January 2011

Identification and characterization of an mRNA trans-splicing leader in Schistosoma japonicum

RNA trans-splicing occurs in a wide range of eukaryotes, from protozoa to chordates. Here, the study presents the discovery of a spliced-leader (SL) RNA in the zoonotic trematode, Schistosoma japonicum. The 36-nucleotide SL in S. japonicum was derived from a 90-nucleotide non-polyadenylated RNA transcript encoded by 55 copies of SL genes dispersed throughout the genome. Differential transcription patterns of the SL gene...

Author(s): LiLi Hao, Pengfei Cai, Ning Jiang, Cecilia Thors and Qijun Chen,

January 2011

Trace metal profiles of Nigerians with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense-infection

We investigated the profile of some trace metals in human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) infected individuals in three Abraka communities of Delta State, Nigeria. Thirty five seropositives were categorized as weakly positive (n = 9), moderately positive (n = 12) and strongly positive (n = 14). The iron concentrations for weakly, moderately and strongly positives when compared with control subjects...

Author(s): C. Isaac, O. P. G. Nmorsi, I. B. Igbinosa, D. O. Umukoro, C. I. Ikaraoha, and N. C. D. Ukwandu

January 2011

Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in pregnant women in an IPTp setting in the Offinso District of Ghana

Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent and deadly of all the malaria species is known to be genetically diverse. This cross–sectional study assessed the genetic diversity of P. falciparum parasites in pregnant women in the Offinso District. Blood samples of pregnant women, irrespective of their intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy (IPTp) status, were examined for parasitaemia and species...

Author(s): Emmanuel Osei Tutu, John Larbi , Bernard Lawson, Charles Brown and Edmund Browne

January 2011

Prevalence of Phasi Charoen virus in female mosquitoes

The authors previously characterized a partial nucleic acid sequence for a novel virus, Phasi Charoen virus (PhaV), which was isolated from Aedes aegypti larvae in Thailand, and PhaV appears to belong to the family Bunyaviridae based on phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences. In this study, we examined whether adult female mosquitoes in Thailand are infected by PhaV, and they found that over...

Author(s): Yusuke Sayama, , Yuki Eshita, Takuya Yamao, Miho Nishimura, Tomomitsu Satho, Raweewan Srisawat, Narumon Komalamisra, Yupha Rongsriyam, Kouji Sakai, Shuetsu Fukushi, Masayuki Saijo, Hitoshi Oshitani, Ichiro Kurane, Shigeru Morikawa and Tetsuya Mizutani