Publications

virulence and resistance in a mosquito-microsporidium interaction.	we review the results of a series of experiments involving aedes aegypti and its microsporidian parasite vavraia culicis to illustrate how intra-specific competition and parasitism shape life history traits. more specifically these experiments showed that some major components of virulence are host condition-dependent in this system, while others are not. we also briefly discuss the ways through which v. culicis modifies the physiological functioning of its host. we discuss the implications of t ...	25567490
dengue: where are we today?	dengue is considered the main arthropod-borne viral disease of humans. in the last few years, an increasing number of reports of mild and severe cases have been reported. the growing dengue incidence observed in recent years has been accompanied by reports of new observations, findings and global initiatives with an improvement in our understanding of this phenomenon. the epidemiology and new clinical classification of dengue, advances in the diagnostic and pathogenesis knowledge, and vaccine de ...	22589659
a phylogenetic approach to gene expression data: evidence for the evolutionary origin of mammalian leukocyte phenotypes.	the evolution of multicellular organisms involved the evolution of specialized cell types performing distinct functions; and specialized cell types presumably arose from more generalized ancestral cell types as a result of mutational event, such as gene duplication and changes in gene expression. we used characters based on gene expression data to reconstruct evolutionary relationships among 11 types of lymphocytes by the maximum parsimony method. the resulting phylogenetic tree showed expected ...	19601972
urban structure and dengue fever in puntarenas, costa rica.	dengue is currently the most important arboviral disease globally and is usually associated with built environments in tropical areas. remotely sensed information can facilitate the study of urban mosquito-borne diseases by providing multiple temporal and spatial resolutions appropriate to investigate urban structure and ecological characteristics associated with infectious disease. in this study, coarse, medium and fine resolution satellite imagery (moderate resolution imaging spectrometer, adv ...	20161131
defeating dengue: new mosquito genome, old promise?		18438504
drosophila ctbp regulates proliferation and differentiation of eye precursors and complexes with eyeless, dachshund, dan, and danr during eye and antennal development.	specification factors regulate cell fate in part by interacting with transcriptional co-regulators like ctbp to regulate gene expression. here, we demonstrate that ctbp forms a complex or complexes with the drosophila melanogaster pax6 homolog eyeless (ey), and with distal antenna (dan), distal antenna related (danr), and dachshund to promote eye and antennal specification. phenotypic analysis together with molecular data indicate that ctbp interacts with ey to prevent overproliferation of eye p ...	20730908
using chimeric piggybac transposase to achieve directed interplasmid transposition in silkworm bombyx mori and fruit fly drosophila cells.	the piggybac transposon has been long used to integrate foreign dna into insect genomes. however, undesirable transgene expression can result from random insertions into the genome. in this study, the efficiency of chimeric gal4-piggybac transposase in directing integration onto a dna target plasmid was evaluated in cultured silkworm bombyx mori bm-12 and fruit fly drosophila schneider 2 (s2) cells. the gal4-piggybac transposase has a gal4 dna-binding domain (dbd), and the target plasmid has ups ...	20803777
neuropeptide action in insects and crustaceans.	physiological processes are regulated by a diverse array of neuropeptides that coordinate organ systems. the neuropeptides, many of which act through g protein-coupled receptors, affect the levels of cyclic nucleotides (camp and cgmp) and ca(2+) in target tissues. in this perspective, their roles in molting, osmoregulation, metabolite utilization, and cardiovascular function are highlighted. in decapod crustaceans, inhibitory neuropeptides (molt-inhibiting hormone and crustacean hyperglycemic ho ...	20550437
effects of mutations in aedes aegypti sterol carrier protein-2 on the biological function of the protein.	sterol carrier protein-2 (scp-2) is a nonspecific intracellular lipid carrier protein. however, the molecular mechanism of ligand selectivity and the in vivo function of scp-2 remain unclear. in this study, we used site-directed mutagenesis to investigate the ligand selectivity and in vivo function of the yellow fever mosquito sterol carrier protein-2 protein (aescp-2). mutations to amino acids in aescp-2 known to interact with bound ligand also weakened nbd-cholesterol binding. substitution of ...	20681612
identification of myotropic neuropeptides from the brain and corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum complex of the beetle, zophobas atratus.	the neuropeptide profiles of the two major neuro-endocrinological organs, brain and retrocerebral complex corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum (cc/ca) of adult beetles, zophobas atratus fabricius (coleoptera:tenebrionidae) were analyzed by a combination of high performance liquid chromatography (hplc) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (maldi tof/tof ms). the homological semi-isolated heart bioassay was used to screen hplc fractions for myotropic a ...	21067424
