Publications

characterization of the plasmodium falciparum and p. berghei glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase involved in fasii fatty acid utilization in the malaria parasite apicoplast.	malaria parasites can synthesize fatty acids via a type ii fatty acid synthesis (fasii) pathway located in their apicoplast. the fasii pathway has been pursued as an anti-malarial drug target, but surprisingly little is known about its role in lipid metabolism. here we characterize the apicoplast glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase that acts immediately downstream of fasii in human (plasmodium falciparum) and rodent (plasmodium berghei) malaria parasites and investigate how this enzyme contribu ...	2016	27324409
malaria transmission potential could be reduced with current and future climate change.	several studies suggest the potential for climate change to increase malaria incidence in cooler, marginal transmission environments. however, the effect of increasing temperature in warmer regions where conditions currently support endemic transmission has received less attention. we investigate how increases in temperature from optimal conditions (27 °c to 30 °c and 33 °c) interact with realistic diurnal temperature ranges (dtr: ± 0 °c, 3 °c, and 4.5 °c) to affect the ability of key vector spe ...	2016	27324146
il-22 dampens the t cell response in experimental malaria.	a tight regulation between the pro- and anti-inflammatory immune responses during plasmodial infection is of crucial importance, since a disruption leads to severe malaria pathology. il-22 is a member of the il-10 cytokine family, which is known to be highly important in immune regulation. we could detect high plasma levels of il-22 in plasmodium falciparum malaria as well as in plasmodium berghei anka (pba)-infected c57bl/6j mice. the deficiency of il-22 in mice during pba infection led to an e ...	2016	27311945
screening of methanolic plant extracts against larvae of aedes aegypti and anopheles stephensi in mysore.	mosquitoes transmit serious human diseases, causing millions of death every year. vector control is facing a threat due to the emergence of resistance to synthetic insecticides. insecticides of botanical origin may serve as suitable alternative biocontrol techniques in the future. nine different locally available medicinally important plants suspected to posse larvicidal property were screened against fourth instar larvae of aedes aegypti and anopheles stephensi to a series of concentrations of ...	2016	27308289
chemical composition and repellent activity of achillea vermiculata and satureja hortensis against anopheles stephensi.	one of the best ways to control the malaria disease and to be protected human against anopheles mosquito biting is the use of repellents. throughout repellents, herbal ones may be an appropriate and safe source for protection.	2016	27308278
safety and high level efficacy of the combination malaria vaccine regimen of rts,s/as01b with chimpanzee adenovirus 63 and modified vaccinia ankara vectored vaccines expressing me-trap.	the need for a highly efficacious vaccine against plasmodium falciparum remains pressing. in this controlled human malaria infection (chmi) study, we assessed the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of a schedule combining 2 distinct vaccine types in a staggered immunization regimen: one inducing high-titer antibodies to circumsporozoite protein (rts,s/as01b) and the other inducing potent t-cell responses to thrombospondin-related adhesion protein (trap) by using a viral vector.	2016	27307573
an inhibitor of the alternative pathway of complement in saliva of new world anopheline mosquitoes.	the complement system present in circulating blood is an effective mechanism of host defense, responsible for the killing of pathogens and the production of potent anaphylatoxins. inhibitors of the complement system have been described in the saliva of hematophagous arthropods that are involved in the protection of digestive tissues against complement system-mediated damage. in this study, we describe albicin, a novel inhibitor of the alternative pathway of complement from the salivary glands of ...	2016	27307559
discovery of point mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel from african aedes aegypti populations: potential phylogenetic reasons for gene introgression.	yellow fever is endemic in some countries in africa, and aedes aegpyti is one of the most important vectors implicated in the outbreak. the mapping of the nation-wide distribution and the detection of insecticide resistance of vector mosquitoes will provide the beneficial information for forecasting of dengue and yellow fever outbreaks and effective control measures.	2016	27304430
maternally supplied s-acyl-transferase is required for crystalloid organelle formation and transmission of the malaria parasite.	transmission of the malaria parasite from the mammalian host to the mosquito vector requires the formation of adequately adapted parasite forms and stage-specific organelles. here we show that formation of the crystalloid-a unique and short-lived organelle of the plasmodium ookinete and oocyst stage required for sporogony-is dependent on the precisely timed expression of the s-acyl-transferase dhhc10. dhhc10, translationally repressed in female plasmodium berghei gametocytes, is activated transl ...	2016	27303037
prospects and challenges of crispr/cas genome editing for the study and control of neglected vector-borne nematode diseases.	neglected tropical diseases caused by parasitic nematodes inflict an immense health and socioeconomic burden throughout much of the developing world. current estimates indicate that more than two billion people are infected with nematodes, resulting in the loss of 14 million disability-adjusted life years per annum. although these parasites cause significant mortality, they primarily cause chronic morbidity through a wide range of severe clinical ailments. treatment options for nematode infectio ...	2016	27300487
high-throughput luciferase-based assay for the discovery of therapeutics that prevent malaria.	in order to identify the most attractive starting points for drugs that can be used to prevent malaria, a diverse chemical space comprising tens of thousands to millions of small molecules may need to be examined. achieving this throughput necessitates the development of efficient ultra-high-throughput screening methods. here, we report the development and evaluation of a luciferase-based phenotypic screen of malaria exoerythrocytic-stage parasites optimized for a 1536-well format. this assay us ...	2016	27275010
leucokinin mimetic elicits aversive behavior in mosquito aedes aegypti (l.) and inhibits the sugar taste neuron.	insect kinins (leucokinins) are multifunctional peptides acting as neurohormones and neurotransmitters. in females of the mosquito vector aedes aegypti (l.), aedeskinins are known to stimulate fluid secretion from the renal organs (malpighian tubules) and hindgut contractions by activating a g protein-coupled kinin receptor designated "aedae-kr." we used protease-resistant kinin analogs 1728, 1729, and 1460 to evaluate their effects on sucrose perception and feeding behavior. in no-choice feedin ...	2016	27274056
