Publications

malaria parasite growth is stimulated by mosquito probing.	the ability of malaria parasites to respond positively to the presence of feeding mosquito vectors would clearly be advantageous to transmission. in this study, anopheles stephensi mosquitoes probed mice infected with the rodent malaria parasite, plasmodium chabaudi. growth of asexual stages was accelerated and gametocytes appeared 1-2 days earlier than in controls. this first study, to our knowledge, of the effects of mosquitoes on 'in-host' growth and development of plasmodium has profound imp ...	2005	17148162
structure and distribution of sensilla on maxillary palps and labella of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) sand flies.	the typology, number, size, and distribution pattern of labellar and palpal sensilla of male and female lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva, 1912) sand flies were analyzed by scanning electron and light microscopy, contributing to the construction of a gustatory and olfactory map in this important vector species. about 35 trichoid sensilla, sorted into three different classes according to their lengths, are present on the two labellar lobes. five distinct structures are observed in the maxilla ...	2005	16003785
a role for adenosine deaminase in drosophila larval development.	adenosine deaminase (ada) is an enzyme present in all organisms that catalyzes the irreversible deamination of adenosine and deoxyadenosine to inosine and deoxyinosine. both adenosine and deoxyadenosine are biologically active purines that can have a deep impact on cellular physiology; notably, ada deficiency in humans causes severe combined immunodeficiency. we have established a drosophila model to study the effects of altered adenosine levels in vivo by genetic elimination of adenosine deamin ...	2005	15907156
effects of azadirachtin on the development and mortality of lutzomyia longipalpis larvae (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	the effects of azadirachtin a added to the standard diet on the development, mortality, and metamorphosis of lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva, 1912 were studied. concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 microg of azadirachtin/mg of diet significantly increased larval mortality in comparison with nontreated insects. concentrations 0.1 and 1.0 microg blocked the molt of larvae, which remained as third instars until the end of the experiment. the 10 microg/mg concentration resulted in greater molt in ...	2006	16619609
morphological study of the larval spiracular system in eight lutzomyia species (diptera: psychodidae).	the morphology of the spiracles of fourth instar larva in eight sandfly species were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. species studied were: lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva), l. ovallesi (ortiz), l. youngi feliciangeli & murillo, l. evansi (nuñez-tovar), l. trinidadensis (newstead), l. migonei (frança), l. absonodonta feliciangeli, and l. venezuelensis (floch & abonnenc). in larvae of all eight species both thoracic and abdominal spiracles are located at the top of a globul ...	2006	9698846
aspects related to productivity for four generations of a lutzomyia longipalpis laboratory colony.	a closed colony of lutzomyia longipalpis was established with specimens collected in the raposa - serra do sol indian reservoir, one of the main foci of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of roraima, brazil. biological observations were made on four generations of a l. longipalpis colony with emphasis on productivity. aspects studied were the number of laid and retained eggs, and the number of adults (male and female) per generation. during the four generations the percentage of engorged female ...	2006	10733749
copulation songs in three siblings of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).	we present the results of recording male courtship songs of the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis. the striking differences in the songs from 3 brazilian populations of this sandfly with 3 distinct male pheromones support the 3 sibling species previously proposed based on this characteristic.	2006	11925981
the biological clock of an hematophagous insect: locomotor activity rhythms, circadian expression and downregulation after a blood meal.	despite the importance of circadian rhythms in vector-borne disease transmission, very little is known about its molecular control in hematophagous insect vectors. in drosophila melanogaster, a negative feedback loop of gene expression has been shown to contribute to the clock mechanism. here, we describe some features of the circadian clock of the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis, a vector of visceral leishmaniasis. compared to d. melanogaster, sandfly period and timeless, two negative elements of ...	2006	16337945
the calcium activated nucleotidases: a diverse family of soluble and membrane associated nucleotide hydrolyzing enzymes.	it has long been known that the salivary glands of hematophagous (blood-feeding) arthropods secrete soluble apyrases, which are potent nucleotide hydrolyzing enzymes capable of hydrolyzing extracellular atp and adp, the latter being a major agonist contributing to platelet aggregation. only recently, however, has the identification of proteins homologous to these apyrases been reported in non-blood-feeding organisms such as rodents and humans. in this review, we present an overview of the divers ...	2006	18404472
evolution of the yellow/major royal jelly protein family and the emergence of social behavior in honey bees.	the genomic architecture underlying the evolution of insect social behavior is largely a mystery. eusociality, defined by overlapping generations, parental brood care, and reproductive division of labor, has most commonly evolved in the hymenopteran insects, including the honey bee apis mellifera. in this species, the major royal jelly protein (mrjp) family is required for all major aspects of eusocial behavior. here, using data obtained from the a. mellifera genome sequencing project, we demons ...	2006	17065613
[spatial distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) and lutzomyia cruzi (mangabeira, 1938) in the state of mato grosso].	visceral leishmaniasis is currently considered an emergent and reemergent disease, in agricultural and urban zones, both in domestic and peridomestic areas. the objective of this work was to verify the spatial distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis and lutzomyia cruzi in mato grosso state. data from 1996 to 2004 was collected by the entomology laboratory, whose captures were carried with a cdc light trap. sixty-eight of the 139 cities in the state have been studied. lutzomyia longipalpis and lutz ...	2006	17119747
molecular polymorphism, differentiation and introgression in the period gene between lutzomyia intermedia and lutzomyia whitmani.	lutzomyia intermedia and lutzomyia whitmani (diptera: psychodidae) are important and very closely related vector species of cutaneous leishmaniasis in brazil, which are distinguishable by a few morphological differences. there is evidence of mitochondrial introgression between the two species but it is not clear whether gene flow also occurs in nuclear genes.	2006	17069656
genetic structure and evolution of the vps25 family, a yeast escrt-ii component.	vps25p is the product of yeast gene vps25 and is found in an endosomal sorting complex required for transport (escrt)-ii, along with vps22p and vps36p. this complex is essential for sorting of ubiquitinated biosynthetic and endosomal cargoes into endosomes.	2006	16889659