antioxidant activity of five brazilian plants used as traditional medicines and food in brazil.	this study evaluates the radical-scavenging activity of five plants used as food and medicines in the northeastern region of brazil.	21120039
oviposition deterrent activity from the ethanolic extract of pongamia pinnata, coleus forskohlii, and datura stramonium leaves against aedes aegypti and culex quinquefaciatus.	mosquitoes are responsible for spread of many diseases than any other group of arthropods. diseases such as malaria, filariasis, dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf), and chikunguinya are real threat to mankind. in the present study, ethanolic extracts of leaves of pongamia pinnata, coleus forskohlii, and datura stramonium were evaluated for oviposition deterrent activity against aedes aegypti and culex quinquefasciatus. the oviposition deterrent tests of ethanolic extract of pongamia pinnata, coleus ...	21120036
a road map for integrating eco-evolutionary processes into biodiversity models.	the demand for projections of the future distribution of biodiversity has triggered an upsurge in modelling at the crossroads between ecology and evolution. despite the enthusiasm around these so-called biodiversity models, most approaches are still criticised for not integrating key processes known to shape species ranges and community structure. developing an integrative modelling framework for biodiversity distribution promises to improve the reliability of predictions and to give a better un ...	23679011
egg formation in lepidoptera.	reproductive biology in the twentieth century produced comprehensive descriptions of the mechanisms of egg formation in most of the major orders of insects. while many general principles of ovarian development and physiology emerged, every order turned out to have a set of its own special motifs. discovery of the lepidopteran motifs is summarized in this essay. the emphasis is on developmental mechanisms, beginning with the early growth and differentiation of female germ cells and ending, after ...	20050770
serotonin-induced high intracellular ph aids in alkali secretion in the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquito aedes aegypti l.	the anterior midgut of the larval yellow fever mosquito aedes aegypti generates a luminal ph in excess of 10 in vivo and similar values are attained by isolated and perfused anterior midgut segments after stimulation with submicromolar serotonin. in the present study we investigated the mechanisms of strong luminal alkalinization using the intracellular fluorescent indicator bcecf-am. following stimulation with serotonin, we observed that intracellular ph (ph(i)) of the anterior midgut increased ...	19648402
biological effects of some natural and chemical compounds on the potato tuber moth, phthorimaea operculella zell. (lepidoptera:gelechiidae).	the olfactory reaction of larvae and moths was investigated towards 18 oils (6 natural oils and 12 commercial chemical oils). some of these oils such as peppermint and camphor (natural oils) and eugenol and camphene (commercial oils) were repellent to both larvae and moths. other oils such as strawberry and d-limonene were attractive to both larvae and moths. some of the repellent oils were, therefore, tested for their effect on certain biological aspects of the insects. eugenol and peppermint o ...	23961036
metabolic function in drosophila melanogaster in response to hypoxia and pure oxygen.	this study examined the metabolic response of drosophila melanogaster exposed to o(2) concentrations ranging from 0 to 21% and at 100%. the metabolic rate of flies exposed to graded hypoxia remained nearly constant as o(2) tensions were reduced from normoxia to approximately 3 kpa. there was a rapid, approximately linear reduction in fly metabolic rate at p(o(2))s between 3 and 0.5 kpa. the reduction in metabolic rate was especially pronounced at p(o(2)) levels <0.5 kpa, and at a p(o(2)) of 0.1 ...	19749106
3-(arylthiomethyl)isoxazole-4,5-dicarboxamides: chemoselective nucleophilic chemistry and insecticidal activity.	a collection of 91 3-(arylthiomethyl)isoxazole-4,5-dicarboxamides was prepared starting from dimethyl 3-(chloromethyl)isoxazole-4,5-dicarboxylate. the thioether moieties in these compounds were subsequently oxidized to give the corresponding 3-(arylsulfonylmethyl)isoxazole-4,5-dicarboxamides. by carefully controlling stoichiometry and reaction conditions, the c4 and c5 carbomethoxy groups could be differentially derivatized to carboxamides. a total of 182 trisubstituted isoxazoles are reported a ...	19624156
comparative digestive physiology.	in vertebrates and invertebrates, morphological and functional features of gastrointestinal (gi) tracts generally reflect food chemistry, such as content of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and material(s) refractory to rapid digestion (e.g., cellulose). the expression of digestive enzymes and nutrient transporters approximately matches the dietary load of their respective substrates, with relatively modest excess capacity. mechanisms explaining differences in hydrolase activity between population ...	23720328
