Publications

phlebotomus (adlerius) halepensis vector competence for leishmania major and le. tropica.	in eurasia, phlebotomine sandflies of the subgenus adlerius (diptera: psychodidae) comprise about 20 known species. some are suspected vectors of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) and at least one species has been implicated as a vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis (cl). we tested phlebotomus (adlerius) halepensis theodor (jordan strain) for cl vector competence, compared with three standard vectors: phlebotomus (phlebotomus) duboscqi n-l. from senegal, phlebotomus (paraphlebotomus) sergenti parrot from ...	2003	12941007
lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae): a review.	lutzomyia longipalpis is the most important vector of americanvisceral leishmaniasis (avl) due to leishmania chagasi in the new world. despite its importance, avl, a disease primarily of rural areas, has increased its prevalence and became urbanized in some large cities in brazil and other countries in latin america. although the disease is treatable, other control measures include elimination of infected dogs and the use of insecticides to kill the sand flies. a better understanding of vector b ...	2003	12947480
abortive infection of lutzomyia longipalpis insect vectors by aflagellated ldarl-3a-q70l overexpressing leishmania amazonensis parasites.	leishmania donovani adp-ribosylation factor-like protein 3a (ldarl-3a) is a small g protein isolated from the protozoan parasite l. donovani with no defined physiological function. previously [cuvillier, a., redon, f., antoine, j.-c., chardin, p., devos, t., and merlin, g. (2000) j cell sci 113: 2065-2074] we have shown that overexpression in l. amazonensis promastigotes of the mutated protein ldarl-3a-q70l, which remains constitutively associated with gtp, leads to the disappearance of the flag ...	2003	12969377
interaction of insect trypanosomatids with mosquitoes, sand fly and the respective insect cell lines.	interaction experiments between hematophagous insects and monoxenous trypanosomatids have become relevant, once cases of human infection involving these protozoa have been reported. moreover, investigations related to the interaction of insects with trypanosomatids that harbour an endosymbiotic bacterium and thereby lack the paraflagellar rod structure are important to elucidate the role of this structure in the adhesion process. in this work, we compared the interaction of endosymbiont-bearing ...	2003	13129523
two separate growth phases during the development of leishmania in sand flies: implications for understanding the life cycle.	the life cycle of leishmania alternates between two main morphological forms: intracellular amastigotes in the mammalian host and motile promastigotes in the sand fly vector. several different forms of promastigote have been described in sandfly infections, the best known of these being metacyclic promastigotes, the mammal-infective stages. here we provide evidence that for leishmania (leishmania) mexicana and leishmania (leishmania) infantum (syn. chagasi) there are two separate, consecutive gr ...	2003	13129524
the presence of lutzomyia longipalpis in a focus of american visceral leishmaniasis where the only proven vector is lutzomyia cruzi. corumbá, mato grosso do sul state.	the present communication reports the presence of lutzomyia longipalpis in corumbá, mato grosso do sul, where the principal vector is lutzomyia cruzi.	2003	14576882
mitochondrial cytochrome b variation in populations of the visceral leishmaniasis vector lutzomyia longipalpis across eastern brazil.	a population analysis of peridomestic, light-trapped, field specimens of the phlebotomine sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis was targeted to six locations representing a geographic transect across eastern brazil. mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences established the pattern of genetic variation among the populations. alignment of a 261-basepair region at the 3' end of cytochrome b identified 30 haplotypes and 21 segregating sites from 78 sand flies. pairwise comparisons indicated statistically s ...	2003	14640498
the taxonomic status of genetically divergent populations of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) based on the distribution of mitochondrial and isozyme variation.	the sand fly, lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) reputedly is a complex of cryptic species; however, there is currently no consensus as to the number of species in the complex or their geographic distributions. we conducted phylogenetic analyses of 31 populations from throughout the species range, using seven isozyme loci and genes in the mitochondrial genome. analyses of these two independent sets of markers were largely concordant and revealed four distinct clades that support the existence ...	2003	14596274
navigation of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) under dusk or starlight conditions.	the responses of male and female lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) to different wavelengths of light was tested by presenting the sandflies with two light sources simultaneously, a series of test wavelengths between 350-670 nm and a 400 nm control. to test whether l. longipalpis could discriminate between the test and control, three sets of experiments were carried out in which the test wavelengths were presented at higher, equivalent or lower intensity than the control. in all three experime ...	2003	12908917
[approximation to the cdc method to determine insecticide susceptibility in leishmaniasis vectors].	the centers for disease control (cdc, usa) has proposed a simplified method for the determinations of insecticide resistance in adult mosquitoes, using 250 ml wheaton bottles containing measured dosages. insects are transferred into the bottle for 1 hour and monitored for mortality at regular intervals. in standardizing the cdc method for use with phlebotomine sand flies, effects of the solvent without insecticide were evaluated. two colonized sand fly vector species were used: lutzomyia longipa ...	2003	12696404
a practical method for mass breeding of sandflies in the laboratory: lutzomyia intermedia (lutz & neiva, 1912) and lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera, psychodidae).		2003	3507576
the influence of sugars and amino acids on the blood-feeding behaviour, oviposition and longevity of laboratory colony of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae, phlebotominae).	schneider's drosophila medium, a complex amino acid rich medium was tested alone and with seven different sugars for some aspects of the biology of lutzomyia longipalpis. statistically significant results were obtained when sucrose was used alone, indicating that among the sugars tested, this is still the most suitable and practical one for the maintenance of l. longipalpis colonies. however, the addition of schneider's medium to a pool of different sugars, was suggested to be related with the a ...	2003	8731372
posterior spiracles of fourth instar larvae of four species of phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) under scanning electron microscopy.	in the present study, posterior spiracles of laboratory-reared fourth instar larvae of lutzomyia longipalpis, l. migonei, l. lenti, and l. whitmani (diptera: psychodidae) of the state of ceará, brazil, were examined under scanning electron microscopy. the number of papillae of spiracles examined varied according to the species examined, but no intraspecific differences were found. the importance of this structure to sand fly larva identification and phylogeny is commented.	2003	10998217
