Publications

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binding of a fluorescence reporter and a ligand to an odorant-binding protein of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti.odorant-binding proteins (obps), also named pheromone-binding proteins when the odorant is a pheromone, are essential for insect olfaction. they solubilize odorants that reach the port of entry of the olfactory system, the pore tubules in antennae and other olfactory appendages. then, obps transport these hydrophobic compounds through an aqueous sensillar lymph to receptors embedded on dendritic membranes of olfactory receptor neurons. structures of obps from mosquito species have shed new light ...201425671088
is dengue a disease of poverty? a systematic review.policy prescriptions for combating dengue fever tend to focus on addressing environmental and social conditions of poverty. however, while poverty has long been considered a determinant of dengue, the research evidence for such a relationship is not well established. results of a systematic review of the research literature designed to identify and assess the current state of the empirical evidence for the dengue-poverty link reveal a mixed story. of 260 peer-reviewed articles referencing dengue ...201425546339
identification, expression, and molecular evolution of micrornas in the "living fossil" triops cancriformis (tadpole shrimp).micrornas have been identified and analyzed in various model species, but an investigation of mirnas in nonmodel species is required for a more complete understanding of mirna evolution. in this study, we investigated the mirnas of the nonmodel species triops cancriformis (tadpole shrimp), a "living fossil," whose morphological form has not changed in almost 200 million years. dramatic ontogenetic changes occur during its development. to clarify the evolution of mirnas, we comparatively analyzed ...201425525151
parv4: an emerging tetraparvovirus. 201424789326
identification of pheromone components and their binding affinity to the odorant binding protein ccapobp83a-2 of the mediterranean fruit fly, ceratitis capitata.the mediterranean fruit fly (or medfly), ceratitis capitata (wiedemann; diptera: tephritidae), is a serious pest of agriculture worldwide, displaying a very wide larval host range with more than 250 different species of fruit and vegetables. olfaction plays a key role in the invasive potential of this species. unfortunately, the pheromone communication system of the medfly is complex and still not well established. in this study, we report the isolation of chemicals emitted by sexually mature in ...201424607850
antenna-specific glutathione s-transferase in male silkmoth bombyx mori.glutathione s-transferases (gsts) are multifunctional enzymes that are widely distributed in different species. gsts detoxify exogenous and endogenous substances by conjugation to reduced glutathione. we characterized bmgstd4, an antenna-specific gst, in male silkmoths. the full-length mrna of bmgstd4 was cloned by race-pcr and contained an open reading frame of 738 bp encoding a 245 amino acid protein. the antenna specificity of bmgstd4 was validated at the mrna and protein levels and bmgstd4 w ...201424786099
monitoring persistence of the entomopathogenic fungus metarhizium anisopliae under simulated field conditions with the aim of controlling adult aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae).entomopathogenic fungi are potential candidates for use in integrated vector management, with recent emphasis aimed at developing adult mosquito control methods. here we investigated the persistence of the fungus metarhizium anisopliae when tested against female a. aegypti under field conditions.201424766705
epigenetic control of mobile dna as an interface between experience and genome change.mobile dna in the genome is subject to rna-targeted epigenetic control. this control regulates the activity of transposons, retrotransposons and genomic proviruses. many different life history experiences alter the activities of mobile dna and the expression of genetic loci regulated by nearby insertions. the same experiences induce alterations in epigenetic formatting and lead to trans-generational modifications of genome expression and stability. these observations lead to the hypothesis that ...201424795749
a naturally occurring, noncanonical gtp aptamer made of simple tandem repeats.recently, we used in vitro selection to identify a new class of naturally occurring gtp aptamer called the g motif. here we report the discovery and characterization of a second class of naturally occurring gtp aptamer, the "ca motif." the primary sequence of this aptamer is unusual in that it consists entirely of tandem repeats of ca-rich motifs as short as three nucleotides. several active variants of the ca motif aptamer lack the ability to form consecutive watson-crick base pairs in any regi ...201424824832
survival and swimming behavior of insecticide-exposed larvae and pupae of the yellow fever mosquito aedes aegypti.the yellow fever mosquito aedes aegypti is essentially a container-inhabiting species that is closely associated with urban areas. this species is a vector of human pathogens, including dengue and yellow fever viruses, and its control is of paramount importance for disease prevention. insecticide use against mosquito juvenile stages (i.e. larvae and pupae) is growing in importance, particularly due to the ever-growing problems of resistance to adult-targeted insecticides and human safety concern ...201424761789
aquaporins are critical for provision of water during lactation and intrauterine progeny hydration to maintain tsetse fly reproductive success.tsetse flies undergo drastic fluctuations in their water content throughout their adult life history due to events such as blood feeding, dehydration and lactation, an essential feature of the viviparous reproductive biology of tsetse. aquaporins (aqps) are transmembrane proteins that allow water and other solutes to permeate through cellular membranes. here we identify tsetse aquaporin (aqp) genes, examine their expression patterns under different physiological conditions (blood feeding, lactat ...201424762803
adaptive evolution of mitochondrial energy metabolism genes associated with increased energy demand in flying insects.insects are unique among invertebrates for their ability to fly, which raises intriguing questions about how energy metabolism in insects evolved and changed along with flight. although physiological studies indicated that energy consumption differs between flying and non-flying insects, the evolution of molecular energy metabolism mechanisms in insects remains largely unexplored. considering that about 95% of adenosine triphosphate (atp) is supplied by mitochondria via oxidative phosphorylation ...201424918926
epidemiological risk factors associated with high global frequency of inapparent dengue virus infections.dengue is a major international public health concern, and the number of outbreaks has escalated greatly. human migration and international trade and travel are constantly introducing new vectors and pathogens into novel geographic areas. of particular interest is the extent to which dengue virus (denv) infections are subclinical or inapparent. not only may such infections contribute to the global spread of denv by human migration, but also seroprevalence rates in naïve populations may be initia ...201424966859