wide spread cross resistance to pyrethroids in aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) from veracruz state mexico.	seven f1 strains of aedes aegypti (l.) were evaluated by bottle bioassay for resistance to the pyrethroids d-phenothrin, permethrin, deltamethrin, lambda-cyalothrin, bifenthrin, cypermethrin, alpha-cypermethrin, and z-cypermethrin. the new orleans strain was used as a susceptible control. mortality rates after a 1 h exposure and after a 24 h recovery period were determined. the resistance ratio between the 50% knockdown values (rr(kc50)) of the f1 and new orleans strains indicated high levels of ...	23786088
the impact of co2 on collection of aedes aegypti (linnaeus) and culex quinquefasciatus say by bg-sentinel® traps in manaus, brazil.	carbon dioxide (co2) is an important component for activating and attracting host-seeking mosquitoes. the bg-sentinel® trap is a well-established monitoring tool for capturing culicidae, but co2 role for the trap effectiveness has not been evaluated in highly urbanised areas. the objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of bg-sentinel traps baited with and without co2 for capturing urban mosquitoes. fifteen areas were selected within the city of manaus, brazil, where four bg-sentinels were op ...	23579804
the divergence, actions, roles, and relatives of sodium-coupled bicarbonate transporters.	the mammalian slc4 (solute carrier 4) family of transporters is a functionally diverse group of 10 multi-spanning membrane proteins that includes three cl-hco3 exchangers (ae1-3), five na(+)-coupled hco3(-) transporters (ncbts), and two other unusual members (ae4, btr1). in this review, we mainly focus on the five mammalian ncbts-nbce1, nbce2, nbcn1, ndcbe, and nbcn2. each plays a specialized role in maintaining intracellular ph and, by contributing to the movement of hco3(-) across epithelia, i ...	23589833
an analysis on model development for climatic factors influencing prediction of dengue incidences in urban cities.		23703353
cost-effectiveness of novel system of mosquito surveillance and control, brazil.	of all countries in the western hemisphere, brazil has the highest economic losses caused by dengue fever. we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a novel system of vector surveillance and control, monitoramento inteligente da dengue (intelligent dengue monitoring system [mid]), which was implemented in 21 cities in minas gerais, brazil. traps for adult female mosquitoes were spaced at 300-m intervals throughout each city. in cities that used mid, vector control was conducted specifically at high ...	23628282
genetic relatedness of dengue viruses in key west, florida, usa, 2009-2010.	sequencing of dengue virus type 1 (denv-1) strains isolated in key west/monroe county, florida, indicate endemic transmission for >2 years of a distinct and predominant sublineage of the american-african genotype. denv-1 strains isolated elsewhere in florida grouped within a separate central american lineage. findings indicate endemic transmission of denv into the continental united states.	23632064
functional role of stim1 and orai1 in silkmoth (bombyx mori) sex pheromone production.	store-operated ca(2+) influx has recently been shown to require the activation of two proteins, stromal interaction molecule 1 (stim1) and orai1. in mammals the putative channel ion selectivity filter is thought to comprise conserved charged residues in the first and third transmembrane domains of orai1 in addition to three residues in the first extracellular loop. the latter residues, however, are not conserved in either of the bombyx mori orai1 variants or in most insects, suggesting that sele ...	20714403
molecular basis of calcium signaling in lymphocytes: stim and orai.	ca(2+) entry into cells of the peripheral immune system occurs through highly ca(2+)-selective channels known as crac (calcium release-activated calcium) channels. crac channels are a very well-characterized example of store-operated ca(2+) channels, so designated because they open when the endoplasmic reticulum (er) ca(2+) store becomes depleted. physiologically, ca(2+) is released from the er lumen into the cytoplasm when activated receptors couple to phospholipase c and trigger production of ...	20307213
study of oostatic peptide uptake and metabolism in developing ovaries of the flesh fly, neobellieria bullata.	the uptake and metabolism of the oostatic pentapeptide analogue of trypsin modulating oostatic factor (tmof), h-tyr-asp-pro-ala-pro-oh (5p), in ovaries of neobellieria bullata (parker) (diptera: sarcophagidae) were analyzed during their developmental stages. during selected stages of yolk deposition, the fate of [3hpro(3)]5p after its in vivo injection was compared to its uptake after in vitro incubation of dissected ovaries. the ovaries were analyzed from 30 s to 180 min after incubation. a det ...	20572785
spontaneous splenic rupture: a rare presentation of dengue fever.	spontaneous rupture of the spleen with hemoperitoneum is a very rare, but serious manifestation of dengue fever (df). we report a case of a young female who was presented with atraumatic abdominal pain, hypovolemic shock, anemia, ascites and hepatosplenomegaly with a recent history of a febrile illness. subsequent investigations proved the presence of hemoperitoneum with spontaneous splenic rupture with seropositivity for df. early diagnosis and conservative management in this case resulted in a ...	24678156
