There is currently no vaccine against American trypanosomiasis, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. This is due to the genomic variation observed in the six DTUs of T. cruzi. This work aims to propose a consensus sequence of the enolase protein from different strains of T. cruzi and mainly evaluate its immunogenic properties at the bioinformatic level. From specialized databases, 15 sequences of the enolase gene were aligned to obtain a consensus sequence, where this sequence was modeled and then evaluated and validated through different bioinformatic programs to learn their immunogenic potential. Finally, chimeric peptides were designed with the most representative epitopes. The results showed high immunogenic potential with six epitopes for MHC-I, and seven epitopes for MHC-II, all of which were highly representative of the enolase present in strains from the American continent as well as five epitopes for B cells. Regarding the computational modeling, molecular docking with Toll-like receptors showed a high affinity and low constant of dissociation, which could lead to an innate-type immune response that helps to eliminate the parasite. In conclusion, the consensus sequence proposed for enolase is capable of providing an ideal immune response; however, the experimental evaluation of this enolase consensus and their chimeric peptides should be a high priority to develop a vaccine against Chagas disease.

Aim: Influenza control demands multifaceted strategies, including antiviral drugs. Baloxavir, a recent addition to influenza treatment, acts as an inhibitor of the Polymerase acid (PA) component of the viral polymerase. However, mutations associated with resistance have been identified. Purpose: This study analyzed PA gene sequences of influenza A and B viruses (IAV and IBV, respectively) reported in the Americas, retrieved from databases published until May 2023, to identify primary markers of resistance to baloxavir. Patients and Methods: PA gene sequences were obtained from the GISAID and NCBI databases, focusing on countries in the Americas with 500 or more sequences for IAV, and 50 or more sequences for IBV. Results: Of the 58,816 PA sequences analyzed for IAV, only 55 (0.1%) harbored resistance markers, representing approximately 1 in 1000 occurrence. The most frequent markers were I38V (21 cases) and I38M (7 cases) at position 38 of PA, followed by E199G (9 cases) at position 199. For IBV, 14,684 sequences were analyzed, of which only eight presented a resistance marker (0.05%). Five sequences had the M34I marker, while the remaining three had the I38V marker. While frequency of resistance markers in PA is comparable to other regions, these results highlight the need for enhanced sequencing efforts, particularly in Latin America. Such efforts would serve to intensify influenza surveillance and inform public health interventions. Conclusion: While baloxavir demonstrates efficacy against influenza, resistance markers have been identified, including pre-existing ones. Our study adds eight (IAV: six and IBV: two) new spontaneously occurring substitutions to the existing literature, highlighting the need for continued surveillance. Among these, I38M stands out due to its significant tenfold reduction in drug susceptibility. Therefore, vigilant monitoring of these resistance markers in IAV and IBV remains crucial for maintaining baloxavir’s effectiveness and informing future public health interventions.

Background: Chagas disease is considered a neglected tropical disease. The acute phase of Chagas disease is characterized by several symptoms: fever, fatigue, body aches, headache and cardiopathy’s. Chronic phase could be asymptomatic or symptomatic with cardiac compromise. Since the emergence of the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cardiovascular involvement has been identified as a complication commonly reported in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Due to the lack of knowledge of the cardiac affectations that this virus could cause in patients with Chagas disease, the aim of this review is to describe the possible cardiac affectations, as well as the treatment and recommendations that patients with both infections should carry out. Methods: The authors revised the recent and relevant literature concerning the topic and discussed advances and limitations of studies on COVID-19 and their impact in Chagas disease patients, principally with cardiac affectations. Results: There currently exists little information about the consequences that Chagas disease patients can suffer when they are infected with COVID-19. Conclusions: This review highlights the emerging challenges of access to medical care and future research needs in order to understand the implications that co-infections (SARS-CoV-2 or other viruses) can generate in Chagas disease-infected people.

Corn cultivation represents the largest type of agricultural production in Mexico, with great economic, social, and cultural importance. The health of corn producers could be compromised by the extensive and accumulated use of pesticides. The effects of pesticides in terms of their cytotoxic and genotoxic damage in two groups of peasant maize producers in Tlaxcala, Mexico, were considered here. The buccal micronucleus cytome assay was used as an indicator of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, along with nuclear abnormalities present in farmers who had used pesticides in the last thirty years. In total, 21 commercial products used in corn production were identified, mainly herbicides belonging to the chlorophenoxy, triazine, and organophosphate compounds; in addition, it was observed that a small group of farmers use the active ingredient carbofuran, as well as insecticides and fungicides. The results show that farmers with higher pesticide use present higher rates of cytotoxic and genotoxic damage compared to the group of producers with higher incidence rates of agroecological practices and lower rates of pesticide use, as revealed by the micronucleus assay, as well as by nuclear abnormalities present in the epithelial cells of the buccal mucosa. The agroecological farmer group used only herbicides, with the 2,4-D (Hierbamina) being the greatest use in maize cultivation.

The nucleoid-associated protein Fis functions as a global regulator that influences various cellular processes in Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we examined the role of Fis in the transcriptional regulation of type 3 fimbriae in Klebsiella pneumoniae, a notable opportunistic pathogen associated with hospital-acquired infections. Our transcriptional analyses revealed that deleting the fis gene caused a significant upregulation of mrkA and mrkH, the genes responsible for the structure and regulation of type 3 fimbriae, respectively. Additionally, phenotypic assays demonstrated that the Δfis mutant exhibited enhanced biofilm formation and greater adherence to A549 lung epithelial cells compared to the wild-type strain. These effects were restored to wild-type levels in the cis-complemented strain. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays confirmed that Fis directly binds to the regulatory regions upstream of both mrkA and mrkH, indicating that repression occurs through direct interaction with the promoter. In summary, our findings show that Fis acts as a transcriptional repressor of mrkA and mrkH, thereby negatively regulating the expression of type 3 fimbriae, biofilm formation, and adherence. This study highlights Fis as a direct regulator of fimbrial expression and biofilm development in K. pneumoniae, deepening our understanding of its virulence regulatory network.

The genus Pycnoporus includes fungi with great potential for the production of antibiotic substances. It is necessary to develop new models to assess their effectiveness against microorganisms with an economic impact, such as phytopathogenic fungi. The objective of this study is to evaluate three models of Pycnoporus sanguineus for the growth inhibition of the phytopathogens Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum. Model 1 involves dual tests of the antagonistic activity of P. sanguineus vs. phytopathogens, Model 2 involves antifungal effectiveness tests of cinnabarin, and Model 3 involves antifungal effectiveness tests of P. sanguineus extract. Models 2 and 3 are contrasted with products containing benomyl and captan. The results show that Model 3 is the most effective in controlling B. cinerea, with an inhibition percentage of 74.34% (p < 0.05) and a decrease in the growth rate (3.85 mm/day; p < 0.05); the same is true for F. oxysporum, with an inhibition percentage of 47.14% (p < 0.05). In general, F. oxysporum exhibits greater resistance (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicate that P. sanguineus extracts may be used as control agents for fungal species in the same way as other Pycnoporus species. Although commercial products are very efficient at inhibiting phytopathogens, one must consider the disadvantages of their use. In the short term, new models involving Pycnoporus for biological control in food production will be developed.