salivary gland extracts of culicoides sonorensis inhibit murine lymphocyte proliferation and no production by macrophages.	culicoides biting midges serve as vectors of pathogens affecting humans and domestic animals. culicoides sonorensis is a vector of several arboviruses in north american that cause substantial economic losses to the us livestock industry. previous studies showed that c. sonorensis saliva, like the saliva of many hematophagous arthropods, contains numerous pharmacological agents that affect hemostasis and early events in the inflammatory response, which may enhance the infectivity of culicoides-bo ...	2006	16968936
effect of abiotic factors on seasonal population dynamics of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) in northeastern brazil.	the resurgence of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil increases the need for studies to elucidate the spatial and temporal dynamics of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva) (diptera: psychodidae), the vector of leishmania infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil. sand flies were captured in peridomestic habitats biweekly for 3 yr. cross-correlation tests and spectral analysis were used to analyze the simultaneous and lag-time correlations between lu. longipalpis population ...	2006	17017238
detection and identification of leishmania species in field-captured phlebotomine sandflies based on mini-exon gene pcr.	leishmaniasis is one of the most diverse and complex of all vector-borne diseases. because it involves several overlapping species and sandfly vectors, the disease has a complex ecology and epidemiology. adequate therapy and follow-up depend on parasitological diagnosis, but classical methods present several constraints when identifying species. we describe a polymerase chain reaction (pcr) which uses primers designed from mini-exon repetitive sequences that are specific for subgenus leishmaniav ...	2006	17055444
[seroprevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in sector 8 of neiva and in four municipalities of huila, colombia].	canine visceral leishmaniasis in endemic areas of colombia could be a public health risk factor given the zoonotic nature of the disease. ninety-six human cases of visceral leishmaniasis were reported in colombia in 2004, 5 of them in huila, where lutzomyia longipalpis has been incriminated as the main vector species.	2006	17361848
distinct transmission cycles of leishmania tropica in 2 adjacent foci, northern israel.	transmission of leishmania tropica was studied in 2 adjacent foci in israel where vector populations differ. only phlebotomus sergenti was found infected with l. tropica in the southern focus; p. arabicus was the main vector in the northern focus. rock hyraxes (procavia capensis) were incriminated as reservoir hosts in both foci. l. tropica strains from the northern focus isolated from sand flies, cutaneous leishmaniasis cases, and rock hyraxes were antigenically similar to l. major, and strains ...	2006	17326936
identification of sex pheromones of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) populations from the state of são paulo, brazil.	in brazil, four populations of lutzomyia longipalpis each producing different sex pheromones are recognised. it has been suggested that these chemotype populations represent true sibling species. in this study we present the results of an analysis, by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, of the pheromones of males l. longipalpis from two different municipalities of the state of são paulo. our study showed that l. longipalpis from these two municipalities produced different sex pheromone ...	2006	16699721
leishmania (viannia) braziliensis infection in two colombian dogs: a note on infectivity for sand flies and response to treatment.	although canine cutaneous leishmaniasis has been reported in several foci of south america, no published information from colombia is available.	2006	17361862
shared microsatellite loci in glossina morsitans sensu lato (diptera: glossinidae).	estimation of allelic frequencies at three microsatellite loci among 20 populations of glossina morsitans morsitans westwood, glossina morsitans submorsitans newstead, and glossina morsitans centralis machado indicated only two of 99 alleles were shared between three subspecies and 18 between any two subspecies; 81 alleles were unshared. the conserved flanking regions of each locus were completely shared. genetic differentiation among subspecies, based on allele size, was rst = 0.87, close to th ...	2006	16739429
phlebotomines (diptera: psychodidae) in forested areas of the serra da bodoquena, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil.	investigation was undertaken on the behaviour of the phlebotomine fauna in caves, forests, and anthropic environments of the serra da bodoquena, between january 1998 and january 2000. this paper reports on the phlebotomines captured in forested areas with automatic light traps (alt), shannon traps (st), aspiration (an), at natural resting sites and by human attractiveness (ha) during 24 h. the diversity and abundance of the species were investigated with alt installed at 16 points (ground level) ...	2006	16830711
analysis of ests from lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies and their contribution toward understanding the insect-parasite relationship.	an expressed sequence tag library has been generated from a sand fly vector of visceral leishmaniasis, lutzomyia longipalpis. a normalized cdna library was constructed from whole adults and 16,608 clones were sequenced from both ends and assembled into 10,203 contigs and singlets. of these 58% showed significant similarity to known genes from other organisms, <4% were identical to described sand fly genes, and 42% had no match to any database sequence. our analyses revealed putative proteins inv ...	2006	16887324
seasonal variation of lutzomyia longipalpis in belo horizonte, state of minas gerais.	between october, 1997 and september, 1999 in belo horizonte, minas gerais a study of seasonal variation of lutzomyia longipalpis was carried out in three distinct areas of the municipality. sand flies were sampled at 15-day intervals in three residences, in each of which two cdc light traps were installed, one indoors and the other in the peridomicile. a total of 397 sand flies were captured in the three areas, with 65%, 30% and 1% of specimens collected in the eastern, northeast and barreiro di ...	2006	16501767
lutzomyia longipalpis and the eco-epidemiology of american visceral leishmaniasis, with particular reference to brazil: a review.	an historical review is given of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl), with particular reference to the eco-epidemiology of the disease in brazil. following the first records of avl in this country, in 1934, the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva, 1912) was incriminated as the principal vector. it is now generally accepted, however, that there exist a number of cryptic species under the name of lu. longipalpis s.l. and that variations in the quantity of the vasodilatory peptide maxad ...	2006	16444411
considerations on the effect of anti-sandfly antibodies on biological parameters of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	the immunization of vertebrate hosts with vector components may be an alternative for the control of diseases transmitted by insects. in the present study we evaluated the effects of anti-sandfly antibodies on some of the biological parameters of female lutzomyia longipalpis, a vector of visceral leishmaniasis. rabbits were immunized with extracts of gut from blood-fed (gb) or sugar-fed (gs) females, carcass of sugar-fed (cs) or blood-fed (cb) females, and with repeated sandfly bites (bite). imm ...	2006	16680320
epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis through spatial analysis, in belo horizonte municipality, state of minas gerais, brazil.	the geographic information system approach has permitted integration between demographic, socio-economic and environmental data, providing correlation between information from several data banks. in the current work, occurrence of human and canine visceral leishmaniases and insect vectors (lutzomyia longipalpis) as well as biogeographic information related to 9 areas that comprise the city of belo horizonte, brazil, between april 2001 and march 2002 were correlated and georeferenced. by using th ...	2006	16699707
ingestion of saliva during carbohydrate feeding by lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera; psychodidae).	the aim of this study was to obtain experimental evidence that phlebotomine saliva is actually ingested during the carbohydrate ingestion phase (before and after blood digestion). the ingestion of carbohydrate was simulated as it occurs in the field by offering the insects balls of cotton soaked in sucrose, sucrose crystals or orange juice cells. the results obtained here showed that ingestion occurred under each condition investigated, as indicated by the presence of apyrase, an enzyme used as ...	2006	16699714
the fml-vaccine (leishmune) against canine visceral leishmaniasis: a transmission blocking vaccine.	transmission blocking vaccines are one of the control strategies for vector-transmitted protozoan diseases. antibodies raised in the vaccinated host prevent the development of the parasite in the insect vector, interrupting the epidemiological cycle. the fml antigen of leishmania donovani in combination with saponin (fml-vaccine and leishmune) induced 92-97% of protections against zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis. we assayed the ability of fml to inhibit leishmania donovani and leishmania chagasi ...	2006	16386824
genetic structure of natural populations of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) from the brazilian northeastern region.	in latin america, lutzomyia longipalpis is the principal vector of leishmania chagasi, and is associated with the majority of active foci of visceral leishmaniasis. in spite of the fact that this sand fly is spread practically throughout the entire neotropical region, its distribution is not uniform due to geographic and environmental barriers. geographic isolation coupled with reduced flight abilities may contribute to the appearance of cryptic species of lutzomyia longipalpis, which may differ ...	2006	16480941
comparative salivary gland transcriptomics of sandfly vectors of visceral leishmaniasis.	immune responses to sandfly saliva have been shown to protect animals against leishmania infection. yet very little is known about the molecular characteristics of salivary proteins from different sandflies, particularly from vectors transmitting visceral leishmaniasis, the fatal form of the disease. further knowledge of the repertoire of these salivary proteins will give us insights into the molecular evolution of these proteins and will help us select relevant antigens for the development of a ...	2006	16539713
functional analysis of recombinant mutants of maxadilan with a pac1 receptor-expressing melanophore cell line.	maxadilan, a 61-amino-acid vasodilatory peptide, was initially isolated from the salivary glands of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis. although its primary sequence has no homology to that of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide, maxadilan is an agonist for the pac1 receptor. a total of 58 substitution and deletion mutants was engineered in an effort to determine which residues were important for receptor activation. the mutants were characterized functionally using an assay based on ...	2006	16569645
an antivector vaccine protects against a lethal vector-borne pathogen.	vaccines that target blood-feeding disease vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks, have the potential to protect against the many diseases caused by vector-borne pathogens. we tested the ability of an anti-tick vaccine derived from a tick cement protein (64trp) of rhipicephalus appendiculatus to protect mice against tick-borne encephalitis virus (tbev) transmitted by infected ixodes ricinus ticks. the vaccine has a "dual action" in immunized animals: when infested with ticks, the inflammatory and ...	2006	16604154
high degree of conservancy among secreted salivary gland proteins from two geographically distant phlebotomus duboscqi sandflies populations (mali and kenya).	salivary proteins from sandflies are potential targets for exploitation as vaccines to control leishmania infection; in this work we tested the hypothesis that salivary proteins from geographically distant phlebotomus duboscqi sandfly populations are highly divergent due to the pressure exerted by the host immune response. salivary gland cdna libraries were prepared from wild-caught p. duboscqi from mali and recently colonised flies of the same species from kenya.	2006	16952314
[blood meals identification of lutzomyia (lutzomyia) longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) e lutzomyia (lutzomyia) almerioi (galati & nunes, 1999) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay biotin-avidin].	lutzomyia longipalpis and lutzomyia almerioi, phlebotomine species from the fauna of serra da bodoquena, in the state of mato grosso do sul, brazil, have been studied, particularly due to the fact of their abundance and occurrence, the guaicurus settlement, focus of human tegumentary and canine visceral leishmaniasis. in researches that are being carried out in this settlement for identifying the vectors of these parasitosis, 83 engorged females belonging to the species lutzomyia longipalpis and ...	2006	16699647
occurrence of neospora caninum in dogs and its correlation with visceral leishmaniasis in the urban area of campo grande, mato grosso do sul, brazil.	neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan that can infect domestic and wild canids, as well as ruminants and equines, and is described as causing neuromuscular alteration and death in dogs. visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is an infectious disease that affects both humans and animals, being caused by protozoan parasites of the genus leishmania, of which leishmania (leishmania) chagasi is found in brazil -- transmitted by sand flies, such as lutzomyia longipalpis, in most of the american ...	2006	16310954
synthetic glycovaccine protects against the bite of leishmania-infected sand flies.	leishmaniasis is a vectorborne disease transmitted to human and other mammalian hosts by sand fly bite. in the present study, we show that immunization with leishmania mexicana promastigote secretory gel (psg) or with a chemically defined synthetic glycovaccine containing the glycans found in l. mexicana psg can provide significant protection against challenge by the bite of infected sand flies. only the glycan from l. mexicana was protective; those from other species did not protect against l. ...	2006	16845636
rhythmic expression of the cycle gene in a hematophagous insect vector.	a large number of organisms have internal circadian clocks that enable them to adapt to the cyclic changes of the external environment. in the model organism drosophila melanogaster, feedback loops of transcription and translation are believed to be crucial for the maintenance of the central pacemaker. in this mechanism the cycle (or bmal1) gene, which is constitutively expressed, plays a critical role activating the expression of genes that will later inhibit their own activity, thereby closing ...	2006	17069657
