Publications

climate, environmental and socio-economic change: weighing up the balance in vector-borne disease transmission.	arguably one of the most important effects of climate change is the potential impact on human health. while this is likely to take many forms, the implications for future transmission of vector-borne diseases (vbds), given their ongoing contribution to global disease burden, are both extremely important and highly uncertain. in part, this is owing not only to data limitations and methodological challenges when integrating climate-driven vbd models and climate change projections, but also, perhap ...	25688012
biological transmission of arboviruses: reexamination of and new insights into components, mechanisms, and unique traits as well as their evolutionary trends.	among animal viruses, arboviruses are unique in that they depend on arthropod vectors for transmission. field research and laboratory investigations related to the three components of this unique mode of transmission, virus, vector, and vertebrate host, have produced an enormous amount of valuable information that may be found in numerous publications. however, despite many reviews on specific viruses, diseases, or interests, a systematic approach to organizing the available information on all f ...	16223950
innate antiviral immunity in drosophila.	the study of drosophila, and other genetically tractable insects, has expanded our understanding of innate immunity and more recently antiviral innate mechanisms. the drosophila antiviral program includes inflammatory signaling cascades as well as antiviral rna silencing and autophagy. this review will highlight the recent discoveries in antiviral immunity in insects and will reveal some of the lessons learned.	20137906
mosquito immune responses to arbovirus infections.	the principal mosquito innate immune response to virus infections, rna interference (rnai), differs substantially from the immune response to bacterial and fungal infections. the exo-sirna pathway constitutes the major anti-arboviral rnai response and its essential genetic components have been identified. recent research has also implicated the piwi-interacting rna pathway in mosquito anti-arboviral immunity, but piwi gene-family components involved are not well-defined. arboviruses must evade o ...	25401084
rna interference in infectious tropical diseases.	introduction of double-stranded rna (dsrna) into some cells or organisms results in degradation of its homologous mrna, a process called rna interference (rnai). the dsrnas are processed into short interfering rnas (sirnas) that subsequently bind to the rna-induced silencing complex (risc), causing degradation of target mrnas. because of this sequence-specific ability to silence target genes, rnai has been extensively used to study gene functions and has the potential to control disease pathogen ...	18344671
tackling the most difficult diseases. genetics and genomics open new strategies to fight vector-borne diseases.		11600446
larval food quantity affects the capacity of adult mosquitoes to transmit human malaria.	adult traits of holometabolous insects are shaped by conditions experienced during larval development, which might impact interactions between adult insect hosts and parasites. however, the ecology of larval insects that vector disease remains poorly understood. here, we used anopheles stephensi mosquitoes and the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum, to investigate whether larval conditions affect the capacity of adult mosquitoes to transmit malaria. we reared larvae in two groups; one ...	27412284
antiviral defense mechanisms in honey bees.	honey bees are significant pollinators of agricultural crops and other important plant species. high annual losses of honey bee colonies in north america and in some parts of europe have profound ecological and economic implications. colony losses have been attributed to multiple factors including rna viruses, thus understanding bee antiviral defense mechanisms may result in the development of strategies that mitigate colony losses. honey bee antiviral defense mechanisms include rna-interference ...	26273564
can horton hear the whos? the importance of scale in mosquito-borne disease.	the epidemiology of vector-borne pathogens is determined by mechanisms and interactions at different scales of biological organization, from individual-level cellular processes to community interactions between species and with the environment. most research, however, focuses on one scale or level with little integration between scales or levels within scales. understanding the interactions between levels and how they influence our perception of vector-borne pathogens is critical. here two examp ...	24724278
does autocthonous primary production influence oviposition by aedes japonicus japonicus (diptera: culicidae) in container habitats?	aedes (finlaya) japonicus japonicus (theobald) (diptera: culicidae) is recently invasive in north america and has expanded its range rapidly since 1998. throughout its native and expanded range, ae. j. japonicus larvae are commonly observed in many types of natural and artificial water-filled containers that vary in organic matter content and exposure to sunlight. larvae are most often found in containers with decaying leaf material or algae, and we postulated that the added autocthonous primary ...	23427654
genetic compatibility between anopheles lesteri from korea and anopheles paraliae from thailand.	to assess differentiation and relationships between anopheles lesteri and anopheles paraliae we established three and five iso-female lines of an. lesteri from korea and an. paraliae from thailand, respectively. these isolines were used to investigate the genetic relationships between the two taxa by crossing experiments and by comparing dna sequences of ribosomal dna second internal transcribed spacer (its2) and mitochondrial dna cytochrome c oxidase subunit i (coi) and subunit ii (coii). resul ...	23778670
larvicidal efficacy of ethiopian ethnomedicinal plant juniperus procera essential oil against afrotropical malaria vector anopheles arabiensis (diptera: culicidae).	to screen the essential oil of juniperus procera (j. procera) (cupressaceae) for larvicidal activity against late third instar larvae of anopheles arabiensis (an. arabiensis) patton, the principle malaria vector in ethiopia.	25183156
novel and viable acetylcholinesterase target site for developing effective and environmentally safe insecticides.	insect pests are responsible for human suffering and financial losses worldwide. new and environmentally safe insecticides are urgently needed to cope with these serious problems. resistance to current insecticides has resulted in a resurgence of insect pests, and growing concerns about insecticide toxicity to humans discourage the use of insecticides for pest control. the small market for insecticides has hampered insecticide development; however, advances in genomics and structural genomics of ...	22280344
