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The Pirbright Institute publication directory contains details of selected publications written by our researchers.

There were a total of 2609 results for your search.
Jafari G, Appleford P J, Seago J, Pocock R, Woollard A (2011)

The UNC-4 homeobox protein represses mab-9 expression in DA motor neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans

Mechanisms of Development 128 (1-2), 49-58
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mod.2010.09.005

Abstract

The T-box transcription factor mab-9 has been shown to be required for the correct fate of the male-specific blast cells B and F, normal posterior hypodermal morphogenesis, and for the correct axon migration of motor neurons that project circumferential commissures to dorsal muscles. In this study, an RNAi screen designed to identify upstream transcriptional regulators of mab-9 showed that silencing of unc-4 (encoding a paired-class homeodomain protein) increases mab-9::gfp expression in the nervous system, specifically in posterior DA motor neurons. Over-expression of unc-4 from a heat-shock promoter has the opposite effect, causing repression of mab-9 in various cells. We find that mab-9 expression in unc-37 mutants is also elevated in DA motor neurons, consistent with known roles for UNC-37 as a co-repressor with UNC-4. These results identify mab-9 as a novel target of the UNC-4/UNC-37 repressor complex in motor neurons, and suggest that mis-expression of mab-9 may contribute to the neuronal wiring defects in unc-4 and unc-37 mutants.
Kaufmann C, Ziegler D, Schnaffner F, Carpenter S, Pfluger V, Mathis A (2011)

Evaluation of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry for characterization of Culicoides nubeculosus biting midges

Medical and Veterinary Entomology 25 (1), 32-38
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2915.2010.00927.x

Abstract

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has shown promise in species identification of insect species. We evaluated its potential to consistently characterize laboratory-reared biting midges of the species Culicoides nubeculosus (Meigen) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). Twenty-one reproducible potential biomarker masses for C. nubeculosus were identified under different experimental treatments. These treatments included the homogenization of insects in either water or known concentrations of formic acid. The biomarker masses were present independent of age, gender and different periods of storage of individuals in 70% ethanol (a standard preservation method). It was found that the presence of blood in females reduced the intensity of the MALDI-TOF pattern, necessitating the removal of the abdomen before analysis. The protein profiles of a related non-biting midge, Forcipomyia sp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), and of Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes were also examined and were distinctly different. These findings provide preliminary data to optimize future studies in differentiation of species within the Culicoides genus using MALDI-TOF MS which is a rapid, simple, reliable and cost-effective technique.
Kedmi M, Galon N, Herziger Y, Yadin H, Bombarov V, Batten C, Shpigel N Y, Klement E (2011)

Comparison of the epidemiology of epizootic haemorrhagic disease and bluetongue viruses in dairy cattle in Israel

Veterinary Journal 190 (1), 77-83
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.10.003

Abstract

An outbreak of epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) in cattle in Israel in 2006 enabled a comparison of the spatial distribution of epidemic exposure to EHDV with that of exposure to bluetongue virus (BTV), which is endemic in the country. The seroprevalence of both viruses was examined in 1650 serum samples collected from 139 farms representative of the spatial distribution of dairy cattle in Israel. A significant association between exposure to EHDV and BTV was demonstrated in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Recent exposure to BTV and EHDV (demonstrated by seroprevalence in calves) was clustered in different geographical locations, indicating that the two viruses had different patterns of spread, that of EHDV being influenced by winds and terrain barriers and that of BTV by herd immunity.
Kedmi M, Levi S, Galon N, Bomborov V, Yadin H, Batten C, Klement E (2011)

No evidence for involvement of sheep in the epidemiology of cattle virulent epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus

Veterinary Microbiology 148 (2), 408-412
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2010.09.015

