Immunoproteomics of the oomycete Pythium insidiosum: antigens candidates for the diagnosis of equine pythiosis

• Grant number: 16/10804-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2018
• Effective date (End): February 29, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Sandra de Moraes Gimenes Bosco
• Grantee: Jéssica Luana Chechi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/08761-7 - Immunoblot of oomycetes Pythium insidiosum: search of candidate antigens for diagnosis of pythiosis, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Pythiosis, whose etiologic agent is the oomycete Pythium insidiosum, is a life-threatening disease that occurs most often in countries with tropical and subtropical climate affecting several animal species, including human, being more prevalent in horses. The disease is difficult to diagnose because often the hyphae of the pathogen is confused with Zygomycetes fungi in histological sections. Treatment of pythiosis is also difficult, since, as an oomycete, the pathogen does not respond satisfactorily to the available antifungal drugs due to the absence of ergosterol in the plasma membrane, requiring surgical procedures, when possible. Studies on protein characterization of this pathogen are scarce. In Thailand, where the disease is endemic in humans, studies has shown that the main protein fraction recognized by patients is a protein of 74 kDa, which has been considered immunodominant antigen. It is noteworthy that studies of characterization of P. insidiosum by proteomic approach have already been performed in our laboratory. The gels analyzed using Image Master 2D Platinun software v 7.5 (GE Healthcare) had 186 spots with molecular weight 12-89 kDa and an isoelectric point of 4-7, 103 of these were cut and sequenced. A total of 36 proteins were identified and grouped according to their functions, six of them were classified as proteins related to virulence - ² 1,3 glucan synthase, Hsp 70, enolase, peroxiredoxin 2, G protein and the proteasome ² unit. These results will provide the basis for the development of this proposal. In view of this, the objective of this project is the characterization of immunodominant proteins of the oomycete P. insidosum in equine pythiosis, using analytical techniques such as two-dimensional electrophoresis, Western blot, peptide sequencing by mass spectrometry and bioinformatics. From the characterization of immunodominant proteins, it is expected the identification of pathogen antigens, which may aid in the early diagnosis of equine pythiosis and encourage the development of new therapies for the disease.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CHECHI, JESSICA LUANA; ROTCHANAPREEDA, TIWA; DA PAZ, GISELLE SOUZA; PRADO, ANA CAROLINA; OLIVEIRA, ALANA LUCENA; SOUZA VIEIRA, JOSE CAVALCANTE; RABELO BUZALAF, MARILIA AFONSO; RODRIGUES, ANDERSON MESSIAS; DELAZARI DOS SANTOS, LUCILENE; KRAJAEJUN, THEERAPONG; et al. Prospecting Biomarkers for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches in Pythiosis. JOURNAL OF FUNGI, v. 7, n. 6, JUN 2021. (16/10804-8, 19/08761-7, 18/08009-0)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

CHECHI, Jéssica Luana. Immunoproteomics of the oomycete Pythium insidiosum: candidate antigens for the diagnosis of equine pythiosis. 2020. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Botucatu Botucatu.