clove (syzygium aromaticum): a precious spice.	clove (syzygium aromaticum) is one of the most valuable spices that has been used for centuries as food preservative and for many medicinal purposes. clove is native of indonesia but nowadays is cultured in several parts of the world including brazil in the state of bahia. this plant represents one of the richest source of phenolic compounds such as eugenol, eugenol acetate and gallic acid and posses great potential for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and agricultural applications. this review in ...	25182278
oviposition habitat selection by container-dwelling mosquitoes: responses to cues of larval and detritus abundances in the field.	insects' oviposition responses to resource and larval densities can be important factors determining distributions and competitive interactions of larvae. aedes albopictus (skuse) and aedes aegypti (l.) (diptera: culicidae) show aggregated distributions of larvae in the field, larval interactions that are affected by detritus resources, and oviposition responses to resource and density cues in the laboratory. we conducted field experiments testing whether these species choose oviposition sites i ...	24678139
whither drosophila?		20606015
can daytime use of bed nets not treated with insecticide reduce the risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever among children in vietnam?	the purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of bed net use and elucidate the effect of daytime bed net use on preventing dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf) among children in vietnam. we conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey and a matched case-control study in khanh hoa province where not only some pre-schoolchildren but also some school children, who take a nap during lunch break prior to returning to school, used bed nets during the day. among 36,901 children 2-10 year ...	20519617
origin of the dengue virus outbreak in martin county, florida, usa 2013.	after a 75-year absence from florida, substantial local transmission of dengue virus (denv) occurred in key west, monroe county, florida in 2009 and continued in 2010. the outbreak culminated in 85 reported cases. in 2011 and 2012, only isolated cases of local denv transmission were reported in florida, none were reported in key west. in 2013, a new outbreak occurred, but this time in martin county about 275 miles north of key west with 22 reported cases. as the key west and martin county outbre ...	25664240
the locust genome provides insight into swarm formation and long-distance flight.	locusts are one of the world's most destructive agricultural pests and represent a useful model system in entomology. here we present a draft 6.5 gb genome sequence of locusta migratoria, which is the largest animal genome sequenced so far. our findings indicate that the large genome size of l. migratoria is likely to be because of transposable element proliferation combined with slow rates of loss for these elements. methylome and transcriptome analyses reveal complex regulatory mechanisms invo ...	24423660
dengue human infection models supporting drug development.	dengue is a arboviral infection that represents a major global health burden. there is an unmet need for effective dengue therapeutics to reduce symptoms, duration of illness and incidence of severe complications. here, we consider the merits of a dengue human infection model (dhim) for drug development. a dhim could allow experimentally controlled studies of candidate therapeutics in preselected susceptible volunteers, potentially using smaller sample sizes than trials that recruited patients w ...	24872399
the role of the mosquito in a dengue human infection model.	recent efforts to combat the growing global threat of dengue disease, including deployment of phase iib vaccine trials, has continued to be hindered by uncertainty surrounding equitable immune responses of serotypes, relative viral fitness of vaccine vs naturally occurring strains, and the importance of altered immune environments due to natural delivery routes. human infection models can significantly improve our understanding of the importance of certain phenotypic characteristics of viral str ...	24872400
chemical composition and biological activity of star anise illicium verum extracts against maize weevil, sitophilus zeamais adults.	this study aims to develop eco-friendly botanical pesticides. dried fruits of star anise (illicium verum hook.f. (austrobaileyales: schisandraceae)) were extracted with methyl alcohol (ma), ethyl acetate (ea), and petroleum ether (pe) at 25°c. the constituents were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the repellency and contact toxicity of the extracts against sitophilus zeamais motschulsky (coleoptera: curculionidae) adults were tested. forty-four compounds, whose concentrati ...	25368036
modified technique of wolbachia removal from malaysian aedes albopictus.	to develop an artificial and modified wolbachia removal technique using tetracycline from naturally wolbachia infected aedes albopictus (ae. albopictus) so as to be able to produce generations of wolbachia free offsprings.	25183276