preliminary assays indicate that antonia ovata (loganiaceae) and derris amazonica (papilionaceae), ichthyotoxic plants used for fishing in roraima, brazil, have an insecticide effect on lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	laboratory-reared lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva 1912) was tested with extracts of two ichthyotoxic plants, known as timbós, used as fishing poison in the amazon. phlebotomines, l. longipalpis, and plants, antonia ovata and derris amazonica, were collected in the raposa-serra do sol indian reserve, a focus of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of roraima, brazil. extracts were prepared from dried leaves of a. ovata and roots of d. amazonica that were percolated in water, filtered and dri ...	2002	12219144
[standardization of the method proposed by the world health organization for determining the susceptibility levels of leishmaniasis vectors to insecticides].	the who method for determining insecticide resistance was standardized for several species of lutzomyia sand flies under laboratory and field conditions. the biological assays were applied solely to optimize the conditions for the control, i.e., without insecticide, and to estimate mortality due to handling or other unfavorable conditions. adult female flies from 3 laboratory colonies and one field strain were tested: two laboratory strains of lutzomyia longipalpis, one laboratory strain of lutz ...	2002	12152485
distribution of putative male sex pheromones among lutzomyia sandflies (diptera: psychodidae).	male lutzomyia longipalpis produce terpene sex pheromones in glandular tissue underlying the cuticle. the pheromones are transmitted to the surface via cuticle-lined ducts (measuring 0.25 microm in diameter), each of which reaches the surface in the centre of a papule (measuring 3-3.5 microm in diameter). similar papules, in a range of shapes but all characterized by the presence of a central pore and absence of macroserae, occur in some other species of sandfly. the aim of the present study was ...	2002	11989537
ultrastructure of male sex pheromone glands in abdominal tergites of five lutzomyia sandfly species (diptera: psychodidae).	the fine structure of male sex pheromone disseminating structures on abdominal segments of five species of lutzomyia sandflies (diptera: psychodidae) was analyzed. scanning electron microscopy showed that in lutzomyia cruzi [mem. inst. oswaldo cruz 33 (1938) 349] and lutzomyia longipalpis [mem. inst. oswaldo cruz 4 (1912) 84], the disseminating structures are located in pale spots on abdominal tergites iv or iii and iv and are morphologically similar, appearing as small round cuticular elevation ...	2002	18088957
histochemical localization of n-acetyl-galactosamine in the midgut lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).	the binding of lectins to the midgut of the female sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) was investigated using lectin-gold conjugates. midguts from laboratory-reared flies provided fructose solution and/or blood fed on hamster were dissected at 6, 24, and 48 h and at 5 and 7 d after feeding. before examination by transmission electron microscopy, each midgut was sectioned, incubated with lectins from four sources (canavalia ensiformis [cona], helix pomata agglutinin [hpa], peanut agglut ...	2002	12061436
rapid identification of mitochondrial cytochrome b haplotypes by single strand conformation polymorphism in lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) populations.	newly designed primers amplified a 365-bp fragment including the 3' end of mitochondrial cytochromeb (cyt b). field collected specimens of the sand fly, lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz and neiva), from two brazil locations provided test dna. the primers, based on consensus sequences from a taxonomic spectrum of arthropods, have also amplified dna successfully from lutzomyia shannoni dyar, lutzomyia cruzi (mangabeira), and the mosquito aedes albopictus (skuse). single strand conformation polymorphism ...	2002	12144306
role of the domestic chicken (gallus gallus) in the epidemiology of urban visceral leishmaniasis in brazil.	zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (zvl) is a serious public health problem in several brazilian cities. although the proximity of chicken houses is often cited as a risk factor in studies of urban zvl, the role chickens play in the epidemiology of the disease has not been defined. chickens attract both male and female sand flies (lutzomyia longipalpis) but are unable to sustain leishmania infections, and their presence may exert a zooprophylactic effect. we discuss environmental, physiologic, soci ...	2002	12498667
characterization of the lectin from females of phlebotomus duboscqi sand flies.	lectin from females of the important sand fly vector, phlebotomus duboscqi (diptera: psychodidae), was isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography using a minicolumn with immobilized anti-lectin immunoglobulins. carbohydrate-binding specificity of active fractions corresponded to that of midgut and salivary gland lysates. haemagglutination was inhibited by d-glucosamine, d-galactosamine and d-mannosamine. the homogeneity and molecular mass of the purified lectin was examined by sds/page in both re ...	2002	12473126
the d7 family of salivary proteins in blood sucking diptera.	the d7 subfamily of salivary proteins is widespread in blood sucking diptera and belongs to the superfamily of pheromone/odourant binding proteins. although d7 proteins are among the most abundant salivary proteins in adult female mosquitoes and sand flies, their role in blood feeding remains elusive. in the present work we report the sequence of seventeen novel d7 proteins, and propose an evolutionary scenario for the appearance of the several forms of this protein, based on a total of twenty-o ...	2002	11966880
canine visceral leishmaniasis: dog infectivity to sand flies from non-endemic areas.	canine visceral leishmaniasis (vl), caused by leishmania infantum (leishmania chagasi in the new world), is a zoonotic, endemic disease in western europe and latin america. the potential spreading to new regions was suggested by the appearance of canine vl among foxhounds in the us. although the sand fly vectors in the major foci of transmission have been described, no information exists on other sand flies that could propagate the infection outside endemic areas. we evaluated the capacity of lu ...	2002	12002643
leishmania chagasi: lipophosphoglycan characterization and binding to the midgut of the sand fly vector lutzomyia longipalpis.	during metacyclogenesis of leishmania in its sand fly vector, the parasite differentiates from a noninfective, procyclic form to an infective, metacyclic form, a process characterized by morphological changes of the parasite and also biochemical transformations in its major surface lipophosphoglycan (lpg). this glycoconjugate is polymorphic among species with variations in sugars that branch off the conserved gal(beta 1,4)man(alpha 1)-po(4) backbone of repeat units and the oligosaccharide cap. l ...	2002	12034455
the role of promastigote secretory gel in the origin and transmission of the infective stage of leishmania mexicana by the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis.	transmission of leishmaniasis is effected by a specific developmental stage, the metacyclic promastigote. the precursors of metacyclic promastigotes were a distinct subpopulation of parasites, identified for the first time as a new stage in the life-cycle and named leptomonad promastigotes. microdissection of infected sandflies into 4 midgut regions and foregut allowed precursor-product relationships to be established for amastigote-procyclic promastigote, procyclic-nectomonad promastigote, nect ...	2002	12049412
