English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Background  The tick-borne intra-erythrocytic apicomplexan  Babesia caballi  is one of the etiological agents of equine babesiosis, an economically important disease of equids in most tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Discovering candidate antigens for improved diagnostic tools and vaccines remains needed for controlling equine babesiosis. This study describes the  B. caballi sbp4  ( Bcsbp4 ) gene and protein ( Bc SBP4) and analyzes its antigenicity in infected equids.    Methods  BLAST searches of an uncurated  B. caballi  assembly genome using the  B. bovis  SBP4 as a query were carried out, followed by PCR amplification and sequencing of a newly identified  Bc SBP4. Characterization of this novel gene and protein was performed by bioinformatics analysis, western blots, immunofluorescence (IFA) and an  in vitro  neutralization test using anti SBP4 peptide antibodies. Antigenicity of recombinant  Bc SBP4 (r Bc SBP4) was tested with sera from field animals ( n  = 18) using an indirect ELISA (iELISA).    Results   Babesia caballi  genome searches using  B. bovis  SBP4 as a query allowed identification of a novel gene termed  Bcsbp4.  The  Bcsbp4  gene encodes for a protein of 30.58 kDa, which is fully conserved among  B. caballi  isolates from USA and Egypt. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that  Bc SBP4 contains a signal peptide and lacks additional transmembrane domains. Expression of  Bc SBP4 in blood stages of  B. caballi  was confirmed by western blot and IFA using antibodies against synthetic peptides representing putative B-cell epitopes of  Bc SBP4 predicted by  in silico  analysis.  In vitro  neutralization tests using anti- Bc SBP4 peptide antibodies showed a marginal, but statistically significant inhibitory effect on the infectivity of  B. caballi  merozoites in horse red blood cells. Sera from eight  B. caballi -infected equids, but none out of ten negative equid control sera, gave a positive signal in an r Bc SBP4 based iELISA.    Conclusions  The  Bcsbp4  gene is expressed in  B. caballi  blood stages. The  Bc SBP4 protein is a potential candidate for developing a novel serological test that could detect  B. caballi  infection in equids in tropical and subtropical countries worldwide.

Identification and antigenicity of the Babesia caballi spherical body protein 4 (SBP4)