genome-wide sequencing and an open reading frame analysis of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ddt) susceptible (91-c) and resistant (91-r) drosophila melanogaster laboratory populations.the drosophila melanogaster 91-r and 91-c strains are of common origin, however, 91-r has been intensely selected for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ddt) resistance over six decades while 91-c has been maintained as the non-selected control strain. these fly strains represent a unique genetic resource to understand the accumulation and fixation of mutations under laboratory conditions over decades of pesticide selection. considerable research has been done to investigate the differential expre ...201424915415
how season and serotype determine dengue transmissibility. 201424927557
fine-mapping qtls in advanced intercross lines and other outbred populations.quantitative genetic studies in model organisms, particularly in mice, have been extremely successful in identifying chromosomal regions that are associated with a wide variety of behavioral and other traits. however, it is now widely understood that identification of the underlying genes will be far more challenging. in the last few years, a variety of populations have been utilized in an effort to more finely map these chromosomal regions with the goal of identifying specific genes. the common ...201424906874
evidence of natural wolbachia infections in field populations of anopheles gambiae.wolbachia are maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that invade insect populations by manipulating their reproduction and immunity and thus limiting the spread of numerous human pathogens. experimental wolbachia infections can reduce plasmodium numbers in anopheles mosquitoes in the laboratory, however, natural wolbachia infections in field anophelines have never been reported. here we show evidence of wolbachia infections in anopheles gambiae in burkina faso, west africa. sequencing of ...201424905191
transcriptomic evidence for a dramatic functional transition of the malpighian tubules after a blood meal in the asian tiger mosquito aedes albopictus.the consumption of a vertebrate blood meal by adult female mosquitoes is necessary for their reproduction, but it also presents significant physiological challenges to mosquito osmoregulation and metabolism. the renal (malpighian) tubules of mosquitoes play critical roles in the initial processing of the blood meal by excreting excess water and salts that are ingested. however, it is unclear how the tubules contribute to the metabolism and excretion of wastes (e.g., heme, ammonia) produced durin ...201424901705
absence of close-range excitorepellent effects in malaria mosquitoes exposed to deltamethrin-treated bed nets.flight behavior of insecticide-resistant and susceptible malaria mosquitoes approaching deltamethrin-treated nets was examined using a wind tunnel. behavior was linked to resulting health status (dead or alive) using comparisons between outcomes from free-flight assays and standard world health organization (who) bioassays. there was no difference in response time, latency time to reach the net, or spatial distribution in the wind tunnel between treatments. unaffected resistant mosquitoes spent ...201424752686
an update on the incidence of dengue gaining strength in saudi arabia and current control approaches for its vector mosquito.the cases of dengue reported earlier in the late 1990s from the kingdom of saudi arabia (ksa) occurred in the cities of jeddah and makkah. although the kingdom has ample financial resources to establish effective control measures for the dengue vector, numerous cases of dengue occur and fluctuate in numbers from year to year. this necessitates a serious review of the current vector control strategies being practiced in order to identify the existing shortcomings. this short report provides an up ...201424890567
methylated glycans as conserved targets of animal and fungal innate defense.effector proteins of innate immune systems recognize specific non-self epitopes. tectonins are a family of β-propeller lectins conserved from bacteria to mammals that have been shown to bind bacterial lipopolysaccharide (lps). we present experimental evidence that two tectonins of fungal and animal origin have a specificity for o-methylated glycans. we show that tectonin 2 of the mushroom laccaria bicolor (lb-tec2) agglutinates gram-negative bacteria and exerts toxicity toward the model nematode ...201424879441
the midgut of aedes albopictus females expresses active trypsin-like serine peptidases.aedes albopictus is widely distributed across tropical and sub-tropical regions and is associated with the transmission of several arboviruses. although this species is increasingly relevant to public health due its ability to successfully colonize both urban and rural habitats, favoring the dispersion of viral infections, little is known about its biochemical traits, with all assumptions made based on studies of a. aegypti. in previous studies we characterized the peptidase profile of pre-imagi ...201424886160
a viral over-expression system for the major malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae.understanding pathogen/mosquito interactions is essential for developing novel strategies to control mosquito-borne diseases. technical advances in reverse-genetics, such as rna interference (rnai), have facilitated elucidation of components of the mosquito immune system that are antagonistic to pathogen development, and host proteins essential for parasite development. forward genetic approaches, however, are limited to generation of transgenic insects, and while powerful, mosquito transgenesis ...201424875042
coup-tfs and eye development.recent studies reveal that coup-tf genes are essential for neural development, cardiovascular development, energy metabolism and adipogenesis, as well as for organogenesis of multiple systems. in this review, we mainly describe the coup-tf genes, molecular mechanisms of coup-tf action, and their crucial functions in the morphogenesis of the murine eye. mutations of coup-tf genes lead to the congenital coloboma and/or optic atrophy in both mouse and human, indicating that the study on coup-tfs an ...201424878540
recurrent horizontal transfers of chapaev transposons in diverse invertebrate and vertebrate animals.horizontal transfer (ht) of a transposable element (te) into a new genome is regarded as an important force to drive genome variation and biological innovation. in addition, ht also plays an important role in the persistence of tes in eukaryotic genomes. here, we provide the first documented example for the repeated ht of three families of chapaev transposons in a wide range of animal species, including mammals, reptiles, jawed fishes, lampreys, insects, and in an insect bracovirus. multiple ali ...201424868016