mosquitocidal properties of igg targeting the glutamate-gated chloride channel in three mosquito disease vectors (diptera: culicidae).	the glutamate-gated chloride channel (glucl) is a highly sensitive insecticide target of the avermectin class of insecticides. as an alternative to using chemical insecticides to kill mosquitoes, we tested the effects of purified immunoglobulin g (igg) targeting the extracellular domain of glucl from anopheles gambiae (agglucl) on the survivorship of three key mosquito disease vectors: anopheles gambiae s.s., aedes aegypti and culex tarsalis. when administered through a single blood meal, anti-a ...	25994632
analysis of post-blood meal flight distances in mosquitoes utilizing zoo animal blood meals.	we assessed the post-blood meal flight distance of four mosquito species in a unique environment using blood meal analysis. mosquitoes were trapped at the rio grande zoo in albuquerque, nm, and the blood source of blood-engorged mosquitoes was identified. the distance from the enclosure of the animal serving as a blood source to the trap site was then determined. we found that mosquitoes captured at the zoo flew no more than 170 m with an average distance of 106.7 m after taking a blood meal. th ...	22548540
survival of west nile virus-challenged southern house mosquitoes, culex pipiens quinquefasciatus, in relation to environmental temperatures.	we investigated the effect of west nile virus (wnv) infection on survival in two colonies of culex pipiens quinquefasciatus say (diptera: culicidae) originating from vero beach and gainesville, fl. mosquitoes were fed west nile virus-infected blood and checked daily for survival. exposure to wnv decreased survival among cx. p. quinquefasciatus from gainesville relative to unexposed individuals at 31° c. in contrast, exposure to wnv enhanced survival among cx. p. quinquefasciatus from vero beach ...	24820564
cofeeding intra- and interspecific transmission of an emerging insect-borne rickettsial pathogen.	cat fleas (ctenocephalides felis) are known as the primary vector and reservoir of rickettsia felis, the causative agent of flea-borne spotted fever; however, field surveys regularly report molecular detection of this infectious agent from other blood-feeding arthropods. the presence of r. felis in additional arthropods may be the result of chance consumption of an infectious bloodmeal, but isolation of viable rickettsiae circulating in the blood of suspected vertebrate reservoirs has not been d ...	26414611
regulation of physiological processes by micrornas in insects.	micrornas (mirnas) are small non-coding rnas that function in gene regulatory processes in plants and animals by targeting sites within messenger rna. in insects, mirnas have been shown to regulate a variety of physiological processes throughout insect development, including molting, metamorphosis, oogenesis, embryogenesis, behavior and host-pathogen interactions. the roles of mirnas in the model organism, drosophila melanogaster, have been studied extensively due to the conserved nature of mirn ...	26251827
high degree of single nucleotide polymorphisms in california culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae) sensu lato.	resolution of systematic relationships among members of the culex pipiens (l.) complex has important implications for public health as well as for studies on the evolution of sibling species. currently held views contend that in california considerable genetic introgression occurs between cx. pipiens and cx. quinquefasciatus say, and as such, these taxa behave as if they are a single species. development of high throughput snp genotyping tools for the analysis of cx. pipiens complex population s ...	22493847
functional circadian clock genes are essential for the overwintering diapause of the northern house mosquito, culex pipiens.	the short day lengths of late summer are used to program the overwintering adult diapause (dormancy) of the northern house mosquito, culex pipiens. here, we investigated the role of clock genes in initiating this diapause and asked whether the circadian cycling of clock gene expression persists during diapause. we provide evidence that the major circadian clock genes continue to cycle throughout diapause and after diapause has been terminated. rna interference (rnai) was used to knock down the c ...	25653422
peripheral coding of taste.	five canonical tastes, bitter, sweet, umami (amino acid), salty, and sour (acid), are detected by animals as diverse as fruit flies and humans, consistent with a near-universal drive to consume fundamental nutrients and to avoid toxins or other harmful compounds. surprisingly, despite this strong conservation of basic taste qualities between vertebrates and invertebrates, the receptors and signaling mechanisms that mediate taste in each are highly divergent. the identification over the last two ...	24607224
climate and human health: the impact of climate change on vector-borne diseases, paphos, cyprus (17-19 october 2012).		24428826
symbionts conferring resistance to viruses in insects.		25417905
reproductive biology and susceptibility of florida culex coronator to infection with west nile virus.	abstract ornithophilic culex species are considered the primary amplification vectors of west nile virus (wnv) in bird hosts as well as vectors responsible for epidemic transmission. culex coronator was first collected from okaloosa, santa rosa, walton, and washington counties in florida in 2005 and has since spread throughout the state. the vector competence of cx. coronator for wnv, known to be infected in nature, has not been assessed. without this knowledge, we are unable to assess this spec ...	25072992
rnai: antiviral therapy against dengue virus.	dengue virus infection has become a global threat affecting around 100 countries in the world. currently, there is no licensed antiviral agent available against dengue. thus, there is a strong need to develop therapeutic strategies that can tackle this life threatening disease. rna interference is an important and effective gene silencing process which degrades targeted rna by a sequence specific process. several studies have been conducted during the last decade to evaluate the efficiency of si ...	23620845
impact of insect salivary proteins in blood feeding, host immunity, disease, and in the development of biomarkers for vector exposure.	functional genomic approaches based on expression of recombinant proteins linked to biochemical and disease model approaches resulted in the discovery of novel biological activities and the role some of these proteins play in disease transmission. importantly, the expression of salivary proteins was recently shown to be affected by environmental factors and by the presence of the pathogen in the salivary gland. a practical application resulting from insect saliva research is the use of insect an ...	26339571