impact of habitat degradation on phlebotominae (diptera: psychodidae) of tropical dry forests in northern colombia.	we examined changes in the phlebotomine fauna resulting from human intervention in a tropical dry forest of northern colombia where visceral and cutaneous leishmaniases are endemic. a natural forest reserve (colosó) and a highly degraded area (san andrés de sotavento [sas]) were sampled monthly for 8 mo using shannon traps, sticky traps, and resting-site collections. overall abundances were higher in colosó (15,988) than in sas (2,324). and species richness of phlebotomines was greater in the fo ...	2002	12061439
development of lutzomyia intermedia and lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) larvae in different diets.	the objective of this research was to evaluate, in laboratory, the development of lutzomyia intermedia and lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) larvae, vectors of leishmaniasis in brazil, in the following diets: industrialized food for rabbits, dogs, hamsters and aquarium fishes, besides liver powder, cooked lettuce, wheat germ, beer yeast, oat, wheat bran and a diet denominated aged food. except wheat bran for l. intermedia, all diets provided adequate development for bot ...	2002	11706567
the period gene and genetic differentiation between three brazilian populations of lutzomyia longipalpis.	lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae), the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the americas, is a putative species complex. molecular polymorphism was characterized in a 266 bp fragment of l. longipalpis homologous to period, a 'speciation gene' from drosophila. samples from the brazilian localities of jacobina (ba), lapinha (mg) and natal (rn) were analysed and the data indicate that the three populations are highly differentiated, with a very low level of gene flow b ...	2002	12144696
molecular divergence in the period gene between two putative sympatric species of the lutzomyia longipalpis complex.		2002	12200489
practical approach for typing strains of leishmania infantum by microsatellite analysis.	currently the universally accepted standard procedure for characterizing and identifying strains of leishmania is isoenzyme analysis. however, in the mediterranean area, despite their very wide geographical distribution, most leishmania infantum strains belong to zymodeme mon-1. in order to increase our understanding of polymorphism in strains of l. infantum, we developed pcr assays amplifying 10 microsatellites and sequenced pcr products. the discriminative power of microsatellite analysis was ...	2002	12202583
molecular determinants and regulation of leishmania virulence.	a leishmania model to explain microbial virulence in chronic infectious diseases is proposed. all these diseases progress from infection to symptomatic phase to host death or recovery. the outcome of each phase is depicted to result from the interactions of a distinct group of parasite molecules with a specific host immune compartment. the first group consists of invasive/evasive determinants, which are largely parasite cell surface and secreted molecules. their activities help parasites establi ...	2002	12234388
preliminary description of a new entomoparasitic nematode infecting lutzomyia longipalpis sand fly, the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the new world.	phlebotomine sandflies are vectors of important pathogens world-wide, including leishmania spp. in the neotropics. entomoparasites have been described from phlebotomines, including virus, bacteria, protozoa, fungi, nematodes, and mites, some of which are capable of killing the host. in the present study, interference, fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopies were used for the first time to detect and morphologically characterize a new entomoparasite infecting lutzomyia longipalpis. sever ...	2002	12234540
infectiousness in a cohort of brazilian dogs: why culling fails to control visceral leishmaniasis in areas of high transmission.	the elimination of seropositive dogs in brazil has been used to control zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis but with little success. to elucidate the reasons for this, the infectiousness of 50 sentinel dogs exposed to natural leishmania chagasi infection was assessed through time by xenodiagnosis with the sandfly vector, lutzomyia longipalpis. eighteen (43%) of 42 infected dogs became infectious after a median of 333 days in the field (105 days after seroconversion). seven highly infectious dogs (17 ...	2002	12402201
seroconversion against lutzomyia longipalpis saliva concurrent with the development of anti-leishmania chagasi delayed-type hypersensitivity.	antibody responses to salivary gland sonicate (sgs) from lutzomyia longipalpis were investigated using serum samples from individuals living in an area where visceral leishmaniasis is endemic. individuals were classified into 2 groups, according to the alteration of their responses to leishmania chagasi antigen over the course of 6 months. group 1 included children who experienced anti-l. chagasi seroconversion from negative to positive; group 2 included children who experienced delayed-type hyp ...	2002	12404176
[definition of appropriate temperature and storage conditions in the detection of leishmania dna with pcr in phlebotomine flies].	for epidemiological studies and control programs of leishmaniasis, taxonomic identification of the etiologic agent of the disease in the insect vector is of critical importance. the implementation of molecular techniques such as the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) has permitted great advances in the efficacy and sensitivity of parasite identification. previously, these investigations involved labor-intensive dissections and required expert personnel. the present work evaluates the effects of sto ...	2002	12404930
maxadilan, the vasodilator/immunomodulator from lutzomyia longipalpis sand fly saliva, stimulates haematopoiesis in mice.	protozoal parasites of the genus leishmania are transmitted to their vertebrate host within the saliva of the sand fly during a blood meal. the saliva of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis contains maxadilan, a potent vasodilator and immunomodulator. maxadilan has been shown to enhance the virulence of l. major in all strains of laboratory mice when injected along with the organism. increased haematopoiesis has been associated with enhanced susceptibility to leishmania organisms. here, we show t ...	2002	12406198
salivary gland hyaluronidase in various species of phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae).	hyaluronidase activity was detected and partially characterized in salivary gland extracts of females of six sand fly species. in phlebotomus papatasi and lutzomyia longipalpis the enzyme was active over a broad ph range; the ph optimum was 5.0. besides high cleaving activity towards hyaluronic acid, it hydrolyzed chondroitin sulfates a and c. hyaluronidases of various sand fly species differed in structure and sensitivity to reducing conditions. in the subgenera phlebotomus (p. papatasi and p. ...	2002	12429121
assessment of pcr in the detection of leishmania spp in experimentally infected individual phlebotomine sandflies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	dna amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was applied in the investigation of the presence of leishmania (kinetoplastida: trypanosomatidae) parasites in single phlebotomine sandflies. three phlebotomine/parasite pairs were used: lutzomyia longipalpis/leishmania chagasi, lutzomyia migonei/leishmania amazonensis and lutzomyia migonei/leishmania braziliensis, all of them incriminated in the transmission of visceral or cutaneous leishmaniasis. dna extraction was performed with whole i ...	2002	12436164
