Publications

molecular phylogeny of tephritid fruit flies in the bactrocera tau complex using the mitochondrial coi sequences.	we compared sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase i gene of eight species of the bactrocera tau complex using bactrocera dorsalis, bactrocera pyrifoliae, ceratitis capitata, anopheles gambiae, and locusta migratoria as outgroups. a 639-bp variable region was sequenced. the sequence divergence between species in the b. tau complex ranged from 0.06 to 28%, and up to 29% between the complex and its tephritid outgroups, b. dorsalis and c. capitata. according to the phylogenetic relations ...	2003	12669803
for the insect pathogen photorhabdus luminescens, which end of a nematode is out?	the nematode heterorhabditis bacteriophora is the vector for transmitting the entomopathogenic bacterium photorhabdus luminescens between insect larvae. the dauer juvenile (dj) stage nematode selectively retains p. luminescens in its intestine until it releases the bacteria into the hemocoel of an insect host. we report the results of studying the transmission of the bacteria by its nematode vector. cells of p. luminescens labeled with green fluorescent protein preferentially colonized a region ...	2003	12676661
resistance to carbosulfan in anopheles gambiae from ivory coast, based on reduced sensitivity of acetylcholinesterase.	resistance to carbosulfan, a carbamate insecticide, was detected in field populations of the malaria vector mosquito anopheles gambiae giles (diptera: culicidae) from two ecologically contrasted localities near bouaké, ivory coast: rural m'bé with predominantly m form of an. gambiae susceptible to pyrethroids; suburban yaokoffikro with predominantly s form of an. gambiae highly resistant to pyrethroids (96% kdr). the discriminating concentration of 0.4% carbosulfan (i.e. double the lc100) was de ...	2003	12680920
cannibalism and predation among larvae of the anopheles gambiae complex.	among the aquatic developmental stages of the anopheles gambiae complex (diptera: culicidae), both inter- and intra-specific interactions influence the resulting densities of adult mosquito populations. for three members of the complex, an. arabiensis patton, an. quadriannulatus (theobald) and an. gambiae giles sensu stricto, we investigated some aspects of this competition under laboratory conditions. first-instar larvae were consumed by fourth-instar larvae of the same species (cannibalism) an ...	2003	12680927
[malaria kills over 1 million people every year. genomic mapping of malaria parasite and mosquito raise hope for a vaccine as well as more effective drugs].	every year, malaria kills between 1 and 2 million people. another half billion get infected but survive. most cases of malaria are found in sub-saharan africa. because of drug and insecticide resistance and social and environmental changes the problems are still increasing. there is therefore a desperate need for vaccines and new drugs and insecticides. several recently published research discoveries may help to speed up the development of new tools to fight malaria. two years ago the draft huma ...	2003	12693137
kdr mutation, a genetic marker to assess events of introgression between the molecular m and s forms of anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae) in the tropical savannah area of west africa.	a sodium channel 'kdr'-type mutation was identified in the m form of anopheles gambiae from burkina faso in the tropical savannah area belt. the molecular m form of an. gambiae is found at high frequencies in the flooded rice cultivation area of kou valley, where the insecticide selection pressure is limited. the spread of the mutation in the m population is an ongoing process, as it increased from a frequency of 0.006 in 1999 to 0.02 in 2000. the s molecular form occurs in sympatry in our study ...	2003	12693848
tox defines a conserved subfamily of hmg-box proteins.	hmg-box proteins are a large and diverse superfamily of architectural factors that share one or more copies of a sequence- and structurally-related dna binding domain. these proteins can modify chromatin structure by bending and unwinding dna. hmg-box proteins can be divided into two subfamilies based on whether they recognize dna in a sequence-dependent or sequence-independent manner. we recently identified an hmg-box protein involved in t cell development, designated tox, which is highly conse ...	2003	12697058
mosquito has a single multisubstrate deoxyribonucleoside kinase characterized by unique substrate specificity.	in mammals four deoxyribonucleoside kinases, with a relatively restricted specificity, catalyze the phosphorylation of the four natural deoxyribonucleosides. when cultured mosquito cells, originating from the malaria vector anopheles gambiae, were examined for deoxyribonucleoside kinase activities, only a single enzyme was isolated. subsequently, the corresponding gene was cloned and over-expressed. while the mosquito kinase (ag-dnk) phosphorylated all four natural deoxyribonucleosides, it displ ...	2003	12626708
the ark1/prk1 family of protein kinases. regulators of endocytosis and the actin skeleton.	the ark/prk serine/threonine kinases initiate phosphorylation cycles that control the endocytic machinery in mammalian cells and in yeast, and the actin cytoskeleton in yeast. the members of this protein family are unified by homologies in their kinase domain, but are generally diverse in their other domains. the evolution of ark/prk family members in different organisms may have allowed the conserved role of the kinase domain, which is required for the phosphorylation of both endocytic and cyto ...	2003	12634840
observations on the swarming and mating behaviour of anopheles funestus from southern mozambique.	control of malaria by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes refractory to transmission is now becoming a possibility. in many areas of africa, anopheles gambiae is found together with an equally important vector, an. funestus. given their sympatry and the likelihood of a similar mating period some aspects of the mating behaviour of an. gambiae s.l. and an. funestus are likely to differ. we therefore attempted to characterise the swarming behaviour of an. funestus and to determine if any ...	2003	12636875
[can genome sequences save tropical countries?: outcome form the genome sequences of malaria parasite, plasmodium falciparum and malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae].		2003	12638179
fire exit is a potential four transmembrane protein expressed in developing drosophila glia.	glia from many diverse organisms play a number of important roles during the development of the nervous system. therefore, knowing the molecules that control glial cell function will further our understanding of the mechanisms that control nervous system development. we have isolated a novel gene in drosophila melanogaster that is expressed in a subset of the peripheral glia. we call this gene "fire exit" (fie), as the glia that express this gene do so during a time when they mark the entry and ...	2003	12640618
the phusion assembler.	the phusion assembler has assembled the mouse genome from the whole-genome shotgun (wgs) dataset collected by the mouse genome sequencing consortium, at ~7.5x sequence coverage, producing a high-quality draft assembly 2.6 gigabases in size, of which 90% of these bases are in 479 scaffolds. for the mouse genome, which is a large and repeat-rich genome, the input dataset was designed to include a high proportion of paired end sequences of various size selected inserts, from 2-200 kbp lengths, into ...	2003	12529309
