Bioimaging analysis on erythrocyte invasion mechanisms of Babesia bovis

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25850199
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Veterinary medical science
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: ASADA Masahito 長崎大学, 熱帯医学研究所, 助教 (40587028)
• Research Collaborator: YAHATA Kazuhide 長崎大学, 熱帯医学研究所, 助教 ; HAKIMI Hassan 長崎大学, 熱帯医学研究所, 特任研究員 ; YOKOYAMA Naoaki 帯広畜産大学, 原虫病研究センター, 教授 ; IGARASHI Ikuo 帯広畜産大学, 原虫病研究センター, 教授 ; KANEKO Osamu 長崎大学, 熱帯医学研究所, 教授 ; SUAREZ E. Carlos ワシントン州立大学, 獣医学部, 准教授 ; KAWAZU Shin-ichiro 帯広畜産大学, 原虫病研究センター, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: バベシア / ウシ / 赤血球侵入 / 滑走運動 / 遺伝子組換え

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Babesia bovis is an intraerythrocytic apicomplexan parasite, which is transmitted by ticks and causes the disease bovine babesiosis in cattle. In this study, we developed transfection system on B. bovis by using double selection with WR99210 and blasticidin-S, which enables us to perform double transfection in the parasite. Then, we analyzed gliding motility of B. bovis merozoite by disrupting TRAP gene families. Moreover, we analyzed the egress mechanism of the parasite. We found egress was artificially induced in vitro using calcium ionophore A23187 and thapsigargin which increase Ca(2+) concentration in the cytosol of the parasite cells. These finding will contribute to develop new therapeutic strategies to bovine babesiosis.

Free Research Field

原虫病学