vavraia lutzomyiae n. sp. (phylum microspora) infecting the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis (psychodidae, phlebotominae), a vector of human visceral leishmaniasis.	vavraia lutzomyiae (microsporida; pleistophoridae) is a new species parasitic in the tropical phlebotomine sandfly, lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera, psychodidae, phlebotominae), a major vector of leishmania chagasi in latin america where human visceral leishmaniasis is endemic. infected larvae and pupae were parasitized in the abdomen, and some adults were parasitized in malpighian tubules and midgut. the sporogonial plasmodium divided by multiple divisions into up to 64 uninucleate sporoblasts. ...	2006	17070748
single and concomitant experimental infections by endotrypanum spp. and leishmania (viannia) guyanensis (kinetoplastida: trypanosomatidae) in the neotropical sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).	lutzomyia longipalpis females received single and mixed infections with endotrypanum and leishmania. two biological parameters were analyzed: the percentage of infected females and the distribution of flagellates in the gut of the females. the principal comparisons were performed between (1) two strains of endotrypanum, (2) cloned versus primary sample of one strain of endotrypanum, (3) endotrypanum versus leishmania guyanensis, and (4) the pattern of flagellates behaviour by optical microscopy ...	2006	17293978
abundance of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) and urban transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil.	the outspread and urbanization of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul, lead us to undertake the present study over diversity and abundance of sand flies in the urban area to compare with previous search carried out during 1999/2000, before the identification of the disease in the human population. the captures were carried out with automatic light traps, weekly, from february 2004 to february 2005 on three sites including a forested area (zé pereira), two per ...	2006	17293981
studies on the cpa cysteine peptidase in the leishmania infantum genome strain jpcm5.	visceral leishmaniasis caused by members of the leishmania donovani complex is often fatal in the absence of treatment. research has been hampered by the lack of good laboratory models and tools for genetic manipulation. in this study, we have characterised a l. infantum line (jpcm5) that was isolated from a naturally infected dog and then cloned. we found that jpcm5 has attributes that make it an excellent laboratory model; different stages of the parasite life cycle can be studied in vitro, it ...	2006	17101050
[lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) at a suburban focus of visceral leishmaniasis in the chicamocha canyon, santander, colombia].	between 1998 and 2000, the occurrence of 8 cases of american visceral leishmaniasis in children from a recently established human settlement in guatiguará, in the municipality of piedecuesta (santander, colombia) indicated the possible presence of leishmania transmission in this locality. this observation motivated the current entomological investigation.	2006	17361847
ecological niche modeling for visceral leishmaniasis in the state of bahia, brazil, using genetic algorithm for rule-set prediction and growing degree day-water budget analysis.	two predictive models were developed within a geographic information system using genetic algorithm rule-set prediction (garp) and the growing degree day (gdd)-water budget (wb) concept to predict the distribution and potential risk of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the state of bahia, brazil. the objective was to define the environmental suitability of the disease as well as to obtain a deeper understanding of the eco-epidemiology of vl by associating environmental and climatic variables with d ...	2006	18686237
[behavior of lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector of american visceral leishmaniasis, in campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul].	the municipality of campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil, has presented cases of canine and human visceral leishmaniasis since 2002, and is classified as an area of intense transmission. this study was carried out from may 2003 to april 2005, in partnership with the national health foundation and the state health department, with the objective of determining the behavior and seasonality of the species lutzomyia longipalpis. captures were accomplished using luminous traps of cdc type ...	2007	17876464
constitutive and blood meal-induced trypsin genes in lutzomyia longipalpis.	trypsins constitute some of the most abundant midgut digestive proteases expressed by hematophagous insects upon blood feeding. in addition to their role in the digestion of the blood meal, these proteases also have been implicated in the ability of certain pathogens to infect their natural vector. in sand flies, digestive proteases including trypsins were associated with early killing of leishmania and are believed to play a role in the species-specificity dictating sand fly vectorial capacity. ...	2007	17879236
prior exposure to uninfected mosquitoes enhances mortality in naturally-transmitted west nile virus infection.	the global emergence of west nile virus (wnv) has highlighted the importance of mosquito-borne viruses. these are inoculated in vector saliva into the vertebrate skin and circulatory system. arthropod-borne (arbo)viruses such as wnv are transmitted to vertebrates as an infectious mosquito probes the skin for blood, depositing the virus and saliva into the skin and circulation. growing evidence has demonstrated that arthropod, and recently mosquito, saliva can have a profound effect on pathogen t ...	2007	18000543
phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in the municipality of várzea grande: an area of transmission of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of mato grosso, brazil.	visceral leishmaniasis (vl) has been naturally transmitted in periurban areas due to the emergence and reemergence of its vectors in such areas. aimed to further knowledge on ecological aspects affecting the occurrence of phlebotomine sand flies in vl transmission areas in the municipality of várzea grande, state of mato grosso (mt), brazil, sand fly captures were carried out. monthly collections of sand flies were undertaken with cdc light-traps, which were left in both intradomiciliary and per ...	2007	18209928
vertical stratification and development aspects of phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in an area of atlantic forest tree species in a metropolitan region in northeastern brazil.	in the state of rio grande do norte in northeast brazil, cases of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) occur mainly in the periurban areas of the city of natal. lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva 1912 (diptera: psychodidae), a vector of leishmania chagasi (protozoa: trypanosomatidae) to humans, is found throughout the state. flora and fauna influence the distribution of sand fly species, whose horizontal or vertical stratification can be used as a parameter for identifying potential vectors, considering ...	2007	18260526
