scholarly journals Chemosensory-Related Gene Family Members of the Horn Fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (Diptera: Muscidae), Identified by Transcriptome Analysis

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 816
Author(s):  
Pia Untalan Olafson ◽  
Christopher A. Saski
Keyword(s):  
Gene Family ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
The United States ◽  
Horn Fly ◽  
Differential Gene ◽  
Horn Flies ◽  
Species Specific

Horn flies are one of the most significant economic pests of cattle in the United States and worldwide. Chemical control methods have been routinely utilized to reduce populations of this pest, but the steady development of insecticide resistance has prompted evaluation of alternative control strategies. Behavior modifying compounds from natural products have shown some success in impacting horn fly populations, and a more thorough understanding of the horn fly chemosensory system would enable improvements in the development of species-specific compounds. Using an RNA-seq approach, we assembled a transcriptome representing genes expressed in adult female and male horn fly head appendages (antennae, maxillary palps, and proboscides) and adult fly bodies from which heads were removed. Differential gene expression analysis identified chemosensory gene family members that were enriched in head appendage tissues compared with headless bodies. Candidate members included 43 odorant binding proteins (OBP) and 5 chemosensory binding proteins (CSP), as well as 44 odorant receptors (OR), 27 gustatory receptors (GR), and 34 ionotropic receptors (IR). Sex-biased expression of these genes was not observed. These findings provide a resource to enable future studies targeting horn fly chemosensation as part of an integrated strategy to control this blood-feeding pest.

scholarly journals Salivary Gland Thrombostasin Isoforms Differentially Regulate Blood Uptake of Horn Flies Fed on Control- and Thrombostasin-Vaccinated Cattle

2010 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 610-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary S. Cupp ◽  
Eddie W. Cupp ◽  
Christine Navarre ◽  
Dunhua Zhang ◽  
Xin Yue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Protein Isoforms ◽  
Horn Fly ◽  
Lower Blood ◽  
New Zealand White Rabbits ◽  
Horn Flies ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Specific Impact ◽  
Polymorphic Nature

Abstract Thrombostasin (TS) is an anticlotting protein found in saliva of Haematobia irritans (horn flies). The polymorphic nature of the ts gene was first associated with success of horn flies blood feeding on a laboratory host, New Zealand White rabbits. In this study, we report results of similar studies testing blood uptake of horn flies feeding on a natural host, cattle. These studies confirmed the association of ts genotype with blood uptake of horn flies and showed that it was host species specific. In contrast to rabbits, blood uptake volumes of homozygous ts10 horn flies were lower than those of other ts genotypes when fed on control (ovalbumin-vaccinated) cattle. Cattle vaccinated with recombinant protein isoforms, rTS9 or rTB8, resisted horn fly feeding by yielding lower blood volumes compared with flies feeding on control cattle. The specific impact of vaccination, however, varied by ts genotype of flies. Cattle vaccinated with isoform rTS9 resisted flies of ts2, ts9, and tb8 genotype. Vaccination with isoform rTB8 produced resistance to ts8, ts9, and tb8 genotype flies. Horn flies of genotype ts10 were not affected by vaccination with either TS isoform and fed as well on rTS9- and rTB8-vaccinated as on control-vaccinated cattle. These experimental results confirm the efficacy of vaccines targeting horn fly salivary proteins and provide new insight into the dynamics of horn fly-cattle interactions in nature.

scholarly journals First report on the molecular detection, phylogeny, virological and pathological investigations of Avibacterium paragallinarum in chickens in Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (03) ◽  
pp. 6378-2020
Author(s):  
SAJID UMAR ◽  
HASAN ONGOR ◽  
ERHAN BAYRAKTAR ◽  
HAZAL OZTURK GURGEN ◽  
BELGI DIREN SIGIRCI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Infections ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
The United States ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Nasal Discharge ◽  
Direct Pcr ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Avibacterium Paragallinarum ◽  
Species Specific