Abstract

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) is an Orbivirus. While not previously considered as an important disease in cattle, several EHDV serotypes (EHDV-6 and 7) have recently been implicated in disease outbreaks. The involvement of sheep in the epidemiology of EHDV is still not understood. In this study we compared the prevalence of antibodies to EHDV and bluetongue virus (BTV) in sheep to their prevalence in cattle after an outbreak of EHDV that occurred in Israel during 2006. Sixty-six sheep and lambs scattered in seven herds were compared to 114 cows and calves scattered in 13 dairy cattle herds, matched to the sheep herds by location. While antibody prevalence to EHDV was high in cattle (35.2% within the outbreak zone) no evidence of exposure to EHDV was found in sheep (p
King D P, Burman A, Gold S, Shaw A E, Jackson T, Ferris N P (2011)

Integrin sub-unit expression in cell cultures used for the diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease

Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 140 (3-4), 259-265
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2011.01.008

Abstract

The ability to propagate foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) plays an important role in laboratory diagnosis and the production of vaccines to control the spread of the disease. Many established cell lines suffer from poor sensitivity for isolating virus from field samples. One possible factor that limits sensitivity to FMDV is the lack of expression of surface integrins, the primary class of cell receptor used by FMDV to initiate infection. In this study we have sequenced cDNAs encoding these molecules for pigs and subsequently developed quantitative real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assays to quantify underlying mRNA transcription of integrin molecules. These novel assays were used together with flow-cytometry to determine cell surface expression and of 4 different cell culture systems. These studies have identified a clear correlation of sensitivity to FMDV with expression of integrins ?V?6 and ?V?8. In contrast, cell surface expression of ?V?3 or mRNA for the ?1, ?3 or ?5 subunits did not appear to contribute to sensitivity of cells to FMDV. These findings confirm the requirement for ?V6 and ?V?8 as receptors for isolating FMDV from clinical samples and provide important tools and information for the rational design of recombinant cell lines containing these ligands for improved FMDV diagnosis and vaccine production.
Aarthi S, Raj G D, Raman M, Blake D, Subramaniam C, Tomley F (2011)

Expressed sequence tags from Eimeria brunetti-preliminary analysis and functional annotation

Parasitology Research 108 (4), 1059-1062
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2182-6

Abstract

As a first attempt to generate sequence information from the protein-coding genes of the genomically unknown parasite, Eimeria brunetti, a cDNA library was generated from purified sporozoites in the ?TriplEx2™ vector. Analysis of 283 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from the cDNA library constructed revealed 12 contigs (26 ESTs) and 257 singletons. BLASTx analysis revealed that 50 transcripts had significant matches to known proteins, whereas the remaining 233 had no significant matches, probably representing novel genes. Based on Gene Ontology classification, the transcripts were categorized as biological process (46 ESTs), molecular function (37 ESTs), and cellular component (19 ESTs). The transcripts analyzed show maximum homology to the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Despite the small number of transcripts, this is the first transcriptome analysis of E. brunetti and provides preliminary data that will increase understanding of parasite biological function.
Abbas R Z, Iqbal Z, Blake D, Khan M N, Saleemi M K (2011)

Anticoccidial drug resistance in fowl coccidia: the state of play revisited

Worlds Poultry Science Journal 67 (2), 337-349
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s004393391100033x

Abstract

The development of drug resistance in Eimeria is common because of extensive use of anticoccidial drugs for the control of avian coccidiosis. The significance of chemotherapy is evident from the fact that, in spite of advancement in the field of immunological, biotechnological and genetic methods, prophylactic chemotherapy with anticoccidial drugs is still widely used for the control of coccidiosis. In such situations, new drugs should be available to replace the older ones against which resistance has developed, however it takes a long time to develop any new compounds. It is therefore currently necessary to develop strategies to minimise the emergence of resistance in Eimeria strains and to prolong the effect of available anticoccidial drugs. This paper summarises the resistance status of Eimeria species in different parts of the world and reviews different types of resistance, mechanism of resistance development, factors involved in the development and spread of resistance, management of resistant strains and strategies to preserve the efficacy of the available anticoccidial drugs. Use of vaccines, synthetic and botanical anticoccidials and educating farmers about recommended coccidiosis control practices are discussed in this review, along with the integration of currently available options for the management of drug resistance and, ultimately, the control of coccidiosis.
Abdul-Hamid N F, Hussein N M, Wadworth J, Radford A D, Knowles N J, King D P (2011)