large indoor cage study of the suppression of stable aedes aegypti populations by the release of thiotepa-sterilised males.the sterile insect technique (sit) is a promising pest control method in terms of efficacy and environmental compatibility. in this study, we determined the efficacy of thiotepa-sterilised males in reducing the target aedes aegypti populations. treated male pupae were released weekly into large laboratory cages at a constant ratio of either 5:1 or 2:1 sterile-to-fertile males. a two-to-one release ratio reduced the hatch rate of eggs laid in the cage by approximately a third and reduced the adul ...201424863972
cellular effects of bacterial n-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone on the sponge suberites domuncula (olivi, 1792): insights into an intimate inter-kingdom dialogue.sponges and bacteria have lived together in complex consortia for 700 million years. as filter feeders, sponges prey on bacteria. nevertheless, some bacteria are associated with sponges in symbiotic relationships. to enable this association, sponges and bacteria are likely to have developed molecular communication systems. these may include molecules such as n-acyl-l-homoserine lactones, produced by gram-negative bacteria also within sponges. in this study, we examined the role of n-3-oxododecan ...201424858701
animal toxins and their advantages in biotechnology and pharmacology. 201424977166
corticosteroids in the treatment of dengue shock syndrome.dengue infection causes significant morbidity and mortality in over 100 countries worldwide, and its incidence is on the rise. the pathophysiological basis for the development of severe dengue, characterized by plasma leakage and the "shock syndrome" are poorly understood. no specific treatment or vaccine is available, and careful monitoring and judicious administration of fluids forms the mainstay of management at present. it is postulated that vascular endothelial dysfunction, induced by cytok ...201424899817
dual rna-seq of parasite and host reveals gene expression dynamics during filarial worm-mosquito interactions.parasite biology, by its very nature, cannot be understood without integrating it with that of the host, nor can the host response be adequately explained without considering the activity of the parasite. however, due to experimental limitations, molecular studies of parasite-host systems have been predominantly one-sided investigations focusing on either of the partners involved. here, we conducted a dual rna-seq time course analysis of filarial worm parasite and host mosquito to better underst ...201424853112
designing a community engagement framework for a new dengue control method: a case study from central vietnam.the wolbachia strategy aims to manipulate mosquito populations to make them incapable of transmitting dengue viruses between people. to test its efficacy, this strategy requires field trials. public consultation and engagement are recognized as critical to the future success of these programs, but questions remain regarding how to proceed. this paper reports on a case study where social research was used to design a community engagement framework for a new dengue control method, at a potential r ...201424853391
multiple resistances and complex mechanisms of anopheles sinensis mosquito: a major obstacle to mosquito-borne diseases control and elimination in china.malaria, dengue fever, and filariasis are three of the most common mosquito-borne diseases worldwide. malaria and lymphatic filariasis can occur as concomitant human infections while also sharing common mosquito vectors. the overall prevalence and health significance of malaria and filariasis have made them top priorities for global elimination and control programmes. pyrethroid resistance in anopheline mosquito vectors represents a highly significant problem to malaria control worldwide. severa ...201424852174
glutathione-binding site of a bombyx mori theta-class glutathione transferase.the glutathione transferase (gst) superfamily plays key roles in the detoxification of various xenobiotics. here, we report the isolation and characterization of a silkworm protein belonging to a previously reported theta-class gst family. the enzyme (bmgstt) catalyzes the reaction of glutathione with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, 1,2-epoxy-3-(4-nitrophenoxy)-propane, and 4-nitrophenethyl bromide. mutagenesis of highly conserved residues in the catalytic site revealed that glu66 and ser67 are imp ...201424848539
canine filarial infections in a human brugia malayi endemic area of india.a very high prevalence of microfilaremia of 42.68 per cent out of 164 canine blood samples examined was observed in cherthala (of alappuzha district of kerala state), a known human brugia malayi endemic area of south india. the species of canine microfilariae were identified as dirofilaria repens, brugia malayi, and acanthocheilonema reconditum. d. repens was the most commonly detected species followed by b. pahangi. d. immitis was not detected in any of the samples examined. based on molecular ...201424971339
dimorphic ovary differentiation in honeybee (apis mellifera) larvae involves caste-specific expression of homologs of ark and buffy cell death genes.the establishment of the number of repeated structural units, the ovarioles, in the ovaries is one of the critical events that shape caste polyphenism in social insects. in early postembryonic development, honeybee (apis mellifera) larvae have a pair of ovaries, each one consisting of almost two hundred ovariole primordia. while practically all these ovarioles continue developing in queen-destined larvae, they undergo massive programmed cell death (pcd) in worker-destined larvae. so as to gain i ...201424844304
bioinformatic prediction of wssv-host protein-protein interaction.wssv is one of the most dangerous pathogens in shrimp aquaculture. however, the molecular mechanism of how wssv interacts with shrimp is still not very clear. in the present study, bioinformatic approaches were used to predict interactions between proteins from wssv and shrimp. the genome data of wssv (nc_003225.1) and the constructed transcriptome data of f. chinensis were used to screen potentially interacting proteins by searching in protein interaction databases, including string, reactome, ...201424982879
accounting for health in climate change policies: a case study of fiji.climate change is expected to affect the health of most populations in the coming decades, having the greatest impact on the poorest and most disadvantaged people in the world. the pacific islands, including fiji, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.201424836442
spatial distribution of the risk of dengue and the entomological indicators in sumaré, state of são paulo, brazil.dengue fever is a major public health problem worldwide, caused by any of four virus (denv-1, denv-2, denv-3 and denv-4; flaviviridae: flavivirus), transmitted by aedes aegypti mosquito. reducing the levels of infestation by a. aegypti is one of the few current strategies to control dengue fever. entomological indicators are used by dengue national control program to measure the infestation of a. aegypti, but little is known about predictive power of these indicators to measure dengue risk. in t ...201424831806