efficacy and efficiency of new bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis and bacillus sphaericus formulations against afrotropical anophelines in western kenya.	we evaluated the efficacy of new water-dispersible granular (wdg) formulations of bacillus thuringienis var. israelensis (bti; vectobac) and b. sphaericus (bs; vectolex), valent bioscience corp., illinois, usa) for the control of larval anopheles gambiae sensu lato giles mosquitoes in a malaria-endemic area around lake victoria, western kenya. wdg and powder formulations were compared in laboratory bioassays and followed by efficiency and residual effect assessments of both wdg formulations in o ...	2003	12535249
cloning and characterization of trypsin- and chymotrypsin-like proteases from the midgut of the sand fly vector phlebotomus papatasi.	trypsin and chymotrypsin serine proteases are the main digestive proteases in diptera midguts and are also involved in many aspects of the vector-parasite relationship. in sand flies, these proteases have been shown to be a potential barrier to leishmania growth and development within the midgut. here we describe the sequence and partial characterization of six phlebotomus papatasi midgut serine proteases: two chymotrypsin-like (ppchym1 and ppchym2) and four trypsin-like (pptryp1-pptryp4). all s ...	2003	12535675
a hat trick--plasmodium, anopheles and homo.	the genomes of the malaria parasite, its vector and its host are now sequenced. this has been a tremendous scientific achievement. but will it offer hope to the millions who die from malaria each year? yes, but only if combined with political will and social change.	2003	12537542
species-specific primer for identification of anopheles quadriannulatus sp. b (diptera: culicidae) from ethiopia using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay.	anopheles quadriannulatus theobald historically has been reported from southern africa, zanzibar islands, and ethiopia. however, based on evidences of genetic incompatibility between crosses of south african and ethiopian populations, the population from ethiopia was recently reported as a distinct species designated as an. quadriannulatus sp. b. an. quadriannulatus sp. a, denoted the southern african population. to distinguish the two populations, the igs (intergenic spacer) region of rdna was ...	2003	12597664
sex-specific and blood meal-induced proteins of anopheles gambiae midguts: analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.	anopheles gambiae is the main vector of plasmodium falciparum in africa. the mosquito midgut constitutes a barrier that the parasite must cross if it is to develop and be transmitted. despite the central role of the mosquito midgut in the host/parasite interaction, little is known about its protein composition. characterisation of an. gambiae midgut proteins may identify the proteins that render an. gambiae receptive to the malaria parasite.	2003	12605724
molecular characterization of llchit1, a midgut chitinase cdna from the leishmaniasis vector lutzomyia longipalpis.	during development within the midgut of the sand fly vector, leishmania parasites after undergoing differentiation and multiplication must escape the peritrophic matrix (pm). although leishmania chitinase is believed to take part in promoting the escape of the parasite from the pm by inducing degradation of chitin fibers, it is conceivable that a sand fly-derived chitinase can also have a role in such an event. here we describe the molecular cloning and partial characterization of a complete cdn ...	2003	12609513
drl1, a homolog of the yeast tot4/kti12 protein, has a function in meristem activity and organ growth in plants.	the deformed roots and leaves1 (drl1) gene is single copy in the arabidopsis genome, and based on overall amino acid similarity and conservation of functional domains, the drl1 protein is homologous with yeast tot4/kti12. tot4/kti12 associates with elongator, a multisubunit complex that binds the rna polymerase ii transcription elongation complex. recessive mutations at the drl1 locus caused defective organ formation indicative of disorganized shoot, inflorescence, flower, and root meristems. dr ...	2003	12615938
beenomes to bombyx: future directions in applied insect genomics.	the recent sequencing of the anopheles gambiae genome showcases the genetic breadth of insects and a trend towards sequencing organisms directly involved with human welfare. we describe traits in other insect species that make them important candidates for genomics projects, and review several recent workshops aimed at uniting researchers working with insect species to efficiently address problems in medicine, biotechnology, and agriculture.	2003	12620096
the rhomboids: a nearly ubiquitous family of intramembrane serine proteases that probably evolved by multiple ancient horizontal gene transfers.	the rhomboid family of polytopic membrane proteins shows a level of evolutionary conservation unique among membrane proteins. they are present in nearly all the sequenced genomes of archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes, with the exception of several species with small genomes. on the basis of experimental studies with the developmental regulator rhomboid from drosophila and the aara protein from the bacterium providencia stuartii, the rhomboids are thought to be intramembrane serine proteases whose ...	2003	12620104
conservation of ecdysis-triggering hormone signalling in insects.	pre-ecdysis- and ecdysis-triggering hormones (peth and eth) from endocrine inka cells initiate ecdysis in moths and drosophila through direct actions on the central nervous system (cns). using immunohistochemistry, we found inka cells in representatives of all major insect orders. in most insects, inka cells are numerous, small and scattered throughout the tracheal system. only some higher holometabolous insects exhibit 8-9 pairs of large inka cells attached to tracheae in each prothoracic and a ...	2003	12624163
new micrornas from mouse and human.	micrornas (mirnas) represent a new class of noncoding rnas encoded in the genomes of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. micrornas regulate translation and stability of target mrnas based on (partial) sequence complementarity. although the number of newly identified mirnas is still increasing, target mrnas of animal mirnas remain to be identified. here we describe 31 novel mirnas that were identified by cloning from mouse tissues and the human saos-2 cell line. fifty-three percent of all kno ...	2003	12554859
frequency of multiple inseminations in field-collected anopheles gambiae females revealed by dna analysis of transferred sperm.	we investigated the frequencies of single and multiple matings in field-collected female anopheles gambiae by conducting microsatellite dna analyses on the sperm contained within their spermatheca. amplifcation by a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) at four loci allowed the detection of sperm extracts exhibiting more than two alleles per locus, thereby revealing the occurrence of multiple inseminations. polyandry was found in six of 239 females examined, or 2.5% of the samples. previous analyses o ...	2003	12556139
identification of pseudogenes in the drosophila melanogaster genome.	pseudogenes are copies of genes that cannot produce a protein. they can be detected from disruptions to their apparent coding sequence, caused by frameshifts and premature stop codons. they are classed as either processed pseudogenes (made by reverse transcription from an mrna) or duplicated pseudogenes, arising from duplication in the genomic dna and subsequent disablement. historically, there is anecdotal evidence that the fruit fly (drosophila melanogaster) has few pseudogenes. investigators ...	2003	12560500
