Project description:We report the presence of Onchocerca ochengi and O. volvulus derived small RNAs in bovine nodule fluids and human serum and plasma, respectively. Further comparisons with other related filarial nematodes like Litomosoides sigmodontis and Dirofilaria immitis reveal common and distictive signatures associated to the Onchocerca species.
Project description:This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/ Onchocerca volvulus is a filarial nematode parasite of humans, causing Onchocerciasis, or River Blindness, which affects over 37 million people, mainly in Africa. It is a severely debilitating disease, which is transmitted to humans by black fly. This project aims to undertake high-throughput sequencing of Onchocerca volvulus transcriptome for de novo assembly of transcripts. The main objective of this project is to recognize genes expressed in given life stages.
Project description:We report the presence of Onchocerca ochengi and O. volvulus derived small RNAs in bovine nodule fluids and human serum and plasma, respectively. Further comparisons with other related filarial nematodes like Litomosoides sigmodontis and Dirofilaria immitis reveal common and distictive signatures associated to the Onchocerca species. Examination of small RNA content in bovine nodule fluids and human serum/plasma by Next Generation sequencing
Project description:The filarial nematodes Brugia malayi, Wuchereria bancrofti and Onchocerca volvulus cause elephantiasis, dermatitis and blindness, resulting in severe morbidity in developing countries. 1.3 billion people are at risk of infection. Targeting the essential Wolbachia endobacteria of filarial nematodes with doxycycline has proven to be an effective therapy, resulting in a block in embryogenesis and worm development, and macrofilaricidal effects. However, doxycycline is contraindicated for a large portion of the at-risk population. To identify new targets for anti-wolbachial therapy, understanding the molecular basis of the Wolbachia-filaria symbiosis is required. We performed cross-species hybridization by using the Brugia malayi microarray to identify differentially expressed genes in the rodent filaria Litomosoides sigmodontis after depletion of Wolbachia which therefore might have a role in symbiosis.
Project description:Opioids such as morphine have many beneficial properties as analgesics, however, opioids may induce multiple adverse gastrointestinal symptoms. We have recently demonstrated that morphine treatment results in significant disruption in gut barrier function leading to increased translocation of gut commensal bacteria. However, it is unclear how opioids modulate the gut homeostasis. By using a mouse model of morphine treatment, we studied effects of morphine treatment on gut microbiome. We characterized phylogenetic profiles of gut microbes, and found a significant shift in the gut microbiome and increase of pathogenic bacteria following morphine treatment when compared to placebo. In the present study, wild type mice (C57BL/6J) were implanted with placebo, morphine pellets subcutaneously. Fecal matter were taken for bacterial 16s rDNA sequencing analysis at day 3 post treatment. A scatter plot based on an unweighted UniFrac distance matrics obtained from the sequences at OTU level with 97% similarity showed a distinct clustering of the community composition between the morphine and placebo treated groups. By using the chao1 index to evaluate alpha diversity (that is diversity within a group) and using unweighted UniFrac distance to evaluate beta diversity (that is diversity between groups, comparing microbial community based on compositional structures), we found that morphine treatment results in a significant decrease in alpha diversity and shift in fecal microbiome at day 3 post treatment compared to placebo treatment. Taxonomical analysis showed that morphine treatment results in a significant increase of potential pathogenic bacteria. Our study shed light on effects of morphine on the gut microbiome, and its role in the gut homeostasis.