The Human Milk Oligosaccharide Lacto-N-Fucopentaose III Conjugated to Dextran Inhibits HIV Replication in Primary Human Macrophages
Background/Objectives: Individuals with HIV on combined antiretroviral therapy (ART) with virologic suppression exhibit chronic immune activation and immune dysfunction. Numerous studies have shown that human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) controls the postnatal transmission of HIV-1, but its effect on adult HIV-1 infection is not known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-HIV activity …
Stable colonization of the model kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus by Trypanosoma cruzi Y strain
Trypanosoma cruzi is a single-celled eukaryotic parasite responsible for Chagas disease, a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Central and South America. While the host-pathogen interactions of T. cruzi have been extensively studied in vertebrate models, investigations into its interactions within its insect host remain limited. To address this gap and establish a genetically …
Jessica Kissinger named 2025 University Professor
CTEGD faculty member Jessica Kissinger earned the distinction of University Professor, a title bestowed on those who have made a significant impact on the university in addition to fulfilling their regular academic responsibilities. An integral voice on the university’s 2020 and 2025 strategic planning committees, Kissinger has championed initiatives designed to move UGA into …
The contribution of the Golgi and the endoplasmic reticulum to calcium and pH homeostasis in Toxoplasma gondii
The cytosolic Ca2+ concentration of all cells is highly regulated demanding the coordinated operation of Ca2+ pumps, channels, exchangers and binding proteins. In the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii calcium homeostasis, essential for signaling, governs critical virulence traits. However, the identity of most molecular players involved in signaling and homeostasis in T. gondii are unknown or …
Evaluating the Benefits and Limits of Multiple Displacement Amplification With Whole-Genome Oxford Nanopore Sequencing
Multiple displacement amplification (MDA) outperforms conventional PCR in long fragment and whole-genome amplification, making it attractive to couple MDA with long-read sequencing of samples with limited quantities of DNA to obtain improved genome assemblies. Here, we explore the efficacy and limits of MDA for efficient low-cost genome sequence assembly using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONTs) rapid …
A limitation lifted: A conditional knockdown system reveals essential roles for Polo-like kinase and Aurora kinase 1 in Trypanosoma cruzi cell division
While advances in genome editing technologies have simplified gene disruption in many organisms, the study of essential genes requires development of conditional disruption or knockdown systems that are not available in most organisms. Such is the case for Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite that causes Chagas disease, a severely neglected tropical disease endemic to Latin America …
Combined fluorescent in situ hybridization and F- ara-EdU staining on whole mount Hymenolepis diminuta
Hymenolepis diminuta is a parasitic tapeworm that utilizes rats as hosts and offers advantages over human parasitic tapeworms and free-living flatworms as a model system to study the biology and pathology of helminth infections. H. diminuta is minimally infectious to humans, easy to maintain in the lab, demonstrates impressive growth, regeneration, and reproductive capabilities, and is amenable to …
PfFBXO1 is essential for inner membrane complex formation in Plasmodium falciparum during both asexual and transmission stages
Plasmodium species replicate via schizogony, which involves asynchronous nuclear divisions followed by semi-synchronous segmentation and cytokinesis. Successful segmentation requires a double-membranous structure known as the inner membrane complex (IMC). Here we demonstrate that PfFBXO1 (PF3D7_0619700) is critical for both asexual segmentation and gametocyte maturation. In Toxoplasma gondii, the FBXO1 homolog, TgFBXO1, is essential for the …
mSphere of Influence: Lighting up organellar communication in protozoan parasites
Diego Huet works in molecular parasitology, focusing on the organellar biology of Toxoplasma gondii. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the article “Efficient proximity labeling in living cells and organisms with turboID” (Branon et al., 2018) impacted his research and the strategies used to dissect inter-organellar interactions in T. gondii. Diego …