long-term prophylactic antibiotic treatment: effects on survival, immunocompetence and reproduction success of parasemia plantaginis (lepidoptera: erebidae).	hundreds of insect species are nowadays reared under laboratory conditions. rearing of insects always implicates the risk of diseases, among which microbial infections are the most frequent and difficult problems. although there are effective prophylactic treatments, the side effects of applied antibiotics are not well understood. we examined the effect of prophylactic antibiotic treatment on the overwintering success of wood tiger moth (parasemia plantaginis) larvae, and the postdiapause effect ...	2016	27271967
evaluation of sublethal effects of ipomoea cairica linn. extract on life history traits of dengue vectors.	plant derived insecticides have considerable potential for mosquito control because these products are safer than conventional insecticides. this study aimed to investigate sublethal activities of ipomoea carica or railway creeper crude acethonilic extract against life history trait of dengue vectors, aedes albopictus and aedes aegypti. the late third instar larvae of ae. albopictus and ae. aegypti were exposed to a sublethal dose at lc50 and larvae that survived were further cultured. overall, ...	2016	27253746
protective efficacy and safety of liver stage attenuated malaria parasites.	during the clinically silent liver stage of a plasmodium infection the parasite replicates from a single sporozoite into thousands of merozoites. infection of humans and rodents with large numbers of sporozoites that arrest their development within the liver can cause sterile protection from subsequent infections. disruption of genes essential for liver stage development of rodent malaria parasites has yielded a number of attenuated parasite strains. a key question to this end is how increased a ...	2016	27241521
in vivo and in vitro effectiveness of azadirachta indica-synthesized silver nanocrystals against plasmodium berghei and plasmodium falciparum, and their potential against malaria mosquitoes.	malaria transmission is a serious emergence in urban and semiurban areas worldwide, becoming a major international public health concern. malaria is transmitted through the bites of anopheles mosquitoes. the extensive employ of synthetic pesticides leads to negative effects on human health and the environment. recently, plant-synthesized nanoparticles have been proposed as highly effective mosquitocides. in this research, we synthesized silver nanoparticles (agnp) using the azadirachta indica se ...	2016	27234530
comparative plasmodium gene overexpression reveals distinct perturbation of sporozoite transmission by profilin.	plasmodium relies on actin-based motility to migrate from the site of infection and invade target cells. using a substrate-dependent gliding locomotion, sporozoites are able to move at fast speed (1-3 μm/s). this motility relies on a minimal set of actin regulatory proteins and occurs in the absence of detectable filamentous actin (f-actin). here we report an overexpression strategy to investigate whether perturbations of f-actin steady-state levels affect gliding locomotion and host invasion. w ...	2016	27226484
the machinery underlying malaria parasite virulence is conserved between rodent and human malaria parasites.	sequestration of red blood cells infected with the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum in organs such as the brain is considered important for pathogenicity. a similar phenomenon has been observed in mouse models of malaria, using the rodent parasite plasmodium berghei, but it is unclear whether the p. falciparum proteins known to be involved in this process are conserved in the rodent parasite. here we identify the p. berghei orthologues of two such key factors of p. falciparum, sbp1 a ...	2016	27225796
fever as an important resource for infectious diseases research.	fever or pyrexia is a process where normal body temperature is raised over homeostasis conditions. although many effects of fever over the immune system have been known for a long time, it has not been until recent studies when these effects have been evaluated in several infection processes. results have been promising, as they have reported new ways of regulation, especially in rna molecules. in light of these new studies, it seems important to start to evaluate the effects of pyrexia in curre ...	2016	27195192
pre-clinical evaluation of cyp 2d6 dependent drug-drug interactions between primaquine and ssri/snri antidepressants.	the liver-stage anti-malarial activity of primaquine and other 8-aminoquinoline molecules has been linked to bio-activation through cyp 2d6 metabolism. factors such as cyp 2d6 poor metabolizer status and/or co-administration of drugs that inhibit/interact with cyp 2d6 could alter the pharmacological properties of primaquine.	2016	27188854
analysis of the dose-dependent stage-specific in vitro efficacy of a multi-stage malaria vaccine candidate cocktail.	the high incidence and mortality rate of malaria remains a serious burden for many developing countries, and a vaccine that induces durable and highly effective immune responses is, therefore, desirable. an earlier analysis of the stage-specific in vitro efficacy of a malaria vaccine candidate cocktail (vamax) considered the general properties of complex multi-component, multi-stage combination vaccines in rabbit immunization experiments using a hyper-immunization protocol featuring six consecut ...	2016	27188716
an evidence-based review on medicinal plants used as insecticide and insect repellent in traditional iranian medicine.	insects can be the cause of major ecological problems; they can transmit microbes and parasites that affect humans, and damage food crops, trees, and homes. the total economic cost of insect-related damage and disease is immeasurable. in traditional iranian medicine (tim), several medicinal plants have been identified as insecticides or insect repellents, but many of them are still unknown. therefore, the aim of this study was to review the insecticidal or insect repellent activity of certain me ...	2016	27186389
eco-friendly drugs from the marine environment: spongeweed-synthesized silver nanoparticles are highly effective on plasmodium falciparum and its vector anopheles stephensi, with little non-target effects on predatory copepods.	mosquitoes act as vectors of devastating pathogens and parasites, representing a key threat for millions of humans and animals worldwide. the control of mosquito-borne diseases is facing a number of crucial challenges, including the emergence of artemisinin and chloroquine resistance in plasmodium parasites, as well as the presence of mosquito vectors resistant to synthetic and microbial pesticides. therefore, eco-friendly tools are urgently required. here, a synergic approach relying to nanotec ...	2016	27180838
transmission blocking potency and immunogenicity of a plant-produced pvs25-based subunit vaccine against plasmodium vivax.	malaria transmission blocking (tb) vaccines (tbvs) directed against proteins expressed on the sexual stages of plasmodium parasites are a potentially effective means to reduce transmission. antibodies induced by tbvs block parasite development in the mosquito, and thus inhibit transmission to further human hosts. the ookinete surface protein p25 is a primary target for tbv development. recently, transient expression in plants using hybrid viral vectors has demonstrated potential as a strategy fo ...	2016	27177945
