scholarly journals Wolbachia Endosymbiont of the Horn Fly (Haematobia irritans irritans): a Supergroup A Strain with Multiple Horizontally Acquired Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Genes

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukund Madhav ◽  
Rhys Parry ◽  
Jess A. T. Morgan ◽  
Peter James ◽  
Sassan Asgari

ABSTRACT The horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans, is a hematophagous parasite of livestock distributed throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Welfare losses on livestock due to horn fly infestation are estimated to cost between $1 billion and $2.5 billion (U.S. dollars) annually in North America and Brazil. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is a maternally inherited manipulator of reproductive biology in arthropods and naturally infects laboratory colonies of horn flies from Kerrville, TX, and Alberta, Canada, but it has also been identified in wild-caught samples from Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Hungary. Reassembly of PacBio long-read and Illumina genomic DNA libraries from the Kerrville H. i. irritans genome project allowed for a complete and circularized 1.3-Mb Wolbachia genome (wIrr). Annotation of wIrr yielded 1,249 coding genes, 34 tRNAs, 3 rRNAs, and 5 prophage regions. Comparative genomics and whole-genome Bayesian evolutionary analysis of wIrr compared to published Wolbachia genomes suggested that wIrr is most closely related to and diverged from Wolbachia supergroup A strains known to infect Drosophila spp. Whole-genome synteny analyses between wIrr and closely related genomes indicated that wIrr has undergone significant genome rearrangements while maintaining high nucleotide identity. Comparative analysis of the cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) genes of wIrr suggested two phylogenetically distinct CI loci and acquisition of another cifB homolog from phylogenetically distant supergroup A Wolbachia strains, suggesting horizontal acquisition of these loci. The wIrr genome provides a resource for future examination of the impact Wolbachia may have in both biocontrol and potential insecticide resistance of horn flies. IMPORTANCE Horn flies, Haematobia irritans irritans, are obligate hematophagous parasites of cattle having significant effects on production and animal welfare. Control of horn flies mainly relies on the use of insecticides, but issues with resistance have increased interest in development of alternative means of control. Wolbachia pipientis is an endosymbiont bacterium known to have a range of effects on host reproduction, such as induction of cytoplasmic incompatibility, feminization, male killing, and also impacts vector transmission. These characteristics of Wolbachia have been exploited in biological control approaches for a range of insect pests. Here we report the assembly and annotation of the circular genome of the Wolbachia strain of the Kerrville, TX, horn fly (wIrr). Annotation of wIrr suggests its unique features, including the horizontal acquisition of additional transcriptionally active cytoplasmic incompatibility loci. This study provides the foundation for future studies of Wolbachia-induced biological effects for control of horn flies.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mukund Madhav ◽  
Rhys Parry ◽  
Jess A.T. Morgan ◽  
Peter James ◽  
Sassan Asgari

AbstractThe horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans, is a hematophagous parasite of livestock distributed throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Welfare losses on livestock due to horn fly infestation are estimated to cost between USD 1-2.5 billion annually in North America and Brazil. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is a maternally inherited manipulator of reproductive biology in arthropods and naturally infects laboratory colonies of horn flies from Kerrville, USA and Alberta, Canada, but has also been identified in wild-caught samples from Canada, USA, Mexico and Hungary. Reassembly of PacBio long-read and Illumina genomic DNA libraries from the Kerrville H. i. irritans genome project allowed for a complete and circularised 1.3 Mb Wolbachia genome (wHae). Annotation of wHae yielded 1249 coding genes, 34 tRNAs, three rRNAs, and five prophage regions. Comparative genomics and whole genome Bayesian evolutionary analysis of wHae compared to published Wolbachia genomes suggests that wHae is most closely related to and diverged from Wolbachia supergroup A strains known to infect Drosophila spp. Whole-genome synteny analyses between wHae and closely related genomes indicates that wHae has undergone convoluted genome rearrangements while maintaining high nucleotide identity. Comparative analysis of the cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) genes of wHae suggests two phylogenetically distinct CI loci and acquisition of another CifB homolog from phylogenetically distant supergroup A Wolbachia strains suggesting horizontal acquisition of these loci. The wHae genome provides a resource for future examination of the impact Wolbachia may have in both biocontrol and potential insecticide resistance of horn flies.ImportanceHorn flies, Haematobia irritans, are obligate hematophagous parasites of cattle having significant effects on production and animal welfare. Control of horn flies mainly relies on the use of insecticides, but issues with resistance have increased interest in development of alternative means of control. Wolbachia pipientis is an endosymbiont bacterium known to have a range of effects on host reproduction such as induction of cytoplasmic incompatibility, feminization, male killing, and also impacts on vector transmission. These characteristics of Wolbachia have been exploited in biological control approaches for a range of insect pests. Here we report the assembly and annotation of the circular genome of the Wolbachia strain of the Kerrickville, USA horn fly (wHae). Annotation of wHae suggests its unique features including the horizontal acquisition of additional transcriptionally active cytoplasmic incompatibility loci. This study will provide the foundation for future Wolbachia-induced biological effect studies for control of horn flies.