low infectiousness of a wildlife host of leishmania infantum: the crab-eating fox is not important for transmission.	the epidemiological role of the crab-eating fox cerdocyon thous in the transmission of leishmania infantum is assessed in a longitudinal study in amazon brazil. a total of 37 wild-caught foxes were immunologically and clinically monitored, and 26 foxes exposed to laboratory colonies of the sandfly vector lutzomyia longipalpis, over a 15-month period. in total 78% (29/37) of foxes were seropositive for anti-leishmania igg on at least 1 occasion, and 38% (8/37) had infections confirmed by pcr and/ ...	2002	12458824
phylogeography of the neotropical sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis inferred from mitochondrial dna sequences.	sand flies in the lutzomyia longipalpis species complex include the primary vector of leishmania chagasi, the etiologic agent of visceral leishmaniasis in the neotropics. twelve l. longipalpis populations from south and central america were compared using the cytochrome c oxidase i (coi) gene from the mitochondrial genome. the haplotype profiles for each population revealed that the majority of sequence variation was inter-population (98%) rather than intra-population, suggesting that sequence p ...	2002	12797984
ecology of american cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of rio de janeiro, brazil.	a study of the sand fly fauna was carried out in the endemic area ofamerican cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) in the municipality of mesquita, state of rio de janeiro, in an area where dwellings (with humans and dogs infected by leishmania (viannia) braziliensis) have been recently visited by sloths. weekly captures were made during two consecutive years in two different sites (1 m and 600 m above sea level) and in three different habitats in each site (domestic, extra-domestic and sylvatic) using ...	2002	12546456
hepatitis c virus core and envelope proteins do not suppress the host's ability to clear a hepatic viral infection.	several hepatitis c virus (hcv) proteins have been shown in vitro to interact with host cellular components that are involved in immune regulation. however, there is a paucity of data supporting the relevance of these observations to the in vivo situation. to test the hypothesis that such an interaction suppresses immune responses, we studied a line of transgenic c57bl/6 mice that express the hcv core and envelope proteins in the liver. the potential effects of these proteins on the hepatic immu ...	2001	11711589
lutzomyia pseudolongipalpis: the first new species within the longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) complex from la rinconada, curarigua, lara state, venezuela.	lutzomyia pseudolongipalpis, the first new sand fly species within the longipalpis complex, is described based on females and males from la rinconada, curarigua, lara state, venezuela. similar to lutzomyia longipalpis sensu lato, females of the new species show spermathecae with 8-10 annulations and cibarial armature with 8-12 horizontal teeth. however, l. pseudolongipalpis females show conspicuous vertical cibarial teeth, large stipites and wing vein sections, round cerci, and short and broad v ...	2001	11761375
the biological function of sand fly and leishmania glycosidases.	this is a summary of the recent work on some glycosidases of sand flies and their leishmania parasites. glycosidases catalyze the hydrolysis of complex sugar subunits of polysaccharides into simple sugars. leishmania major parasites secrete chitinase and n-acetylglucosaminase, which enables them to survive in the gut of the sand fly and are important in facilitating their transmission by the phlebotomine sand fly phlebotomus papatasi. these enzymes are found in a wide range of trypanosomatids an ...	2001	11770110
phlebotomine sand flies in the state of piauí, brazil (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	in 1997, 1998 and 1999 we performed several captures in the state of piauí, in the counties of barro duro, campo maior, castelo, floriano, picos, são raimundo nonato and teresina. we used cdc light traps inside houses, in a primary forest and in one cave. seventeen species were collected being lutzomyia longipalpis, lutzomyia samueli, lutzomyia whitmani and lutzomyia lenti the most captured species. the genus brumptomyia, l. whitmani, lutzomyia sordellii, lutzomyia carmelinoi, lutzomyia termitop ...	2001	11784927
wing geometry as a tool for studying the lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) complex.	toro toro (t) and yungas (y) have been described as genetically well differentiated populations of the lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) complex in bolivia. here we use geometric morphometrics to compare samples from these populations and new populations (bolivia and nicaragua), representing distant geographical origins, qualitative morphological variation ("one-spot" or "two-spots" phenotypes), ecologically distinct traits (peridomestic and silvatic populations), and possibly different ...	2001	11784928
influence of lysates of the salivary glands of lutzomyia longipalpis on the development of a leishmania-major-like parasite in the skin of the golden hamster.	twelve years ago, some mice inoculated with leishmania major were found to develop larger lesions, containing more amastigotes, if the inoculum used to infect them contained a lysate of salivary glands from lutzomyia longipalpis than if no lysate was included. in the present study, outbred golden hamsters (mesocricetus auratus) were each inoculated in a footpad with 10(4), 10(5), 10(6) or 10(7) stationary-phase promastigotes of a leishmania-major-like parasite (mhom/br/71/bh49). some of the inoc ...	2001	11235554
[hourly frequency and seasonality of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) on são luís island, maranhão, brazil].	this article presents the hourly and seasonal distribution of the lutzomyia longipalpis sand fly captured on são luís island, maranhão state. a total of 11,200 specimens were captured during monthly use of cdc light traps indoors and in animal sheds, between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am, in 1996 and 1997. the sand fly behaved as an annual species, with a high frequency year-round, while it was most abundant during the rainy season (57.2%) as compared to the dry season (42.8%). the highest frequencies dur ...	2001	11241945
[digestive tract microbiota in female lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae) from colonies feeding on blood meal and sucrose plus blood meal].	there are very few reports on the microbiota of the digestive tract of sand flies, an important omission considering that blood is not the only meal ingested. male and female sand flies obtain sugar meals from several sources, thereby increasing their chance of infection with microorganisms. chances of contamination are higher when insects are bred in the laboratory, and this may affect the development of leishmania spp. from the digestive tract of 300 sand fly females separated in two groups we ...	2001	11241946
gene flow between natural and domestic populations of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) in a restricted focus of american visceral leishmaniasis in venezuela.	the epidemiology of the visceral leishmaniasis in the americas is associated with both a natural and a domestic cycle. the existence of reproductively isolated populations of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva), and the scarcity of records of this species from natural habitats in areas where it has been associated with domestic habitats indicated that natural populations could be genetically distinct from domestic ones. therefore, we compared the genetic structure and estimated the gene flow be ...	2001	11268683