serological survey of leishmania infantum and trypanosoma cruzi in dogs from urban areas of brazil and colombia.	leishmania infantum and trypanosoma cruzi are zoonotic parasites that are endemic throughout many parts of latin america. infected dogs play an important role in transmission of both parasites to humans. a serological survey of leishmania and trypanosoma infection was conducted on 365 dogs from são paulo, brazil and bogatá, colombia, south america. serum samples were examined by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (ifat). anti-leishmania igg antibodies were detected in 5 of 107 from bra ...	2007	17825991
human anti-saliva immune response following experimental exposure to the visceral leishmaniasis vector, lutzomyia longipalpis.	experiments in animals verified that phlebotomine saliva enhances leishmania infection, and vaccination with saliva prevents disease. we have shown that individuals from an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis displayed robust antibody responses to saliva from the vector lutzomyia longipalpis, which correlated with anti-parasite cell-mediated immunity. here, we explored human anti-saliva responses following exposure to sand flies, using an in vivo bite model in which normal volunteers were exp ...	2007	17935072
natural infection of phlebotomines (diptera: psychodidae) in a visceral-leishmaniasis focus in mato grosso do sul, brazil.	the main purpose of this study was to investigate natural infection by leishmania in phlebotomine females in a visceral-leishmaniasis focus in antonio joão county in mato grosso do sul state, brazil. between june and october 2003, the digestive tracts of 81 females captured in aldeia campestre, aldeia marangatu and povoado campestre were dissected. the females were separated by species, location, area and date of capture into 13 groups and kept in ethanol 70%. to identify the leishmania species ...	2007	17505673
deltamethrin-impregnated bednets reduce human landing rates of sandfly vector lutzomyia longipalpis in amazon households.	the entomological efficacy of using 25% deltamethrin ec insecticide-treated bednets (itns) was evaluated against the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis lutz and neiva (diptera: psychodidae), the principal vector of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (zvl) in latin america. a crossover field study in amazon brazil (marajó island, pará state) demonstrated that, compared with untreated nets, the insecticide increased the barrier effect of nets by 39% (95% confidence interval [ci] 34-44%), reduced human lan ...	2007	17550436
[natural infection of lutzomyia longipalpis by leishmania sp. in teresina, piauí state, brazil].	in brazil, control of the vector lutzomyia longipalpis is one of the main strategies used to limit the expansion of american visceral leishmaniasis. however, studies on the ecology of this sand fly are rare, especially regarding its natural infection with species of leishmania. a study of the natural infection of lu. longipalpis by leishmania sp. was carried out in the bela vista neighborhood in the city of teresina, piauí state, brazil, an important area of american visceral leishmaniasis trans ...	2007	17572822
midgut ph profile and protein digestion in the larvae of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).	the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis is the vector of leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of american visceral leishmaniasis. despite its importance, until now the internal anatomy of the immature forms has never been described and little is known about their digestive processes. in nature, sand fly larvae feed on organic detritus in the soil, constantly ingesting large amounts of material. the objective of this study was to describe the anatomy of the gut and the ph of the gut lumen, as we ...	2007	17659300
phlebotomine sandfly species from an american visceral leishmaniasis area in the northern rainforest region of pernambuco state, brazil.	the aim of this study was to identify the fauna of phlebotomine sandflies in an area with incidence of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) in são vicente férrer, a municipality (county) located in the northern zona da mata in pernambuco state, brazil. sandfly captures were conducted monthly for four nights/month from december 2002 to november 2003, by means of manual captures (with a shannon trap) and by cdc light traps. a total of 23,156 specimens of phlebotomines sandflies were collected in ...	2007	17486244
structural characterization of acetylcholinesterase 1 from the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).	acetylcholinesterase (ache) plays a key role in cholinergic impulse transmission, and it is the target enzyme for organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides. two genes, acei and aceii, have been characterized from different insect species, and point mutations in either gene can lead to significant resistance to these classes of insecticides. in this report, we describe the partial characterization of the acei gene from lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) (diptera: psychodidae), and we show tha ...	2007	17695019
dna vaccines against protozoan parasites: advances and challenges.	over the past 15 years, dna vaccines have gone from a scientific curiosity to one of the most dynamic research field and may offer new alternatives for the control of parasitic diseases such as leishmaniasis and chagas disease. we review here some of the advances and challenges for the development of dna vaccines against these diseases. many studies have validated the concept of using dna vaccines for both protection and therapy against these protozoan parasites in a variety of mouse models. the ...	2007	17710244
exploring the midgut transcriptome of phlebotomus papatasi: comparative analysis of expression profiles of sugar-fed, blood-fed and leishmania-major-infected sandflies.	in sandflies, the blood meal is responsible for the induction of several physiologic processes that culminate in egg development and maturation. during blood feeding, infected sandflies are also able to transmit the parasite leishmania to a suitable host. many blood-induced molecules play significant roles during leishmania development in the sandfly midgut, including parasite killing within the endoperitrophic space. in this work, we randomly sequenced transcripts from three distinct high quali ...	2007	17760985
multilevel modelling of the incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in teresina, brazil.	epidemics of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in major brazilian cities are new phenomena since 1980. as determinants of transmission in urban settings probably operate at different geographic scales, and information is not available for each scale, a multilevel approach was used to examine the effect of canine infection and environmental and socio-economic factors on the spatial variability of incidence rates of vl in the city of teresina. details on an outbreak of greater than 1200 cases of vl in t ...	2007	16824254
transmission of leishmania metacyclic promastigotes by phlebotomine sand flies.	a thorough understanding of the transmission mechanism of any infectious agent is crucial to implementing an effective intervention strategy. here, our current understanding of the mechanisms that leishmania parasites use to ensure their transmission from sand fly vectors by bite is reviewed. the most important mechanism is the creation of a "blocked fly" resulting from the secretion of promastigote secretory gel (psg) by the parasites in the anterior midgut. this forces the sand fly to regurgit ...	2007	17517415