metabolic analysis reveals changes in the mevalonate and juvenile hormone synthesis pathways linked to the mosquito reproductive physiology.juvenile hormone (jh) regulates reproductive maturation in insects; therefore interruption of jh biosynthesis has been considered as a strategy for the development of target-specific insecticides. the corpora allata (ca) from mosquitoes is highly specialized to supply variable levels of jh, which are linked to ovarian developmental stages and influenced by nutritional signals. however, very little is known about how changes in jh synthesis relate to reproductive physiology and how jh synthesis r ...201424833260
assessment of the health impacts of climate change in kiribati.kiribati-a low-lying, resource-poor pacific atoll nation-is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the impacts of climate change, including the likely detrimental effects on human health. we describe the preparation of a climate change and health adaptation plan for kiribati carried out by the world health organization and the kiribati ministry of health and medical services, including an assessment of risks to health, sources of vulnerability and suggestions for highest priority a ...201424830452
genetic profiling of the isoprenoid and sterol biosynthesis pathway genes of trypanosoma cruzi.in trypanosoma cruzi the isoprenoid and sterol biosynthesis pathways are validated targets for chemotherapeutic intervention. in this work we present a study of the genetic diversity observed in genes from these pathways. using a number of bioinformatic strategies, we first identified genes that were missing and/or were truncated in the t. cruzi genome. based on this analysis we obtained the complete sequence of the ortholog of the yeast erg26 gene and identified a non-orthologous homolog of the ...201424828104
venus kinase receptors: prospects in signaling and biological functions of these invertebrate kinases.venus kinase receptors (vkrs) form a family of invertebrate receptor tyrosine kinases (rtks) initially discovered in the parasitic platyhelminth schistosoma mansoni. vkrs are single transmembrane receptors that contain an extracellular venus fly trap structure similar to the ligand-binding domain of g protein-coupled receptors of class c, and an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain close to that of insulin receptors. vkrs are found in a large variety of invertebrates from cnidarians to echinoder ...201424860549
diversity and expression of micrornas in the filarial parasite, brugia malayi.human filarial parasites infect an estimated 120 million people in 80 countries worldwide causing blindness and the gross disfigurement of limbs and genitals. an understanding of rna-mediated regulatory pathways in these parasites may open new avenues for treatment. toward this goal, small rnas from brugia malayi adult females, males and microfilariae were cloned for deep-sequencing. from ∼ 30 million sequencing reads, 145 mirnas were identified in the b. malayi genome. some micrornas were valid ...201424824352
characterization of protein phosphatase 5 from three lepidopteran insects: helicoverpa armigera, mythimna separata and plutella xylostella.protein phosphatase 5 (pp5), a unique member of serine/threonine phosphatases, regulates a variety of biological processes. we obtained full-length pp5 cdnas from three lepidopteran insects, helicoverpa armigera, mythimna separata and plutella xylostella, encoding predicted proteins of 490 (55.98 kda), 490 (55.82 kda) and 491 (56.07 kda) amino acids, respectively. these sequences shared a high identity with other insect pp5s and contained the tpr (tetratricopeptide repeat) domains at n-terminal ...201424823652
lipid flippase modulates olfactory receptor expression and odorant sensitivity in drosophila.in drosophila melanogaster, the male-specific pheromone cva (11-cis-vaccenyl acetate) functions as a sex-specific social cue. however, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying cva pheromone transduction and its regulation are incomplete. using a genetic screen combined with an electrophysiological assay to monitor pheromone-evoked activity in the cva-sensing or67d neurons, we identified an olfactory sensitivity factor encoded by the datp8b gene, the drosophila homolog of mammalia ...201424821794
dbcry: a web-based comparative and evolutionary genomics platform for blue-light receptors.cryptochromes are flavoproteins that play a central role in the circadian oscillations of all living organisms except archaea. cryptochromes are clustered into three subfamilies: plant-type cryptochromes, animal-type cryptochromes and cryptochrome-dash proteins. these subfamilies are composed of photolyase/cryptochrome superfamily with 6-4 photolyase and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyase. cryptochromes have conserved domain architectures with two distinct domains, an n-terminal photolyase- ...201424816342
assessing the relationship between vector indices and dengue transmission: a systematic review of the evidence.despite doubts about methods used and the association between vector density and dengue transmission, routine sampling of mosquito vector populations is common in dengue-endemic countries worldwide. this study examined the evidence from published studies for the existence of any quantitative relationship between vector indices and dengue cases.201424810901
biochemical and functional characterization of parawixia bistriata spider venom with potential proteolytic and larvicidal activities.toxins purified from the venom of spiders have high potential to be studied pharmacologically and biochemically. these biomolecules may have biotechnological and therapeutic applications. this study aimed to evaluate the protein content of parawixia bistriata venom and functionally characterize its proteins that have potential for biotechnological applications. the crude venom showed no phospholipase, hemorrhagic, or anti-leishmania activities attesting to low genotoxicity and discrete antifunga ...201424895632
geometric morphometrics of nine field isolates of aedes aegypti with different resistance levels to lambda-cyhalothrin and relative fitness of one artificially selected for resistance.aedes aegypti, a mosquito closely associated with humans, is the principal vector of dengue virus which currently infects about 400 million people worldwide. because there is no way to prevent infection, public health policies focus on vector control; but insecticide-resistance threatens them. however, most insecticide-resistant mosquito populations exhibit fitness costs in absence of insecticides, although these costs vary. research on components of fitness that vary with insecticide-resistance ...201424801598
coevolution of axon guidance molecule slit and its receptor robo.coevolution is important for the maintenance of the interaction between a ligand and its receptor during evolution. the interaction between axon guidance molecule slit and its receptor robo is critical for the axon repulsion in neural tissues, which is evolutionarily conserved from planarians to humans. however, the mechanism of coevolution between slit and robo remains unclear. in this study, we found that coordinated amino acid changes took place at interacting sites of slit and robo by compar ...201424801615