overhead tank is the potential breeding habitat of anopheles stephensi in an urban transmission setting of chennai, india.	wells and overhead tanks (oht) are the major breeding sources of the local malaria vector, anopheles stephensi in the indian city of chennai; they play a significant role in vector breeding, and transmission of urban malaria. many other man-made breeding habitats, such as cemented cisterns/containers, barrels or drums, sumps or underground tanks, and plastic pots/containers are maintained to supplement water needs, temporarily resulting in enhanced mosquito/vector breeding. correlating breeding ...	2016	27169513
δ-cadinene, calarene and .δ-4-carene from kadsura heteroclita essential oil as novel larvicides against malaria, dengue and filariasis mosquitoes.	mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) are major vectors of important pathogens and parasites. malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, filariasis, schistosomiasis and japanese encephalitis cause millions of deaths every year. mosquito control is being challenging due to the development of pesticide resistance and negative environmental concerns. in this scenario, plants employed in traditional asian medicine may be alternative sources of newer and effective mosquitocides. in this research, we evaluated th ...	2016	27151483
distribution of malaria vectors and incidence of vivax malaria at korean army installations near the demilitarized zone, republic of korea.	as a result of the reintroduction of malaria in the republic of korea (rok) in 1993 and the threat to military and civilian populations, the korea military national defense (mnd) increased emphasis on vector control in 2012 at rok army (roka) installations located near the dmz, while decreasing chemoprophylaxis, fearing potential drug resistance. mosquito surveillance demonstrated a need for continuous monitoring of disease patterns among roka soldiers and vector malaria infection rates to ensur ...	2016	27150110
neemazal ® as a possible alternative control tool for malaria and african trypanosomiasis?	research efforts to identify possible alternative control tools for malaria and african trypanosomiasis are needed. one promising approach relies on the use of traditional plant remedies with insecticidal activities.	2016	27146309
variability of bacterial communities in the moth heliothis virescens indicates transient association with the host.	microbes associated with insects can confer a wide range of ecologically relevant benefits to their hosts. since insect-associated bacteria often increase the nutritive value of their hosts' diets, the study of bacterial communities is especially interesting in species that are important agricultural pests. we investigated the composition of bacterial communities in the noctuid moth heliothis virescens and its variability in relation to developmental stage, diet and population (field and laborat ...	2016	27139886
co-administration of α-galcer analog and tlr4 agonist induces robust cd8(+) t-cell responses to pycs protein and wt-1 antigen and activates memory-like effector nkt cells.	in the present study, the combined adjuvant effect of 7dw8-5, a potent α-galcer-analog, and monophosphoryl lipid a (mpla), a tlr4 agonist, on the induction of vaccine-induced cd8(+) t-cell responses and protective immunity was evaluated. mice were immunized with peptides corresponding to the cd8(+) t-cell epitopes of a malaria antigen, a circumsporozoite protein of plasmodium yoelii, and a tumor antigen, a wilms tumor antigen-1 (wt-1), together with 7dw8-5 and mpla, as an adjuvant. these immuniz ...	2016	27132023
development of a plasmodium berghei transgenic parasite expressing the full-length plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite vk247 protein for testing vaccine efficacy in a murine model.	the approach of using transgenic rodent malaria parasites to assess the immune system's response to antigenic targets from a human malaria parasite has been shown to be useful for preclinical evaluation of new vaccine formulations. the transgenic plasmodium berghei parasite line [pvcsp(vk210)/pb] generated previously expresses the full-length circumsporozoite protein (csp) vk210 from plasmodium vivax. the transgenic parasite expresses one of the two most common alleles of csp, defined by nine am ...	2016	27129682
a plasmodium promiscuous t cell epitope delivered within the ad5 hexon protein enhances the protective efficacy of a protein based malaria vaccine.	a malaria vaccine is a public health priority. in order to produce an effective vaccine, a multistage approach targeting both the blood and the liver stage infection is desirable. the vaccine candidates also need to induce balanced immune responses including antibodies, cd4+ and cd8+ t cells. protein-based subunit vaccines like rts,s are able to induce strong antibody response but poor cellular reactivity. adenoviral vectors have been effective inducing protective cd8+ t cell responses in severa ...	2016	27128437
heterogeneous malaria transmission in long-term afghan refugee populations: a cross-sectional study in five refugee camps in northern pakistan.	afghan refugees in northern pakistan have been resident for over 30 years and current information on malaria in this population is sparse. understanding malaria risk and distribution in refugee camps is important for effective management both in camps and on return to afghanistan.	2016	27121196
how important is the angle of tilt in the who cone bioassay?	the world health organization (who) cone bioassay plays an integral role in the evaluation of the efficacy of long-lasting insecticidal nets as well as insecticides used in indoor residual spraying. the test is used on a variety of treated substrates, such as pieces of bed nets, mud, cement and wood. the cone setup assumes a wide variety of angles under different settings in which it is applied. however, the guidelines provided for the performance of the assay do not specify the angle at which t ...	2016	27118476
bacterial superglue enables easy development of efficient virus-like particle based vaccines.	virus-like particles (vlps) represent a significant advance in the development of subunit vaccines, combining high safety and efficacy. their particulate nature and dense repetitive subunit organization makes them ideal scaffolds for display of vaccine antigens. traditional approaches for vlp-based antigen display require labor-intensive trial-and-error optimization, and often fail to generate dense antigen display. here we utilize the split-intein (spytag/spycatcher) conjugation system to gener ...	2016	27117585
defining rules of cd8(+) t cell expansion against pre-erythrocytic plasmodium antigens in sporozoite-immunized mice.	whole plasmodium sporozoites serve as both experimental tools and potentially as deployable vaccines in the fight against malaria infection. live sporozoites infect hepatocytes and induce a diverse repertoire of cd8(+) t cell responses, some of which are capable of killing plasmodium-infected hepatocytes. previous studies in plasmodium yoelii-immunized balb/c mice showed that some cd8(+) t cell responses expanded with repeated parasite exposure, whereas other responses did not.	2016	27113469
the development of malaria parasites in the mosquito midgut.	the mosquito midgut stages of malaria parasites are crucial for establishing an infection in the insect vector and to thus ensure further spread of the pathogen. parasite development in the midgut starts with the activation of the intraerythrocytic gametocytes immediately after take-up and ends with traversal of the midgut epithelium by the invasive ookinetes less than 24 h later. during this time period, the plasmodia undergo two processes of stage conversion, from gametocytes to gametes and fr ...	2016	27111866