Avibacterium paragallinarum is an important pathogen affecting the respiratory tract of chickens. There is a paucity of information on the molecular characteristics and pathology of A. paragallinarum in Turkish poultry flocks. In the present study, broiler and layer flocks (n = 2) suspected of viral infections with serious respiratory signs and significant mortality were visited. Chickens showed various disease signs and necropsy lesions, including purulent nasal discharge, respiratory distress, facial edema, sticky eyes, mucoid tracheitis, hemorrhagic inflammation of the infraorbital sinuses along with fibrinous mass and conjunctivitis. Histopathological lesions included loss of cilia along with necrosis and exfoliation of the superficial mucosal epithelium of the trachea, facial cellulitis, dermatitis, fibrinous plasmatic edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells, especially heterophils. A. paragallinarum was detected in tissue samples by species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the core region of the hemagglutinin (HA) gene revealed that Turkish strains detected here belonged to serotype A (serovar A1). They were related to strains reported from India (VRDC), the United States (0083), and Japan (0221), which are representatives of serovar A1. A homology of 88-90% was found between Indian strains and the Turkish strains detected in this study. Surprisingly, only vaccine strains of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were detected as a co-infecting agent in all samples positive for A. paragallinarum. Our findings suggest that A. paragallinarum may be an emerging pathogen in Turkish poultry flocks, and direct PCR may facilitate rapid diagnosis of infectious coryza. These results will also help to develop control strategies for A. paragallinarum.

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
Keyword(s):  
Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Evolutionary Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wolbachia Pipientis ◽  
Haematobia Irritans ◽  
Horn Fly ◽  
Horn Flies ◽  
Horizontal Acquisition

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.

scholarly journals Insecticidal, Repellent and Antifeedant Activity of Essential Oils from Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii (Hook. & Arn.) Nied. Leaves and Pilgerodendron uviferum (D. Don) Florin Heartwood against Horn Flies, Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae)

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (22) ◽  
pp. 6936
Author(s):  
Javier Espinoza ◽  
Cristian Medina ◽  
Washington Aniñir ◽  
Paul Escobar-Bahamondes ◽  
Emilio Ungerfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Essential Oil ◽  
Essential Oils ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Antifeedant Activity ◽  
Haematobia Irritans ◽  
Horn Fly ◽  
Horn Flies

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.

Commingled black and white cows (Bos taurus; Angus and Charolais) in high-elevation rangeland are differentially parasitised by Haematobia irritans

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 1727
Author(s):  
John D. Scasta ◽  
Travis Smith
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Haematobia Irritans ◽  
Horn Fly ◽  
Economic Thresholds ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
White Cattle ◽  
Performance Development ◽  
Horn Flies

Globally horn flies (Haematobia irritans) are one of the most economically damaging parasites of beef cattle. These obligate blood-feeding external parasites take blood meals from cattle leading to blood loss, annoyance avoidance behaviours, and reductions in animal performance. Development of chemical resistance by horn flies suggests that novel management strategies are needed. More in-depth understanding of parasitism relative to hide colour and temperature, especially in a changing climate, may enhance animal production. In peak parasitism periods of 2016 and 2017, we measured horn fly loads on commingled black Angus and white Charolais cows in a cold high-elevation rangeland in Wyoming, USA. We tested how breed, year, and interactions explained horn fly parasitism and economic thresholds. In 2016 we also measured ambient and external cow temperatures to further elucidate thermal ecology mechanisms explaining horn fly hide colour preferences. Mean annual horn fly infestations were always four times greater or more on black cows than white cattle both years, but not all cattle reached economic thresholds all years and the breed by year interaction was not significant. Difference in horn fly preference for black cattle over white cattle in our cold high-elevation environment may be explained by greater absolute and relative external surface temperatures of black hided cows. Host colour and thermal preferences of horn flies could be incorporated into integrated pest management strategies that only treat darker hided cattle and producers in cold high-elevation environments conduct real-time monitoring to determine if treatments are even needed on a year-by-year basis.