comparative evaluation of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays based on crude and recombinant leishmanial antigens for serodiagnosis of symptomatic and asymptomatic leishmania infantum visceral infections in dogs.	the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis remains difficult in rural areas where the disease is endemic, and serologic methods still need assessment, as they are not very sensitive for the detection of asymptomatic infectious dogs. here we present data on the development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa)-based methods for the detection of antibodies against recombinant leishmanial antigens (namely, the recombinant k26 [rk26] and rk39 antigens from leishmania infantum and the ra2 protein ...	2007	17314229
protection against mycobacterium ulcerans lesion development by exposure to aquatic insect saliva.	buruli ulcer is a severe human skin disease caused by mycobacterium ulcerans. this disease is primarily diagnosed in west africa with increasing incidence. antimycobacterial drug therapy is relatively effective during the preulcerative stage of the disease, but surgical excision of lesions with skin grafting is often the ultimate treatment. the mode of transmission of this mycobacterium species remains a matter of debate, and relevant interventions to prevent this disease lack (i) the proper und ...	2007	17326707
antibodies against lutzomyia longipalpis saliva in the fox cerdocyon thous and the sylvatic cycle of leishmania chagasi.	sera of 11 wild cerdocyon thous foxes from an endemic area for american visceral leishmaniasis were tested for the presence of antibodies against salivary gland homogenates (sgh) of lutzomyia longipalpis. all foxes had higher levels of anti-lu. longipalpis sgh antibodies than foxes from non-endemic areas, suggesting contact between foxes and the vector of visceral leishmaniasis. sera of humans and dogs living in the same area were also tested for reactivity against lu. longipalpis sghs and had a ...	2007	16887159
canine visceral leishmaniasis: relationships between clinical status, humoral immune response, haematology and lutzomyia (lutzomyia) longipalpis infectivity.	the main source of leishmania infantum infection in humans is a naturally infected dog. this study reports on the infectivity to phlebotomine sandflies (lutzomyia longipalpis) of serologically positive mongrel dogs that differed in clinical status, haematology and humoral responses to immunoglobulin (ig) g(t) (total anti-leishmania igg), igg(1) and igg(2) subclasses of antibody to crude antigen of l. infantum. forty-five female l. longipalpis were allowed to feed directly on the ears of dogs cla ...	2007	17229582
in vitro binding and survival assays of leishmania parasites to peripherical blood monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages isolated from dogs naturally and experimentally infected with leishmania (leishmania) chagasi.	there are a few works considering the characterization of canine monocyte-derived macrophages as well as a standardized procedure for isolation, culture, and infection of these cells with leishmania. we have performed several modifications in order to improve the canine monocyte-derived macrophage cultures. in addition, we have done a comparative study between monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages from dogs naturally and experimentally infected with l. chagasi.	2007	17537246
[the spread of the visceral leishmaniasis epidemic in the state of mato grosso, 1998-2005].	an epidemic of visceral leishmaniasis began in 1998, in the metropolitan region of cuiabá, the capital of the state of mato grosso, brazil. today, it has reached 34 (24.1%) of the 141 municipalities in the state. between january 1998 and december 2005, 138 autochthonous cases were notified, mainly in males (58%), children aged 0-9 years (51.5%) and inhabitants of urban areas (66.7%). canine visceral leishmaniasis has been detected in 41 municipalities, with positive serum in 9% of the 40,000 dog ...	2007	17486252
[sandflies (diptera: psychodidae) in an outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of minas gerais].	between january and december 2000, systematic monthly capture of phlebotomine sandflies was undertaken by means of light traps of cdc type in brejo do mutambal, an endemic area for american cutaneous leishmaniasis located in the municipality of varzelândia, state of minas gerais. nineteen phlebotomine species were captured, totaling 6,756 specimens. the species correlated with acl transmission were captured in low numbers, as follows: lutzomyia intermedia (5.1%), l. migonei (0.4%) and l. whitman ...	2007	17486253
increased transmission potential of leishmania major/leishmania infantum hybrids.	development of leishmania infantum/leishmania major hybrids was studied in two sand fly species. in phlebotomus papatasi, which supported development of l. major but not l. infantum, the hybrids produced heavy late-stage infections with high numbers of metacyclic promastigotes. in the permissive vector lutzomyia longipalpis, all leishmania strains included in this study developed well. hybrids were found to express l. major lipophosphoglycan, apparently enabling them to survive in p. papatasi mi ...	2007	17376453
[canine visceral leishmaniasis in northeast brazil: epidemiological aspects].	in a rural area of northeast brazil, the relatively high serological infection by leishmania in dogs, the lack of classical vector lutzomyia longipalpis and of american visceral leishmaniasis cases in human beings and the observation of leishmania in ticks collected in infected dogs suggest that ticks may be responsible for the transmission between dogs.	2007	17402696
emergence of mammalian cell-adapted vesicular stomatitis virus from persistent infections of insect vector cells.	arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) represent quintessential generalists, with the ability to infect and perform well in multiple hosts. however, antagonistic pleiotropy imposed a cost during the adaptation to persistent replication of vesicular stomatitis virus in sand fly cells and resulted in strains that initially replicated poorly in hamster cells, even when the virus was allowed to replicate periodically in the latter. once a debilitated strain started replicating continuously in mammali ...	2007	17428845
an insight into the sialome of the oriental rat flea, xenopsylla cheopis (rots).	the salivary glands of hematophagous animals contain a complex cocktail that interferes with the host hemostasis and inflammation pathways, thus increasing feeding success. fleas represent a relatively recent group of insects that evolved hematophagy independently of other insect orders.	2007	17437641
infectivity of seropositive dogs, showing different clinical forms of leishmaniasis, to lutzomyia longipalpis phlebotomine sand flies.	visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a growing zoonosis with an increasing number of new cases and a rapid geographical spreading of the disease. in the present study, a canine survey was carried out in the city of montes claros (320,000 inhabitants), an endemic area of american visceral leishmaniasis in the state of minas gerais, brazil. a total number of 4795 dogs were examined by serology, which showed a rate of seropositivity of 5%. isoenzymatic analysis confirmed leishmania infantum chagasi as th ...	2007	17449184
immunomodulatory effects of the lutzomyia longipalpis salivary gland protein maxadilan on mouse macrophages.	infection with leishmania major is enhanced when the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis salivary peptide maxadilan (max) is injected along with the parasite. here we determined the effect that max has on the secretion of cytokines and nitric oxide (no) and on parasite survival in macrophages (mphis). the cytokines produced by mphis can enhance a type 1 response, which will increase no and the killing of intracellular pathogens such as l. major, or a type 2 response, leading to antibody production th ...	2007	17339357