suppressor of hairy-wing, modifier of mdg4 and centrosomal protein of 190 gene orthologues of the gypsy insulator complex in the malaria mosquito, anopheles stephensi.	dna insulators organize independent gene regulatory domains and can regulate interactions amongst promoter and enhancer elements. they have the potential to be important in genome enhancing and editing technologies because they can mitigate chromosomal position effects on transgenes. the orthologous genes of the anopheles stephensi putative gypsy-like insulator protein complex were identified and expression characteristics studied. these genes encode polypeptides with all the expected protein do ...	2016	27110891
an ultrasensitive nanoluc-based luminescence system for monitoring plasmodium berghei throughout its life cycle.	bioluminescence imaging is widely used for cell-based assays and animal imaging studies, both in biomedical research and drug development. its main advantages include its high-throughput applicability, affordability, high sensitivity, operational simplicity, and quantitative outputs. in malaria research, bioluminescence has been used for drug discovery in vivo and in vitro, exploring host-pathogen interactions, and studying multiple aspects of plasmodium biology. while the number of fluorescent ...	2016	27102897
enhanced transmission of malaria parasites to mosquitoes in a murine model of type 2 diabetes.	more than half of the world's population is at risk of malaria and simultaneously, many malaria-endemic regions are facing dramatic increases in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. studies in murine malaria models have examined the impact of malaria infection on type 2 diabetes pathology, it remains unclear how this chronic metabolic disorder impacts the transmission of malaria. in this report, the ability type 2 diabetic rodents infected with malaria to transmit parasites to anopheles stephensi ...	2016	27102766
the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis ll5 embryonic cell line has active toll and imd pathways and shows immune responses to bacteria, yeast and leishmania.	lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in latin america. sandfly immune responses are poorly understood. in previous work we showed that these vector insects respond to bacterial infections by modulating a defensin gene expression and activate the imd pathway in response to leishmania infection. aspects of innate immune pathways in insects (including mosquito vectors of human diseases) have been revealed by studying insect cell lines, and we have previously demonstrat ...	2016	27098567
a novel xenomonitoring technique using mosquito excreta/feces for the detection of filarial parasites and malaria.	given the continued successes of the world's lymphatic filariasis (lf) elimination programs and the growing successes of many malaria elimination efforts, the necessity of low cost tools and methodologies applicable to long-term disease surveillance is greater than ever before. as many countries reach the end of their lf mass drug administration programs and a growing number of countries realize unprecedented successes in their malaria intervention efforts, the need for practical molecular xenom ...	2016	27096156
evolutionary biology and genetic techniques for insect control.	the requirement to develop new techniques for insect control that minimize negative environmental impacts has never been more pressing. here we discuss population suppression and population replacement technologies. these include sterile insect technique, genetic elimination methods such as the release of insects carrying a dominant lethal (ridl), and gene driving mechanisms offered by intracellular bacteria and homing endonucleases. we also review the potential of newer or underutilized methods ...	2015	27087849
parasites resistant to the antimalarial atovaquone fail to transmit by mosquitoes.	drug resistance compromises control of malaria. here, we show that resistance to a commonly used antimalarial medication, atovaquone, is apparently unable to spread. atovaquone pressure selects parasites with mutations in cytochrome b, a respiratory protein with low but essential activity in the mammalian blood phase of the parasite life cycle. resistance mutations rescue parasites from the drug but later prove lethal in the mosquito phase, where parasites require full respiration. unable to res ...	0	27081071
one-step synthesis of polydispersed silver nanocrystals using malva sylvestris: an eco-friendly mosquito larvicide with negligible impact on non-target aquatic organisms.	the synthesis of eco-friendly nanoparticles is evergreen branch of nanoscience with a growing number of biomedical implications. in this study, we investigated the synthesis of polydisperse and stable silver nanoparticles (agnp) using a cheap leaf extract of malva sylvestris (malvaceae). bio-reduced agnp were characterized by uv-visible spectrophotometry, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ftir), x-ray diffraction analysis (xrd), atomic force microscopy (afm), scanning electron microscopy ...	2016	27075309
apicomplexa-specific trip facilitates import of exogenous trnas into malaria parasites.	the malaria-causing plasmodium parasites are transmitted to vertebrates by mosquitoes. to support their growth and replication, these intracellular parasites, which belong to the phylum apicomplexa, have developed mechanisms to exploit their hosts. these mechanisms include expropriation of small metabolites from infected host cells, such as purine nucleotides and amino acids. heretofore, no evidence suggested that transfer rnas (trnas) could also be exploited. we identified an unusual gene in ap ...	2016	27071116
a highly infectious plasmodium yoelii parasite, bearing plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein.	plasmodium circumsporozoite protein (csp) is a major surface antigen present in the sporozoite (spz) stage of a malaria parasite. rts, s vaccine, the most clinically advanced malaria vaccine, consists of a large portion of plasmodium falciparum csp (pfcsp). a highly infectious, recombinant rodent malaria, plasmodium yoelii parasite bearing a full-length pfcsp, pfcsp/py spz, was needed as a tool to evaluate the role of pfcsp in mediating, protective, anti-malaria immunity in a mouse model.	2016	27068454
culex pipiens development is greatly influenced by native bacteria and exogenous yeast.	culex pipiens is the most cosmopolitan mosquito of the pipiens assemblage. by studying the nature of interactions between this species and microorganisms common to its breeding environment we can unravel important pitfalls encountered during development. we tested the survival rate of larval stages, pupae and adults of a cx. pipiens colony exposed to a variety of microorganisms in laboratory conditions and assessed the transmission to offspring (f1) by those organisms that secured development up ...	2016	27055276
larvicidal, biological and genotoxic effects, and temperature-toxicity relationship of some leaf extracts of nerium oleander (apocynaceae) on culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae).	the present study was undertaken to study the larvicidal activity of different extracts of nerium oleander leaves, and post-treatment temperature- toxicity relationship of these extracts against culex pipiens. further, the most potent extract was used to evaluate its biological and genotoxic activities.	2015	27047967