sequence analysis of a 282-kilobase region surrounding the citrus tristeza virus resistance gene (ctv) locus in poncirus trifoliata l. raf.	citrus tristeza virus (ctv) is the major virus pathogen causing significant economic damage to citrus worldwide, and a single dominant gene, ctv, provides broad spectrum resistance to ctv in poncirus trifoliata l. raf. ctv was physically mapped to a 282-kb region using a p. trifoliata bacterial artificial chromosome library. this region was completely sequenced to about 8x coverage using a shotgun sequencing strategy and primer walking for gap closure. sequence analysis predicts 22 putative gene ...	2003	12586873
far3 and five interacting proteins prevent premature recovery from pheromone arrest in the budding yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae.	in budding yeast, diffusible mating pheromones initiate a signaling pathway that culminates in several responses, including cell cycle arrest. only a handful of genes required for the interface between pheromone response and the cell cycle have been identified, among them far1 and far3; of these, only far1 has been extensively characterized. in an effort to learn about the mechanism by which far3 acts, we used the two-hybrid method to identify interacting proteins. we identified five previously ...	2003	12588993
enrichment of a single clone from a high diversity library of phage-displayed antibodies by panning with anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae) midgut homogenate.	a high diversity library of recombinant human antibodies was selected on complex antigen mixtures from midguts of female anopheles gambiae giles. the library of phage-displayed single chain variable region fragment constructs, derived from beta-lymphocyte mrna of naïve human donors, was repeatedly selected and reamplified on the insoluble fraction of midgut homogenates. five rounds of panning yielded only one midgut-specific clone, which predominated the resulting antibody panel. in a. gambiae, ...	2003	12593680
relish-mediated immune deficiency in the transgenic mosquito aedes aegypti.	the lack of genetic means has been a serious limitation in studying mosquito immunity. we generated relish-mediated immune deficiency (rmid) by transforming aedes aegypti with the delta rel transgene driven by the vitellogenin (vg) promoter using the pbac[3xp3-egfp, afm] vector. a stable transformed line had a single copy of the vg-delta rel transgene. the vg-delta rel transgene expression was highly activated by blood feeding, and transgenic mosquitoes were extremely susceptible to the infectio ...	2003	12594340
database resources of the national center for biotechnology.	in addition to maintaining the genbank(r) nucleic acid sequence database, the national center for biotechnology information (ncbi) provides data analysis and retrieval resources for the data in genbank and other biological data made available through ncbi's web site. ncbi resources include entrez, pubmed, pubmed central (pmc), locuslink, the ncbitaxonomy browser, blast, blast link (blink), electronic pcr (e-pcr), open reading frame (orf) finder, references sequence (refseq), unigene, homologene, ...	2003	12519941
ensembl 2002: accommodating comparative genomics.	the ensembl (http://www.ensembl.org/) database project provides a bioinformatics framework to organise biology around the sequences of large genomes. it is a comprehensive source of stable automatic annotation of human, mouse and other genome sequences, available as either an interactive web site or as flat files. ensembl also integrates manually annotated gene structures from external sources where available. as well as being one of the leading sources of genome annotation, ensembl is an open s ...	2003	12519943
mitodrome: a database of drosophila melanogaster nuclear genes encoding proteins targeted to the mitochondrion.	mitochondria are organelles present in the cytoplasm of most eukaryotic cells; although they have their own dna, the majority of the proteins necessary for a functional mitochondrion are coded by the nuclear dna and only after transcription and translation they are imported in the mitochondrion as proteins. the primary role of the mitochondrion is electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. although it has been studied for a long time, the interest of researchers in mitochondria is still a ...	2003	12520013
nitric oxide contributes to induction of innate immune responses to gram-negative bacteria in drosophila.	studies in mammals uncovered important signaling roles of nitric oxide (no), and contributions to innate immunity. suggestions of conservation led us to explore the involvement of no in drosophila innate immunity. inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (nos) increased larval sensitivity to gram-negative bacterial infection, and abrogated induction of the antimicrobial peptide diptericin. nos was up-regulated after infection. antimicrobial peptide reporters revealed that no triggered an immune respo ...	2003	12514104
paucity of genes on the drosophila x chromosome showing male-biased expression.	sex chromosomes are primary determinants of sexual dimorphism in many organisms. these chromosomes are thought to arise via the divergence of an ancestral autosome pair and are almost certainly influenced by differing selection in males and females. exploring how sex chromosomes differ from autosomes is highly amenable to genomic analysis. we examined global gene expression in drosophila melanogaster and report a dramatic underrepresentation of x-chromosome genes showing high relative expression ...	2003	12511656
mental retardation and abnormal skeletal development (dyggve-melchior-clausen dysplasia) due to mutations in a novel, evolutionarily conserved gene.	dyggve-melchior-clausen dysplasia (dmc) and smith-mccort dysplasia (smc) are similar, rare autosomal recessive osteochondrodysplasias. the radiographic features and cartilage histology in dmc and smc are identical. however, patients with dmc exhibit significant developmental delay and mental retardation, the major features that distinguish the two conditions. linkage studies localized the smc and dmc disease genes to chromosome 18q12-21.1, providing evidence suggesting that they are allelic diso ...	2003	12491225
the phenology of malaria mosquitoes in irrigated rice fields in mali.	a field study was carried out in the large-scale rice irrigation scheme of the office du niger in mali to investigate the relation between anopheline mosquito larval development and small-scale differences in irrigation practices, such as water level, irrigation application and irrigation frequency. the objective of the study was to find out if water management can be used as a tool for vector control to reduce the malaria transmission risk. larvae of anopheles gambiae s.s.,; the main malaria ve ...	2003	12505185
the salivary purine nucleosidase of the mosquito, aedes aegypti.	a cdna clone originating from adult female aedes aegypti mosquitoes was found with substantial similarity to nucleosidases of the ec 3.2.2.1 enzyme class. although this type of enzyme is unusual in animals, abundant enzyme activity was found in salivary homogenates of this mosquito, but not in salivary homogenates of the mosquitoes anopheles gambiae and culex quinquefasciatus, or the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis. aedes salivary homogenate hydrolyses inosine and guanosine to hypoxanthine and xa ...	2003	12459196