genomic approaches with natural fish populations.	natural populations v. inbred stocks provide a much richer resource for identifying the effects of nucleotide substitutions because natural populations have greater polymorphism. additionally, natural populations offer an advantage over most common research organisms because they are subject to natural selection, and analyses of these adaptations can be used to identify biologically important changes. among fishes, these analyses are enhanced by having a wide diversity of species (>28 000 specie ...	20409163
a divergent p element and its associated mite, but5, generate chromosomal inversions and are widespread within the drosophila repleta species group.	the transposon but5 caused two chromosomal inversions fixed in two drosophila species of the repleta group, d. mojavensis and d. uniseta. but5 copies are approximately 1-kb long, lack any coding capacity, and do not resemble any other transposable element (te). because of its elusive features, but5 has remained unclassified to date. to fully characterize but5, we carried out bioinformatic similarity searches in available sequenced genomes, including 21 drosophila species. significant hits were o ...	23682154
infections with the microbe cardinium in the dolichopodidae and other empidoidea.	maternally transmitted reproductive parasites such as wolbachia and cardinium can drastically reshape reproduction in their hosts. beyond skewing sex ratios towards females, these microbes can also cause cytoplasmic incompatibility. wolbachia probably infects two thirds of insects, but far less is known about the occurrence or action of other bacteria with potentially similar effects. in contrast with the two more widespread reproductive parasites, wolbachia and spiroplasma, far less is known of ...	23909372
genetic control of aedes mosquitoes.	aedes mosquitoes include important vector species such as aedes aegypti, the major vector of dengue. genetic control methods are being developed for several of these species, stimulated by an urgent need owing to the poor effectiveness of current methods combined with an increase in chemical pesticide resistance. in this review we discuss the various genetic strategies that have been proposed, their present status, and future prospects. we focus particularly on those methods that are already bei ...	23816508
in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity and cytotoxicity of extracts, fractions and a substance isolated from the amazonian plant tachia grandiflora (gentianaceae).	tachia sp. are used as antimalarials in the amazon region and in vivo antimalarial activity of a tachia sp. has been previously reported. tachia grandiflora maguire and weaver is an amazonian antimalarial plant and herein its cytotoxicity and antimalarial activity were investigated. spectral analysis of the tetraoxygenated xanthone decussatin and the iridoid aglyone amplexine isolated, respectively, from the chloroform fractions of root methanol and leaf ethanol extracts was performed. in vitro ...	23827996
hidden magicians of genome evolution.	transposable elements (tes) represent genome's dynamic component, causing mutations and genetic variations. transposable elements can invade eukaryotic genomes in a short span; these are silenced by homology-dependent gene silencing and some functional parts of silenced elements are utilized to perform novel cellular functions. however, during the past two decades, major interest has been focused on the positive contribution of these elements in the evolution of genomes. the interaction between ...	23852286
germline excision of transgenes in aedes aegypti by homing endonucleases.	aedes (ae.) aegypti is the primary vector for dengue viruses (serotypes1-4) and chikungunya virus. homing endonucleases (hes) are ancient selfish elements that catalyze double-stranded dna breaks (dsb) in a highly specific manner. in this report, we show that the hes y2-i-anii, i-crei and i-scei are all capable of catalyzing the excision of genomic segments from the ae. aegypti genome in a heritable manner. y2-i-anii demonstrated the highest efficiency at two independent genomic targets, with 20 ...	23549343
genetic manipulation of vectors: a potential novel approach for control of vector-borne diseases.		10984525
comparison of metabolic capacities and inference of gene content evolution in mosquito-associated spiroplasma diminutum and s. taiwanense.	mosquitoes are hosts of several spiroplasma species that belong to different serogroups. to investigate the genetic mechanisms that may be involved in the utilization of similar hosts in these phylogenetically distinct bacteria, we determined the complete genome sequences of spiroplasma diminutum and s. taiwanense for comparative analysis. the genome alignment indicates that their chromosomal organization is highly conserved, which is in sharp contrast to the elevated genome instabilities observ ...	23873917
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
colour cues: effects of ipomoea plant extract on culex quinquefasciatus say gravid females in choosing oviposition site.	the interaction between plants and insects is dynamic, and may favour either the plant or the insect. plant chemicals are deeply implicated in this relationship and influence insect behaviour. here, we investigated the oviposition behaviour response of culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes based on the colour cues produced by ipomoea cairica leaves extract. in this study, two sets of oviposition choice experiments were conducted: (1) single solution in a cage; and (2) multiple concentration solution ...	27688853