fungal biological control agents for integrated management of culicoides spp. (diptera: ceratopogonidae) of livestock.	entomopathogenic fungi metarhizium anisopliae and beauveria bassiana had wide host range against insects and hence these are being exploited as fungal bio-pesticide on a large scale. both fungi are proved pesticides against many crop pests and farmers are well acquainted with their use on the field. thus, research was aimed to explore the potency of these fungal spores against larval and adult culicoides midges, a pest of livestock.	2015	27047065
characterization of a plasmodium berghei sexual stage antigen pbph as a new candidate for malaria transmission-blocking vaccine.	transmission-blocking vaccines (tbvs) are a promising strategy for malaria control and elimination. however, candidate tbv antigens are currently limited, highlighting the urgency of identifying new antigens for tbv development.	2016	27038925
radical remodeling of the y chromosome in a recent radiation of malaria mosquitoes.	y chromosomes control essential male functions in many species, including sex determination and fertility. however, because of obstacles posed by repeat-rich heterochromatin, knowledge of y chromosome sequences is limited to a handful of model organisms, constraining our understanding of y biology across the tree of life. here, we leverage long single-molecule sequencing to determine the content and structure of the nonrecombining y chromosome of the primary african malaria mosquito, anopheles g ...	2016	27035980
insect transformation with piggybac: getting the number of injections just right.	the insertion of exogenous genetic cargo into insects using transposable elements is a powerful research tool with potential applications in meeting food security and public health challenges facing humanity. piggybac is the transposable element most commonly utilized for insect germline transformation. the described efficiency of this process is variable in the published literature, and a comprehensive review of transformation efficiency in insects is lacking. this study compared and contrasted ...	2016	27027400
comparative studies on the stenogamous and eurygamous behavior of eight anopheles species of the hyrcanus group (diptera: culicidae) in thailand.	establishment of laboratory colony is essential for mosquito-borne-disease research. mating behavior of stenogamous anopheles peditaeniatus and seven eurygamous species (anopheles argyropus, anopheles crawfordi, anopheles nigerrimus, anopheles nitidus, anopheles paraliae (=an. lesteri), anopheles pursati and anopheles sinensis), were investigated and compared in this study. the self-mating success of adult mosquitoes in different size cages at two density resting surface (drs) values, 3.6 and 7. ...	2016	27023618
the plasmodium phist and resa-like protein families of human and rodent malaria parasites.	the phist gene family has members identified across the plasmodium genus, defined by the presence of a domain of roughly 150 amino acids having conserved aromatic residues and an all alpha-helical structure. the family is highly amplified in p. falciparum, with 65 predicted genes in the genome of the 3d7 isolate. in contrast, in the rodent malaria parasite p. berghei 3 genes are identified, one of which is an apparent pseudogene. transcripts of the p. berghei phist genes are predominant in schiz ...	2016	27022937
splice form variant and amino acid changes in mdr49 confers ddt resistance in transgenic drosophila.	the atp-binding cassette (abc) transporters represent a superfamily of proteins that have important physiological roles in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. in insects, abc transporters have previously been implicated in insecticide resistance. the 91-r strain of drosophila melanogaster has been intensely selected with ddt over six decades. a recent selective sweeps analysis of 91-r implicated the potential role of mdr49, an abc transporter, in ddt resistance, however, to date the details of how ...	2016	27003579
anti-infective metabolites of a newly isolated bacillus thuringiensis kl1 associated with kalmegh (andrographis paniculata nees.), a traditional medicinal herb.	this study was conducted to isolate endophytic bacteria possessing anti-infective property from kalmegh (andrographis paniculata nees.), a well-known medicinal plant. a total of 23 strains were isolated from this plant among which the strain kl1, isolated from surface-sterilized leaf of this medicinal herb, showed broad-spectrum antagonism against an array of gram-positive and -negative bacterial pathogens. ethyl acetate extract of kl1-fermented media yielded a greenish amorphous substance retai ...	2016	26997870
chemical composition, toxicity and non-target effects of pinus kesiya essential oil: an eco-friendly and novel larvicide against malaria, dengue and lymphatic filariasis mosquito vectors.	mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) are vectors of important parasites and pathogens causing death, poverty and social disability worldwide, with special reference to tropical and subtropical countries. the overuse of synthetic insecticides to control mosquito vectors lead to resistance, adverse environmental effects and high operational costs. therefore, the development of eco-friendly control tools is an important public health challenge. in this study, the mosquito larvicidal activity of pinus ke ...	2016	26995063
construction site workers' malaria knowledge and treatment-seeking pattern in a highly endemic urban area of india.	construction sites are potential breeding places for some species of mosquitoes. construction workers usually stay at the construction sites, thus being extremely susceptible to malaria. for malaria control, a special focus on them is warranted as they often seek treatment from unregulated, private vendors, increasing their risk of exposure to substandard drugs.	2016	26984276
efficient monitoring of the blood-stage infection in a malaria rodent model by the rotating-crystal magneto-optical method.	intense research efforts have been focused on the improvement of the efficiency and sensitivity of malaria diagnostics, especially in resource-limited settings for the detection of asymptomatic infections. our recently developed magneto-optical (mo) method allows the accurate quantification of malaria pigment crystals (hemozoin) in blood by their magnetically induced rotation. first evaluations of the method using β-hematin crystals and in vitro p. falciparum cultures implied its potential for h ...	2016	26983695
genome sequence of stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain smas1, isolated from the asian malaria mosquito anopheles stephensi.	an isolate of stenotrophomonas maltophilia was cultured from the asian malaria vector anopheles stephensi. here, we present the annotated draft genome sequence of this s. maltophilia strain. this genomic resource will facilitate further characterization of bacteria associated with mosquitoes.	2016	26966198
genome sequences of staphylococcus hominis strains shas1, shas2, and shas3, isolated from the asian malaria mosquito anopheles stephensi.	staphylococcus hominis is a culturable component of the bacterial microbiome of anopheles stephensi. here, we present the annotated draft genome sequences of three s. hominis isolates from a. stephensi. these genomic resources will facilitate experiments to further our understanding of the role of bacteria in mosquito biology.	2016	26966197