androgen regulation of the human ferm domain encoding gene ehm2 in a cell model of steroid-induced differentiation.	we have developed a cell model to investigate steroid control of differentiation using a subline of ht1080 cells (ht-ar1) that have been engineered to express the human androgen receptor. dihydrotestosterone (dht) treatment of ht-ar1 cells induced growth arrest and cytoskeletal reorganization that was associated with the expression of fibronectin and the neuroendocrine markers chromogranin a and neuron-specific enolase. expression profiling analysis identified the human ferm domain-encoding gene ...	2003	14521927
following in soper's footsteps: northeast brazil 63 years after eradication of anopheles gambiae.	sub-saharan africa has long suffered under the yoke of the anopheles gambiae mosquito, but for northeast brazil (figure 1) its arrival over 60 years ago was a new and horrifying experience. this african mosquito is an exceptionally effective malaria vector because it is well adapted to feeding upon people and to exploiting aquatic habitats associated with our daily activities. anopheles gambiae sensu lato probably accounts for most of the world's malaria deaths and socioeconomic burden. fortunat ...	2003	14522266
extensive exon reshuffling over evolutionary time coupled to trans-splicing in drosophila.	the relative position of exons in genes can be altered only after large structural mutations. these mutations are frequently deleterious, impairing transcription, splicing, rna stability, or protein function, as well as imposing strong inflexibility to protein evolution. alternative cis- or trans-splicing may overcome the need for genomic structural stability, allowing genes to encode new proteins without the need to maintain a specific exon order. trans-splicing in the drosophila melanogaster m ...	2003	14525924
juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase: a key regulatory enzyme for insect metamorphosis.	juvenile hormone (jh) acid methyltransferase (jhamt) is an enzyme that converts jh acids or inactive precursors of jhs to active jhs at the final step of jh biosynthesis pathway in insects. by fluorescent mrna differential display, we have cloned a cdna encoding jhamt from the corpora allata (ca) of the silkworm, bombyx mori (bmjhamt). the bmjhamt cdna encodes an orf of 278 aa with a calculated molecular mass of 32,544 da. the predicted amino acid sequence contains a conserved s-adenosyl-l-methi ...	2003	14530389
targeting enzymes involved in spermidine metabolism of parasitic protozoa--a possible new strategy for anti-parasitic treatment.	sequencing data obtained from the plasmodium, anopheles gambiae and human genome projects provide a new basis for drug and vaccine development. one of the most characteristic features in the process of drug development against parasitic protozoa is target identification in a biological pathway. the next step must be a structure-based rational drug design if the target is not only present in the parasite. in mouse models of malaria, such drugs should be tested for efficacy of the new therapies. h ...	2003	14530966
[molecular characterization of mosquitoes of the anopheles gambiae complex from mayotte and great comoro].	the mosquitoes of the anopheles gambiae complex have been characterised at specific and sub-specific levels in two islands of the comoros archipelago: the island of mayotte (french departmental collectivity) and the island of grande comore (comoros union). results are similar in the two islands and are presented together. the species an. gambiae s.s. was observed alone (determination performed on 149 specimens by pcr product of igs of rdna). the molecular form observed alone was s, and correspon ...	2003	14535168
ring a-seco mosquito larvicidal limonoids from turraea wakefieldii.	five novel limonoids, 1-5, were isolated from the root bark of turraea wakefieldii and were characterized as tecleaninoid derivatives. this is the first report of the natural occurrence of tecleanin-type limonoids with a five-membered-ring a-seco structure for which we propose the name neotecleanins. the relative stereochemical structures of compounds 1-5 were established on the basis of nmr spectroscopy. the absolute stereochemical structure of 5 was confirmed by x-ray diffraction methods. in m ...	2003	14559274
phylogenetic relationships of the fox (forkhead) gene family in the bilateria.	the forkhead or fox gene family encodes putative transcription factors. there are at least four fox genes in yeast, 16 in drosophila melanogaster (dm) and 42 in humans. recently, vertebrate fox genes have been classified into 17 groups named foxa to foxq. here, we extend this analysis to invertebrates, using available sequences from d. melanogaster, anopheles gambiae (ag), caenorhabditis elegans (ce), the sea squirt ciona intestinalis (ci) and amphioxus branchiostoma floridae (bf), from which we ...	2003	14563554
infection of malaria (anopheles gambiae s.s.) and filariasis (culex quinquefasciatus) vectors with the entomopathogenic fungus metarhizium anisopliae.	current intra-domiciliary vector control depends on the application of residual insecticides and/or repellents. although biological control agents have been developed against aquatic mosquito stages, none are available for adults. following successful use of an entomopathogenic fungus against tsetse flies (diptera: glossinidae) we investigated the potency of this fungus as a biological control agent for adult malaria and filariasis vector mosquitoes.	2003	14565851
a family of genes clustered at the triplo-lethal locus of drosophila melanogaster has an unusual evolutionary history and significant synteny with anopheles gambiae.	within the unique triplo-lethal region (tpl) of the drosophila melanogaster genome we have found a cluster of 20 genes encoding a novel family of proteins. this family is also present in the anopheles gambiae genome and displays remarkable synteny and sequence conservation with the drosophila cluster. the family is also present in the sequenced genome of d. pseudoobscura, and homologs have been found in aedes aegypti mosquitoes and in four other insect orders, but it is not present in the sequen ...	2003	14573474
convergent neofunctionalization by positive darwinian selection after ancient recurrent duplications of the xanthine dehydrogenase gene.	gene duplication is a primary source of molecular substrate for the emergence of evolutionary novelties. the chances for redundant gene sequences to evolve new functions are small compared with the probability that the copies become disabled by deleterious mutations. functional divergence after gene duplication can result in two alternative evolutionary fates: one copy acquires a novel function (neofunctionalization), or each copy adopts part of the tasks of their parental gene (subfunctionaliza ...	2003	14576276
quantitative trait loci in anopheles gambiae controlling the encapsulation response against plasmodium cynomolgi ceylon.	anopheles gambiae females are the world's most successful vectors of human malaria. however, a fraction of these mosquitoes is refractory to plasmodium development. l3-5, a laboratory selected refractory strain, encapsulates transforming ookinetes/early oocysts of a wide variety of plasmodium species. previous studies on these mosquitoes showed that one major (pen1) and two minor (pen2, pen3) autosomal dominant quantitative trait loci (qtls) control the melanotic encapsulation response against p ...	2003	14577840
