MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF Echinococcus granulosus
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF Echinococcus granulosus
This is a research group of the Departament of Biotechnology and Center of Biotechnology of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, dedicated to studies of gene organization and control of gene expression in the Cestodes Echinococcus granulosus and Mesocestoides corti. The group also participates in genome projects.
Arnaldo Zaha, D.Sc., Coordinator, Associate Professor
Henrique B. Ferreira, D.Sc., Vice-coordinator, Associate Professor
Veridiana G. VirgínioVeridiana G. Virgínio, M. Sc., D.Sc. Student, Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, UFRGS
Karina Mariante Monteiro, M. Sc. Student, Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology , UFRGS
Patrícia Schönhofen, Undergraduate Student, Biological Sciences, UFRGS
The organism we are studying is the cestode Echinococcus granulosus . This parasite causes the disease known as hydatidosis , that is a serious problem in Rio Grande do Sul.
Our group is interested in studies aiming a better understanding of gene organization and control of gene expression in his parasite. Immunodiagnostic testes for human hydatid disease based on recombinant antigens are being developed. Genes encoding antigens, particularly antigen B are being characterized. The group is also analysing the population structure of this parasite and other cestodes.
We are working in collaboration with the folowing groups:
Dr. Cecília Fernández, Catedra de Inmunologia, Facultad de Quimica, Instituto de Higiene, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
Dr. Juan José Cazzullo from the Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de General San Martin, Provincia de Buenos Aires, San Martin, Argentina
Dr. Karen L. Haag, Departamento de Genética, Inatituto de Biociências, UFRGS
Dr. Igor Polikarpov, Grupo de Cristalografia, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, SP
Dr. Mara Cecilia Rosenzvit, Instituto de Enfermedades Infecciosas-Administración Nacional de Institutos y Laboratorios de Salud ANLIS Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Siles-Lucas M, Nunes CP, Zaha A. Comparative analysis of the 14-3-3 gene and its expression in Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes. Parasitology 122(Pt 3):281-287 (2001).
Herrera EC, Yamamoto RR, Rodrigues JJS, Farias SE, Ferreira HB & Zaha, A Echinococcus granulosus: Cloning and Functional in vitro Characterization of an Actin-filament Fragmenting Protein. Experimental Parasitology 97: 215-225 (2001).
Chemale G, Haag, K. L., Ferreira, H. B. & Zaha, A. Echinococcus granulosus antigen B is encoded by a gene family Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 116: 233-237 (2001).
Chemale G, van Rossum AJ, Jefferies JR, Barrett J, Brophy PM, Ferreira HB, Zaha A. Proteomic analysis of the larval stage of the parasite Echinococcus granulosus. Proteomics 3: 1633-1636 (2003).
Bartholomei-Santos ML, Heinzelmann LS, Oliveira RP, Chemale G, Gutierrez AM, Kamenetzky L, Haag KL, Zaha A. Isolation and characterization of microsatellites from the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. Echinococcus granulosus. Parasitology 126: 599-605 (2003).
Virginio VG, Hernandez A, Rott MB, Monteiro KM, Zandonai AF, Nieto A, Zaha A, Ferreira HB. A set of recombinant antigens from Echinococcus granulosus with potential for use in the immunodiagnosis of human cystic hydatid disease. Clin Exp Immunol 132: 309-315 (2003).
Arend AC, Zaha A, Ayala FJ & Haag KL. The Echinococcus granulosus antigen B shows a high degree of genetic variability. Exp Parasitol. 108: 76-80 (2004).
Aguero F, Noe G, Hellman U, Repetto Y, Zaha A & Cazzulo JJ. Purification, cloning, and expression of the mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (mMDH) from protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus. Mol Biochem Parasitol 137: 207-214 (2004).
Nunes CP, Zaha A, Gottstein B, Muller N, Siles-Lucas M del M. 14-3-3 gene characterization and description of a second 14-3-3 isoform in both Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis. Parasitol Res. 93: 403-409 (2004).
Haag KL, Alves-Junior L, Zaha A & Ayala FJ. Contingent, non-neutral evolution in a multicellular parasite: natural selection and gene conversion in the Echinococcus granulosus antigen B gene family. Gene 333: 157-167 (2004).
Nunes CP, Zaha A, Gottstein B, Muller N, Siles-Lucas Mdel M. 14-3-3 gene characterization and description of a second 14-3-3 isoform in both Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis. Parasitol Res. 93: 403-409 (2004).
Aguero F, Noe G, Hellman U, Repetto Y, Zaha A, Cazzulo JJ. Purification, cloning, and expression of the mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (mMDH) from protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 137: 207-214 (2004).
Arend AC, Zaha A, Ayala FJ, Haag KL. The Echinococcus granulosus antigen B shows a high degree of genetic variability. Exp Parasitol. 108: 76-80 (2004).
Chemale G, Ferreira HB, Barrett J, Brophy PM, Zaha A. Echinococcus granulosus antigen B hydrophobic ligand binding properties. Biochim Biophys Acta 1747: 189-194 (2005).
Kamenetzky L, Muzulin PM, Gutierrez AM, Angel SO, Zaha A, Guarnera EA, Rosenzvit MC. High polymorphism in genes encoding antigen B from human infecting strains of Echinococcus granulosus. Parasitology 131: 805-815 (2005).
Grimm ED, Portugal RV, de Oliveira Neto M, Martins NH, Polikarpov I, Zaha A, Ferreira HB. Structural analysis of an Echinococcus granulosus actin-fragmenting protein by small-angle x-ray scattering studies and molecular modeling. Biophys J. 90: 3216-3223 (2006).