genome sequence of elizabethkingia anophelis strain eaas1, isolated from the asian malaria mosquito anopheles stephensi.	we sequenced the genome of a strain of the gram-negative bacterial species elizabethkingia anophelis, which is an important component of the anopheles mosquito microbiome. this genome sequence will add to the list of resources used to examine host-microbe interactions in mosquitoes.	2016	26966196
paratransgenesis to control malaria vectors: a semi-field pilot study.	malaria still remains a serious health burden in developing countries, causing more than 1 million deaths annually. given the lack of an effective vaccine against its major etiological agent, plasmodium falciparum, and the growing resistance of this parasite to the currently available drugs repertoire and of anopheles mosquitoes to insecticides, the development of innovative control measures is an imperative to reduce malaria transmission. paratransgenesis, the modification of symbiotic organism ...	2016	26965746
endogenously-expressed nh2-terminus of circumsporozoite protein interferes with sporozoite invasion of mosquito salivary glands.	the circumsporozoite protein is the most abundant polypeptide expressed by sporozoites, the malaria parasite stage capable of infecting humans. sporozoite invasion of mosquito salivary glands prior to transmission is likely mediated by a receptor/ligand-like interaction of the parasites with the target tissues, and the amino (nh2)-terminal portion of csp is involved in this interaction but not the tsr region on the carboxyl (c)-terminus. peptides based on the nh2-terminal domain could compete wi ...	2016	26964736
experimental cerebral malaria spreads along the rostral migratory stream.	it is poorly understood how progressive brain swelling in experimental cerebral malaria (ecm) evolves in space and over time, and whether mechanisms of inflammation or microvascular sequestration/obstruction dominate the underlying pathophysiology. we therefore monitored in the plasmodium berghei anka-c57bl/6 murine ecm model, disease manifestation and progression clinically, assessed by the rapid-murine-coma-and-behavioral-scale (rmcbs), and by high-resolution in vivo mri, including sensitive a ...	2016	26964100
characterization and expression analysis of gene encoding heme peroxidase hpx15 in major indian malaria vector anopheles stephensi (diptera: culicidae).	the interaction of mosquito immune system with plasmodium is critical in determining the vector competence. thus, blocking the crucial mosquito molecules that regulate parasite development might be effective in controlling the disease transmission. in this study, we characterized a full-length ashpx15 gene from the major indian malaria vector anopheles stephensi. this gene is true ortholog of anopheles gambiae heme peroxidase aghpx15 (agap013327), which modulates midgut immunity and regulates pl ...	2016	26943999
a review of bioinsecticidal activity of solanaceae alkaloids.	only a small percentage of insect species are pests. however, pest species cause significant losses in agricultural and forest crops, and many are vectors of diseases. currently, many scientists are focused on developing new tools to control insect populations, including secondary plant metabolites, e.g., alkaloids, glycoalkaloids, terpenoids, organic acids and alcohols, which show promise for use in plant protection. these compounds can affect insects at all levels of biological organization, b ...	2016	26938561
predicting factors for malaria re-introduction: an applied model in an elimination setting to prevent malaria outbreaks.	malaria re-introduction is a challenge in elimination settings. to prevent re-introduction, receptivity, vulnerability, and health system capacity of foci should be monitored using appropriate tools. this study aimed to design an applicable model to monitor predicting factors of re-introduction of malaria in highly prone areas.	2016	26935846
fitness consequences of altered feeding behavior in immune-challenged mosquitoes.	malaria-infected mosquitoes have been reported to be more likely to take a blood meal when parasites are infectious than when non-infectious. this change in feeding behavior increases the likelihood of malaria transmission, and has been considered an example of parasite manipulation of host behavior. however, immune challenge with heat-killed escherichia coli induces the same behavior, suggesting that altered feeding behavior may be driven by adaptive responses of hosts to cope with an immune re ...	2016	26927687
in vitro analysis of the interaction between atovaquone and proguanil against liver stage malaria parasites.	the interaction between atovaquone and proguanil has never been studied against liver stage malaria, which is the main target of this drug combination when used for chemoprevention. using human hepatocytes lacking cytochrome p450 activity, and thus avoiding proguanil metabolizing into potent cycloguanil, we show in vitro that the atovaquone-proguanil combination synergistically inhibits the growth of rodent plasmodium yoelii parasites. these results provide a pharmacological basis for the high e ...	2016	26926628
larvicidal potential of essential oils against musca domestica and anopheles stephensi.	the larvicidal activity of mentha piperita, cymbopogan citratus (lemongrass), eucalyptus globulus and citrus sinensis (orange) essential oils and their combinations was evaluated against musca domestica (housefly) and anopheles stephensi (mosquitoes) through contact toxicity assay. among all the tested essential oils/combinations, me. piperita was found to be the most effective larvicidal agent against mu. domestica and an. stephensi with lc50 values of 0.66 μl/cm(2) and 44.66 ppm, respectively, ...	2016	26920567
anopheles subpictus carry human malaria parasites in an urban area of western india and may facilitate perennial malaria transmission.	india contributes 1.5-2 million annual confirmed cases of malaria. since both parasites and vectors are evolving rapidly, updated information on parasite prevalence in mosquitoes is important for vector management and disease control. possible new vector-parasite interactions in goa, india were tested.	2016	26919828
hemocytome: deep sequencing analysis of mosquito blood cells in indian malarial vector anopheles stephensi.	hemocytes are tiny circulating blood cells of insects known to play multiple roles in physiological as well as cellular immune responses. however, the molecular nature of hemocytes in blood feeding insects, especially mosquitoes which transmit several deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue etc. is still limited. therefore, to know the basic molecular composition of naïve mosquito hemocyte encoded proteins, we sequenced rna-seq library and analyzed a total of 13,105,858 illumina sequencing reads ...	2016	26915489
plasmodium falciparum ookinete expression of plasmepsin vii and plasmepsin x.	plasmodium invasion of the mosquito midgut is a population bottleneck in the parasite lifecycle. interference with molecular mechanisms by which the ookinete invades the mosquito midgut is one potential approach to developing malaria transmission-blocking strategies. plasmodium aspartic proteases are one such class of potential targets: plasmepsin iv (known to be present in the asexual stage food vacuole) was previously shown to be involved in plasmodium gallinaceum infection of the mosquito mid ...	2016	26911483