urban epidemic of dengue virus serotype 3 infection, senegal, 2009.	an urban epidemic of dengue in senegal during 2009 affected 196 persons and included 5 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever and 1 fatal case of dengue shock syndrome. dengue virus serotype 3 was identified from all patients, and aedes aegypti mosquitoes were identified as the primary vector of the virus.	24572297
threat from emerging vectorborne viruses.		27551712
effects of intraspecific larval competition on adult longevity in the mosquitoes aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus.	larval competition is common in container-breeding mosquitoes. the impact of competition on larval growth has been thoroughly examined and findings that larval competition can lead to density-dependent effects on adult body size have been documented. the effects of larval competition on adult longevity have been less well explored. the effects of intraspecific larval densities on the longevity of adults maintained under relatively harsh environmental conditions were tested in the laboratory by m ...	19239615
species interactions among larval mosquitoes: context dependence across habitat gradients.	biotic interactions involving mosquito larvae are context dependent, with effects of interactions on populations altered by ecological conditions. relative impacts of competition and predation change across a gradient of habitat size and permanence. asymmetrical competition is common and ecological context changes competitive advantage, potentially facilitating landscape-level coexistence of competitors. predator effects on mosquito populations sometimes depend on habitat structure and on emerge ...	19067629
gut microbiota elicits a protective immune response against malaria transmission.	glycosylation processes are under high natural selection pressure, presumably because these can modulate resistance to infection. here, we asked whether inactivation of the udp-galactose:β-galactoside-α1-3-galactosyltransferase (α1,3gt) gene, which ablated the expression of the galα1-3galβ1-4glcnac-r (α-gal) glycan and allowed for the production of anti-α-gal antibodies (abs) in humans, confers protection against plasmodium spp. infection, the causative agent of malaria and a major driving force ...	25480293
evidence for stopping mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis in some, but not all local government areas of plateau and nasarawa states, nigeria.	an average of six annual rounds of ivermectin and albendazole were distributed in plateau and nasarawa states, nigeria, to eliminate lymphatic filariasis. from 2007 to 2008, population-based surveys were implemented in all 30 local government areas (lgas) of the two states to determine the prevalence of wuchereria bancrofti antigenemia to assess which lga mass drug administration (mda) could be halted. in total, 36,681 persons from 7,819 households were examined for filarial antigen as determine ...	22855758
cryptic species in the anopheles (nyssorhynchus) albitarsis (diptera: culicidae) complex: incongruence between random amplified polymorphic dna-polymerase chain reaction identification and analysis of mitochondrial dna coi gene sequences.	random amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) diagnostic bands are one tool used to differentiate cryptic mosquito species in the anopheles albitarsis complex. monophyly of four species (a. albitarsis lynch-arribálzaga, a. albitarsis b, a. deaneorum rosa-freitas, and a. marajoara galvão & damasceno) currently identified with the rapd technique was assessed using sequences of the cytochrome oxidase i (coi) mitochondrial dna (mtdna) gene. maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and bayesian analyses supp ...	17082822
dna barcodes for biosecurity: invasive species identification.	biosecurity encompasses protecting against any risk through 'biological harm', not least being the economic impact from the spread of pest insects. molecular diagnostic tools provide valuable support for the rapid and accurate identification of morphologically indistinct alien species. however, these tools currently lack standardization. they are not conducive to adaptation by multiple sectors or countries, or to coping with changing pest priorities. the data presented here identifies dna barcod ...	16214740
reemergence of rift valley fever, mauritania, 2010.	a rift valley fever (rvf) outbreak in humans and animals occurred in mauritania in 2010. thirty cases of rvf in humans and 3 deaths were identified. rvfv isolates were recovered from humans, camels, sheep, goats, and culex antennatus mosquitoes. phylogenetic analysis of isolates indicated a virus origin from western africa.	24447381
resting and energy reserves of aedes albopictus collected in common landscaping vegetation in st. augustine, florida.	the resting behavior of aedes albopictus was evaluated by aspirating diurnal resting mosquitoes from common landscape vegetation in residential communities in st. augustine, fl. energy reserves of the resting mosquitoes were analyzed to determine if there was a correlation between mosquito resting habitat and energy accumulation. six species of plants were selected and 9 collections of resting mosquitoes were aspirated from each plant using a modified john w. hock backpack aspirator during june ...	24199497
population dynamics.	this chapter reviews aspects of population dynamics that may be conceptually important for biological control of mosquitoes. density dependent population regulation among immature stages has important implications for biological control of mosquito populations, primarily because it can lead to compensatory or overcompensatory mortality due to additions of a biological control agent. this can result in control efforts leading to no change in the target population, or actual increases in the targe ...	17853611
temperature effects on the dynamics of aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae) populations in the laboratory.	we investigated how constant temperatures of 22, 24, and 26 degrees c experienced across the full life cycle affected the dynamics of caged populations of aedes albopictus (skuse). all cages were equipped with plastic beakers that served as sites for oviposition and larval development. we measured the per capita daily mortality and emergence rates of the adults and size of adult females, and estimated the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and asymptotic density (k) for each caged population. popula ...	11476335
delayed egg hatching of anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae) pending water agitation.	mosquito eggs laid on water surfaces typically hatch spontaneously soon after the embryos within them become fully formed first-instar larvae. however, we have found that anopheles gambiae giles, an important vector of malaria in africa, exhibits delayed hatching until the water surface is agitated, a feature overlooked in most laboratory colonies. agitation within 24 h postoviposition, before embryonation was complete, failed to stimulate delayed postembryonic hatching of isolated eggs on the f ...	24897850