distribution, cleavage and lipidation of atg8 fusion proteins in spodoptera litura sl-hp cells.atg8 proteins fused with tags are commonly used to detect autophagy. the expression patterns of lepidopteran insect atg8 are relatively well documented. however, the influence of protein tags on characterization of atg8 is still not very clear. our results showed that endogenous spodoptera litura atg8 and ha tagged atg8 driven by the baculovirus ie2 promoter were enriched in cytoplasm. the recombinant plasmid pegfp-atg8(egfp) in which atg8 contained a stop codon was constructed and expressed. gr ...201424788719
a mutation in the intracellular loop iii/iv of mosquito sodium channel synergizes the effect of mutations in helix iis6 on pyrethroid resistance.activation and inactivation of voltage-gated sodium channels are critical for proper electrical signaling in excitable cells. pyrethroid insecticides promote activation and inhibit inactivation of sodium channels, resulting in prolonged opening of sodium channels. they preferably bind to the open state of the sodium channel by interacting with two distinct receptor sites, pyrethroid receptor sites pyr1 and pyr2, formed by the interfaces of domains ii/iii and i/ii, respectively. specific mutation ...201425523031
economic cost and burden of dengue in the philippines.dengue, the world's most important mosquito-borne viral disease, is endemic in the philippines. during 2008-2012, the country's department of health reported an annual average of 117,065 dengue cases, placing the country fourth in dengue burden in southeast asia. this study estimates the country's annual number of dengue episodes and their economic cost. our comparison of cases between active and passive surveillance in punta princesa, cebu city yielded an expansion factor of 7.2, close to the p ...201425510723
vascular events in viral hemorrhagic fevers: a comparative study of dengue and hantaviruses.viral hemorrhagic diseases are a group of systemic viral infections with worldwide distribution and are significant causes of global mortality and morbidity. the hallmarks of viral hemorrhagic fevers are plasma leakage, thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy and hemorrhagic manifestations. the molecular mechanisms leading to plasma leakage in viral hemorrhagic fevers are not well understood. a common theme has emerged in which a complex interplay between pathogens, host immune response, and endothelial ...201424623445
a regulatory structure for working with genetically modified mosquitoes: lessons from mexico. 201424626164
mating changes the female dietary preference in the two-spotted cricket, gryllus bimaculatus.most insect species exhibit characteristic behavioral changes after mating. typical post-mating behaviors in female insects include noticeable increases in food intake, elevated oviposition rates, lowered receptivity to courting males, and enhanced immune response. although it has been reported that mated females of several insect species including the fruit fly, drosophila melanogaster increase the amount of food intake and change their dietary preferences, the limited number of comparative stu ...201424659970
proteolytic processing of the extracellular scaffolding protein lev-9 is required for clustering acetylcholine receptors.correct positioning of neurotransmitter-gated receptors at postsynapses is essential for synaptic transmission. at caenorhabditis elegans neuromuscular junctions, clustering of levamisole-sensitive acetylcholine receptors (l-achrs) requires the muscle-secreted scaffolding protein lev-9, a multidomain factor containing complement control protein (ccp) modules. here we show that lev-9 needs to be cleaved at its c terminus to exert its function. lev-9 cleavage is not required for trafficking nor se ...201424619422
the potential of anti-malarial compounds derived from african medicinal plants, part ii: a pharmacological evaluation of non-alkaloids and non-terpenoids.malaria is currently a public health concern in many countries in the world due to various factors which are not yet under check. drug discovery projects targeting malaria often resort to natural sources in the search for lead compounds. a survey of the literature has led to a summary of the major findings regarding plant-derived compounds from african flora, which have shown anti-malarial/antiplasmodial activities, tested by in vitro and in vivo assays. considerations have been given to compoun ...201424602358
genetic dissection of anopheles gambiae gut epithelial responses to serratia marcescens.genetic variation in the mosquito anopheles gambiae profoundly influences its ability to transmit malaria. mosquito gut bacteria are shown to influence the outcome of infections with plasmodium parasites and are also thought to exert a strong drive on genetic variation through natural selection; however, a link between antibacterial effects and genetic variation is yet to emerge. here, we combined snp genotyping and expression profiling with phenotypic analyses of candidate genes by rnai-mediate ...201424603764
generation of improved humanized mouse models for human infectious diseases.the study of human-specific infectious agents has been hindered by the lack of optimal small animal models. more recently development of novel strains of immunodeficient mice has begun to provide the opportunity to utilize small animal models for the study of many human-specific infectious agents. the introduction of a targeted mutation in the il2 receptor common gamma chain gene (il2rg(null)) in mice already deficient in t and b cells led to a breakthrough in the ability to engraft hematopoieti ...201424607601
α -actinin tvactn3 of trichomonas vaginalis is an rna-binding protein that could participate in its posttranscriptional iron regulatory mechanism.trichomonas vaginalis is a sexually transmitted flagellated protist parasite responsible for trichomoniasis. this parasite is dependent on high levels of iron, favoring its growth and multiplication. iron also differentially regulates some trichomonad virulence properties by unknown mechanisms. however, there is evidence to support the existence of gene regulatory mechanisms at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels that are mediated by iron concentration in t. vaginalis. thus, the g ...201424719864
juvenile hormone regulates aedes aegypti krüppel homolog 1 through a conserved e box motif.juvenile hormone (jh) plays important roles in regulation of many physiological processes including development, reproduction and metabolism in insects. however, the molecular mechanisms of jh signaling pathway are not completely understood. to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of jh regulation of krüppel homolog 1 gene (kr-h1) in aedes aegypti, we employed jh-sensitive aag-2 cells developed from the embryos of this insect. in aag-2 cells, aakr-h1 gene is induced by nanomolar concentration of j ...201424931431
conditions of the household and peridomicile and severe dengue: a case-control study in brazil.the potential influence of high-vector-density environments where people are supposedly more exposed to mosquito bites may have a relation to the clinical severity of dengue fever, an association that has been poorly discussed in the literature.201424765250