fabrication of metal nanoparticles from fungi and metal salts: scope and application.	fungi secrete enzymes and proteins as reducing agents which can be used for the synthesis of metal nanoparticles from metal salts. large-scale production of nanoparticles from diverse fungal strains has great potential since they can be grown even in vitro. in recent years, various approaches have been made to maximize the yield of nanoparticles of varying shape, size, and stability. they have been characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray diffractometry, sem/tem, zeta potential measure ...	2016	26909778
adulticidal & larvicidal efficacy of three neonicotinoids against insecticide susceptible & resistant mosquito strains.	due to ever growing insecticide resistance in mosquitoes to commonly used insecticides in many parts of the globe, there is always a need for introduction of new insecticides for the control of resistant vector mosquitoes. in this study, larvicidal and adulticidal efficacies of three neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam) were tested against resistant and susceptible populations of anopheles stephensi liston 1901, aedes (stegomyia) aegypti linnaeus, and culex quinquefasciatu ...	0	26905244
plasmodium falciparum pfset7: enzymatic characterization and cellular localization of a novel protein methyltransferase in sporozoite, liver and erythrocytic stage parasites.	epigenetic control via reversible histone methylation regulates transcriptional activation throughout the malaria parasite genome, controls the repression of multi-copy virulence gene families and determines sexual stage commitment. plasmodium falciparum encodes ten predicted set domain-containing protein methyltransferases, six of which have been shown to be refractory to knock-out in blood stage parasites. we have expressed and purified the first recombinant malaria methyltransferase in suffic ...	2016	26902486
mating-induced transcriptome changes in the reproductive tract of female aedes aegypti.	the aedes aegypti mosquito is a significant public health threat, as it is the main vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses. disease control efforts could be enhanced through reproductive manipulation of these vectors. previous work has revealed a relationship between male seminal fluid proteins transferred to females during mating and female post-mating physiology and behavior. to better understand this interplay, we used short-read rna sequencing to identify gene expression changes in the low ...	2016	26901677
transmission-blocking strategies: the roadmap from laboratory bench to the community.	malaria remains one of the most prevalent tropical and infectious diseases in the world, with an estimated more than 200 million clinical cases every year. in recent years, the mosquito stages of the parasite life cycle have received renewed attention with some progress being made in the development of transmission-blocking strategies. from gametocytes to late ookinetes, some attractive antigenic targets have been found and tested in order to develop a transmission blocking vaccine, and drugs ar ...	2016	26888537
status of insecticide resistance in high-risk malaria provinces in afghanistan.	insecticide resistance seriously threatens the efficacy of vector control interventions in malaria endemic countries. in afghanistan, the status of insecticide resistance is largely unknown while distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets has intensified in recent years. the main objective of this study was thus to measure the level of resistance to four classes of insecticides in provinces with medium to high risk of malaria transmission.	2016	26888409
laser induced mortality of anopheles stephensi mosquitoes.	small, flying insects continue to pose great risks to both human health and agricultural production throughout the world, so there remains a compelling need to develop new vector and pest control approaches. here, we examined the use of short (<25 ms) laser pulses to kill or disable anesthetized female anopheles stephensi mosquitoes, which were chosen as a representative species. the mortality of mosquitoes exposed to laser pulses of various wavelength, power, pulse duration, and spot size combi ...	2016	26887786
a plasmodium yoelii mei2-like rna binding protein is essential for completion of liver stage schizogony.	plasmodium parasites employ posttranscriptional regulatory mechanisms as their life cycle transitions between host cell invasion and replication within both the mosquito vector and mammalian host. rna binding proteins (rbps) provide one mechanism for modulation of rna function. to explore the role of plasmodium rbps during parasite replication, we searched for rbps that might play a role during liver stage development, the parasite stage that exhibits the most extensive growth and replication. w ...	2016	26883588
development of non-defective recombinant densovirus vectors for microrna delivery in the invasive vector mosquito, aedes albopictus.	we previously reported that mosquito densoviruses (mdvs) are potential vectors for delivering foreign nucleic acids into mosquito cells. however, considering existing expression strategies, recombinant viruses would inevitably become replication-defective viruses and lose their ability for secondary transmission. the packaging limitations of the virion represent a barrier for the development of mdvs for viral paratransgenesis or as high-efficiency bioinsecticides. herein, we report the developme ...	2016	26879823
earthworm-mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles: a potent tool against hepatocellular carcinoma, plasmodium falciparum parasites and malaria mosquitoes.	the development of parasites and pathogens resistant to synthetic drugs highlighted the needing of novel, eco-friendly and effective control approaches. recently, metal nanoparticles have been proposed as highly effective tools towards cancer cells and plasmodium parasites. in this study, we synthesized silver nanoparticles (ew-agnp) using eudrilus eugeniae earthworms as reducing and stabilizing agents. ew-agnp showed plasmon resonance reduction in uv-vis spectrophotometry, the functional groups ...	2016	26873539
how heterogeneous is the involvement of abc transporters against insecticides?	understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular defense against xenobiotic compounds is a main research issue in medical and veterinary entomology, as insecticide/acaricide resistance is a major threat in the control of arthropods. abc transporters are recognized as a component of the detoxifying mechanism in arthropods. we investigated the possible involvement of abc transporters in defense to the organophosphate insecticide temephos in the malarial vector anopheles stephensi. we per ...	2016	26855383
large-scale anopheles arabiensis egg quantification methods for mass-rearing operations.	the success of the sterile insect technique relies, among other things, on the continuous release of over flooding numbers of sexually competitive sterile males into the target area. to produce sufficiently large quantities of sterile males, rearing protocols need to be optimized including the development and validation of a standardized egg quantification method.	2016	26852018
bio-ecology of malaria vectors in an endemic area, southeast of iran.	to determine some bio-ecological aspects of malaria vectors in jask county, where is targeted for malaria elimination in the national program.	2016	26851783