antibodies from dogs with canine visceral leishmaniasis recognise two proteins from the saliva of lutzomyia longipalpis.	the saliva of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis, a major vector of leishmania, exhibits pharmacological and immunomodulatory activities that may facilitate entry and establishment of parasites into the vertebrate host. salivary gland components of the sand fly are, therefore, potential candidates in the development of a vaccine against human leishmaniasis. with the objective of identifying sand fly saliva proteins that could be used to immunise animals against canine visceral leishmaniasis, we ...	2007	17058112
lutzomyia longipalpis in brazil: a complex or a single species? a mini-review.	lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of leishmania infantum chagasi, the causative agent of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl). although there is strong evidence that lu. longipalpis is a species complex, not all data concerning populations from brazil support this hypothesis. the issue is still somewhat controversial for this large part of lu. longipalpis distribution range even though that it is the latin american region contributing to most of the cases of avl. in this mini-review we c ...	2007	17293992
identification and characterization of a salivary adenosine deaminase from the sand fly phlebotomus duboscqi, the vector of leishmania major in sub-saharan africa.	two transcripts coding for an adenosine deaminase (ada) were identified by sequencing a phlebotomus duboscqi salivary gland cdna library. adenosine deaminase was previously reported in the saliva of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis but it was not present in the saliva of the sand flies phlebotomus papatasi, p. argentipes, p. perniciosus and p. ariasi, suggesting that this enzyme is only present in the saliva of sand flies from the genus lutzomyia. in the present work, we tested the hypothesis ...	2007	17297134
a lipophosphoglycan-independent development of leishmania in permissive sand flies.	leishmaniases are serious parasitic diseases the etiological organisms of which are transmitted by insect vectors, phlebotominae sand flies. two sand fly species, phlebotomus papatasi and p. sergenti, display remarkable specificity for leishmania parasites they transmit in nature, but many others are broadly permissive to the development of different leishmania species. previous studies have suggested that in 'specific' vectors the successful parasite development is mediated by parasite surface ...	2007	17307009
phlebotomine fauna (diptera: psychodidae) and species abundance in an endemic area of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in southeastern minas gerais, brazil.	this study was undertaken to identify the phlebotomine fauna and species abundance in domiciliary and peridomiciliary (hen-house and guava-tree) environments, on a lake shore, a cultivated area of coffee and banana, and a forested area of conceição da aparecida municipality, southeastern the state of minas gerais, to provide information for the control and epidemiological surveillance of leishmaniasis in this area. the captures were carried out monthly between may 2001 and november 2002, with au ...	2007	17710302
leishmania manipulation of sand fly feeding behavior results in enhanced transmission.	in nature the prevalence of leishmania infection in whole sand fly populations can be very low (<0.1%), even in areas of endemicity and high transmission. it has long since been assumed that the protozoan parasite leishmania can manipulate the feeding behavior of its sand fly vector, thus enhancing transmission efficiency, but neither the way in which it does so nor the mechanisms behind such manipulation have been described. a key feature of parasite development in the sand fly gut is the secre ...	2007	17604451
cloning and characterization of a v-atpase subunit c from the american visceral leishmaniasis vector lutzomyia longipalpis modulated during development and blood ingestion.	visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a serious tropical disease that affects approximately 500 thousand people worldwide every year. in the americas, vl is caused by the parasite leishmania (leishmania) infantum chagasi mainly transmitted by the bite of the sand fly vector lutzomyia longipalpis. despite recent advances in the study of interaction between leishmania and sand flies, very little is known about sand fly protein expression profiles. understanding how the expression of proteins may be affec ...	2007	17607496
enhanced leishmania braziliensis infection following pre-exposure to sandfly saliva.	sand fly saliva has an array of pharmacological and immunomodulatory components, and immunity to saliva protects against leishmania infection. in the present study, we have studied the immune response against lutzomyia intermedia saliva, the main vector of leishmania braziliensis in brazil, and the effects of saliva pre-exposure on l. braziliensis infection employing an intradermal experimental model.	2007	18060088
immunogenicity of the p-8 amastigote antigen in the experimental model of canine visceral leishmaniasis.	the p-8 proteoglycolipid complex (p-8 pglc), an amastigote antigen of leishmania pifanoi, has been demonstrated to induce protection in mouse models, as well as to induce tc1/th1-like cellular responses in american cutaneous leishmaniasis patients. because the immunization with p-8 pglc in the murine model does not appear to be genetically restricted, we have studied the reactivity of the p-8 pglc in leishmania infantum infected dogs. in this study, it is shown that pbmc from experimentally infe ...	2007	17178178
host odor synergizes attraction of virgin female lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).	the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva (diptera: psychodidae) is the principle vector of leishmania chagasi/infantum cunha and chagas, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis. the disease is transmitted by blood-feeding females, which seek aggregations of males above potential hosts both to mate and blood-feed. pheromones produced by male sand flies could potentially be used as lures in l. longipalpis control programs. we investigated whether attraction of male and female sand fli ...	2007	17915508
sand flies and leishmania: specific versus permissive vectors.		2007	17207663
efficacy of eleven antimicrobials against a gregarine parasite (apicomplexa: protozoa).	the apicomplexa are a diverse group of obligate protozoan parasites infesting a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts including humans. these parasites are notoriously difficult to control and many species continue to evolve resistance to commercial antibiotics. in this study, we sought to find an effective chemotherapeutic treatment against arthropod gregarines (apicomplexa), and to identify candidate compounds for testing against other groups of protozoan parasites.	2007	17997852
effect of lutzomyia longipalpis salivary gland extracts on leukocyte migration induced by leishmania major.	the mechanism by which the salivary gland lysate (sgl) of lutzomyia longipalpis enables leishmania infection remains under investigation. one possibility is that saliva promotes cellular recruitment leading to development of skin lesions. in this study, we investigated leukocyte recruitment induced by l. major, l. major + sgl, or sgl alone into the peritoneal cavity of balb/c mice. the administration of l. major with or without sgl induced neutrophil migration six hours after infection. interest ...	2007	17255235