scholarly journals 48 Genetic study of horn fly abundance in beef cattle

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 16-17
Author(s):  
Ashley Ling ◽  
Taylor Krause ◽  
Bradley Heins ◽  
Nancy Hinkle ◽  
Dean Pringle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Horn Fly ◽  
Injury Threshold ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Rate Of Decay ◽  
Horn Flies

Abstract Disturbing the non-symbiotic relationship between horn flies and cattle is of economic, health, and animal welfare importance. Reliance on management and insecticides has proven inadequate. In the United States, horn flies are estimated to cause more than $1 billion in economic losses on pastured cattle annually. Although insecticides provide temporary control, their efficacy is hampered by several factors. Intensive insecticide use has led to horn fly resistance and decreased predation on horn flies by other insects. Due to the cost and logistic complexity of measuring fly resistance traits under commercial conditions, the genetic basis of these traits remains largely unknown. Only a few heritability estimates are available based on small-scale studies. Currently, the economic injury threshold (EIT) due to horn fly abundance (onset of production decay) is set at around 200 flies for beef cattle. This threshold is largely heuristically set. Additionally, the rate of decay in performance as a function of fly abundance after injury onset is unknown. It is also likely that EIT is breed and animal specific. Data used in this study was collected during the summer of 2019. Animals were not treated or managed in any way to control horn flies prior to data collection. Animals were assessed subjectively and based on image counts for horn fly abundance. Estimates of heritability of horn fly abundance ranged between 0.14 and 0.22 for subjective and image-based phenotypes. The lowest heritability was for the subjective assessment, likely due to the excessive variation between evaluators. Changepoint model-based analysis showed that EIT is variable between sire families, ranging from 265 to 413 flies. Furthermore, there was significant difference in the decay of performance after the onset of injury. The rate of decay ranged between -0.0003 and -0.00018. Collectively, these results indicate the potential to improve horn fly resistance/tolerance using genetic tools.

scholarly journals Mercy towards decarceration: Examining the legal constraints on early release from prison

Incarceration ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 263266632097780
Author(s):  
Alexandra Cox ◽  
Dwayne Betts
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Family Members ◽  
The United States ◽  
Early Release ◽  
The Us ◽  
Legal Constraints ◽  
Release From Prison

There are close to seven million people under correctional supervision in the United States, both in prison and in the community. The US criminal justice system is widely regarded as an inherently unmerciful institution by scholars and policymakers but also by people who have spent time in prison and their family members; it is deeply punitive, racist, expansive and damaging in its reach. In this article, we probe the meanings of mercy for the institution of parole.

Shame and blame: Secondary stigma among families of convicted sex offenders

2021 ◽  
pp. 174889582110173
Author(s):  
Douglas Evans ◽  
Adam Trahan ◽  
Kaleigh Laird
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Family Members ◽  
The United States ◽  
Formerly Incarcerated ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Sex Offender Registry

The detriment of incarceration experienced by the formerly incarcerated has been increasingly explored in the literature on reentry. A tangential but equally concerning issue that has recently received more research attention is the effect on family members of the incarcerated. The stigma of a criminal conviction is most apparent among families of convicted sex offenders, who experience consequences parallel to those of their convicted relative. Drawing from interviews with 30 individuals with a family member incarcerated for a sex offence in the United States, this study explores manifestations of stigma due to familial association. The findings suggest that families face negative treatment from social networks and criminal justice officials, engage in self-blame and that the media’s control over the narrative exacerbates family members’ experiences. Given the pervasiveness of criminal justice system contact, the rapid growth of the sex offender registry in the United States, and the millions of family members peripherally affected by one or both, justice system reforms are needed to ensure that family members are shielded from the harms of incarceration and registration.

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