characterization of constitutive and putative differentially expressed mrnas by means of expressed sequence tags, differential display reverse transcriptase-pcr and randomly amplified polymorphic dna-pcr from the sand fly vector lutzomyia longipalpis.	molecular studies of insect disease vectors are of paramount importance for understanding parasite-vector relationship. advances in this area have led to important findings regarding changes in vectors' physiology upon blood feeding and parasite infection. mechanisms for interfering with the vectorial capacity of insects responsible for the transmission of diseases such as malaria, chagas disease and dengue fever are being devised with the ultimate goal of developing transgenic insects. a primar ...	2001	11285481
the salivary apyrase of the blood-sucking sand fly phlebotomus papatasi belongs to the novel cimex family of apyrases.	apyrases are enzymes that hydrolyze nucleotide di- and triphosphates to orthophosphate and mononucleotides. at least two families of enzymes, belonging to the 5'-nucleotidase and to the actin/heat shock 70/sugar kinase superfamily, have evolved independently to serve the apyrase reaction. both families require either ca(2+) or mg(2+) for their action. a novel apyrase enzyme sequence, with no homology to any other known protein sequence, was found recently in the salivary glands of the hematophag ...	2001	11136609
involvement of pacap receptor in primary afferent fibre-evoked responses of ventral roots in the neonatal rat spinal cord.	the role of pacap receptor in nociceptive transmission was investigated in vitro using maxadilan, a pacap receptor selective agonist and max.d.4, a pacap receptor selective antagonist. potentials, from a ventral root (l3 - l5) of an isolated spinal cord preparation or a spinal cord - saphenous nerve - skin preparation from 0 - 3-day-old rats, were recorded extracellularly. in the isolated spinal cord preparation, single shock stimulation of a dorsal root at c-fibre strength induced a slow depola ...	2001	11309249
the invertebrate growth factor/cecr1 subfamily of adenosine deaminase proteins.	adenosine deaminase (ada) catalyzes the hydrolysis of adenosine to inosine. its lack determines severe combined immunodeficiency in mammals, possibly due to accumulation of extracellular adenosine, which induces apoptosis in lymphocytes (franco et al., 1998). thus, presence of normal levels of ada leads to normal growth and proliferation of lymphocytes. several vertebrate and microbial ada amino-acid sequences are known, with substantial similarity to each other. on the other hand, there are inv ...	2001	11311551
the phlebotominae sand fly (diptera: psychodidae) fauna of two atlantic rain forest reserves in the state of rio de janeiro, brazil.	during two consecutive years, studies on the sand fly fauna in poço das antas and fazenda bom retiro, two atlantic rain forest reserves from the state of rio de janeiro, were performed using shannon traps, cdc light traps and human bait collections. eleven species were identified; lutzomyia longipalpis, l. migonei, l. edwardsi, l. intermedia, l. whitmani, l. fischeri, l. shannoni, l. ayrozai, l. hirsuta, l. monticola and l. misionensis (first occurrence in the state of rio de janeiro). l. interm ...	2001	11313637
effect of lutzomyia whitmani (diptera: psychodidae) salivary gland lysates on leishmania (viannia) braziliensis infection in balb/c mice.	previous reports showed that lutzomyia longipalpis saliva exacerbate leishmania braziliensis infection in mice. the sand fly lu. whitmani is one of the vectors of l. (viannia) braziliensis (lvb), a causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the state of ceará, brazil. to determine whether saliva of lu. whitmani could increase the infectivity of lvb in mice, we inoculated groups of balb/c mice with lvb promastigotes in the presence or absence of the salivary glands lysate from lu. whitmani. we ...	2001	11313642
[lutzomyia longipalpis and leishmaniasis visceral in argentina].	lutzomyia longipalpis is reported for the second time after 50 years in misiones province, argentina. this insect is the vector of leishmania (l.) chagasi, visceral leishmaniasis' parasite. the literature concerning the 16 visceral leishmaniasis cases in the country is reviewed. the cases were reported from salta, jujuy, santiago del estero and chaco provinces. based on the clinical and entomo-epidemiological data two alternative hypotheses were evaluated: a) visceral leishmaniasis in argentina ...	2001	11374140
canine visceral leishmaniasis in colombia: relationship between clinical and parasitologic status and infectivity for sand flies.	we studied the reservoir competency of canines with distinct clinical presentations of leishmania chagasi infection. the parasitologic status of asymptomatic and symptomatic dogs was determined by standard culture methods infectivity was assessed by multiple xenodiagnoses with lutzomyia longipalpis, over a period of 2-11 months. asymptomatic dogs were non-infective (0 of 5) while 2 of 7 oligosymptomatic dogs infected l longipalpis, transmitting the parasites at low rates (range 0.9-5.2% of engor ...	2001	11442205
heterogeneity of wild leishmania major isolates in experimental murine pathogenicity and specific immune response.	virulence variability was investigated by analyzing the experimental pathogenicity of 19 leishmania major strains in susceptible balb/c mice. twelve strains were isolated from tunisian patients with zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis; seven strains were isolated in syria (n = 1), saudi arabia (n = 2), jordan (n = 2), or israel (n = 2). balb/c mice were injected in the hind footpad with 2 x 10(6) amastigotes of the various isolates, and lesion progression was recorded weekly for 9 weeks. interleuki ...	2001	11447167
toward a defined anti-leishmania vaccine targeting vector antigens: characterization of a protective salivary protein.	leishmania parasites are transmitted to their vertebrate hosts by infected phlebotomine sand fly bites. sand fly saliva is known to enhance leishmania infection, while immunity to the saliva protects against infection as determined by coinoculation of parasites with vector salivary gland homogenates (sghs) or by infected sand fly bites (kamhawi, s., y. belkaid, g. modi, e. rowton, and d. sacks. 2000. science. 290:1351-1354). we have now characterized nine salivary proteins of phlebotomus papatas ...	2001	11489952
leishmaniasis vaccination: targeting the source of infection.		2001	11489957
deltamethrin-impregnated dog collars have a potent anti-feeding and insecticidal effect on lutzomyia longipalpis and lutzomyia migonei.	deltamethrin-impregnated pvc dog collars were tested to assess if they were effective in protecting dogs from sand fly bites of lutzomyia longipalpis and lu. migonei. a protective effect against old world species phlebotomus perniciosus was demonstrated before. four dogs wearing deltamethrin collars and three dogs wearing untreated collars (not impregnated with deltamethrin) were kept in separate kennels for over eight months in a village on the outskirts of fortaleza in ceará, brazil. periodica ...	2001	11562713
[phlebotomine sand flies in the state of tocantins, brazil (diptera: psychodidae)].	between 1997-1998, the authors carried out sporadic collection of sand flies in the municipalities of paraíso de tocantins, monte do carmo, porto nacional and monte santo all in the tocantins state of northern brazil. human bait was used in monte santo and a battery operated light trap in other municipalities. the ecotypes chosen for the traps were in the peridomiciles, inside the houses, in the forest and the orchard. we identified 2,677 sand flies, belonging to 32 species. the most abundant sp ...	2001	11562724