[malaria control in the post-genomic era].	with the publication of seminal articles on the genomic sequence of plasmodium falciparum and p. yoelii yoelii last autumn following the articles on genome of anopheles gambiae, man, and mice, malariology stepped indubitably into a new era. a major finding of genome annotation is that nearly 60% of plasmodium sp. have no functional attribution and that a high proportion of p. falciparum sequences have no counterpart in p. yoelii. in the light of these findings it will now be possible to explore ...	2003	14579459
[systematics and biology of anopheles vectors of plasmodium in africa, recent data].	renewed interest in research on plasmodium vectors in africa and development of genetic and molecular biology techniques has been spearheaded by the who and the pal+ program of the french research ministry. new findings have led to a better understanding of the systematics and biology of the main vector groups. the purpose of this article is to describe the newest data on the anopheles gambiae complex and the m and s forms of an. gambiae s.s., on species in the an. funestus group and genetic pol ...	2003	14579461
[malaria in military personnel: the case of the ivory coast in 2002-2003].	french troops were sent to the ivory coast on september 22, 2002 within the framework of operation unicorn in response to the political unrest. from september 22 to october 20, a total of 37 cases of malaria were reported, i.e., 35.7 cases per 1000 man-months. as of october 11, the central headquarters of the armed services health corps decided to use doxycycline as the exclusive agent for drug prophylaxis in military personnel on duty in the ivory coast and to enhance vector control measures. t ...	2003	14579467
methodological problems and amendments to demonstrate effects of temperature on the epidemiology of malaria. a new perspective on the highland epidemics in madagascar, 1972-89.	there is a growing consensus that changes in climate will have major consequences for human health through a reduction in the availability of food and an increasing frequency of natural disasters. however, the contribution of higher temperatures to vector-borne diseases, particularly malaria, remains controversial despite the known biological dependence of both vector and pathogen on climate. misconceptions and inappropriate use of variables and methods have contributed to the controversy. at pr ...	2003	14584363
variation of malaria transmission and morbidity with altitude in tanzania and with introduction of alphacypermethrin treated nets.	highland areas with naturally less intense malaria transmission may provide models of how lowland areas might become if transmission was permanently reduced by sustained vector control. it has been argued that vector control should not be attempted in areas of intense transmission.	2003	14585106
an adult-specific cyp6 p450 gene is overexpressed in a pyrethroid-resistant strain of the malaria vector, anopheles gambiae.	many malaria control programmes are based on insecticide application as adulticides, often in the form of pyrethroid-impregnated bed nets. however, the efficacy of this control measure can be reduced by genetic changes in vector insecticide susceptibility. pyrethroid resistance has been detected in the major african malaria vector, anopheles gambiae, and has been attributed to a combination of target site insensitivity and increased oxidative metabolism of the insecticide, catalysed by cytochrom ...	2003	14585502
reflections on the anopheles gambiae genome sequence, transgenic mosquitoes and the prospect for controlling malaria and other vector borne diseases.	the completion of the anopheles gambiae giles genome sequencing project is a milestone toward developing more effective strategies in reducing the impact of malaria and other vector borne diseases. the successes in developing transgenic approaches using mosquitoes have provided another essential new tool for further progress in basic vector genetics and the goal of disease control. the use of transgenic approaches to develop refractory mosquitoes is also possible. the ability to use genome seque ...	2003	14596272
influence of sugar availability and indoor microclimate on survival of anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae) under semifield conditions in western kenya.	the influence of indoor microclimate on survival of female anopheles gambiae sensu stricto giles (diptera: culicidae) mosquitoes fed on different nutrition sources was evaluated in a semifield experimental hut exposed to ambient climate in western kenya. cages of mosquitoes (n approximately 50 per cage) were placed in nine positions within the hut combining three different sides and three different heights. at each height and side, mosquitoes were offered either human blood (once every 2 d), glu ...	2003	14596279
a comparative study of the porin genes encoding vdac, a voltage-dependent anion channel protein, in anopheles gambiae and drosophila melanogaster.	the protein called voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (vdac), or mitochondrial porin, forms channels that provide the major pathway for small metabolites across the mitochondrial outer membrane. we have identified and sequenced agporin, a gene of the malaria vector mosquito anopheles gambiae that conceptually encodes a protein with 73% identity to the vdac protein encoded by the porin gene in drosophila melanogaster. by in situ hybridization, we have localized agporin at region 35d on the ...	2003	14604798
distribution of the species of the anopheles gambiae complex and first evidence of anopheles merus as a malaria vector in madagascar.	background: members of the anopheles gambiae complex are amongst the best malaria vectors in the world, but their vectorial capacities vary between species and populations. a large-scale sampling of an. gambiae sensu lato was carried out in various bioclimatic domains of madagascar. local abundance of an unexpected member of this complex raised questions regarding its role in malaria transmission. methods: sampling took place at 38 sites and 2,067 females were collected. species assessment was p ...	2003	14609436
relationship between rna lariat debranching and ty1 element retrotransposition.	the saccharomyces cerevisiae dbr1 gene encodes a 2'-5' phosphodiesterase that debranches intron rna lariats following splicing. yeast dbr1 mutants accumulate intron lariats and are also defective for mobility of the retrotransposons ty1 and ty3. we used a mutagenic pcr method to generate a collection of dbr1 mutant alleles to explore the relationship between the roles of dbr1 in transposition and debranching. eight mutants defective for ty1 transposition contained single amino acid changes in db ...	2003	14610201
mating does not affect the biting behaviour of anopheles gambiae from the islands of são tomé and príncipe, west africa.	to determine if mating or gonotrophic age influenced the biting behaviour of anopheles gambiae s.s., a series of all-night landing captures was performed on the islands of são tomé and príncipe in the gulf of guinea. on são tomé 49% and on príncipe 56% of the newly emerged an. gambiae taking their first bloodmeal were virgins. on each island, with the exception of recently mated insects on príncipe, all age-groups had similar biting cycles. the biting cycle on príncipe resembled that observed on ...	2003	14613634