1965 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Khan ◽  
J. E. Lawson

Spraying yearlings with 2% Co-Ral in July was 100% effective for systemic control of cattle grubs (Hypoderma spp.). Spraying spring calves with 1% Co-Ral in August was equally effective, and gave better control (P < 0.01) than spraying with 1 or 2% Co-Ral in June or 0.5% Co-Ral in July. Co-Ral sprays were not suitable for horn fly (Haematobia irritans L.) control.Two per cent Sevin sprayed on calves in June or July did not control cattle grubs, and only partially controlled horn flies.Compared with the control group, the average daily gain was higher (P < 0.05) to weaning but lower (P < 0.05) in the feedlot in calves sprayed with 2% Sevin in June. Similarly, it was higher (P < 0.05) from birth to the end of the feedlot period in calves sprayed with 2% Co-Ral in June, but lower (P < 0.05) in calves sprayed with 0.5% Co-Ral in July.Mild toxicosis occurred in five calves sprayed with 2% Co-Ral in June, and subclinical toxicosis in calves sprayed with 1% Co-Ral in August.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nenad Macesic ◽  
Sabrina Khan ◽  
Marla J. Giddins ◽  
Daniel E. Freedberg ◽  
Susan Whittier ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT mcr-1, a plasmid-associated gene for colistin resistance, was first described in China in 2015, but its spread in the United States is unknown. We report detection of mcr-1-carrying Escherichia coli ST117 in a cluster of three liver transplant recipients.


mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolene R. Bowers ◽  
Elizabeth M. Driebe ◽  
Valerie Albrecht ◽  
Linda K. McDougal ◽  
Mitchell Granade ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTStrains ofStaphylococcus aureusin clonal complex 8 (CC8), including USA300, USA500, and the Iberian clone, are prevalent pathogens in the United States, both inside and outside health care settings. Methods for typing CC8 strains are becoming obsolete as the strains evolve and diversify, and whole-genome sequencing has shown that some strain types fall into multiple sublineages within CC8. In this study, we attempt to clarify the strain nomenclature of CC8, classifying the major strain types based on whole-genome sequence phylogenetics using both methicillin-resistantS. aureus(MRSA) and methicillin-susceptibleS. aureus(MSSA) genomes. We show that isolates of the Archaic and Iberian clones from decades ago make up the most basal clade of the main CC8 lineages and that at least one successful lineage of CC8, made up mostly of MSSA, diverged before the other well-known strain types USA500 and USA300. We also show that the USA500 type includes two clades separated by the previously described “Canadian epidemic MRSA” strain CMRSA9, that one clade containing USA500 also contains the USA300 clade, and that the USA300-0114 strain type is not a monophyletic group. Additionally, we present a rapid, simple CC8 strain-typing scheme using real-time PCR assays that target single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from our CC8 phylogeny and show the significant benefit of using more stable genomic markers based on evolutionary lineages over traditionalS. aureustyping techniques. This more accurate and accessibleS. aureustyping system may improve surveillance and better inform the epidemiology of this very important pathogen.IMPORTANCEStaphylococcus aureusis a major human pathogen worldwide in both community and health care settings. Surveillance forS. aureusstrains is important to our understanding of their spread and to informing infection prevention and control. Confusion surrounding the strain nomenclature of one of the most prevalent lineages ofS. aureus, clonal complex 8 (CC8), and the imprecision of current tools for typingS. aureusmake surveillance and source tracing difficult and sometimes misleading. In this study, we clarify the CC8 strain designations and propose a new typing scheme for CC8 isolates that is rapid and easy to use. This typing scheme is based on relatively stable genomic markers, and we demonstrate its superiority over traditional typing techniques. This scheme has the potential to greatly improve epidemiological investigations ofS. aureus.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Halpin ◽  
Karen Hill ◽  
Shannon L. Johnson ◽  
David Carlton Bruce ◽  
T. Brian Shirey ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Clostridium botulinum secretes a potent neurotoxin that causes devastating effects when ingested, including paralysis and death if not treated. In the United States, some clinically significant strains produce toxin type A while also harboring a silent B gene. These are the first two closed genome sequences published for this subset.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 5515-5520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick F. McDermott ◽  
Gregory H. Tyson ◽  
Claudine Kabera ◽  
Yuansha Chen ◽  
Cong Li ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTLaboratory-basedin vitroantimicrobial susceptibility testing is the foundation for guiding anti-infective therapy and monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends. We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) technology to identify known antimicrobial resistance determinants among strains of nontyphoidalSalmonellaand correlated these with susceptibility phenotypes to evaluate the utility of WGS for antimicrobial resistance surveillance. Six hundred fortySalmonellaof 43 different serotypes were selected from among retail meat and human clinical isolates that were tested for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobials using broth microdilution. The MIC for each drug was used to categorize isolates as susceptible or resistant based on Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute clinical breakpoints or National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) consensus interpretive criteria. Each isolate was subjected to whole-genome shotgun sequencing, and resistance genes were identified from assembled sequences. A total of 65 unique resistance genes, plus mutations in two structural resistance loci, were identified. There were more unique resistance genes (n =59) in the 104 human isolates than in the 536 retail meat isolates (n =36). Overall, resistance genotypes and phenotypes correlated in 99.0% of cases. Correlations approached 100% for most classes of antibiotics but were lower for aminoglycosides and beta-lactams. We report the first finding of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) (blaCTX-M1andblaSHV2a) in retail meat isolates ofSalmonellain the United States. Whole-genome sequencing is an effective tool for predicting antibiotic resistance in nontyphoidalSalmonella, although the use of more appropriate surveillance breakpoints and increased knowledge of new resistance alleles will further improve correlations.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (22) ◽  
pp. 6936
Author(s):  
Javier Espinoza ◽  
Cristian Medina ◽  
Washington Aniñir ◽  
Paul Escobar-Bahamondes ◽  
Emilio Ungerfeld ◽  
...  