attractive toxic sugar baits: control of mosquitoes with the low-risk active ingredient dinotefuran and potential impacts on nontarget organisms in morocco.	we evaluated the efficacy of attractive toxic sugar baits (atsb) in the laboratory and field with the low-risk active ingredient dinotefuran against mosquito populations. preliminary laboratory assays indicated that dinotefuran in solution with the sugar baits was ingested and resulted in high mortality of female culex quinquefasciatus say and aedes aegypti linnaeus. field studies demonstrated >70% reduction of mosquito populations at 3 wk post-atsb application. nontarget feeding of seven insect ...	24331613
review of the malaria epidemiology and trends in zambia.	a comprehensive desk review of malaria trends was conducted between 2000-2010 in zambia to study malaria epidemiology and trends to guide strategies and approaches for effective malaria control. this review considered data from the national health information management system, malaria surveys and programme review reports and analyzed malaria in-patient cases and deaths in relation to intervention coverage for all ages. data showed three distinct epidemiological strata after a notable malaria re ...	23593585
phylogeny of anopheline (diptera: culicidae) species in southern africa, based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes.	a phylogeny of anthropophilic and zoophilic anopheline mosquito species was constructed, using the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 (its2) and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit i (coi) genes. the its2 alignment, typically difficult due to its noncoding nature and large size variations, was aided by using predicted secondary structure, making this phylogenetically useful gene more amenable to investigation. this phylogeny is unique in explicitly including zoophilic, non-vector anophel ...	26047180
mosquito hemocyte-mediated immune responses.	hemocytes are a key component of the mosquito immune system that kill pathogens via phagocytic, lytic and melanization pathways. individual mosquitoes contain between 500 and 4,000 hemocytes, which are divided into three populations named granulocytes, oenocytoids and prohemocytes. hemocytes can also be divided by their anatomical location with 75% of hemocytes circulating in the hemocoel (circulating hemocytes) and 25% of hemocytes attaching themselves to tissues (sessile hemocytes). greater th ...	25309850
intron retention in the drosophila melanogaster rieske iron sulphur protein gene generated a new protein.	genomes can encode a variety of proteins with unrelated architectures and activities. it is known that protein-coding genes of de novo origin have significantly contributed to this diversity. however, the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary processes behind these originations are still poorly understood. here we show that the last 102 codons of a novel gene, noble, assembled directly from non-coding dna following an intronic deletion that induced alternative intron retention at the drosophila ...	21610726
identification and molecular characterization of a prophenoloxidase involved in aedes aegypti chorion melanization.	chorion melanization is a vital biochemical event for the survival of mosquito eggs in the environment. this study describes the identification and molecular characterization of a prophenoloxidase (propo) involved in chorion melanization in aedes aegypti by various biochemical and molecular techniques. results revealed that transcription of the chorion propo occurs only in adults, blood feeding greatly stimulated its transcription and haemocytes are responsible for its transcription. our study p ...	15796752
description of the transcriptomes of immune response-activated hemocytes from the mosquito vectors aedes aegypti and armigeres subalbatus.	mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria, and lymphatic filariasis, exact a devastating toll on global health and economics, killing or debilitating millions every year (54). mosquito innate immune responses are at the forefront of concerted research efforts aimed at defining potential target genes that could be manipulated to engineer pathogen resistance in vector populations. we aimed to describe the pivotal role that circulating blood cells (called hemocytes) play in immunity by gen ...	15213157
design and testing of a novel, protective human-baited tent trap for the collection of anthropophilic disease vectors.	currently, there exists a deficit of safe, active trapping methods for the collection of host-seeking anopheles and other disease-causing arthropod vectors. the gold-standard approach for mosquito collection is that of human landing catch (hlc), in which an individual exposes bare skin to possibly infected vectors. here, we present the development of a new method for mosquito collection, the infoscitex tent, which uses modern tent materials coupled with a novel trap design. this provides an effi ...	24605476
monitoring malaria vector control interventions: effectiveness of five different adult mosquito sampling methods.	long-term success of ongoing malaria control efforts based on mosquito bed nets (long-lasting insecticidal net) and indoor residual spraying is dependent on continuous monitoring of mosquito vectors, and thus on effective mosquito sampling tools. the objective of our study was to identify the most efficient mosquito sampling tool(s) for routine vector surveillance for malaria and lymphatic filariasis transmission in coastal kenya. we evaluated relative efficacy of five collection methods--light ...	24180120
new classification of natural breeding habitats for neotropical anophelines in the yanomami indian reserve, amazon region, brazil and a new larval sampling methodology.	here we present the first in a series of articles about the ecology of immature stages of anophelines in the brazilian yanomami area. we propose a new larval habitat classification and a new larval sampling methodology. we also report some preliminary results illustrating the applicability of the methodology based on data collected in the brazilian amazon rainforest in a longitudinal study of two remote yanomami communities, parafuri and toototobi. in these areas, we mapped and classified 112 na ...	26517655
diversity and convergence of sodium channel mutations involved in resistance to pyrethroids.	pyrethroid insecticides target voltage-gated sodium channels, which are critical for electrical signaling in the nervous system. the intensive use of pyrethroids in controlling arthropod pests and disease vectors has led to many instances of pyrethroid resistance around the globe. in the past two decades, studies have identified a large number of sodium channel mutations that are associated with resistance to pyrethroids. the purpose of this review is to summarize both common and unique sodium c ...	24019556