x-ray structure and activity of the yeast pop2 protein: a nuclease subunit of the mrna deadenylase complex.	in saccharomyces cerevisiae, a large complex, known as the ccr4-not complex, containing two nucleases, is responsible for mrna deadenylation. one of these nucleases is called pop2 and has been identified by similarity with parn, a human poly(a) nuclease. here, we present the crystal structure of the nuclease domain of pop2 at 2.3 a resolution. the domain has the fold of the dnaq family and represents the first structure of an rnase from the dedd superfamily. despite the presence of two non-canon ...	2003	14618157
thioredoxin reductase from the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae.	the mosquito, anopheles gambiae, is an important vector of plasmodium falciparum malaria. full genome analysis revealed that, as in drosophila melanogaster, the enzyme glutathione reductase is absent in a. gambiae and functionally substituted by the thioredoxin system. the key enzyme of this system is thioredoxin reductase-1, a homodimeric fad-containing protein of 55.3 kda per subunit, which catalyses the reaction nadph + h+ + thioredoxin disulfide-->nadp+ + thioredoxin dithiol. the a. gambiae ...	2003	14622292
tppp/p25 promotes tubulin assemblies and blocks mitotic spindle formation.	recently, we isolated from bovine brain a protein, tppp/p25 and identified as p25, a brain-specific protein that induced aberrant tubulin assemblies. the primary sequence of this protein differs from that of other proteins identified so far; however, it shows high homology with p25-like hypothetical proteins sought via blast. here, we characterized the binding of tppp/p25 to tubulin by means of surface plasmon resonance; the kinetic parameters are as follows: kon, 2.4 x 10(4) m(-1) x s(-1); koff ...	2003	14623963
the role of reactive oxygen species on plasmodium melanotic encapsulation in anopheles gambiae.	malaria transmission depends on the competence of some anopheles mosquitoes to sustain plasmodium development (susceptibility). a genetically selected refractory strain of anopheles gambiae blocks plasmodium development, melanizing, and encapsulating the parasite in a reaction that begins with tyrosine oxidation, and involves three quantitative trait loci. morphological and microarray mrna expression analysis suggest that the refractory and susceptible strains have broad physiological difference ...	2003	14623973
genomics research and malaria control: great expectations.		2003	14624242
is the mbita trap a reliable tool for evaluating the density of anopheline vectors in the highlands of madagascar?	background: one method of collecting mosquitoes is to use human beings as bait. this is called human landing collection and is a reference method for evaluating mosquito density per person. the mbita trap, described by mathenge et al in the literature, consists of an entry-no return device whereby humans are used as bait but cannot be bitten. we compared the mbita trap and human landing collection in field conditions to estimate mosquito density and malaria transmission. methods: our study was c ...	2003	14624701
raised houses reduce mosquito bites.	background: in many parts of continental africa house construction does not appear to impede entry of malaria vectors and, given their generally late biting cycle, the great majority of transmission takes place indoors. in contrast, many houses in são tomé, 140 km off the coast of gabon, are raised on stilts and built of wooden planks. building on stilts is a time-honoured, but largely untested, way of avoiding mosquito bites. exposure may also be affected by mosquito activity times and age comp ...	2003	14667242
linking field-based ecological data with remotely sensed data using a geographic information system in two malaria endemic urban areas of kenya.	background: remote sensing technology provides detailed spectral and thermal images of the earth's surface from which surrogate ecological indicators of complex processes can be measured. methods: remote sensing data were overlaid onto georeferenced entomological and human ecological data randomly sampled during april and may 2001 in the cities of kisumu (population asymptotically equal to 320,000) and malindi (population asymptotically equal to 81,000), kenya. grid cells of 270 meters x 270 met ...	2003	14667243
distribution of anopheline mosquitoes in eritrea.	the spatial distribution of anopheline mosquito species was studied throughout eritrea during the 1999-2001 malaria transmission seasons from october to december for the highlands and western lowlands and february to april for the coastal region. of the 302 villages sampled, 59 were visited in both the first and second year. overall, 13 anopheline species were identified, with the anopheles gambiae complex predominating during the first year (75.6%, n = 861) and the second year (91.9%, n = 1,262 ...	2003	14628947
population genetic structure of the african malaria mosquito anopheles funestus in kenya.	anopheles funestus giles is a major malaria vector in africa, but little is known about the genetic structure of natural populations. in this study, microsatellite markers were used to investigate the genetic structure of a. funestus populations from kenya. two populations from western kenya 80 km apart and two from coastal kenya 50 km apart were collected and examined for allelic variation at five trinucleotide microsatellite loci. we found a. funestus giles was the predominant species (> 98%) ...	2003	14628948
strand compositional asymmetries of nuclear dna in eukaryotes.	both dna replication and transcription are structurally asymmetric processes. an asymmetric nucleotide substitution pattern has been observed between the leading and the lagging strand, and between the coding and the noncoding strand, in eubacterial, viral, and organelle genomes. similar studies in eukaryotes have been rare, because the origins of replication in nuclear genomes are mostly unknown and the replicons are much shorter than those of prokaryotes. to circumvent these predicaments, all ...	2003	14629042
field efficacy of thermally expelled or live potted repellent plants against african malaria vectors in western kenya.	to estimate the effectiveness of live potted plants and thermal expulsion of plant materials in repelling african malaria vectors in traditional houses in western kenya.	2003	14629767
trf3, a tata-box-binding protein-related factor, is vertebrate-specific and widely expressed.	tata-box-binding protein (tbp) is a highly conserved rna polymerase ii general transcription factor that binds to the core promoter and initiates assembly of the preinitiation complex. two proteins with high homology to tbp have been found: tbp-related factor 1 (trf1), described only in drosophila melanogaster, and trf2, which is broadly distributed in metazoans. here, we report the identification and characterization of an additional tbp-related factor, trf3. trf3 is virtually identical to tbp ...	2003	14634207
monoclonal antibody mg96 completely blocks plasmodium yoelii development in anopheles stephensi.	in spite of research efforts to develop vaccines against the causative agent of human malaria, plasmodium falciparum, effective control remains elusive. the predominant vaccine strategy focuses on targeting parasite blood stages in the vertebrate host. an alternative approach has been the development of transmission-blocking vaccines (tbvs). tbvs target antigens on parasite sexual stages that persist within the insect vector, anopheline mosquitoes, or target mosquito midgut proteins that are pre ...	2003	14638789
effect of temperature on the development of the aquatic stages of anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (diptera: culicidae).	global warming may affect the future pattern of many arthropod-borne diseases, yet the relationship between temperature and development has been poorly described for many key vectors. here the development of the aquatic stages of africa's principal malaria vector, anopheles gambiae s.s. giles, is described at different temperatures. development time from egg to adult was measured under laboratory conditions at constant temperatures between 10 and 40 degrees c. rate of development from one immatu ...	2003	14641976
structure of an insect delta-class glutathione s-transferase from a ddt-resistant strain of the malaria vector anopheles gambiae.	glutathione s-transferases (gsts) are a major family of detoxification enzymes which possess a wide range of substrate specificities. most organisms possess many gsts belonging to multiple classes. interest in gsts in insects is focused on their role in insecticide resistance; many resistant insects have elevated levels of gst activity. in the malaria vector anopheles gambiae, elevated gst levels are associated with resistance to the organochlorine insecticide ddt [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chl ...	2003	14646079
anopheles arabiensis and an. quadriannulatus resistance to ddt in south africa.	the malaria control programme of kwazulu-natal province, south africa, includes mamfene and mlambo communities. western-type houses there are currently sprayed with deltamethrin, whereas traditional houses are sprayed with ddt for malaria control. in 2002, mosquitoes of the anopheles gambiae complex (diptera: culicidae) were collected from ddt-sprayed houses, by window exit traps, and from man-baited nets outdoors. larval collections were also carried out at mzinweni pan near mlambo. species of ...	2003	14651656
towards genetic manipulation of wild mosquito populations to combat malaria: advances and challenges.	malaria kills millions of people every year, yet there has been little progress in controlling this disease. for transmission to occur, the malaria parasite has to complete a complex developmental cycle in the mosquito. the mosquito is therefore a potential weak link in malaria transmission, and generating mosquito populations that are refractory to the parasite is a potential means of controlling the disease. there has been considerable progress over the last decade towards developing the tools ...	2003	14506216
identification of four highly conserved genes between breakpoint hotspots bp1 and bp2 of the prader-willi/angelman syndromes deletion region that have undergone evolutionary transposition mediated by flanking duplicons.	prader-willi and angelman syndromes (pws and as) typically result from an approximately 4-mb deletion of human chromosome 15q11-q13, with clustered breakpoints (bp) at either of two proximal sites (bp1 and bp2) and one distal site (bp3). herc2 and other duplicons map to these bp regions, with the 2-mb pws/as imprinted domain just distal of bp2. previously, the presence of genes and their imprinted status have not been examined between bp1 and bp2. here, we identify two known (cyfip1 and gcp5) an ...	2003	14508708
an island within an island: genetic differentiation of anopheles gambiae in são tomé, west africa, and its relevance to malaria vector control.	islands are choice settings for experimental studies of vector control strategies based on transgenic insects. before considering this approach, knowledge of the population structure of the vector is essential. genetic variation at 12 microsatellite loci was therefore studied in samples of the malaria vector anopheles gambiae s.s., collected from six localities of são tomé island (west africa). the objectives were (i) to assess the demographic stability and effective population size of a. gambia ...	2003	14512957
molecular cloning and characterization of a cdna encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit va from the lesser grain borer, rhyzopertha dominica (f.) (coleoptera: bostrichidae).	a cdna encoding subunit va of cytochrome c oxidase (ec 1.9.3.1) was cloned and characterized from a lesser grain borer (rhyzopertha dominica) cdna library. the complete cdna consists of 693-bp and contains an open reading frame of 450-bp that encodes 150 amino acid residues. the sequence includes a 28-bp putative n-terminal and a 122-bp putative mature protein. the estimated molecular weight and pi for the predicted mature protein are 13,962 and 4.60, respectively. the cdna-deduced amino acid se ...	2003	14518003
caste- and development-associated gene expression in a lower termite.	social insects such as termites express dramatic polyphenism (the occurrence of multiple forms in a species on the basis of differential gene expression) both in association with caste differentiation and between castes after differentiation. we have used cdna macroarrays to compare gene expression between polyphenic castes and intermediary developmental stages of the termite reticulitermes flavipes.	2003	14519197
adult midgut expressed sequence tags from the tsetse fly glossina morsitans morsitans and expression analysis of putative immune response genes.	tsetse flies transmit african trypanosomiasis leading to half a million cases annually. trypanosomiasis in animals (nagana) remains a massive brake on african agricultural development. while trypanosome biology is widely studied, knowledge of tsetse flies is very limited, particularly at the molecular level. this is a serious impediment to investigations of tsetse-trypanosome interactions. we have undertaken an expressed sequence tag (est) project on the adult tsetse midgut, the major organ syst ...	2003	14519198
the two faces of alba: the evolutionary connection between proteins participating in chromatin structure and rna metabolism.	there is considerable heterogeneity in the phyletic patterns of major chromosomal dna-binding proteins in archaea. alba is a well-characterized chromosomal protein from the crenarchaeal genus sulfolobus. while alba has been detected in most archaea and some eukaryotic taxa, its exact functions in these taxa are not clear. here we use comparative genomics and sequence profile analysis to predict potential alternative functions of the alba proteins.	2003	14519199
molecular phylogeny of the kelch-repeat superfamily reveals an expansion of btb/kelch proteins in animals.	the kelch motif is an ancient and evolutionarily-widespread sequence motif of 44-56 amino acids in length. it occurs as five to seven repeats that form a beta-propeller tertiary structure. over 28 kelch-repeat proteins have been sequenced and functionally characterised from diverse organisms spanning from viruses, plants and fungi to mammals and it is evident from expressed sequence tag, domain and genome databases that many additional hypothetical proteins contain kelch-repeats. in general, kel ...	2003	13678422
molecular systematics of anopheles: from subgenera to subpopulations.	the century-old discovery of the role of anopheles in human malaria transmission precipitated intense study of this genus at the alpha taxonomy level, but until recently little attention was focused on the systematics of this group. the application of molecular approaches to systematic problems ranging from subgeneric relationships to relationships at and below the species level is helping to address questions such as anopheline phylogenetics and biogeography, the nature of species boundaries, a ...	2003	12208816