dissociation between vasodilation and leishmania infection-enhancing effects of sand fly saliva and maxadilan.	in this study, the ability of maxadilan and lutzomyia longipalpis salivary gland lysate to enhance the infection of cba mice by leishmania major and of balb/c mice by l. braziliensis was tested. no difference was observed between sizes of lesion in cba mice infected with l. major and treated or not with salivary gland lysate or maxadilan, although they were injected in concentrations that induced cutaneous vasodilation. although parasites were more frequently observed in foot pads and spleens of ...	2001	11685268
external morphology of sensory structures of fourth instar larvae of neotropical species of phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) under scanning electron microscopy.	in the present study, some morphological structures of antennae, maxillary palps and caudal setae of fourth instar larvae of laboratory-reared phlebotomine sand flies (lutzomyia longipalpis, l. migonei, l. evandroi, l. lenti, l. sericea, l. whitmani and l. intermedia) of the state of ceará, brazil, were examined under scanning electron microscopy. the antennal structures exhibited considerable variation in the morphology and position. a prominent digitiform distal segment has been observed only ...	2001	11784930
ultrastructure of endocrine cells from the abdominal midgut epithelium of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).	transmission electron microscopy (tem) was used to study two types of endocrine cells front the midgut of adult female luttzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva). endocrine cells rarely have been observed in nematocera, even using tem, and were present in small numbers dispersed among the monolayer of midgut digestive epithelial cells. triangular shaped "closed" cells were observed along the basement membrane, bounded on each side by digestive cells; these cells closed distally before reaching the ep ...	2001	11580051
new molecular markers for phlebotomine sand flies.	using degenerate-primers pcr we isolated and sequenced fragments from the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis homologous to two behavioural genes in drosophila, cacophony and period. in addition we identified a number of other gene fragments that show homology to genes previously cloned in drosophila. a codon usage table for l. longipalpis based on these and other genes was calculated. these new molecular markers will be useful in population genetics and evolutionary studies in phlebotomine sand flie ...	2001	11334955
courtship song genes and speciation in sand flies.	lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) is a vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the americas and it might represent a complex of sibling species. reproductive isolation between closely related species often involves differences in courtship behaviour. cacophony (cac) and period (per) are two drosophila genes that control features of the "lovesong" males produce during courtship that has been implicated in the sexual isolation between closely related spec ...	2001	11313653
speciation and population structure in the morphospecies lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) as derived from the mitochondrial nd4 gene.	recent studies have suggested that the phlebotomine sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae), the principal vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the neotropics, may consist of several allopatric sibling species. phylogenetic and population genetic analyses of nucleotide variation in a 618-bp fragment of the mitochondrial nd4 gene were carried out on specimens of lu. longipalpis from several locations in central and south america. the analyses were concordant with previous findings, i ...	2001	11161745
sensilla on the terminalia of lutzomyia spp. (diptera: psychodidae) sand flies.	sensilla on the male terminalia of four different species of sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) are described. two species belonged to the same species complex: lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) and l. cruzi (mangabeira). other brazilian species complex was represented by l. lenti (mangabeira) and l. carmelinoi (ryan, fraiha, lainson & shaw). approximately 5-15 sensilla were found on the initial part of the styles of all species. structurally, the sensory organs were similar to small coeloconi ...	2000	11126541
the salivary 5'-nucleotidase/phosphodiesterase of the hematophagus sand fly, lutzomyia longipalpis [corrected].	salivary gland homogenates from adult female lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies contain large amounts of 5'-nucleotidase and phosphodiesterase activities. phosphodiesterase activity was found to be associated with 5'-nucleotidase in several independent experiments: (i) it coelutes with 5'-nucleotidase on a molecular sieving column, (ii) it coelutes with 5'-nucleotidase on a chromatofocusing column, and (iii) it has the same thermal inactivation kinetics as the 5'-nucleotidase activity. additionall ...	2000	10727894
"the salivary 5'-nucleotidase/phosphodiesterase of the hematophagus sand fly, lutzomyia longipalpis" by jose m.c. ribeiro, edgar d. rowton and rosane charlab. insect biochemistry and molecular biology 30(4) pp.279-285		2000	10989299
the salivary adenosine deaminase from the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis.	in the process of sequencing a subtracted cdna library from the salivary glands of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis, we identified a cdna with similarities to gene products of the adenosine deaminase family. prompted by this cdna finding, we detected adenosine deaminase activity at levels of 1 u/mg protein in salivary gland homogenates. the activity was significantly reduced following a blood meal indicating its apparent secretory fate. the native enzyme has a k(m) of approximately 10 microm, ...	2000	10864517
[first record of finding lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) in the urban area of brazil].	this is a report of the first finding of visceral leishmaniasis' vector lutzomyia longipalpis in the urban area of campo grande, state of mato grosso do sul. the importance of this finding regarding the transmission of the disease in this area is discussed.	2000	11175612
establishment and characterization of a new continuous cell line from lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) and its susceptibility to infections with arboviruses and leishmania chagasi.	embryonic tissue explants of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva 1912) the main vector of leishmania chagasi (cunha and chagas), were used to obtain a continuous cell line (lulo). the tissues were seeded in mm/vp12 medium and these were incubated at 28 masculinec. the first subculture was obtained 45 days after explanting and 96 passages have been made to date. lulo is composed of epithelioid cells, showed a 0.04 generations/hour exponential growth rate and population doubling time ...	2000	10656714
genetics of mosquito vector competence.	mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for significant human morbidity and mortality throughout the world. efforts to control mosquito-borne diseases have been impeded, in part, by the development of drug-resistant parasites, insecticide-resistant mosquitoes, and environmental concerns over the application of insecticides. therefore, there is a need to develop novel disease control strategies that can complement or replace existing control methods. one such strategy is to generate pathogen-resi ...	2000	10704476