global warming and malaria: a call for accuracy.		15172336
genes and odors underlying the recent evolution of mosquito preference for humans.	mosquito species that specialize in biting humans are few but dangerous. they include the african malaria vectors anopheles gambiae and anopheles coluzzii, as well as aedes aegypti, the cosmopolitan vector of dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. these mosquitoes have evolved a remarkable innate preference for human odor that helps them find and bite us. here i review what is known about this important evolutionary adaptation, from its historical documentation to its chemical and molecular basi ...	26766234
characterisation of potential novel allergens in the fish parasite anisakis simplex.	the parasitic nematode anisakis simplex occurs in fish stocks in temperate seas. a. simplex contamination of fish products is unsavoury and a health concern considering human infection with live larvae (anisakiasis) and allergic reactions to anisakid proteins in seafood. protein extracts of a. simplex produce complex band patterns in gel electrophoresis and ige-immunostaining. in the present study potential allergens have been characterised using sera from a. simplex-sensitised patients and prot ...	27110489
acoustic communication in insect disease vectors.	acoustic signalling has been extensively studied in insect species, which has led to a better understanding of sexual communication, sexual selection and modes of speciation. the significance of acoustic signals for a blood-sucking insect was first reported in the xix century by christopher johnston, studying the hearing organs of mosquitoes, but has received relatively little attention in other disease vectors until recently. acoustic signals are often associated with mating behaviour and sexua ...	24473800
transcriptome sequencing as a platform to elucidate molecular components of the diapause response in the asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus.	diapause has long been recognized as a crucial ecological adaptation to spatio-temporal environmental variation. more recently, rapid evolution of the diapause response has been implicated in response to contemporary global warming and during the range expansion of invasive species. although the molecular regulation of diapause remains largely unresolved, rapidly emerging next-generation sequencing (ngs) technologies provide exciting opportunities to address this longstanding question. herein, a ...	23833391
vertebrate pheromones and other semiochemicals: the potential for accommodating complexity in signalling by volatile compounds for vertebrate management.	the interaction between volatile and non-volatile, e.g. proteinaceous, components of pheromone and other semiochemical-based signalling systems presents a daunting set of problems for exploitation in the management of vertebrates, good or bad. aggravating this is the complexity of the mixtures involved with pheromones, not only by definition associated with each species, but also with individual members of that species and their positions within their immediate communities. nonetheless, already ...	25109967
an insight into the sialotranscriptome of simulium nigrimanum, a black fly associated with fogo selvagem in south america.	pemphigus foliaceus is a life threatening skin disease that is associated with autoimmunity to desmoglein, a skin protein involved in the adhesion of keratinocytes. this disease is endemic in certain areas of south america, suggesting the mediation of environmental factors triggering autoimmunity. among the possible environmental factors, exposure to bites of black flies, in particular simulium nigrimanum has been suggested. in this work, we describe the sialotranscriptome of adult female s. nig ...	20519601
is there an efficient trap or collection method for sampling anopheles darlingi and other malaria vectors that can describe the essential parameters affecting transmission dynamics as effectively as human landing catches? - a review.	distribution, abundance, feeding behaviour, host preference, parity status and human-biting and infection rates are among the medical entomological parameters evaluated when determining the vector capacity of mosquito species. to evaluate these parameters, mosquitoes must be collected using an appropriate method. malaria is primarily transmitted by anthropophilic and synanthropic anophelines. thus, collection methods must result in the identification of the anthropophilic species and efficiently ...	25185008
competitive reduction by satyrization? evidence for interspecific mating in nature and asymmetric reproductive competition between invasive mosquito vectors.	abstract. upon mating, male mosquitoes transfer accessory gland proteins (acps) that induce refractoriness to further mating in females. this can also occur because of cross-insemination by males of related species, a process known as mating interference (satyrization). this mechanism could explain the competitive displacement of resident aedes aegypti by the invasive aedes albopictus where they co-occur. we tested this hypothesis in mosquito populations in florida. a new polymerase chain reacti ...	21813845
mosquito vitellogenin genes: comparative sequence analysis, gene duplication, and the role of rare synonymous codon usage in regulating expression.	comparative sequence analysis of mosquito vitellogenin (vg) genes was carried out to gain a better understanding of their evolution. the genomic clones of vitellogenin genes were isolated and sequenced from all three subfamilies of the family culicidae including culicinae (aedes aegypti, ochlerotatus atropalpus, ae. polynesiensis, ae. albopictus, ochlerotatus triseriatus and culex quinquefasciatus), toxorhynchitinae (toxorhynchites amboinensis), and anophelinae (anopheles albimanus). genomic clo ...	20337554
heterochromatin, histone modifications, and nuclear architecture in disease vectors.	interactions between a pathogen and a vector are plastic and dynamic. such interactions can be more rapidly accommodated by epigenetic changes than by genetic mutations. gene expression can be affected by the proximity to the heterochromatin, by local histone modifications, and by the three-dimensional position within the nucleus. recent studies of disease vectors indicate that gene regulation by these factors can be important for susceptibility to pathogens, reproduction, immunity, development, ...	26097808
