Pettas, Korina Karagianni, Eirini Kanata, Athanasia Chatziefstathiou, Nikoletta Christoudia, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Theodoros Sklaviadis, Dimitra Dafou
Summary: This article summarizes recent studies on transcriptomic microglial subpopulations, revealing their molecular and functional differences using single-cell techniques and classifying them into distinct groups based on age, spatial distribution, and disease.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Warner van Kersen, Alex Bossers, Wouter A. A. de Steenhuijsen Piters, Myrna M. T. de Rooij, Marc Bonten, Ad C. Fluit, Dick Heederik, Fernanda L. Paganelli, Malbert Rogers, Marco Viveen, Debby Bogaert, Helen L. Leavis, Lidwien A. M. Smit
Summary: Air pollution from livestock farms is associated with alterations in the oropharyngeal microbiota of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), suggesting that the respiratory health of COPD patients can be influenced by air pollutants through modulation of the airway microbiome.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Virology
Desniwaty Karo-karo, Rogier Bodewes, Restuadi Restuadi, Alex Bossers, Agustiningsih Agustiningsih, Jan Arend Stegeman, Guus Koch, David Handojo Muljono
Summary: This study analyzed the evolution and temporal dynamics of HPAIv H5N1 in Indonesian poultry from 2003 to 2016. The results showed that HPAIv H5N1 in Indonesian poultry had a common ancestor five years after the common ancestor worldwide. The study also revealed the divergence of H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1c from H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1b, and the limited role of wild birds in the spread of HPAIv in Indonesia.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eirini Kanata, Ioannis Paspaltsis, Sotiris Sotiriadis, Chrysanthi Berberidou, Sophia Tsoumachidou, Dimitra Dafou, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Minas Arsenakis, Athanasios Arsenakis, Ioannis Poulios, Theodoros Sklaviadis
Summary: Photocatalytic inactivation of pathogens in aqueous waste is a topic of increasing interest. This study compares the effectiveness of homogeneous and heterogeneous photocatalysis using Fe+3 and TiO2, respectively, for inactivating various microorganisms. It is found that homogeneous photocatalysis achieves more efficient microorganism inactivation in a shorter processing time compared to heterogeneous photocatalysis. Additional optimization of TiO2 photocatalysis with H2O2 supplementation further enhances the inactivation efficiency.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Marieke de Cock, Manoj Fonville, Ankje de Vries, Alex Bossers, Bartholomeus van den Bogert, Renate Hakze-van der Honing, Ad Koets, Hein Sprong, Wim van der Poel, Miriam Maas
Summary: This study used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and virome-enriched sequencing to detect zoonotic pathogens in wild rats. Several potential zoonotic bacteria and viruses were identified, and the presence of some bacteria was confirmed. It was found that three bacterial taxa dominated the samples. The study also highlighted the limited species-level identification capacity of 16S rRNA gene sequencing but suggested its potential as a pre-screening method for zoonotic bacteria in the future.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Dimitra Dafou, Eirini Kanata, Spyros Pettas, Nikolaos Bekas, Athanasios Dimitriadis, Garyfalia Kempapidou, Roza Lagoudaki, Paschalis Theotokis, Olga Touloumi, Nikoleta Delivanoglou, Evangelia Kesidou, Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Nikolaos Grigoriadis, Fotini Nina Papavasiliou, Theodoros Sklaviadis
Summary: This study assessed the role of RNA editing in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and found that RNA-editing events mediated by APOBEC and ADAR deaminases were significantly reduced during the course of disease, potentially impacting protein expression necessary for normal neurological function. In addition, the severity of EAE was significantly higher in APOBEC-1 knockout mice.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Michael S. M. Brouwer, Alieda Zandbergen Van Essen, Arie Kant, Michel Rapallini, Frank Harders, Alex Bossers, Bart Wullings, Ben Wit, Kees T. Veldman
Summary: As WGS comes of age, EU legislation implemented in 2021 allows its usage for monitoring ESBL-producing E. coli from livestock and meat. Phenotypic testing correlates well with predicted resistance from WGS data. Clonal relationships were detected among ESBL-producing E. coli within livestock sectors and meat, suggesting the attribution of livestock in the prevalence of ESBL-encoding E. coli in humans.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Adekunle G. Fakunle, Nkosana Jafta, Alex Bossers, Inge M. Wouters, Warner van Kersen, Rajen N. Naidoo, Lidwien A. M. Smit
Summary: In Ibadan, Nigeria, a study found that the microbial composition in residential environments is associated with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in children, specifically the bacterial and fungal microbiota in airborne dust. The study recruited 98 hospitalized children under the age of five with LRTI and matched them with 99 community-based controls without LRTI. The results showed a significant association between the bacterial community in indoor airborne dust and childhood LRTI.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jan Bohl, Mohammed Moudjou, Laetitia Herzog, Fabienne Reine, Fiona Sailer, Hannah Klute, Frederic Halgand, Guillaume Van der Rest, Yves Boulard, Vincent Beringue, Angelique Igel, Human Rezaei
Summary: Studies have shown that all mammalian prion assemblies exhibit the property of spontaneously generating two sets of discreet infectious tetrameric and dimeric species, which differ significantly in their specific infectivity. These oligomeric species are highly dynamic and evolve differently in the presence of chaotropic agents. The diversity in the quaternary structure of prion assemblies suggests that the structure of PrPSc can be divided into two independent folding domains.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Fimme J. van der Wal, Rene P. Achterberg, Jeanet A. van der Goot, Annemieke Dinkla, Ruth Bossers-de Vries, Conny van Solt-Smits, Alex Bossers, Marloes Heijne
Summary: The study focused on developing a differentiating serological test for antibodies against Chlamydia species in chicken sera. A bead-based Luminex suspension array was constructed using peptides as antigens, which correctly identified antibodies and differentiated between different Chlamydia species in experimentally infected mice and chickens. Although interpretation of signals in field sera was difficult due to limited samples, results were supported by published data.
VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Christos Milaras, Panagiotis Lepetsos, Dimitra Dafou, Michael Potoupnis, Eleftherios Tsiridis
Summary: This study systematically reviewed the literature on the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes encoding MMPs and the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA), finding at least nine SNPs in four MMP genes associated with knee OA. A solid correlation between MMP genotype and knee OA phenotype was not found, suggesting the need for more high-quality studies and modern genetic testing methods.
CUREUS JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2021)