salivary amylase activity of the phlebotomine sand fly, lutzomyia longipalpis.	both male and female adult stages of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis have detectable amylase activity in their salivary glands, as indicated by formation of p-nitrophenyl-alpha-d-maltoside from p-nitrophenyl-alpha-d-octoside and by hydrolysis of 4-nitrophenyl-alpha-d-maltoheptaoside-4,6,-o-ethylidene. no salivary alpha-glucosidase was detected. amylase activity was also found in the crop and midgut of female flies, although in a smaller amount. salivary amylase is significantly reduced from t ...	2000	10727893
[sandflies (diptera, psychodidae) in a secondary forest area in the paco do lumiar city, maranhao, brazil: a leishmaniasis transmission area].	this paper analyzes the wealth of species, relative abundance, seasonal fluctuation, and nocturnal activity of sandflies. the field survey was conducted in a "capoeira" (secondary forest) area in the county of paço do lumiar, maranhão, where cutaneous and transmission of visceral leishmaniasis frequently occurs. sandflies were captured by cdc-type light traps from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am, once a month, from march 1997 to february 1998. a total of 489 specimens were collected (251 males and 238 female ...	2000	10738174
adenosine, amp, and protein phosphatase activity in sandfly saliva.	as they probe the skin for blood, sand flies inject saliva that prevents hemostasis. sand fly saliva also promotes leishmaniasis by suppressing immunologic functions of macrophages. saliva of phlebotomus papatasi, the vector of old world cutaneous leishmaniasis, contains adenosine and amp. we show that ph. papatasi saliva as well as pure adenosine down-regulate the expression of the inducible nitric oxide (no) synthase gene in activated macrophages. in addition ph. papatasi, but not lutzomyia lo ...	2000	10761741
studies on populations of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) in brazil.	studies were performed on five brazilian populations of lutzomyia longipalpis: salvaterra (pa), são josé do ribamar (ma), canindé (ce), natal (rn) and gruta da lapinha, lagoa santa (mg). no morphological differences were observed that could distinguish between these populations. homogeneity tests showed that the allopatric populations display a certain heterogeneity and that the sympatric populations, with different patterns of spots, are homogeneous. the student-newman-keuls test, represented b ...	2000	10800188
delayed-type hypersensitivity to phlebotomus papatasi sand fly bite: an adaptive response induced by the fly?	the saliva of bloodsucking arthropods contains a large array of pharmacologically active compounds that assist hematophagy. arthropod saliva is also responsible for causing uncomfortable allergic responses in its vertebrate hosts. in this article, we investigate whether the sand fly phlebotomus papatasi, known to produce a strong delayed-type hypersensitivity (dth) in humans, could benefit from, and possibly adaptively induce, this response in their vertebrate hosts. in this study, we show that ...	2000	10841567
sibling species in the llutzomyia longipalpis complex differ in levels of mrna expression for the salivary peptide, maxadilan.	maxadilan is a small ( approximately 7 kda) protein found in the saliva of sand fly species in the lutzomyia longipalpis complex, vectors of the parasite causing visceral leishmaniasis, leishmania chagasi. it is a potent vasodilator and also has immunomodulatory affects. maxadilan recovered from different sibling species of the lu. longipalpis complex differ in amino acid content by as much as 23%, however all variants possess equivalent vasodilatory activity. therefore, the dramatic differences ...	2000	10886415
molecular and biologic characterization of leishmania parasites implicated in an epidemic outbreak in northwestern argentina.	leishmania (viannia) braziliensis and its variants were implicated in the epidemic outbreak of mucocutaneous leishmaniasis that occurred in salta, northwestern argentina, in 1985. a total of 24 suspected, untreated cases were evaluated clinically and parasitologically. four of five stable isolates were consistent with the reference strain of l. (v.) braziliensis as determined by monoclonal antibodies and indirect immunofluorescence or radioimmunobinding assays. zymodeme analysis in agarose gels ...	2000	10894479
correlated morphologic and genetic diversity among lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) collections in venezuela.	diversity among lutzomyia longipalpis populations in venezuela was characterized using 2 methods: larval mouthpart morphology-morphometry and isoenzyme electrophoresis. analysis of the results suggested the presence of 2 morpho-genotypes. the mentum, maxillary comb, mandibular ventral teeth, and adenylate kinase and hexokinase enzyme-encoding loci suggested that a population from the northwestern coriano system (curarigua) is a distinct lineage within the l. longipalpis complex. three widely sep ...	2000	10901644
evolution of lesion formation, parasitic load, immune response, and reservoir potential in c57bl/6 mice following high- and low-dose challenge with leishmania major.	a model of cutaneous leishmaniasis using 10(2) leishmania major metacyclic promastigotes inoculated into the footpads of genetically resistant c57bl/6 mice was studied in order to more accurately reproduce the evolution of lesion formation and the kinetics of parasite growth and immune response as they might occur in naturally exposed reservoirs and in human hosts. in contrast to the more conventional experimental model employing 10(6) metacyclic promastigotes, in which the rapid development of ...	2000	10948141
competence of the human host as a reservoir for leishmania chagasi.	the failure of control programs for visceral leishmaniasis (vl) that depend on elimination of infected dogs suggests that other reservoir hosts may participate in the transmission cycle. to determine whether persons infected with leishmania chagasi can infect the vector sand fly, laboratory-reared lutzomyia longipalpis were allowed to feed on brazilian subjects with active, cured, and asymptomatic vl and on asymptomatic residents of houses of persons with active vl. of 3747 insects that had fed, ...	2000	10950806
[prevalence of microbiota in the digestive tract of wild females of lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva, 1912) (diptera: psychodidae)].	we dissected the digestive tract of 245 females in pools of 35 flies forming 7 groups. these flies were lutzomyia longipalpis originating from lapinha cave, lagoa santa, minas gerais. out of the 8 species of bacteria isolated there was a predominancy of gram negative bacterias (gnb) in the group of non-fermenters of sugar belonging to the following species: acinetobacter lwoffii, stenotrophomonas maltophilia, pseudomonas putida and flavimonas orizihabitans. the group of gnb fermenters were: ente ...	2000	10967602
simulium vittatum (diptera: simuliidae) and lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) salivary gland hyaluronidase activity.	hyaluronidase activity in the salivary gland homogenates of simulium vittatum (zetterstedt) is described, and its optimal ph determined. salivary activity was reduced significantly after a blood meal, indicating that it was secreted after blood feeding. phlebotomus papatasi (scopoli) also exhibited salivary hyaluronidase activity. these results indicate that hematophagous pool-feeding insects may secrete this enzyme to help the spread of salivary antihemostatic agents in the vicinity of the feed ...	2000	11004788