common epidemiology of rickettsia felis infection and malaria, africa.	this study aimed to compare the epidemiology of rickettsia felis infection and malaria in france, north africa, and sub-saharan africa and to identify a common vector. blood specimens from 3,122 febrile patients and from 500 nonfebrile persons were analyzed for r. felis and plasmodium spp. we observed a significant linear trend (p<0.0001) of increasing risk for r. felis infection. the risks were lowest in france, tunisia, and algeria (1%), and highest in rural senegal (15%). co-infections with r ...	24188709
dose and developmental responses of anopheles merus larvae to salinity.	saltwater tolerance is a trait that carries both ecological and epidemiological significance for anopheles mosquitoes that transmit human malaria, as it plays a key role in determining their habitat use and ecological distribution, and thus their local contribution to malaria transmission. here, we lay the groundwork for genetic dissection of this trait by quantifying saltwater tolerance in three closely related cryptic species and malaria vectors from the afrotropical anopheles gambiae complex ...	23966587
genome sequence of the tsetse fly (glossina morsitans): vector of african trypanosomiasis.	tsetse flies are the sole vectors of human african trypanosomiasis throughout sub-saharan africa. both sexes of adult tsetse feed exclusively on blood and contribute to disease transmission. notable differences between tsetse and other disease vectors include obligate microbial symbioses, viviparous reproduction, and lactation. here, we describe the sequence and annotation of the 366-megabase glossina morsitans morsitans genome. analysis of the genome and the 12,308 predicted protein-encoding ge ...	24763584
genomic, rnaseq, and molecular modeling evidence suggests that the major allergen domain in insects evolved from a homodimeric origin.	the major allergen domain (ma) is widely distributed in insects. the crystal structure of a single bla g 1 ma revealed a novel protein fold in which the fundamental structure was a duplex of two subsequences (monomers), which had diverged over time. this suggested that the evolutionary origin of the ma structure may have been a homodimer of this smaller subsequence. using publicly available genomic data, the distribution of the basic unit of this class of proteins was determined to better unders ...	24253356
kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitors in the midgut of phlebotomus papatasi.	sandflies (diptera: psychodidae) are important disease vectors of parasites of the genus leishmania, as well as bacteria and viruses. following studies of the midgut transcriptome of phlebotomus papatasi, the principal vector of leishmania major, two non-classical kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitors were identified (ppkzl1 and ppkzl2). analyses of expression profiles indicated that ppkzl1 and ppkzl2 transcripts are both regulated by blood-feeding in the midgut of p. papatasi and are also exp ...	24037187
inhibitor profile of bis(n)-tacrines and n-methylcarbamates on acetylcholinesterase from rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus and phlebotomus papatasi.	the cattle tick, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus (bm), and the sand fly, phlebotomus papatasi (pp), are disease vectors to cattle and humans, respectively. the purpose of this study was to characterize the inhibitor profile of acetylcholinesterases from bm (bmache1) and pp (ppache) compared to human and bovine ache, in order to identify divergent pharmacology that might lead to selective inhibitors. results indicate that bmache has low sensitivity (ic50 = 200 μm) toward tacrine, a monovalent ...	24187393
a review of chemosensation and related behavior in aquatic insects.	insects that are secondarily adapted to aquatic environments are able to sense odors from a diverse array of sources. the antenna of these insects, as in all insects, is the main chemosensory structure and its input to the brain allows for integration of sensory information that ultimately ends in behavioral responses. only a fraction of the aquatic insect orders have been studied with respect to their sensory biology and most of the work has centered either on the description of the different t ...	21864156
salivary apyrases of triatoma infestans are assembled into homo-oligomers.	apyrase activity is present in the saliva of haematophagous arthropods. it is related to blood-feeding because of the apyrase ability to hydrolyse adp, a key component of platelet aggregation. five apyrases with apparent molecular masses of 88, 82, 79, 68 and 67 kda were identified in the saliva of the vector of chagas disease, triatoma infestans. the large size observed during purification of these enzymes suggested oligomerization. in the present study, we confirmed, using gel-filtration and a ...	16542158
does environmental stress affect insect-vectored parasite transmission?		19330047
sweetness and light: illuminating the honey bee genome.		17069628
malaria entomological risk factors in relation to land cover in the lower caura river basin, venezuela.	to explore the effects of deforestation and resulting differences in vegetation and land cover on entomological parameters, such as anopheline species composition, abundance, biting rate, parity and entomological inoculation rate (eir), three villages were selected in the lower caura river basin, state of bolívar, venezuela. all-night mosquito collections were conducted between march 2008-january 2009 using cdc light traps and mosquito magnet® liberty plus. human landing catches were performed b ...	23579803
molecular evidence for a single taxon, anopheles nuneztovari s.l., from two endemic malaria regions in colombia.	to elucidate the anopheles nuneztovari s.l. taxonomic status at a microgeographic level in four malaria endemic localities from antioquia and córdoba, colombia, fragments of the cytochrome oxidase subunit i (coi) and the white gene were used. the coi analysis showed low genetic differentiation with fixation index (f(st)) levels between -0.02-0.137 and nm values between 3-∞, indicating the presence of high gene flow among an. nuneztovari s.l. populations from the four localities. the coi network ...	22241127
molecular cloning and characterization of an acetylcholinesterase cdna in the brown planthopper, nilaparvata lugens.	a full cdna encoding an acetylcholinesterase (ache, ec 3.1.1.7) was cloned and characterized from the brown planthopper, nilaparvata lugens stål (hemiptera: delphacidae). the complete cdna (2467 bp) contains a 1938-bp open reading frame encoding 646 amino acid residues. the amino acid sequence of the ache deduced from the cdna consists of 30 residues for a putative signal peptide and 616 residues for the mature protein with a predicted molecular weight of 69,418. the three residues (ser242, glu3 ...	20874389