larvicidal potential of carvacrol and terpinen-4-ol from the essential oil of origanum vulgare (lamiaceae) against anopheles stephensi, anopheles subpictus, culex quinquefasciatus and culex tritaeniorhynchus (diptera: culicidae).	mosquito-borne diseases represent a deadly threat for millions of people worldwide. however, the use of synthetic insecticides to control culicidae may lead to resistance, high operational costs and adverse non-target effects. nowadays, plant-borne mosquitocides may serve as suitable alternative in the fight against mosquito vectors. in this study, the mosquito larvicidal activity of origanum vulgare (lamiaceae) leaf essential oil (eo) and its major chemical constituents was evaluated against th ...	2016	26850541
identification of male- and female-specific olfaction genes in antennae of the oriental fruit fly (bactrocera dorsalis).	the oriental fruit fly (bactrocera dorsalis) is a species of tephritid fruit fly, endemic to southeast asia but also introduced to many regions of the us, and it is one of the major pest species with a broad host range of cultivated and wild fruits. although males of b. dorsalis respond strongly to methyl eugenol and this is used for monitoring and estimating populations, the molecular mechanism of the oriental fruit fly olfaction has not been elucidated yet. therefore, in this project, using ne ...	2016	26845547
developing antibodies from cholinesterase derived from prokaryotic expression and testing their feasibility for detecting immunogen content in daphnia magna.	to yield cholinesterase (che) from prokaryotic expression, the che gene that belongs to daphnia magna was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) using forward primer 5'-cccyggngcsat gatgtg-3' and reverse primer 5'-gyaagttrgcccaatatct-3'. to express the gene, one sequence of the amplified dna, which was able to encode a putative protein containing two conserved carboxylesterase domains, was connected to the prokaryotic expression vector pet-29a(+). the recombinant v ...	0	26834012
aphicidal activity of illicium verum fruit extracts and their effects on the acetylcholinesterase and glutathione s-transferases activities in myzus persicae (hemiptera: aphididae).	this study aims to explore the aphicidal activity and underlying mechanism of illicium verum hook. f. that is used as both food and medicine. the contact toxicity of the extracts from i. verum fruit with methyl alcohol (ma), ethyl acetate (ea), and petroleum ether (pe) against myzus persicae (sulzer), and the activities of acetylcholinesterase (ache) and glutathione s-transferases (gsts) of m. persicae after contact treatment were tested. the results showed that ma, ea, and pe extracts of 1.000 ...	2016	26826651
larvicidal potential of the halogenated sesquiterpene (+)-obtusol, isolated from the alga laurencia dendroidea j. agardh (ceramiales: rhodomelaceae), against the dengue vector mosquito aedes aegypti (linnaeus) (diptera: culicidae).	dengue is considered a serious public health problem in many tropical regions of the world including brazil. at the moment, there is no viable alternative to reduce dengue infections other than controlling the insect vector, aedes aegypti linnaeus. in the continuing search for new sources of chemicals targeted at vector control, natural products are a promising alternative to synthetic pesticides. in our work, we investigated the toxicity of a bioactive compound extracted from the red alga laure ...	2016	26821032
genetic control of malaria mosquitoes.	experiments demonstrating the feasibility of genetically modifying mosquito vectors to impair their ability to transmit the malaria parasite have been known for well over a decade. however, means to spread resistance or population control genes into wild mosquito populations remains an unsolved challenge. two recent reports give hope that crispr technology may allow such challenge to be overcome.	2016	26809567
translational control of uis4 protein of the host-parasite interface is mediated by the rna binding protein puf2 in plasmodium berghei sporozoites.	uis4 is a key protein component of the host-parasite interface in the liver stage of the rodent malaria parasite plasmodium berghei and required for parasite survival after invasion. in the infectious sporozoite, uis4 protein has variably been shown to be translated but also been reported to be translationally repressed. here we show that uis4 mrna translation is regulated by the p. berghei rna binding protein pumilio-2 (pbpuf2 or puf2 from here on forward) in infectious salivary gland sporozoit ...	2016	26808677
functional profiles of orphan membrane transporters in the life cycle of the malaria parasite.	assigning function to orphan membrane transport proteins and prioritizing candidates for detailed biochemical characterization remain fundamental challenges and are particularly important for medically relevant pathogens, such as malaria parasites. here we present a comprehensive genetic analysis of 35 orphan transport proteins of plasmodium berghei during its life cycle in mice and anopheles mosquitoes. six genes, including four candidate aminophospholipid transporters, are refractory to gene d ...	2016	26796412
identification of the temperature induced larvicidal efficacy of agave angustifolia against aedes, culex, and anopheles larvae.	synthetic insecticides are generally employed to control the mosquito population. however, their injudicious over usage and non-biodegradability are associated with many adverse effects on the environment and mosquitoes. the application of environment-friendly mosquitocidals might be an alternate to overcome these issues. in this study, we found that organic or aqueous extracts of agave angustifolia leaves exhibited a strong larvicidal activity (ld50 28.27 μg/ml) against aedes aegypti, culex qui ...	2016	26793700
the potential for fungal biopesticides to reduce malaria transmission under diverse environmental conditions.	the effectiveness of conventional malaria vector control is being threatened by the spread of insecticide resistance. one promising alternative to chemicals is the use of naturally-occurring insect-killing fungi. numerous laboratory studies have shown that isolates of fungal pathogens such as beauveria bassiana can infect and kill adult mosquitoes, including those resistant to chemical insecticides.unlike chemical insecticides, fungi may take up to a week or more to kill mosquitoes following exp ...	2015	26792946
larvicidal and repellent potential of zingiber nimmonii (j. graham) dalzell (zingiberaceae) essential oil: an eco-friendly tool against malaria, dengue, and lymphatic filariasis mosquito vectors?	mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) are important vectors of terms of public health relevance, especially in tropical and sub-tropical regions. the continuous and indiscriminate use of conventional pesticides for the control of mosquito vectors has resulted in the development of resistance and negative impacts on non-target organisms and the environment. therefore, there is a need for development of effective mosquito control tools. in this study, the larvicidal and repellent activity of zingiber ni ...	2016	26792432
a vacuolar iron-transporter homologue acts as a detoxifier in plasmodium.	iron is an essential micronutrient but is also highly toxic. in yeast and plant cells, a key detoxifying mechanism involves iron sequestration into intracellular storage compartments, mediated by members of the vacuolar iron-transporter (vit) family of proteins. here we study the vit homologue from the malaria parasites plasmodium falciparum (pfvit) and plasmodium berghei (pbvit). pfvit-mediated iron transport in a yeast heterologous expression system is saturable (km ∼ 14.7 μm), and selective f ...	2016	26786069