Vocabulary

1 - Introduction 2 - Rift Valley Fever Virus 3 - Bluetongue Virus 4 - Vesicular Stomatitis 5 - Vocabulary 6 - Web Links 7 - Outside Reports

ABADRU: Arthropod-Borne Animal Diseases Research Unit. The lab is located on the campus of the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming.

Antibody: any immunoglobin binding a defined antigen at its antigen-containing site.

Antigen: any molecule capable of interacting in a stable way with the antigen-combining site of an immunoglobin molecule.

Antigenic determinant: the portion of an antigenic molecule which interacts directly on the molecular level with the antigen-combining site of an immunoglobin molecule.

Arthropod: an organism with a segmented body and jointed legs. It usually has a body shell.

Culicoides: A biting midge of the family Ceratopognidae, order Diptera. Larvae are commonly found in mud just below the water line of standing waters open to sunlight with organic (manure) loading. Adult females take blood meals to support development of eggs. There are three species in this complex found in different geographical areas. C. sonorensis, the primary carrier of bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic viruses, is found in the western and southwestern U.S. C. variipennisis found throughout the eastern U.S. C. occidentalisis limited to saline/alkaline lakes of the far western and southwestern U.S. All three species are found in regions worldwide defined by the climate.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA): the genetic material of most organisms. In many organisms the DNA form chromosomes.

dsRNA: two complementary strands of RNA that stick together in a manner similar to double-stranded DNA molecules. The Reoviridae virus family, which includes bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic viruses, has segments of dsRNA as their genetic material.

Entomology: the study of insects. Our focus lies mainly with the arthropod Culicoides species described above.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA): a diagnostic reaction which measures an antibody-antigen reaction. These can be designed to measure either viral antigen or specific antibody concentrations in a biological sample. They must be configured around a monoclonal antibody.

Epitope: antigenic determinant.

Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH): a technique which allows one to identify the precise chromosomal location of specific DNA fragments. The technique allows one to visualize the chromosome location that a fluorescently labeled fragment of DNA binds to by visualizing the flourescent emissions.

Freeze Susceptible: refers to organisms that cannot survive the freezing of their tissues.

Freeze Tolerant: refers to organisms that can survive freezing of their tissues.

Hybridoma: monoclonal antibody-secreting cell line derived from the fusion of a single antibody-producing B lymphocyte with a mouse myeloma (cancer) cell.

Ice Nucleating Proteins (INPOs): found in some freeze tolerant organisms, INPOs catalyze ice nucleation in the extracellular space, thereby initiating cell dehydration and helping the organism avoid lethal effects of intercellular freezing.

In-Situ Western: a technique based on a Western Blot where the labeling of the desired protein is done in cells with fluorescent-labeled antibodies.

Iso-Electric Focusing: the process of separating all of a cell's materials on a gel to determine if a specific gene or protein is in it. The materials in the cell extract are first separated by size, then the gel is rotated and material is further separated by isoelectric charge. The membrane is then probed with a labeled antibody to see if the material of interest is in the cell.

Monoclonal Antibody (MAbs): antibody produced by B lymphocytes from a single cell. Therefore, a monoclonal antibody is mono-specific and reacts with a single epitope.

Pathogen: a foreign organism which successfully infects and causes disease in another organism. Common pathogens are viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoan parasites.

Polyclonal Antibody (PAbs): antibodies produced by populations of B lymphocytes, each with a different epitope specificity.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): a method for amplifying small, specific DNA fragments by using a thermostable DNA polymerase. Two short sequences of DNA bracketing the desired sequence are designed as primers to synthesize new strands of DNA containing that sequence. The DNA doubles with each round of amplification. After 40 or 50 rounds the amplified sequence should be present in enough quantity to be seen on an electrophoresis gel.

Polymorphism: the existance within a population of two or more types for a given trait.

Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPDs): a PCR technique where short primers (10 bases long) are used. Since they are short, the primers anneal to different sections of DNA throughout the genome and amplify all of those sections. 

Reassortment: the process which can occur when two viruses simultaneously infect a single cell and exchange one or more gene fragments. The resulting virus is called a reassortment. This rarely occurs naturally between two different species.

Serogroup: viruses that are related by having similar antigenic or shared epitopes on a number of proteins. 

Serotype: a group of viruses distinguished on the basis of their antigenic properties. This is more restrictive than a serogroup. For example, there are 24 serotypes of virus within the BLU serogroup and 10 serotypes of virus within the EHD group.

Sentinel Herd: a herd of animals, i.e. cattle, in which the animals have been tested to determine the individual animals are free of a specific pathogen and not to have antibodies to it. Blood samples are taken periodically to determine if antibodies are present against the pathogen. Sentinal herds are an important tool to monitor pathogen transmission in a region.

Sequencing: the process of determining the nucleic acid composition of a gene. Initially this was accomplished by separating PCR products on a gel with radioactively-labeled bases. However, recent innovations in sequencing technology have allowed us to convert to a fluorescently-labeled, automated system that has greatly reduced potential exposure to hazardous materials.

Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs): sections of DNA which contain a simple repeated sequence, e.g. CACACA... and are randomly distributed throughout the genome. We isolate sections containing these repeats, sequence them, and develop specific primers to amplify specific regions using PCR. After amplification, polymorphisms can be observed between individuals. We have 35 different SSLPs that can be used as genetic markers for mapping.

Species: the members in aggregate of a group of populations which interbreed or potentially interbreed with each other under natural circumstances.

Subspecies: a named geographic race. A set of populations of a species which share one or more distinctive characteristics and occupy a different geographic area from other subspecies.

Stress Proteins: proteins that are produced in response to some sort of physiologic challenge, such as exposure to high or low temperatures.

Super Cooling Point: the temperature at which water spontaneously freezes.

Thermal Hysteresis Proteins (THPOs): proteins which prevent the growth of ice crystals in an organism.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): the federal agency resposible for overseeing all aspects of agriculture in the U.S. It is responsible for developing and improving food and economically important plants and animals. It is also responsible for inspecting and ensuring high quality foods for humans are produced.

Vector: an organism which becomes infected with a pathogen and then actively transmits the pathogen to another host.

Vector Capacity: the ability of an arthropod to be a vector. Vector capacity consists of a broad range of different characteristics associated with the basic reproductive rate of a vector-pathogen, e.g. vector competence, biting behavior, host preference, vector density, longevity, etc.

Vector Competence: the traits directly associated with the interaction between a pathogen and its vector. Competence includes the ability of an arthropod to be infected with the pathogen, and the ability of the infected vector to transmit the pathogen.

Viral receptor: a chemical, usually a protein with or without attachment of other chemical molecules, on a host or vector cell which binds the virus. The receptor is required for effective infection and is usually located on the plasma membrane of the cell.

Virology: the study of viruses.

Western blot: a procedure where all proteins and genetic material are extracted from a cell and separated based on their response to an electric charge in a gel. The material is then transferred to a nylon membrane and checked for the presence of a specific protein(s) using labeled antibody(s).

 

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