U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory: Beltsville, MD
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Resources
                        Our ScientistsSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Northeast Area Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            MAKSIMOV, PAVLO - Friedrich-Loeffler-institutitem
                                            ZERWECK, JOHANNES - Jpt, Peptide Technologies Gmbhitem
                                            Dubey, Jitenderitem
                                            PANTCHEV, NIKOLA - Idexx Laboratoriesitem
                                            FREY, CAROLINE - Institute Of Parasitology - Germanyitem
                                            MAKSIMOV, ALINE - Friedrich-Loeffler-institutitem
                                            REIMER, ULF - Jpt, Peptide Technologies Gmbhitem
                                            SCHUTKOWSKI, MIKE - Martin Luther Universityitem
                                            HOSSEININEJAD, MORTEZA - University Of Shahrekorditem
                                            ZILLER, MARIO - Friedrich-Loeffler-institutitem
                                            CONRATHS, FRANZ - Friedrich-Loeffler-institutitem
                                            SCHARES, GEREON - Friedrich-Loeffler-institut
  Submitted to: PLOS ONE
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2013
                                    Publication  Date: 11/7/2013
                                    Citation: Maksimov, P., Zerweck, J., Dubey, J.P., Pantchev, N., Frey, C.F., Maksimov, A., Reimer, U., Schutkowski, M., Hosseininejad, M., Ziller, M., Conraths, F.J., Schares, G. 2013. Serotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in Cats (Felis domesticus) Reveals Predominance of Type II Infections in Germany. PLoS One. 8(11):e80213:1- 16. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080213.Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in children, and abortion in livestock. Cats are the main reservoir of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the resistant stage (oocyst) of the parasite in the feces. Humans become infected by eating under cooked meat from infected animals and food and water contaminated with oocysts. Why some people become sick from toxoplasmosis whereas others remain symptomless is not fully known but the genetic variation among isolates is considered one of the factors. Genetic typing has been based on charactetrization of DNA from the parasite obtsained from infected host and the methods are cumbersome. The authors here describe genotyping based on antibody types in blood reacting to certain protein fractions from the parasite. The results will be of interest to biologists, and Parasitologists.
                                Technical Abstract: Background: Cats are definitive hosts of Toxoplasma gondii and play an essential role in the epidemiology of this parasite. The study aims at clarifying whether cats are able to develop specific antibodies against different clonal types of T. gondii and to determine by serotyping the T. gondii clonal types prevailing in cats as intermediate hosts in Germany.  Methodology: To establish a peptide-microarray serotyping test, we identified 27 suitable peptides using serological T. gondii positive (n=21) and negative cat sera (n=52). To determine the clonal type-specific antibody response of cats in Germany, 86 field sera from T. gondii seropositive naturally infected cats were tested. In addition, we analyzed the antibody response in cats experimentally infected with non-canonical T. gondii types (n=7). Findings: In reference sera of cats infected with one of the three canonical clonal types of T. gondii reactions dominated with peptides harbouring homologous type-specific sequences. When the array was applied to field sera from Germany, 97.7% (84/86) of naturally-infected cats recognized similar peptide patterns as T. gondii type II reference sera and showed the strongest reaction intensities with clonal type II-specific peptides. In addition, naturally infected cats recognized type II-specific peptides significantly more frequently than peptides of other type- specificities. Cats infected with non-canonical types showed the strongest reactivity with peptides specific for both, type I and type III. Conclusions: Cats are able to mount a clonal type-specific antibody response against T. gondii. Serotyping revealed for most seropositive field sera patterns resembling those observed after clonal type II-T. gondii infection. This finding is in accord with our previous results on the occurrence of T. gondii clonal types in oocysts shed by cats in Germany.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov