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- Title
Cytochrome b Drug Resistance Mutation Decreases Babesia Fitness in the Tick Stages But Not the Mammalian Erythrocytic Cycle.
- Authors
Chiu, Joy E; Renard, Isaline; George, Santosh; Pal, Anasuya C; Alday, P Holland; Narasimhan, Sukanya; Riscoe, Michael K; Doggett, J Stone; Mamoun, Choukri Ben; Ben Mamoun, Choukri
- Abstract
Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne malaria-like illness caused by Babesia parasites following their development in erythrocytes. Here, we show that a mutation in the Babesia microti mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) that confers resistance to the antibabesial drug ELQ-502 decreases parasite fitness in the arthropod vector. Interestingly, whereas the mutant allele does not affect B. microti fitness during the mammalian blood phase of the parasite life cycle and is genetically stable as parasite burden increases, ELQ-502-resistant mutant parasites developing in the tick vector are genetically unstable with a high rate of the wild-type allele emerging during the nymphal stage. Furthermore, we show that B. microti parasites with this mutation are transmitted from the tick to the host, raising the possibility that the frequency of Cytb resistance mutations may be decreased by passage through the tick vector, but could persist in the environment if present when ticks feed.
- Subjects
TICK infestations; CYTOCHROME b; DRUG resistance; BABESIA; PARASITE life cycles; TICKS; MOSQUITO vectors; BABESIOSIS diagnosis; ANTIPROTOZOAL agents; PROTOZOA; BABESIOSIS; RESEARCH; GENETIC mutation; ANIMAL experimentation; RESEARCH methodology; EVALUATION research; COMPARATIVE studies; RESEARCH funding; QUINOLONE antibacterial agents; PARASITES; ERYTHROCYTES; HEMOPROTEINS; PHARMACODYNAMICS; INFECTIOUS disease transmission
- Publication
Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2022, Vol 225, Issue 1, p135
- ISSN
0022-1899
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1093/infdis/jiab321