Establishment of blood forms cultures of Babesia bovis and of ox endothelial cells for infection tests

• Grant number: 16/14207-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2016
• End date: July 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Youssef Bargieri
• Grantee: Juliana Calit Paim
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/13119-6 - Cell biology and molecular genetics of hemoparasites, AP.JP

Abstract

Babesia bovis is a bovine parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa and is endemic in almost all the Brazilian territory. Bovine babesiosis outbreaks have an important impact on the agricultural economy, so the control of this disease is critical. B. bovis is an obligate intracellular parasite, and has erythrocytes as host cells where they multiply. However, recent studies have shown that blood forms of Babesia, the merozoites, are able to move (glide) on solid substrates. In natural infections, the only solid substrate available for B. bovis merozoites is the endothelial wall. The gliding of B. bovis merozoites may indicate that the parasite is capable of infecting bovine endothelial cells, where a tissue schizogony process would produce more merozoites, but more slowly, maintaining sub-patent infections. This type of tissue schizogony in endothelial cells is observed in infections of chickens with Plasmodium galinaceum a parasite phylogenetically related to Babesia. The objective of this project is to test whether B. bovis is able to invade and multiply inside bovine endothelial cells. For this, B. bovis cultures will be established in cattle erythrocytes and the parasites will then be co-cultured with endothelial cells, which will be visualized by light microscopy. (AU)