Universiteto mokslo publikacijos / University Research Publications

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: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12259/36910

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  • conference paper
    Mardosaitė-Busaitienė, Dalytė 
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    Snegiriovaitė, Justina 
    ;
    Kaminskienė, Evelina 
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    Radzijevskaja, Jana 
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    Balčiauskas, Linas
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    Paulauskas, Algimantas 
    17th Rodens et spatium- international conference on rodent biology 22–26 May 2023, Valladolid, Spain : book of abstracts / editors S. Herrero-Cófreces, J. J. Luque-Larena
    Borrelia spp. are Gram-negative spirochaetes transmitted by ticks that cause Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne relapsing fever. Small mammals are important reservoir hosts for Borrelia pathogens. The aim of our study was to investigate the presence of Borrelia spp. in small mammals and their ticks. A total of 149 small mammals belonged to seven species (Apodemus flavicollis, Microtus arvalis, Microtus oeconomus, Clethrionomys glareolus, Micromys minutus, Sorex araneus and Sorex minutus) were captured in the Curonian Spit of Lithuania. Ticks were carefully removed from the rodents, identified morphologically and using molecular methods. In total, 800 ticks (673 Ixodes ricinus and 127 Dermacentor reticulatus) were collected. Urine bladders samples of small mammals and ticks were analysed for the presence of Borrelia DNA using real-time PCR, conventional and nested PCR targeting 16S rRNA, outer surface protein A (ospA) genes and 16S-23S intergenic spacer region. Borrelia species and strains were determined using sequence analysis of the ospA gene and 16S-23S intergenic spacer region. Borrelia DNA was detected in 4.7 % of examined urine bladders, 11.8% D. reticulatus and 7.7% I. ricinus samples. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia miyamotoi in M. arvalis and M. oeconomus rodents and both tick species. This study is the first report documenting the presence of B. afzelii and B. miyamotoi DNA in D. reticulatus ticks from small rodents in Lithuania.
  • conference paper
    Mardosaitė-Busaitienė, Dalytė 
    ;
    Razgūnaitė, Miglė 
    ;
    Radzijevskaja, Jana 
    ;
    Balčiauskas, Linas
    ;
    Paulauskas, Algimantas 
    17th Rodens et spatium- international conference on rodent biology 22–26 May 2023, Valladolid, Spain : book of abstracts / editors S. Herrero-Cófreces, J. J. Luque-Larena
    Small rodents are natural reservoir hosts of various pathogens, including Babesia microti (Aconoidasida: Piroplasmida), an emerging tick-borne parasite. Worldwide, zoonotic and non-zoonotic B. microti strains have been identified in rodents. However, the distribution of B. microti in Europe is insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Babesia parasites in different species of small rodents collected in Lithuania and to characterize the detected Babesia strains using partial sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene. A total of 1180 rodents were trapped in 19 locations of different habitats in the western and eastern parts of Lithuania by using live or snap traps. DNA was extracted from rodent spleens. Babesia DNA was detected in 2.8% of rodents. Infected rodents were trapped in nine sampling locations. The species-based differences in the prevalence of Babesia parasites were significant, with the highest prevalence found in Microtus oeconomus (14.5%) and Microtus agrestis (7.1%) followed by Clethrionomys glareolus (2.3%), Apodemus flavicollis (2.2%) and Micromys minutus (1.3%). A higher prevalence of Babesia parasites was detected in rodents trapped in the meadow (5.67%) than in the ecotone (1.69%) and forest (0.31%). The sequence analysis of the partial 18S rRNA gene reveals that Babesia isolates were 99–100% identical to the human pathogenic Babesia microti Jena/Germany strain. Our findings show that small rodents, especially Microtus voles, are involved in the circulation of the zoonotic B. microti Jena/Germany strain in Lithuania. This study also is the first report documenting Babesia infection in M. minutus. Funding: Part of this research is funded by the European Social Fund under the Nr. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-09-0270 “Development of Competences of Scientists, other Researchers and Students through Practical Research Activities” measure.
  • conference paper
    Vaitkevičienė, Rūta
    ;
    Burbulis, Natalija 
    ;
    Masiene, Ramune 
    ;
    Degutyte, Rimgaile
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    Zadeike, Daiva
    17th international scientific conference "The vital nature sign", May 18-19, 2023, Kaunas, Lithuania: abstract book / editors A. Maruška, N. Tiso, V. Kaškonienė, M. Stankevičius
    The regulation of horticultural plant growth and the facilitation of the environmental stresses are important factors characterising the productivity of cultivated plants. In this study, the bioactive components of fermented (F), also ultrasonicated (US), and enzyme hydrolysed (E) rice bran (RB) was used to plant growth substrate (PGS) in a greenhouse experiment on beans and tomatoes to enhance their growth promotion ability and resistance against stem and root rot-associated pathogens. Functionalised RB was analysed for the organic acid, phenolic acid, sugar, and amino acid profiles, and antifungal activity against seventeen plant phytopathogens associated with stem and root rot. The efficiency of the applied tools was evaluated according to the germination rate of seeds, shoot height and root length of seedlings, as well as chlorophyll concentration in plants. Fermented RB showed the most growth inhibitory effect against soil-born plant pathogens such as Fusarium, Pythium, Sclerotinia, Aspergillus, Pseudomonas, and Verticillium spp. Beans and tomatoes have grown in with RBUS+E and RBF supplemented PGS significantly (P < 0.05) increased germination rate (up to 75%), root length (26‒36%), and shoot height (25‒47%) compared to seedlings grown in PGS. RB additives increased up to 32.5% of the chlorophyll content in both plants grown under greenhouse conditions. The present study suggests that the biological potential of rice processing waste can be increased using solid-state fermentation and US technologies. Supplementation of PGS with functionalised RB additives positively affected the growth performance of beans and tomatoes.