salivary proteins and glycoproteins in phlebotomine sandflies of various species, sex and age.	salivary gland proteins were studied in sandflies (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) by electrophoretic techniques. in phlebotomus duboscqi neveu-lemaire the protein concentration was about 30 times higher in females than in males. sds page revealed eight major bands of 29-62 kda in salivary gland extracts (sge) from females, whereas only one band of 57kda was detected in males. the number of protein components in sge gradually increased with the age of females. in p. papatasi (scopoli) the t ...	2000	11016431
expression of heterologous promoters in lutzomyia longipalpis and phlebotomus papatasi (diptera: psychodidae) cell lines.	to establish a transient expression system for genes introduced into sand fly cell lines, we tested the expression of the luciferase reporter gene under control of different promoters. towards this end, we lipofected cell lines obtained from new and old world sand flies, ll-5 from lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva and pp-9 from phlebotomus papatasi scopoli, respectively. the relative levels of luciferase expression were studied under control of drosophila melanogaster meigen heat shock protein ...	2000	11126533
a possible role of bats as a blood source for the leishmania vector lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae).	some evidence suggests that bats may provide an alternative blood source for lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector of american visceral leishmaniasis. feeding trials were conducted to determine whether l. longipalpis feeds on captive bats. the high feeding success indicated that l. longipalpis is capable of feeding on at least four species of bats. implications for the epidemiology of leishmaniases are discussed.	2000	11304062
human immune response to sand fly salivary gland antigens: a useful epidemiological marker?	antibody (igg) responses to salivary gland homogenate and to a recombinant salivary protein from the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis were investigated using sera from children living in an endemic area of visceral leishmaniasis in brazil. we classified children into four groups according to their responses to leishmania antigen: (group i) positive serology and positive delayed type hypersensitivity (dth), (group ii) positive serology and negative dth, (group iii) negative serology and positive dt ...	2000	11304066
distribution of phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in the state of rio grande do norte, brazil.	visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis are major endemic diseases in northeast brazil. the objective of the current study was to determine the species and geographic distribution of potential sand fly vectors of leishmania in the state of rio grande do norte. sand flies were captured using cdc light traps in 30 municipalities distributed throughout the 8 geographic zones of the state. twelve lutzomyia species were identified. lutzomyia longipalpis lutz & neiva was the most prevalent and accounted ...	2000	15218921
genetic divergence among venezuelan populations of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae).	lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) is the primary vector of visceral leishmaniasis in venezuela. an analysis of alleles at seven enzyme-encoding loci among four populations from different geographic and epidemiological regions revealed strong genetic substructuring. isozyme analysis indicated that l. longipalpis in venezuela is a complex of at least two subspecies. possible differences in population size during their evolutionary histories, varying colonization histories and geological events ...	2000	15535572
exponential fitness gains of rna virus populations are limited by bottleneck effects.	fitness is a parameter that quantitatively measures adaptation of a virus to a given environment. we have previously reported exponential fitness gains of large populations of vesicular stomatitis virus replicating in a constant environment (i. s. novella et al., proc. natl. acad. sci. usa 92:5841-5844, 1995). in this paper, we report that during long-term passage of such large viral populations, fitness values reached a high-fitness plateau during which stochastic fitness variations were observ ...	1999	9882378
infectivity of plasmodium berghei sporozoites delivered by intravenous inoculation versus mosquito bite: implications for sporozoite vaccine trials.	plasmodium berghei sporozoites delivered by mosquito bite were more infectious to outbred cd-1 mice than were sporozoites delivered by intravenous inoculation. the route of challenge also affected vaccine efficacy. in view of these findings and the fact that mosquito bites are the natural mode of sporozoite delivery, infectious mosquito bites should be considered the challenge protocol of choice for sporozoite vaccine efficacy trials.	1999	10417207
breeding structure of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva) in brazil.	eleven populations of lutzomyia longipalpis (lutz & neiva), the sand fly vector of leishmania chagasi, from different areas of brazil were analyzed for genetic variation at 16 enzyme loci. in this region, the prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) caused by l. chagasi is spotty and reproductive isolation among populations of lu. longipalpis has been reported. it is thought that morphologically similar cryptic species with varying vectorial capacity may be responsible for the discontinuous dis ...	1999	10432072
density of sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in domestic and wild animal shelters in an area of visceral leishmaniasis in the state of rio grande do norte, brazil.	the objective of the present study was to determine the association of sand flies with the presence of domestic and wild animals in the peridomiciliary area. the sand flies were collected using direct aspiration and cdc light traps placed in animal shelters. the results suggest that different sand flies species have different behavioral characteristics in an apparent preference for animal baits and that lutzomyia longipalpis and lu. evandroi were the most eclectic species regarding their biotope ...	1999	10445997
[sandflies (diptera, psychodidae) from an endemic leishmaniasis area in the cerrado region of the state of maranhão, brazil].	this article presents a list of ten sandfly species from the genus lutzomyia frança, 1924 found in the counties of aldeias altas, capinzal do norte, caxias, codó, coelho neto, timbiras, timon and tuntum in northeastern maranhão, brazil. presence of sandflies was associated with cases of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis. some 377 specimens were captured indoors with cdc light traps and 1491 specimens in the peridomicile. the species were: lutzomyia cortelezii, lutzomyia evandroi, lutzomyia go ...	1999	10502159
filamentous proteophosphoglycan secreted by leishmania promastigotes forms gel-like three-dimensional networks that obstruct the digestive tract of infected sandfly vectors.	development of leishmania parasites in the digestive tract of their sandfly vectors involves several morphological transformations from the intracellular mammalian amastigote via a succession of free and gut wall-attached promastigote stages to the infective metacyclic promastigotes. at the foregut midgut transition of leishmania-infected sandflies a gel-like plug of unknown origin and composition is formed, which contains high numbers of parasites, that occludes the gut lumen and which may be r ...	1999	10569240