identification and characterization of a ste20-like kinase in artemia and its role in the developmental regulation and resistance to environmental stress.to adapt to extreme environments, the crustacean artemia has evolved two alternative reproductive pathways. during ovoviviparous (direct) development, nauplius larvae are produced. in contrast, artemia females release encysted diapause embryos (cysts) via the oviparous pathway. to date, the cellular mechanisms that regulate stress resistance of artemia remain largely unknown. ste20-like kinase (slk) participates in multiple biological processes, including stress responses, apoptosis, and cell cy ...201424637947
pmvrp15, a novel viral responsive protein from the black tiger shrimp, penaeus monodon, promoted white spot syndrome virus replication.suppression subtractive hybridization of penaeus monodon hemocytes challenged with white spot syndrome virus (wssv) has identified the viral responsive gene, pmvrp15, as the highest up-regulated gene ever reported in shrimps. expression analysis by quantitative real time rt-pcr revealed 9410-fold up-regulated level at 48 h post wssv injection. tissue distribution analysis showed that pmvrp15 transcript was mainly expressed in the hemocytes of shrimp. the full-length cdna of pmvrp15 transcript wa ...201424637711
molecular characterization of the aphis gossypii olfactory receptor gene families.the cotton aphid, aphis gossypii glover, is a polyphagous pest that inflicts great damage to cotton yields worldwide. antennal olfaction, which is extremely important for insect survival, mediates key behaviors such as host preference, mate choice, and oviposition site selection. in insects, odor detection is mediated by odorant receptors (ors) and ionotropic receptors (irs), which ensure the specificity of the olfactory sensory neuron responses. in this study, our aim is to identify chemosensor ...201424971460
arrival of chikungunya virus in the new world: prospects for spread and impact on public health. 201424967777
if it is methylated it must be tectonic. 201424961371
pharmacological validation of an inward-rectifier potassium (kir) channel as an insecticide target in the yellow fever mosquito aedes aegypti.mosquitoes are important disease vectors that transmit a wide variety of pathogens to humans, including those that cause malaria and dengue fever. insecticides have traditionally been deployed to control populations of disease-causing mosquitoes, but the emergence of insecticide resistance has severely limited the number of active compounds that are used against mosquitoes. thus, to improve the control of resistant mosquitoes there is a need to identify new insecticide targets and active compoun ...201424959745
traditional uses, chemical constituents, and biological activities of bixa orellana l.: a review.bixa orellana l., popularly known as "urucum," has been used by indigenous communities in brazil and other tropical countries for several biological applications, which indicates its potential use as an active ingredient in pharmaceutical products. the aim of this work was to report the main evidence found in the literature, concerning the ethnopharmacology, the biological activity, and the phytochemistry studies related to bixa orellana l. therefore, this work comprises a systematic review abou ...201425050404
assembly of the genome of the disease vector aedes aegypti onto a genetic linkage map allows mapping of genes affecting disease transmission.the mosquito aedes aegypti transmits some of the most important human arboviruses, including dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya viruses. it has a large genome containing many repetitive sequences, which has resulted in the genome being poorly assembled - there are 4,758 scaffolds, few of which have been assigned to a chromosome. to allow the mapping of genes affecting disease transmission, we have improved the genome assembly by scoring a large number of snps in recombinant progeny from a cros ...201424498447
highly specific and efficient crispr/cas9-catalyzed homology-directed repair in drosophila.we and others recently demonstrated that the readily programmable crispr/cas9 system can be used to edit the drosophila genome. however, most applications to date have relied on aberrant dna repair to stochastically generate frameshifting indels and adoption has been limited by a lack of tools for efficient identification of targeted events. here we report optimized tools and techniques for expanded application of the crispr/cas9 system in drosophila through homology-directed repair (hdr) with d ...201424478335
starvation increases insulin sensitivity and reduces juvenile hormone synthesis in mosquitoes.the interactions between the insulin signaling pathway (isp) and juvenile hormone (jh) controlling reproductive trade-offs are well documented in insects. jh and insulin regulate reproductive output in mosquitoes; both hormones are involved in a complex regulatory network, in which they influence each other and in which the mosquito's nutritional status is a crucial determinant of the network's output. previous studies reported that the insulin-tor (target of rapamacyn) signaling pathway is invo ...201424489697
aedes aegypti mos20 cells internalizes cry toxins by endocytosis, and actin has a role in the defense against cry11aa toxin.bacillus thuringiensis (bt) cry toxins are used to control aedes aegypti, an important vector of dengue fever and yellow fever. bt cry toxin forms pores in the gut cells, provoking larvae death by osmotic shock. little is known, however, about the endocytic and/or degradative cell processes that may counteract the toxin action at low doses. the purpose of this work is to describe the mechanisms of internalization and detoxification of cry toxins, at low doses, into mos20 cells from a. aegypti, f ...201424476709
rna interference depletion of the halloween gene disembodied implies its potential application for management of planthopper sogatella furcifera and laodelphax striatellus.sogatella furcifera and laodelphax striatellus are economically important rice pests in china by acting as vectors of several rice viruses, sucking the phloem sap and blocking the phloem vessels. ecdysteroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone regulates insect development and reproduction. a cytochrome p450 monooxygenase cyp302a1 (22-hydroxylase), encoded by the halloween gene disembodied (dib), plays a critical role in ecdysteroidogenesis. the objective of this study is to test whether dib genes are pot ...201424489765
rapid immunoglobulin m-based dengue diagnostic test using surface plasmon resonance biosensor.surface plasmon resonance (spr) is a medical diagnosis technique with high sensitivity and specificity. in this research, a new method based on spr is proposed for rapid, 10-minute detection of the anti-dengue virus in human serum samples. this novel technique, known as rapid immunoglobulin m (igm)-based dengue diagnostic test, can be utilized quickly and easily at the point of care. four dengue virus serotypes were used as ligands on a biochip. according to the results, a serum volume of only 1 ...201424458089