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
adulticidal & larvicidal efficacy of three neonicotinoids against insecticide susceptible & resistant mosquito strains.	due to ever growing insecticide resistance in mosquitoes to commonly used insecticides in many parts of the globe, there is always a need for introduction of new insecticides for the control of resistant vector mosquitoes. in this study, larvicidal and adulticidal efficacies of three neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam) were tested against resistant and susceptible populations of anopheles stephensi liston 1901, aedes (stegomyia) aegypti linnaeus, and culex quinquefasciatu ...	26905244
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
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
prevalence of malaria, dengue, and chikungunya significantly associated with mosquito breeding sites.	to observe the prevalence of malaria, dengue, and chikungunya and their association with mosquito breeding sites.	23610486
effects of beauveria bassiana on survival, blood-feeding success, and fecundity of aedes aegypti in laboratory and semi-field conditions.	the fungus beauveria bassiana reduces aedes aegypti longevity in laboratory conditions, but effects on survival, blood-feeding behavior, and fecundity in realistic environmental conditions have not been tested. adult, female ae. aegypti infected with b. bassiana (fi-277) were monitored for blood-feeding success and fecundity in the laboratory. fungal infection reduced mosquito-human contact by 30%. fecundity was reduced by (mean ± sd) 29.3 ± 8.6 eggs per female per lifetime in the laboratory; eg ...	22492151
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
improvised microinjection technique for mosquito vectors.	bio-manipulation technique is of primary importance during the development of transgenic mosquitoes. the study describes the variable factors that influence the viability of medically important mosquito vectors during microinjection.	23391792
the role of male harassment on female fitness for the dengue vector mosquito aedes aegypti.	sexual harassment studies in insects suggest that females can incur several kinds of costs from male harassment and mating. here, we examined direct and indirect costs of male harassment on components of female fitness in the predominantly monandrous mosquito aedes aegypti. to disentangle the costs of harassment versus the costs of mating, we held females at a low or high density with males whose claspers were modified to prevent insemination, and compared these to females held with normal males ...	25544799
human igf1 extends lifespan and enhances resistance to plasmodium falciparum infection in the malaria vector anopheles stephensi.	the highly conserved insulin/insulin-like growth factor (igf) signaling (iis) pathway regulates metabolism, development, lifespan and immunity across a wide range of organisms. previous studies have shown that human insulin ingested in the blood meal can activate mosquito iis, resulting in attenuated lifespan and increased malaria parasite infection. because human igf1 is present at higher concentrations in blood than insulin and is functionally linked with lifespan and immune processes, we pred ...	23255191
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
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
morphological variants of aedes aegypti collected from the leeward island of antigua.	nineteen aedes aegypti larvae were collected in rural antigua, west indies, from an 18-liter plastic bucket. the location was in a rural area at the northern end of antigua bordering the coast of dickenson bay and approximately 50 m south of halcyon cove beach (17 degrees 09'42.54"n, 61 degrees 50'44.50"w; elevation 16 m). atypical morphology was noted in larvae and 3 reared adult females. fourth instars showed a reduction in length of the lateral hair on the saddle (seta 1-x) with measurements ...	22017096
state of the globe: yellow fever is still around and active!		20300379
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
subtle periodicity of pupation in rapidly developing mosquitos: with particular reference to aedes vittatus and aedes aegypti.	aedes vittatus and ae. aegypti are important vectors of yellow fever and other arbovirus diseases in africa and they complete many generations, through all developmental stages, in a single year. recent studies on drosophila have offered precise techniques for analysing periodicities in populations of single developmental events in individuals. if the variability of pupation times is low, periodicities may not be recognizable by an obviously polymodal pattern in a single synchronized population. ...	5312257
biologically active natural products of the genus callicarpa.	about 20 species from callicarpa have reported ethnobotanical and ethnomedical uses, and several members of this genus are well known in the traditional medical systems of china and south asia. ethnomedical reports indicate their use in the treatment of hepatitis, rheumatism, fever, headache, indigestion, and other ailments. several species of callicarpa have been reported to be used against cancer (e.g., callicarpa americana root to treat skin cancer and callicarpa rubella bark to treat tumors ...	19830264