insect fat body: energy, metabolism, and regulation.	the fat body plays major roles in the life of insects. it is a dynamic tissue involved in multiple metabolic functions. one of these functions is to store and release energy in response to the energy demands of the insect. insects store energy reserves in the form of glycogen and triglycerides in the adipocytes, the main fat body cell. insect adipocytes can store a great amount of lipid reserves as cytoplasmic lipid droplets. lipid metabolism is essential for growth and reproduction and provides ...	19725772
fighting malaria at the crossroads.		15470379
antimalarial drug resistance.	malaria, the most prevalent and most pernicious parasitic disease of humans, is estimated to kill between one and two million people, mainly children, each year. resistance has emerged to all classes of antimalarial drugs except the artemisinins and is responsible for a recent increase in malaria-related mortality, particularly in africa. the de novo emergence of resistance can be prevented by the use of antimalarial drug combinations. artemisinin-derivative combinations are particularly effecti ...	15085184
new prospects for research on manipulation of insect vectors by pathogens.		16895446
male accessory gland substances from aedes albopictus affect the locomotor activity of aedes aegypti females.	dengue is one of the world's most important mosquito-borne diseases and is usually transmitted by one of two vector species: aedes aegypti or aedes albopictus . these two diurnal mosquitoes are frequently found coexisting in similar habitats, enabling interactions between adults, such as cross-mating. the objective of this study was to assess cross-mating between ae. aegypti females and ae. albopictus males under artificial conditions and evaluate the locomotor activity of ae. aegypti virgin fem ...	24473799
infravec: research capacity for the implementation of genetic control of mosquitoes.	mosquitoes represent a major and global cause of human suffering due to the diseases they transmit. these include parasitic diseases, i.e. malaria and filariasis, and viral infections such as dengue, encephalitis, and yellow fever. the threat of mosquito-borne diseases is not limited to tropical and subtropical regions of the world. trade and climate changes have opened new niches to tropical vectors in temperate areas of the world, thus putting previously unaffected regions at risk of disease t ...	24428829
dsred2 transient expression in culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.	culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes have been successfully genetically modified only once, despite the efforts of several laboratories to transform and establish a stable strain. we have developed a transient gene expression method, in culex, that delivers plasmid dna directly to the mosquito haemolymph and additional tissues. we were able to express dsred2 fluorescent protein in adult cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes by injecting plasmids directly into their thorax. the expression of dsred2 in adu ...	23828005
development of the bg-malaria trap as an alternative to human-landing catches for the capture of anopheles darlingi.	although the human-landing catch (hlc) method is the most effective for collecting anthropophilic anophelines, it has been increasingly abandoned, primarily for ethical considerations. the objective of the present study was to develop a new trap for the collection of anopheles darlingi . the initial trials were conducted using the bg-sentinel trap as a standard for further trap development based on colour, airflow direction and illumination. the performance of the trap was then compared with tho ...	24037199
advances and perspectives in the application of crispr/cas9 in insects.	insects compose more than half of all living organisms on earth, playing essential roles in global ecosystems and forming complex relationships with humans. insect research has significant biological and practical importance. however, the application of genetic manipulation technology has long been restricted to several model insects only, such as gene knockout in drosophila, which has severely restrained the development of insect biology research. recently, with the increase in the release of i ...	27469253
developing antibodies from cholinesterase derived from prokaryotic expression and testing their feasibility for detecting immunogen content in daphnia magna.	to yield cholinesterase (che) from prokaryotic expression, the che gene that belongs to daphnia magna was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) using forward primer 5'-cccyggngcsat gatgtg-3' and reverse primer 5'-gyaagttrgcccaatatct-3'. to express the gene, one sequence of the amplified dna, which was able to encode a putative protein containing two conserved carboxylesterase domains, was connected to the prokaryotic expression vector pet-29a(+). the recombinant v ...	26834012
draft genome sequences of enterobacter sp. isolate ag1 from the midgut of the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae.	an isolate of enterobacter sp. was obtained from the microbial community within the gut of the anopheles gambiae mosquito, a major malaria vector in africa. this genome was sequenced and annotated. the genome sequences will facilitate subsequent efforts to characterize the mosquito gut microbiome.	22965099
malaria transmission blocking immunity and sexual stage vaccines for interrupting malaria transmission in latin america.	malaria is a vector-borne disease that is considered to be one of the most serious public health problems due to its high global mortality and morbidity rates. although multiple strategies for controlling malaria have been used, many have had limited impact due to the appearance and rapid dissemination of mosquito resistance to insecticides, parasite resistance to multiple antimalarial drug, and the lack of sustainability. individuals in endemic areas that have been permanently exposed to the pa ...	21881775
strong alkalinization in the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (aedes aegypti): involvement of luminal na+/k+-atpase.	recently, na(+)/k(+)-atpase has been detected in the luminal membrane of the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (aedes aegypti) with immunohistochemical techniques. in this study, the possible involvement of this atpase in strong alkalinization was investigated on the level of whole larvae, isolated and perfused midgut preparations and on the molecular level of the na(+)/k(+)-atpase protein. ouabain (5 mm) did not inhibit the capability of intact larval mosquitoes to alkalinize th ...	19048614
molecular genetic manipulation of vector mosquitoes.	genetic strategies for reducing populations of vector mosquitoes or replacing them with those that are not able to transmit pathogens benefit greatly from molecular tools that allow gene manipulation and transgenesis. mosquito genome sequences and associated est (expressed sequence tags) databases enable large-scale investigations to provide new insights into evolutionary, biochemical, genetic, metabolic, and physiological pathways. additionally, comparative genomics reveals the bases for evolut ...	18996342