Phylogeography of foot-and-mouth disease virus types O and A in Malaysia and surrounding countries

Infection, Genetics and Evolution 11 (2), 320-328
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2010.11.003

Abstract

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in the countries of mainland Southeast Asia where it represents a major obstacle to the development of productive animal industries. The aim of this study was to use genetic data to determine the distribution of FMD virus (FMDV) lineages in the Southeast Asia region, and in particular identify possible sources of FMDV causing outbreaks in Malaysia. Complete VP1 sequences, obtained from 214 samples collected between 2000 and 2009, from FMD outbreaks in six Southeast Asian countries, were compared with sequences previously reported. Phylogenetic analysis of these sequences showed that there were two patterns of FMDV distribution in Malaysia. Firstly, for some lineages (O/SEA/Mya98 and serotype A), outbreaks occurred every year in the country and did not appear to persist, suggesting that these incursions were quickly eradicated. Furthermore, for these lineages FMD viruses in Malaysia were closely related to those from neighbouring countries, demonstrating the close epidemiological links between countries in the region. In contrast, for O/ME-SA/PanAsia lineage, viruses were introduced and remained to cause outbreaks in subsequent years. In particular, the recent incursion and maintenance of the PanAsia-2 sublineage into Malaysia appears to be unique and independent from other outbreaks in the region. This study is the first characterisation of FMDV in Malaysia and provides evidence for different epidemiological sources of virus introduction into the country.
Abdul-Hamid N R, Firat-Sarac M, Radford A D, Knowles N J, King D P (2011)

Comparative sequence analysis of representative foot-and-mouth disease virus genomes from Southeast Asia

Virus Genes 43 (1), 41-45
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11262-011-0599-3

Abstract

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in mainland Southeast Asia where up to seven genetically distinct viral lineages co-circulate (O/SEA/Mya-98, O/SEA/Cam-94, O/ME-SA/PanAsia, O/ME-SA/PanAsia-2, O/CATHAY, A/ASIA/Sea-97, and serotype Asia 1). The aim of this study was to analyse the sequence variability between representative complete genomes for these seven lineages. The genome sequences varied from 8130 to 8192 nucleotides in length and shared nucleotide identities ranging from 91.8 to 78.9%. Broad-scale differences such as block and codon deletions observed in these genomes paralleled features that have been reported previously for other FMDV sequences from Southeast Asia. Comparison between these sequences revealed the presence of 2501 variant sites which were more evident in regions encoding surface capsid proteins (VP2, VP3 and VP1) compared to regions encoding non-structural proteins. Specific comparisons between closely related O/ME-SA sequences showed that the distribution of variant sites was focussed particularly at the 5' end of the genome indicating that recombination may have occurred during the evolution of the O/ME-SA/PanAsia-2 lineage. These sequences provide insights into the evolutionary mechanisms by which new lineages generate genetic and antigenic novelty in the region and will form the basis of studies to define the spatio-temporal epidemiology of FMDV.
Aharonson-Raz K, Steinman A, Bumbarov V, Maan S, Maan N S, Nomikou K, Batten C, Potgieter C, Gottlieb Y, Mertens P, Klement E (2011)

Isolation and phylogenetic grouping of equine encephalosis virus in Israel

Emerging Infectious Diseases 17 (10), 1883-1886
Publisher’s version: http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1710.110350

Abstract

During 2008–2009 in Israel, equine encephalosis virus (EEV) caused febrile outbreaks in horses. Phylogenetic analysis of segment 10 of the virus strains showed that they form a new cluster; analysis of segment 2 showed ?92% sequence identity to EEV-3, the reference isolate. Thus, the source of this emerging EEV remains uncertain.

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