Haag KL, Zanotto PM, Alves-Junior L, Gasser RB, Zaha A, Ayala FJ. Searching for antigen B genes and their adaptive sites in distinct strains and species of the helminth Echinococcus. Infect Genet Evol. 6: 251-261 (2006).
Roratto PA, Bartholomei-Santos ML, Gutierrez AM, Kamenetzky L, Rosenzvit MC, Zaha A. Detection of genetic polymorphism among and within Echinococcus granulosus strains by heteroduplex analysis of a microsatellite from the U1 snRNA genes. Genet Mol Res. 5: 542-552 (2006) .
Monteiro KM, Scapin SM, Navarro MV, Zanchin NI, Cardoso MB, da Silveira NP, Goncalves PF, Stassen HK, Zaha A, Ferreira HB. Self-assembly and structural characterization of Echinococcus granulosus antigen B recombinant subunit oligomers. Biochim Biophys Acta 1774: 278-285 (2007) .
Virginio VG, Taroco L, Ramos AL, Ferreira AM, Zaha A, Ferreira HB, Hernandez A. Effects of protoscoleces and AgB from Echinococcus granulosus on human neutrophils: possible implications on the parasite's immune evasion mechanisms. Parasitol Res. 100: 935-942 (2007).
Etel Rodrigues Pereira Gimba - Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, UFRGS. Thesis title: Caracterização das seqüências promotoras dos genes de actina EgactI e EgactII de Echinococcus granulosus. Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Presented in September 1999. Examination Committee: Dr. Samuel Goldenberg (FIOCRUZ, RJ), Dr. Suely Lopes Gomes (USP, SP), Dr. Augusto Schrank (UFRGS, RS).
Marilise B. Rott - Graduate Course in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, UFRGS. Thesis title: Caracterização de duas diferentes subunidades do antígeno B de Echinococcus granulosus e avaliação sorológica de antígenos recombinantes. Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Presented in October 2000. Examination Committee: Dr. José Franco da Silveira Filho (UNIFESP, SP), Dr. Franklin D. Rumjanek (UFRJ, RJ), Dr. Aoi Masuda (UFRGS, RS).
Elizabeth Cortez Herrera - Graduate Course in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, UFRGS. Thesis title: Clonagem e caracterização do gene EgAFFP que codifica uma proteína de Echinococcus granulosus pertencente à família das proteínas que clivam filamentos de actina. Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Presented in April 2001. Examination Committee: Dr. Bianca S. Zingales (IQ-USP, SP), Dr. Célia Carlini (UFRGS, RS) e Dr. Aoi Masuda (UFRGS, RS).
Gustavo Chemale - Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, UFRGS. Thesis title: Caracterização do antígeno B e análise proteômica de Echinococcus granulosus. Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha, Co-adviser: Henrique B. Ferreira. Presented in October 2002. Examination Committee: Dr. Edmundo C. Grisard (CCB - UFSC, SC), Dr. Carlos G. Teixeira (PUC, RS) e Dr. Arthur G. F. Neto (UFRGS, RS).
Marlise L. Bartholomei-Santos - Graduate Course in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, UFRGS. Thesis title: Isolamento e caracterização de microssatélites do genoma de Echinococcus granulosus (Cestoda, Taeniidae). Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Presented in February 2003. Examination Committee: Dr. Andréa Mara Macedo (UFMG, MG), Dr. Thales Renato Ochotorena de Freitas (UFRGS, RS), Dr. João Antonio Pegas Henriques (UFRGS, RS).
Cláudia Paiva Nunes - Graduate Course in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, UFRGS. Thesis title: Estudo de proteínas 14-3-3 em Echinococcus granulosus. Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Presented in July 2003. Examination Committee: Dr. Cecília Fernández (Univ. de la Republica, Uruguai), Dr. Carlos Graeff Teixeira (PUC-RS), Dr. Aoi Masuda (UFRGS, RS).
M.Sc. DissertationsLaize Tomazi - Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, UFRGS. Dissertation title: "Caracterização de uma seqüência genômica de Echinococcus granulosus relacionada à actina e estudo filogenético dos genes de actina de Platyhelminthes". Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Co-advisers: Dr. Henrique B. Ferreira and Dr. Karen L. Haag. Presented in January 2000.
Monica Laner Blauth - Graduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology, UFRGS. Dissertation title: "Caracterização de seqüências genômicas relacionadas aos antígenos B1 e B2 de Echinococcus granulosus em diferentes espécies de cestódeos". Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Co-adviser: Dr. Henrique B. Ferreira. Presented in December 2000.
Veridiana G. Virginio - Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, UFRGS. Dissertation title: "Avaliação do potencial imunodiagnóstico de antígenos recombinantes de Echinococcus granulosus e desenvolvimento de um teste sorológico para hidatidose humana". Adviser: Henrique B. Ferreira. Presented in October 2002.
Alessandra Loureiro Morassutti - Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, UFRGS. Dissertation title: "Clonagem, expressão e caracterização da MnSOD de Echinococcus granulosus". Adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Co-advisers: Gustavo Chemale and João Henrique C. Kanan. Presented in April 2004.
Eliana Denise Grimm - Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, UFRGS. Dissertation title: Caracterização estrutural da proteína EgAFFP de Echinococcus granulosus. Adviser: Henrique B. Ferreira. Presented in April 2005.
Karina Mariante Monteiro - Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, UFRGS. Dissertation title: Caracterização estrutural de oligômeros de subunidades recombinantes do antígeno B de Echinococcus granulosus. Adviser: Henrique B. Ferreira. Co-adviser: Arnaldo Zaha. Presented in October 2006.
The Institutions that support our research
Our group receives financial support from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Ministry of Science and Technology (PADCT, RHAE), Foundation for Research Support in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS), Comission of the European Communities, and RTPD Network (SIDA/SAREC).
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