immunity in a variable world.	immune function is likely to be a critical determinant of an organism's fitness, yet most natural animal and plant populations exhibit tremendous genetic variation for immune traits. accumulating evidence suggests that environmental heterogeneity may retard the long-term efficiency of natural selection and even maintain polymorphism, provided alternative host genotypes are favoured under different environmental conditions. 'environment' in this context refers to abiotic factors such as ambient t ...	18926975
larval anopheline mosquito recta exhibit a dramatic change in localization patterns of ion transport proteins in response to shifting salinity: a comparison between anopheline and culicine larvae.	mosquito larvae live in dynamic aqueous environments, which can fluctuate drastically in salinity due to environmental events such as rainfall and evaporation. larval survival depends upon the ability to regulate hemolymph osmolarity by absorbing and excreting ions. a major organ involved in ion regulation is the rectum, the last region for modification of the primary urine before excretion. the ultrastructure and function of culicine larval recta have been studied extensively; however, very lit ...	18805805
gene structure and expression of nanos (nos) and oskar (osk) orthologues of the vector mosquito, culex quinquefasciatus.	the products of the maternal-effect genes, nanos (nos) and oskar (osk), are important for the development of germ cells in insects. furthermore, these genes have been proposed as candidates for donating functional dna regulatory sequences for use in gene drive systems to control transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens. the nos and osk genes of the cosmopolitan vector mosquito, culex quinquefasciatus, encode proteins with domains common to orthologues found in other mosquitoes. expression analys ...	18828840
towards the genetic control of insect vectors: an overview.	insects are responsible for the transmission of major infectious diseases. recent advances in insect genomics and transformation technology provide new strategies for the control of insect borne pathogen transmission and insect pest management. one such strategy is the genetic modification of insects with genes that block pathogen development. another is to suppress insect populations by releasing either sterile males or males carrying female-specific dominant lethal genes into the environment. ...	25530773
micrornas and malaria - a dynamic interaction still incompletely understood.	malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by parasitic protozoa of the genus plasmodium. it remains a major problem affecting humans today, especially children. however, the pathogenesis of malaria, especially severe malaria, remains incompletely understood, hindering our ability to treat this disease. of recent interest is the role that small, non-coding rnas play in the progression, pathogenesis of, and resistance to, malaria. independent studies have now revealed the presence of m ...	26005686
the remarkable journey of adaptation of the plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite to new world anopheline mosquitoes.	plasmodium falciparum originated in africa, dispersed around the world as a result of human migration and had to adapt to several different indigenous anopheline mosquitoes. anophelines from the new world are evolutionary distant form african ones and this probably resulted in a more stringent selection of plasmodium as it adapted to these vectors. it is thought that plasmodium has been genetically selected by some anopheline species through unknown mechanisms. the mosquito immune system can gre ...	25185006
aedes aegypti (l.) survival after exposure to ivermectin.	ivermectin has been shown in in vitro studies to have insecticidal properties against aedes aegypti adults. this study aimed to assess these properties in vivo. aedes aegypti survival was not affected by acquiring a blood meal from humans both 5 hours and 24 hours after ingestion of a typical dose of ivermectin.	23691626
loss of household protection from use of insecticide-treated nets against pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes, benin.	pyrethroid resistance is becoming widespread in anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, coinciding with expanded use of insecticide-treated nets (itns) throughout africa. to investigate whether nets in use are still protective, we conducted household trials in northern and southern benin, where an. gambiae mosquitoes are susceptible and resistant, respectively, to pyrethroids. rooms were fitted with window traps and monitored for mosquito biting and survival rates before and after the nets were treated wi ...	22709930
neuropeptidomics of the mosquito aedes aegypti.	neuropeptidomic data were collected on the mosquito ae. aegypti, which is considered the most tractable mosquito species for physiological and endocrine studies. the data were solely obtained by direct mass spectrometric profiling, including tandem fragmentation, of selected tissues from single specimens, which yielded a largely complete accounting of the putative bioactive neuropeptides; truncated neuropeptides with low abundance were not counted as mature peptides. differential processing with ...	20163154
larval habitats of mosquito fauna in osogbo metropolis, southwestern nigeria.	to determine the larval habitats of mosquito fauna and possible impact of land use/ land cover changes on the epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases in osogbo metropolis, southwestern, nigeria.	23998005
quantitative analysis of harmonic convergence in mosquito auditory interactions.	this article analyses the hearing and behaviour of mosquitoes in the context of inter-individual acoustic interactions. the acoustic interactions of tethered live pairs of aedes aegypti mosquitoes, from same and opposite sex mosquitoes of the species, are recorded on independent and unique audio channels, together with the response of tethered individual mosquitoes to playbacks of pre-recorded flight tones of lone or paired individuals. a time-dependent representation of each mosquito's non-stat ...	27053654
mosquito (aedes aegypti) flight tones: frequency, harmonicity, spherical spreading, and phase relationships.	mosquito flight produces a tone as a side effect of wing movement; this tone is also a communication signal that is frequency-modulated during courtship. recordings of tones produced by tethered flying male and female aedes aegypti were undertaken using pairs of pressure-gradient microphones above and below, ahead and behind, and to the left and right over a range of distances. fundamental frequencies were close to those previously reported, although amplitudes were lower. the male fundamental f ...	25234901