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Clément Lozano

Publications and source records attributed to Clément Lozano.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Pilot metaproteomic profiling reveals bacterial diversity and potential medical and veterinary relevance of tick microbiomes in northern Algeria.

Ticks are major ectoparasites and vectors of pathogens affecting humans, livestock, and wildlife. They harbor diverse microbial communities that may influence tick biology and interactions with microorganisms; however, functional information on tick-associated microbiomes remains limited, particularly in North Africa. In this pilot study, we applied a metaproteomic approach based on high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry to characterize bacterial communities associated with three tick species collected in Algeria: Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Hyalomma aegyptium, and Hyalomma dromedarii. Peptide spectra were assigned to taxa using a two-step database search strategy based on NCBInr, and bacterial composition and relative abundance were compared across tick species and sampling locations. A total of 40 bacterial genera belonging to 32 families and four phyla were identified. Microbiome composition differed significantly between tick genera and collection locations, suggesting an influence of species-specific and geographical factors on microbial community structure. Dominant genera included Streptomyces, Bacillus, Clostridium, Escherichia, Flavobacterium, Paenibacillus, and Providencia. Peptides related to Coxiella spp. were frequently detected, consistent with previous reports of Coxiella-like endosymbionts in ticks. This pilot study provides a first metaproteomic characterization of tick-associated communities in Algeria. The results reveal species- and location-associated differences in microbial composition and highlight the potential of metaproteomics for exploring tick-associated microbiomes in North Africa.

Animals↗

Universal Identification of Pathogenic Viruses by Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry Proteotyping.

Accurate and rapid identification of viruses is crucial for an effective medical diagnosis when dealing with infections. Conventional methods, including DNA amplification techniques or lateral-flow assays, are constrained to a specific set of targets to search for. In this study, we introduce a novel tandem mass spectrometry proteotyping-based method that offers a universal approach for the identification of pathogenic viruses and other components, eliminating the need for a priori knowledge of the sample composition. Our protocol relies on a time and cost-efficient peptide sample preparation, followed by an analysis with liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. As a proof of concept, we first assessed our method on publicly available shotgun proteomics datasets obtained from virus preparations and fecal samples of infected individuals. Successful virus identification was achieved with 53 public datasets, spanning 23 distinct viral species. Furthermore, we illustrated the method's capability to discriminate closely related viruses within the same sample, using alphaviruses as an example. The clinical applicability of our method was demonstrated by the accurate detection of the vaccinia virus in spiked saliva, a matrix of paramount clinical significance due to its non-invasive and easily obtainable nature. This innovative approach represents a significant advancement in pathogen detection and paves the way for enhanced diagnostic capabilities.

Tandem Mass Spectrometry↗