the prevalence and endemic nature of dengue infections in guangdong, south china: an epidemiological, serological, and etiological study from 2005-2011.frequent outbreaks of dengue are considered to be associated with an increased risk for endemicity of the disease. the occurrence of a large number of indigenous dengue cases in consecutive years indicates the possibility of a changing dengue epidemic pattern in guangdong, china.201424465613
new micrornas in drosophila--birth, death and cycles of adaptive evolution.the origin and evolution of new micrornas (mirnas) is important because they can impact the transcriptome broadly. as mirnas can potentially emerge constantly and rapidly, their rates of birth and evolution have been extensively debated. however, most new mirnas identified appear not to be biologically significant. after an extensive search, we identified 12 new mirnas that emerged de novo in drosophila melanogaster in the last 4 million years (myrs) and have been evolving adaptively. unexpected ...201424465220
vaccination with recombinant brugia malayi cystatin proteins alters worm migration, homing and final niche selection following a subcutaneous challenge of mongolian gerbils (meriones unguiculatus) with b. malayi infective larvae.cysteine protease inhibitors of brugia malayi have been ascribed to be involved in parasite development as well as to immunomodulate the host's immune response. in onchocerca volvulus, onchocystatin has been shown to induce partial protection in the mouse diffusion chamber vaccination model. in the present study we investigated the impact of vaccination with recombinant bm-cpi-1 and bm-cpi-2 proteins on protection against a subcutaneous challenge of b. malayi third stage larvae in gerbils.201424450869
the heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone, gpa2/gpb5, regulates ion transport across the hindgut of the adult mosquito, aedes aegypti.a family of evolutionarily old hormones is the glycoprotein cysteine knot-forming heterodimers consisting of alpha- (gpa) and beta-subunits (gpb), which assemble by noncovalent bonds. in mammals, a common glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit (gpa1) pairs with unique beta-subunits that establish receptor specificity, forming thyroid stimulating hormone (gpa1/tshβ) and the gonadotropins luteinizing hormone (gpa1/lhβ), follicle stimulating hormone (gpa1/fshβ), choriogonadotropin (gpa1/cgβ). a novel g ...201424466069
genome sequence of anopheles sinensis provides insight into genetics basis of mosquito competence for malaria parasites.anopheles sinensis is an important mosquito vector of plasmodium vivax, which is the most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring malaria throughout asia, and particularly in china, korea, and japan.201424438588
developmental link between sex and nutrition; doublesex regulates sex-specific mandible growth via juvenile hormone signaling in stag beetles.sexual dimorphisms in trait expression are widespread among animals and are especially pronounced in ornaments and weapons of sexual selection, which can attain exaggerated sizes. expression of exaggerated traits is usually male-specific and nutrition sensitive. consequently, the developmental mechanisms generating sexually dimorphic growth and nutrition-dependent phenotypic plasticity are each likely to regulate the expression of extreme structures. yet we know little about how either of these ...201424453990
distribution and dissemination of the val1016ile and phe1534cys kdr mutations in aedes aegypti brazilian natural populations.the chemical control of the mosquito aedes aegypti, the major vector of dengue, is being seriously threatened due to the development of pyrethroid resistance. substitutions in the 1016 and 1534 sites of the voltage gated sodium channel (aanav), commonly known as kdr mutations, confer the mosquito with knockdown resistance. our aim was to evaluate the allelic composition of natural populations of brazilian ae. aegypti at both kdr sites.201424428880
strengthening the perception-assessment tools for dengue prevention: a cross-sectional survey in a temperate region (madeira, portugal).community participation is mandatory in the prevention of dengue outbreaks. taking public views into account is crucial to guide more effective planning and quicker community participation in preventing campaigns. this study aims to assess community perceptions of madeira population in order to explore their involvement in the a. aegypti's control and reinforce health-educational planning. due to the lack of accurate methodologies for measuring perception, a new tool to assess the community's pe ...201424428823
gastroprotective and ulcer healing effects of essential oil of hyptis martiusii benth. (lamiaceae).hyptis martiusii benth. is an aromatic plant found in abundance in northeastern brazil that is used in ethnomedicine to treat gastric disorders. the aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms of action involved in the gastroprotection of the essential oil of hyptis martiusii (eohm) and to evaluate its healing capacity. wistar rats were exposed to different protocols and subsequently were treated with 1% tween-80 aqueous solution (negative control), pantoprazole, carbenoxolone, n-acetylcys ...201424454726
isolation and molecular characterization of a major hemolymph serpin from the triatomine, panstrongylus megistus.chagas disease kills 2.5 thousand people per year of 15 million persons infected in latin america. the disease is caused by the protozoan, trypanosome cruzi, and vectored by triatomine insects, including panstrongylus megistus, an important vector in brazil. medicines treating chagas disease have unpleasant side effects and may be ineffective, therefore, alternative control techniques are required. knowledge of the t. cruzi interactions with the triatomine host needs extending and new targets/st ...201424423259
malsoor virus, a novel bat phlebovirus, is closely related to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus and heartland virus.during a survey in the year 2010, a novel phlebovirus was isolated from the rousettus leschenaultii species of bats in western india. the virus was identified by electron microscopy from infected vero e6 cells. phylogenic analysis of the complete genome showed its close relation to severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (sfts) and heartland viruses, which makes it imperative to further study its natural ecology and potential as a novel emerging zoonotic virus.201424390329
exposure to diflubenzuron results in an up-regulation of a chitin synthase 1 gene in citrus red mite, panonychus citri (acari: tetranychidae).chitin synthase synthesizes chitin, which is critical for the arthropod exoskeleton. in this study, we cloned the cdna sequences of a chitin synthase 1 gene, pcchs1, in the citrus red mite, panonychus citri (mcgregor), which is one of the most economically important pests of citrus worldwide. the full-length cdna of pcchs1 contains an open reading frame of 4605 bp of nucleotides, which encodes a protein of 1535 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 175.0 kda. a phylogenetic anal ...201424590130