cloning and characterization of four anopheles gambiae serpin isoforms, differentially induced in the midgut by plasmodium berghei invasion.	the genomic locus srpn10 of the malaria vector anopheles gambiae codes for four alternatively spliced serine protease inhibitors of the serpin superfamily. the four 40- to 42-kda isoforms differ only at their c terminus, which bears the reactive site loop, and exhibit protein sequence similarity with other insect serpins and mammalian serpins of the ovalbumin family. inhibition experiments with recombinant purified srpn10 serpins reveal distinct and specific inhibitory activity of three isoforms ...	2003	12456678
molecular entomology and prospects for malaria control.	during the past decade, the techniques of molecular and cell biology have been embraced by many scientists doing research on anopheline vectors of malaria parasites. some of the most important research advances in molecular entomology have concerned the development of sophisticated molecular tools for procedures such as genetic and physical mapping and germ line transformation. major advances have also been made in the study of specific biological processes such as insect defence against pathoge ...	2003	11196488
central projections of olfactory receptor neurons from single antennal and palpal sensilla in mosquitoes.	in insects, olfactory receptor neurons (orns) are located in cuticular sensilla, that are present on the antennae and on the maxillary palps. their axons project into spherical neuropil, the glomeruli, which are characteristic structures in the primary olfactory center throughout the animal kingdom. orns in insects often respond specifically to single odor compounds. the projection patterns of these neurons within the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe, are, however, largely unknown. we ...	2003	18089015
evidence for selection of insecticide resistance due to insensitive acetylcholinesterase by carbamate-treated nets in anopheles gambiae s.s. (diptera: culicidae) from côte d'ivoire.	pyrethroid-treated nets are an efficient tool for reducing malaria transmission and morbidity. the recent evolution of pyrethroid resistance in several anopheles species represents a major threat for the future success of roll back malaria in africa. the possible use of nonpyrethroid insecticides, such as carbamates, on nets is a promising alternative solution because these insecticides are effective against susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant populations of anopheles and culex mosquitoes. unfo ...	2003	14765680
transmission of plasmodium falciparum in urban yaoundé, cameroon, is seasonal and age-dependent.	data on malaria transmission intensity and prevalences of asexual parasites and of gametocytes were obtained in an urban district of yaoundé, cameroon. the transmission level from mosquito to human was determined by indoor night capture of mosquitoes on human volunteers, revealing a calculated entomological inoculation rate of 34 infectious bites per person per year. only anopheles gambiae and a. funestus contributed to malaria transmission and their distribution was seasonal. cross-sectional su ...	2003	15259460
ovicidal and larvicidal activity against aedes aegypti and anopheles gambiae complex mosquitoes of essential oils extracted from three spontaneous plants of burkina faso.	essential oils extracted from dried leaves of three spontaneous plants naturally growing in burkina faso, i.e. cymbopogon proximus, lippia multiflora and ocimum canum, exhibited larvicidal activity by the who standard protocol against 3rd and 4th instar f1-larvae of field-collected mosquitoes vectors of human disease, namely aedes aegypti and members of the anopheles gambiae complex, an. arabiensis and an. gambiae. the median lethal concentration (lc50) for ae. aegypti and an. gambiae s.l. larva ...	2003	15270540
the distribution of m and s molecular forms of anopheles gambiae in nigeria.	the distribution of m and s molecular forms of anopheles gambiae sensu stricto across nigeria was determined. the molecular form of 40 to 45 specimens per locality from 9 localities was determined using mostly the same specimens from our recent study of genetic differentiation of a. gambiae across nigeria (onyabe & conn, 2001). these samples were previously genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci, 5 located within chromosome inversions and 5 outside inversions. both molecular forms occurred througho ...	2003	15307438
functional genomics of wood quality and properties.	genomics promises to enrich the investigations of biology and biochemistry. current advancements in genomics have major implications for genetic improvement in animals, plants, and microorganisms, and for our understanding of cell growth, development, differentiation, and communication. significant progress has been made in the understanding of plant genomics in recent years, and the area continues to progress rapidly. functional genomics offers enormous potential to tree improvement and the und ...	2003	15629055
bioinformatics-based identification of chemosensory proteins in african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae.	chemosensory proteins (csps) are identifiable by four spatially conserved cysteine residues in their primary structure or by two disulfide bridges in their tertiary structure according to the previously identified olfactory specific-d related proteins. a genomics- and bioinformatics-based approach is taken in the present study to identify the putative csps in the malaria-carrying mosquito, anopheles gambiae. the results show that five out of the nine annotated candidates are the most possible an ...	2003	15629057
identification of a distinct family of genes encoding atypical odorant-binding proteins in the malaria vector mosquito, anopheles gambiae.	we performed a genome-wide analysis for candidate odorant-binding protein (obp) genes in the malaria vector anopheles gambiae (ag). we identified fifty-seven putative genes including sixteen genes predicted to encode distinct, higher molecular weight proteins that lack orthologues in drosophila. expression analysis indicates that several of these atypical agobps are transcribed in chemosensory organs in adult and immature stages. phylogenetic analysis of the anopheles and drosophila obp families ...	2003	14986916
sexual dimorphic expression of putative antennal carrier protein genes in the malaria vector anopheles gambiae.	to obtain a better understanding of the olfactory processes that allow mosquitoes to identify human hosts, a molecular study has been performed to identify and characterize molecules in the olfactory signalling pathway of the african malaria vector anopheles gambiae. using cdna libraries from antennae of females and males, a collection of cdnas encoding odorant binding proteins and other novel antennal proteins were isolated and characterized, which represent various families of putative carrier ...	2003	14986919
intraspecific dna variation in nuclear genes of the mosquito aedes aegypti.	single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps) are an abundant source of genetic variation among individual organisms. to assess the usefulness of snps for genome analysis in the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, we sequenced 25 nuclear genes in each of three strains and analysed nucleotide diversity. the average frequency of nucleotide variation was 12 snps per kilobase, indicating that nucleotide variation in ae. aegypti is similar to that in other organisms, including drosophila and the malaria v ...	2003	14986924