Genetic Diversity in the Diminazene Resistance-Associated P2 Adenosine Transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) Gene of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>

Trypanosomes are parasitic protozoa that cause severe diseases in humans and animals. The most important species of Trypanosmes include <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i> and <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i>. The most well-known human diseases are sleeping sickness in Africa and Ch...

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Main Authors: Shoaib Ashraf, Ghulam Yasein, Qasim Ali, Kiran Afshan, Martha Betson, Neil Sargison, Umer Chaudhry
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Animals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/5/756
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author Shoaib Ashraf
Ghulam Yasein
Qasim Ali
Kiran Afshan
Martha Betson
Neil Sargison
Umer Chaudhry
author_facet Shoaib Ashraf
Ghulam Yasein
Qasim Ali
Kiran Afshan
Martha Betson
Neil Sargison
Umer Chaudhry
author_sort Shoaib Ashraf
collection DOAJ
description Trypanosomes are parasitic protozoa that cause severe diseases in humans and animals. The most important species of Trypanosmes include <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i> and <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i>. The most well-known human diseases are sleeping sickness in Africa and Chagas disease in South America. The most identified animal diseases include Nagana in the African tsetse fly belt and Surra in South Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. Surra is caused by <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>. Diminazene resistance is an emerging threat caused by <i>T. evansi</i> infecting animals. The underlying mechanism of diminazene resistance is poorly understood. <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i> causes African sleeping sickness. The development of diminazene resistance in <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i> is associated with the alterations in the corresponding P2 adenosine transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) gene. In the present study, by extrapolating the findings from <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense,</i> we analyzed genetic diversity in the P2 adenosine transporter-1 gene (<i>AT-1</i>) from <i>T. evansi</i> to explore a potential link between the presence of mutations in this locus and diminazene treatment in ruminants. We examined <i>T. evansi</i>-infected blood samples collected from goats, sheep, camels, buffalo, and cattle in seven known endemic regions of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Heterozygosity (H<sub>e</sub>) indices indicated a high level of genetic diversity between seven <i>T. evansi</i> field isolates that had resistance-type mutations at codons 178E/S, 239Y/A/E, and 286S/H/I/D/T of the P2 adenosine transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) locus. A low level of genetic diversity was observed in 19 <i>T. evansi</i> field isolates with susceptible-type mutations at codons A178, G181, D239, and N286 of the P2 adenosine transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) locus. Our results on <i>T. evansi</i> warrant further functional studies to explore the relationship between diminazene resistance and the mutations in <i>AT-1</i>.
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spelling doaj-art-a0bab9bf3d294edab3fe9129c5a46f342025-08-20T02:52:35ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-03-0115575610.3390/ani15050756Genetic Diversity in the Diminazene Resistance-Associated P2 Adenosine Transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) Gene of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>Shoaib Ashraf0Ghulam Yasein1Qasim Ali2Kiran Afshan3Martha Betson4Neil Sargison5Umer Chaudhry6College of Veterinary Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore 54660, Punjab, PakistanDepartment of Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, Lahore 54000, Punjab, PakistanDepartment of Parasitology, University of Agriculture D. I. Khan, Dera Ismail Khan Khyber 29050, Pakhtunkhwa, PakistanDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Punjab, PakistanSchool of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UKRoyal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JU, UKLewyt College of Veterinary Medicine, Long Island University, New York, NY 11548, USATrypanosomes are parasitic protozoa that cause severe diseases in humans and animals. The most important species of Trypanosmes include <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i> and <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i>. The most well-known human diseases are sleeping sickness in Africa and Chagas disease in South America. The most identified animal diseases include Nagana in the African tsetse fly belt and Surra in South Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. Surra is caused by <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>. Diminazene resistance is an emerging threat caused by <i>T. evansi</i> infecting animals. The underlying mechanism of diminazene resistance is poorly understood. <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i> causes African sleeping sickness. The development of diminazene resistance in <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense</i> is associated with the alterations in the corresponding P2 adenosine transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) gene. In the present study, by extrapolating the findings from <i>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense,</i> we analyzed genetic diversity in the P2 adenosine transporter-1 gene (<i>AT-1</i>) from <i>T. evansi</i> to explore a potential link between the presence of mutations in this locus and diminazene treatment in ruminants. We examined <i>T. evansi</i>-infected blood samples collected from goats, sheep, camels, buffalo, and cattle in seven known endemic regions of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Heterozygosity (H<sub>e</sub>) indices indicated a high level of genetic diversity between seven <i>T. evansi</i> field isolates that had resistance-type mutations at codons 178E/S, 239Y/A/E, and 286S/H/I/D/T of the P2 adenosine transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) locus. A low level of genetic diversity was observed in 19 <i>T. evansi</i> field isolates with susceptible-type mutations at codons A178, G181, D239, and N286 of the P2 adenosine transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) locus. Our results on <i>T. evansi</i> warrant further functional studies to explore the relationship between diminazene resistance and the mutations in <i>AT-1</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/5/756diminazene<i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>P2 adenosine transporter-1
spellingShingle Shoaib Ashraf
Ghulam Yasein
Qasim Ali
Kiran Afshan
Martha Betson
Neil Sargison
Umer Chaudhry
Genetic Diversity in the Diminazene Resistance-Associated P2 Adenosine Transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) Gene of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>
Animals
diminazene
<i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>
P2 adenosine transporter-1
title Genetic Diversity in the Diminazene Resistance-Associated P2 Adenosine Transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) Gene of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>
title_full Genetic Diversity in the Diminazene Resistance-Associated P2 Adenosine Transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) Gene of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>
title_fullStr Genetic Diversity in the Diminazene Resistance-Associated P2 Adenosine Transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) Gene of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>
title_full_unstemmed Genetic Diversity in the Diminazene Resistance-Associated P2 Adenosine Transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) Gene of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>
title_short Genetic Diversity in the Diminazene Resistance-Associated P2 Adenosine Transporter-1 (<i>AT-1</i>) Gene of <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>
title_sort genetic diversity in the diminazene resistance associated p2 adenosine transporter 1 i at 1 i gene of i trypanosoma evansi i
topic diminazene
<i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>
P2 adenosine transporter-1
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/5/756
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