Haematobia irritans is a cosmopolitan obligate blood-feeding ectoparasite of cattle and is the major global pest of livestock production. Currently, H. irritans management is largely dependent on broad-spectrum pesticides, which has led to the development of insecticide resistance. Thus, alternative control methods are needed. Essential oils have been studied as an alternative due to their wide spectrum of biological activities against insects. Thus, the main aim of this study was to evaluate the insecticidal, repellent and antifeedant activity of the essential oils from Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii leaves and Pilgerodendron uviferum heartwood against horn flies in laboratory conditions. The composition of the essential oils was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Accordingly, α-pinene (36.50%) and limonene (20.50%) were the principal components of the B. cruckchanksii essential oil, and δ-cadinol (24.16%), cubenol (22.64%), 15-copaenol (15.46%) and δ-cadinene (10.81%) were the most abundant compounds in the P. uviferum essential oil. Mortality of flies and feeding behavior were evaluated by non-choice tests, and olfactory response was evaluated using a Y-tube olfactometer. Both essential oils were toxic to horn flies, with LC50 values for B. cruckchanksii essential oil of 3.58 µL L−1 air at 4 h, and for P. uviferum essential oil of 9.41 µL L−1 air and 1.02 µL L−1 air at 1 and 4 h, respectively. Moreover, the essential oils exhibited spatial repellency in the olfactometer using only 10 µg of each oil, and these significantly reduced the horn fly feeding at all doses evaluated. Although further laboratory and field studies related to the insectistatic and insecticide properties of these essential oils against H. irritans are necessary, B. cruckshanksii leaves and P. uviferum heartwood essential oils are promising candidates for horn fly management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (36) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan P. Brenner ◽  
Syeda A. Hadi ◽  
Beth Harris ◽  
Suelee Robbe-Austerman ◽  
Srinand Sreevatsan

Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex cause tuberculosis, infamous for enormous impacts on human health. As zoonoses, they also threaten endangered species like African/Asian elephants. We report the whole-genome sequences of Mycobacterium tuberculosis biovars tuberculosis and bovis from two zoo elephants in the United States.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-472
Author(s):  
Márcia Alves de Medeiros ◽  
Antonio Thadeu Medeiros de Barros ◽  
Franklin Riet-Correa ◽  
Ana Rita Marques ◽  
José Radmácyo Gomes Lopes ◽  
...  

Abstract To identify susceptible and resistant Haematobia irritans cows, horn flies were counted biweekly for 3 years in a herd of 25 Sindhi cows. Repeated measures linear mixed models were created including cow as a random factor. The results were analyzed by: 1) observing horn fly counts, considering fly-susceptible cows with infestations appearing in the upper quartile more than 50% of the weeks and in the lower quartile less than 20% of the weeks, and fly-resistant cows those that the number of flies was in the lower quartile more than 50% of the weeks and in the upper quartile less than 20%; 2) by the best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs), to evaluate the cow effect on fly counts. Fly-susceptible cows were those in which the infestation appeared in the 90th percentile of the BLUPs, whereas fly-resistant cows appeared in the 10th percentile. For the observational method the individuals identified as resistant varied between 8% and 20% and 8% to 12% were susceptible. For the BLUP method, the rates of susceptible and resistant cows were 12%. The agreement among methods suggests that susceptible cows can be identified by observations of fly counts, allowing for selective breeding, culling or treatment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (29) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuki Teru ◽  
Jun-ichi Hikima ◽  
Tomoya Kono ◽  
Masahiro Sakai ◽  
Tomokazu Takano ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida is a causative bacterium of fish pasteurellosis, which has caused serious economic damage to aquaculture farms worldwide. Here, the whole-genome sequence of P. damselae subsp. piscicida 91-197, isolated in the United States, suggests that this genome consists of two chromosomes and two plasmids.


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