light-emitting diode technology improves insect trapping.	in a climate of increased funding for vaccines, chemotherapy, and prevention of vector-borne diseases, fewer resources have been directed toward improving disease and vector surveillance. recently developed light-emitting diode (led) technology was applied to standard insect-vector traps to produce a more effective lighting system. this approach improved phlebotomine sand fly capture rates by 50%, and simultaneously reduced the energy consumption by 50-60%. the leds were incorporated into 2 ligh ...	18666546
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
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
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
larvicidal and irritant activities of hexane leaf extracts of citrus sinensis against dengue vector aedes aegypti l.	to assess the larvicidal and irritant activities of the hexane extracts of leaves of citrus sinensis (c. sinensis) against the early fourth instars and female adults of aedes aegypti (ae. aegypti).	23569887
mosquitocidal bacillus amyloliquefaciens: dynamics of growth & production of novel pupicidal biosurfactant.	a strain of bacillus amyloliquefaciens (vcrc b483) producing mosquito larvicidal and pupicidal biosurfactant was isolated from mangrove forest soil. the present study was aimed at studying the kinetics of growth and production of the mosquitocidal biosurfactant by this bacterium.	25366212
efficacy of insecticide treated nets against mixed population of mosquitoes at dayalbagh-agra.		25905088
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
neural responses to one- and two-tone stimuli in the hearing organ of the dengue vector mosquito.	recent studies demonstrate that mosquitoes listen to each other's wing beats just prior to mating in flight. field potentials from sound-transducing neurons in the antennae contain both sustained and oscillatory components to pure and paired tone stimuli. described here is a direct comparison of these two types of response in the dengue vector mosquito, aedes aegypti. across a wide range of frequencies and intensities, sustained responses to one- and two-tone stimuli are about equal in magnitude ...	20348350
interfaces between allergen structure and diagnosis: know your epitopes.	allergy diagnosis is based on the patient's clinical history and can be strengthened by tests that confirm the origin of sensitization. in the past 25 years, these tests have evolved from the exclusive in vivo or in vitro use of allergen extracts, to complementary molecular-based diagnostics that rely on in vitro measurements of ige reactivity to individual allergens. for this to occur, an increase in our understanding of the molecular structure of allergens, largely due to the development of te ...	25750181
pathogenicity tests on nine mosquito species and several non-target organisms with strelkovimermis spiculatus (nemata mermithidae).	nine species of mosquitoes and several species of non-target aquatic organisms were tested for susceptibility to the mernaithid nematode, strelkovimermis spiculatus. all species of anopheles, aedes, culex, and toxorhynchites exposed to s. spiculatus were susceptible. of the nine mosquito species tested, c. pipiens quinquefasciatus had the greatest tolerance to initial invasion and the highest percent infection of those that survived. high levels of infection were also achieved with aedes taenior ...	19274233
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
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
an insight into the microbiome of the amblyomma maculatum (acari: ixodidae).	the aim of this study was to survey the bacterial diversity of amblyomma maculatum koch, 1844, and characterize its infection with rickettsia parkeri. pyrosequencing of the bacterial 16s rrna was used to determine the total bacterial population in a. maculatum. pyrosequencing analysis identified rickettsia in a. maculatum midguts, salivary glands, and saliva, which indicates successful trafficking in the arthropod vector. the identity of rickettsia spp. was determined based on sequencing the ric ...	24605461
using the dfci gene index databases for biological discovery.	the dfci gene index web pages provide access to analyses of ests and gene sequences for nearly 114 species, as well as a number of resources derived from these. each species-specific database is presented using a common format with a home page. a variety of methods exist that allow users to search each species-specific database. methods implemented currently include nucleotide or protein sequence queries using wu-blast, text-based searches using various sequence identifiers, searches by gene, ti ...	20205187
detritus type alters the outcome of interspecific competition between aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae).	many studies of interspecific competition between aedes albopictus (skuse) and aedes aegypti (l.) (diptera: culicidae) larvae show that ae. albopictus are superior resource competitors to ae. aegypti. single-species studies indicate that growth and survival of ae. albopictus and ae. aegypti larvae are affected by the type of detritus present in containers, which presumably affects the amount and quality of microorganisms that the mosquito larvae consume. we tested whether different detritus type ...	18533429