the secreted triose phosphate isomerase of brugia malayi is required to sustain microfilaria production in vivo.human lymphatic filariasis is a major tropical disease transmitted through mosquito vectors which take up microfilarial larvae from the blood of infected subjects. microfilariae are produced by long-lived adult parasites, which also release a suite of excretory-secretory products that have recently been subject to in-depth proteomic analysis. surprisingly, the most abundant secreted protein of adult brugia malayi is triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), a glycolytic enzyme usually associated with th ...201424586152
specific b-cell epitope of per a 1: a major allergen of american cockroach (periplaneta americana) and anatomical localization.cockroach (cr) is a common source of indoor allergens, and per a 1 is a major american cr (periplaneta americana) allergen; however, several attributes of this protein remain unknown. this study identifies a novel specific b cell epitope and anatomical locations of per a 1.0105.201424991456
comparative proteomics and expression analysis of five genes in epicauta chinensis larvae from the first to fifth instar.blister beetle is an important insect model for both medicinal and pure research. previous research has mainly focused on its biology and biochemistry, but very little data is yet available in the molecular biology. this study uses differential proteomics technology to analyze the soluble proteins extracted from each of the 5 instars larvae of epicauta chinensis. 42 of the differentially-expressed proteins were identified successfully by maldi-tof/tof-ms. some of these proteins' function and the ...201424586908
clinical, molecular and functional investigation on an infant with neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (niccd).slc25a13 analysis has provided reliable evidences for the definitive diagnosis of citrin deficiency (cd) in the past decade. meanwhile, these studies generated some issues yet to be resolved, including the pathogenicity of slc25a13 missense mutations and the mrna product from the mutation c.615+5g>a. this study aims to investigate the effect of a novel missense mutation on the aspartate/glutamate carrier (agc) function of citrin protein, and to explore the aberrant transcript from c.615+5g>a in ...201424586645
lovastatin delays infection and increases survival rates in ag129 mice infected with dengue virus serotype 2.it has been reported that treatment of denv-infected cultures with lovastatin (lov), can affect viral assembly. the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of lov on the survival rate and viremia levels of denv-2-infected ag129 mice.201424586275
chitosan/sirna nanoparticle targeting demonstrates a requirement for single-minded during larval and pupal olfactory system development of the vector mosquito aedes aegypti.essentially nothing is known about the genetic regulation of olfactory system development in vector mosquitoes, which use olfactory cues to detect blood meal hosts. studies in drosophila melanogaster have identified a regulatory matrix of transcription factors that controls pupal/adult odorant receptor (or) gene expression in olfactory receptor neurons (orns). however, it is unclear if transcription factors that function in the d. melanogaster regulatory matrix are required for or expression in ...201424552425
de novo assembly of a transcriptome for calanus finmarchicus (crustacea, copepoda)--the dominant zooplankter of the north atlantic ocean.assessing the impact of global warming on the food web of the north atlantic will require difficult-to-obtain physiological data on a key copepod crustacean, calanus finmarchicus. the de novo transcriptome presented here represents a new resource for acquiring such data. it was produced from multiplexed gene libraries using rna collected from six developmental stages: embryo, early nauplius (ni-ii), late nauplius (nv-vi), early copepodite (ci-ii), late copepodite (cv) and adult (cvi) female. ove ...201424586345
targeted genome editing in aedes aegypti using talens.the culicine mosquito, aedes aegypti, is both a major vector of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) and a genetic model organism for arbovirus transmission. tale nucleases (talens), a group of artificial enzymes capable of generating site-specific dna lesions, consist of a non-specific foki endonuclease cleavage domain fused to an engineered dna binding domain specific to a target site. while talens have become an important tool for targeted gene disruption in a variety of organisms, applicati ...201424556554
universality splitting in distribution of number of mirna co-targets.in a recent work (basu et al., in epl 105:28007, 2014) it was pointed out that the link-weight distribution of microrna co-target network of a wide class of species are universal up to scaling. the number cell types, widely accepted as a measure of complexity, turns out to be proportional to these scale-factor. in this article we discuss additional universal features of these networks and show that, this universality splits if one considers distribution of number of common targets of three or mo ...201424592288
linear processes in stochastic population dynamics: theory and application to insect development.we consider stochastic population processes (markov jump processes) that develop as a consequence of the occurrence of random events at random time intervals. the population is divided into subpopulations or compartments. the events occur at rates that depend linearly on the number of individuals in the different described compartments. the dynamics is presented in terms of kolmogorov forward equation in the space of events and projected onto the space of populations when needed. the general pro ...201424696664
association denv1 and denv2 infection with high serum levels of soluble thrombomodulin and vegf in patients with dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever.infection by dengue virus (denv) can be asymptomatic or manifest in two clinically differentiated forms: dengue fever (df) and denguehemorrhagic fever (dhf). the principal pathophysiological characteristic of dhf is the increase in vascular permeability and the loss of plasma caused by the malfunction of the vascular endothelium that induces the release of chemical mediators. however, so far there is nothing that allows for the identification the patients that are at risk of developing the more ...201424600491
genetic control of aedes aegypti: data-driven modelling to assess the effect of releasing different life stages and the potential for long-term suppression.control of the world's most important vector-borne viral disease, dengue, is a high priority. a lack of vaccines or effective vector control methods means that novel solutions to disease control are essential. the release of male insects carrying a dominant lethal (ridl) is one such approach that could be employed to control aedes aegypti. to maximise the potential of ridl control, optimum release strategies for transgenic mosquitoes are needed. the use of field data to parameterise models allow ...201424524678
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