an annotated catalogue of salivary gland transcripts in the adult female mosquito, aedes aegypti.	saliva of blood-sucking arthropods contains a cocktail of antihemostatic agents and immunomodulators that help blood feeding. mosquitoes additionally feed on sugar meals and have specialized regions of their glands containing glycosidases and antimicrobials that might help control bacterial growth in the ingested meals. to expand our knowledge on the salivary cocktail of aedes aegypti, a vector of dengue and yellow fevers, we analyzed a set of 4,232 expressed sequence tags from cdna libraries of ...	2007	17204158
courtship behaviour in the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis, the new world vector of visceral leishmaniasis.	courtship behaviour in lutzomyia longipalpis lutz and neiva (diptera: psychodidae) was examined to determine the sequence of behaviours that occur prior to copulation. courtship consisted of a series of male and female touching and wing-flapping behaviours, with males performing a greater variety of wing-flapping behaviours than previously described. occurrence of male approach-flapping, semi-circling and female stationary-flapping were all predictors of eventual copulation, and may coincide wit ...	2007	18092971
the odor of origin: kinship and geographical distance are reflected in the marking pheromone of male beewolves (philanthus triangulum f., hymenoptera, crabronidae).	pheromones play an important role for mate finding and courtship in many insects. in species where males are the signaling sex, females are expected to choose among potential mates with regard to the emitter's quality and/or genetic compatibility. one important aspect is the balance between negative and positive effects of in- vs. outbreeding. in the present study, we aimed to assess the potential of the territory marking pheromone of european beewolves as an indicator for genetic compatibility ...	2007	17927833
evolution of female preference for younger males.	previous theoretical work has suggested that females should prefer to mate with older males, as older males should have higher fitness than the average fitness of the cohort into which they were born. however, studies in humans and model organisms have shown that as males age, they accumulate deleterious mutations in their germ-line at an ever-increasing rate, thereby reducing the quality of genes passed on to the next generation. thus, older males may produce relatively poor-quality offspring. ...	2007	17895980
maxadilan, a pac1 receptor agonist from sand flies.	in 1991, a potent 61 amino acid vasodilator peptide, named maxadilan, was isolated from the salivary glands of the sand fly. subsequently, it was shown that this peptide specifically and potently activated the mammalian pac1 receptor, one of the three receptors for pacap. these studies and the link between maxadilan and leishmaniasis are discussed.	2007	17681401
the biogeography and population genetics of neotropical vector species.	phylogenetic and population genetic data support the pliocene or pleistocene divergences of the co-distributed hematophagous insect vectors, the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis s.l., the mosquitoes anopheles darlingi and a. albitarsis s.l., and the triatomines rhodnius prolixus and r. robustus. we examined patterns of divergence and distribution in relation to three hypotheses of neotropical diversification: miocene/pliocene marine incursion, pliocene/pleistocene riverine barriers and pleistocene ...	2007	17534382
lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. in brazil and the impact of the sao francisco river in the speciation of this sand fly vector.	in our recently published article "lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. in brazil and the impact of the sao francisco river in the speciation of this sand fly vector" by iliano v. coutinho-abreu et al. a sentence located in paragraph 8 in the discussion section had its meaning altered due to the improper insertion of three words.	2008	18834535
fine structure and distribution pattern of antennal sensilla of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) sand flies.	the specific aims of this work were to examine the antennal sensilla of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva 1912) (diptera: psychodidae) adults and to characterize their typology and topography, with special attention to olfactory sensilla. the surfaces of the antennal segments of lu. longipalpis males and females were studied by scanning electron microscopy (sem). lu. longipalpis used in the current study were obtained from a colony originating from lapinha cave, minas gerais state, brazil. mic ...	2008	19058620
genetic divergence between two sympatric species of the lutzomyia longipalpis complex in the paralytic gene, a locus associated with insecticide resistance and lovesong production.	the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. is the main vector of american visceral leishmaniasis. l. longipalpis s.l. is a species complex but until recently the existence of cryptic sibling species among brazilian populations was a controversial issue. a fragment of paralytic (para), a voltage dependent sodium channel gene associated with insecticide resistance and courtship song production in drosophila, was isolated and used as a molecular marker to study the divergence between two sympatric sibl ...	2008	19057828
changes in amounts of total salivary gland proteins of lutzomyia longipallpis (diptera: psychodidae) according to age and diet.	saliva plays important roles in facilitation of a bloodmeal, lubrication of mouthparts, and parasite transmission for some vector insects. salivary composition changes during the lifetime of an insect, and differences in the salivary profile may influence its functions. in this report, the amount and profile of salivary gland protein of the american visceral leishmaniasis vector lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) were analyzed at different times of insect development and diet. protein co ...	2008	18533433
lutzomyia adiketis sp. n. (diptera: phlebotomidae), a vector of paleoleishmania neotropicum sp. n. (kinetoplastida: trypanosomatidae) in dominican amber.		2008	18627624
comparative genomic analysis of novel conserved peptide upstream open reading frames in drosophila melanogaster and other dipteran species.	upstream open reading frames (uorfs) are elements found in the 5'-region of an mrna transcript, capable of regulating protein production of the largest, or major orf (morf), and impacting organismal development and growth in fungi, plants, and animals. in drosophila, approximately 40% of transcripts contain upstream start codons (uaugs) but there is little evidence that these are translated and affect their associated morf.	2008	18237443
gene discovery in an invasive tephritid model pest species, the mediterranean fruit fly, ceratitis capitata.	the medfly, ceratitis capitata, is a highly invasive agricultural pest that has become a model insect for the development of biological control programs. despite research into the behavior and classical and population genetics of this organism, the quantity of sequence data available is limited. we have utilized an expressed sequence tag (est) approach to obtain detailed information on transcriptome signatures that relate to a variety of physiological systems in the medfly; this information emph ...	2008	18500975