a catalog for the transcripts from the venomous structures of the caterpillar lonomia obliqua: identification of the proteins potentially involved in the coagulation disorder and hemorrhagic syndrome.	accidents with the caterpillar lonomia obliqua are often associated with a coagulation disorder and hemorrhagic syndrome in humans. in the present study, we have constructed cdna libraries from two venomous structures of the caterpillar, namely the tegument and the bristle. high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were performed in parallel. over one thousand cdnas were obtained and clustered to produce a database of 538 contigs and singletons (clusters) for the tegument library an ...	16023793
insect seminal fluid proteins: identification and function.	seminal fluid proteins (sfps) produced in reproductive tract tissues of male insects and transferred to females during mating induce numerous physiological and behavioral postmating changes in females. these changes include decreasing receptivity to remating; affecting sperm storage parameters; increasing egg production; and modulating sperm competition, feeding behaviors, and mating plug formation. in addition, sfps also have antimicrobial functions and induce expression of antimicrobial peptid ...	20868282
sequence analysis of the genome of the neodiprion sertifer nucleopolyhedrovirus.	the genome of the neodiprion sertifer nucleopolyhedrovirus (nesenpv), which infects the european pine sawfly, n. sertifer (hymenoptera: diprionidae), was sequenced and analyzed. the genome was 86,462 bp in size. the c+g content of 34% was lower than that of the majority of baculoviruses. a total of 90 methionine-initiated open reading frames (orfs) with more than 50 amino acids and minimal overlapping were found. from those, 43 orfs were homologous to other baculovirus orfs, and 29 of these were ...	15194780
early origin and adaptive evolution of the gw182 protein family, the key component of rna silencing in animals.	the gw182 proteins are a key component of the mirna-dependent post-transcriptional silencing pathway in animals. they function as scaffold proteins to mediate the interaction of argonaute (ago)-containing complexes with cytoplasmic poly(a)-binding proteins (pabp) and pan2-pan3 and ccr4-not deadenylases. the ago-gw182 complexes mediate silencing of the target mrna through induction of translational repression and/or mrna degradation. although the gw182 proteins are a subject of extensive experime ...	26106978
sterile-insect methods for control of mosquito-borne diseases: an analysis.	effective vector control, and more specifically mosquito control, is a complex and difficult problem, as illustrated by the continuing prevalence (and spread) of mosquito-transmitted diseases. the sterile insect technique and similar methods control certain agricultural insect pest populations in a species-specific, environmentally sound, and effective manner; there is increased interest in applying this approach to vector control. such an approach, like all others in use and development, is not ...	19725763
vacant lots: productive sites for aedes (stegomyia) aegypti (diptera: culicidae) in mérida city, méxico.	we assessed the potential for vacant lots and other nonresidential settings to serve as source environments for aedes (stegomyia) aegypti (l.) (diptera: culicidae) in mérida city, méxico. mosquito immatures were collected, during november 2011-june 2013, from residential premises (n = 156 site visits) and nonresidential settings represented by vacant lots (50), parking lots (18), and streets or sidewalks (28). collections totaled 46,025 mosquito immatures of 13 species. ae. aegypti was the most ...	24724299
neuropeptides in the antennal lobe of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti.	for many insects, including mosquitoes, olfaction is the dominant modality regulating their behavioral repertoire. many neurochemicals modulate olfactory information in the central nervous system, including the primary olfactory center of insects, the antennal lobe. the most diverse and versatile neurochemicals in the insect nervous system are found in the neuropeptides. in the present study, we analyzed neuropeptides in the antennal lobe of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, a major vect ...	23897410
cockroach diuretic hormones: characterization of a calcitonin-like peptide in insects.	insect diuretic hormones are crucial for control of water balance. we isolated from the cockroach diploptera punctata two diuretic hormones (dh), dippu-dh(31) and dippu-dh(46), which increase camp production and fluid secretion in malpighian tubules of several insect species. dippu-dh(31) and -dh(46) contain 31 and 46 amino acids, respectively. dippu-dh(46) belongs to the corticotropin-releasing factor (crf)-like insect dh family, whereas dippu-dh(31) has little sequence similarity to the crf-li ...	10841553
a survival and reproduction trade-off is resolved in accordance with resource availability by virgin female mosquitoes.	the first 2-4 days after an anopheles gambiae female mosquito emerges are critical to her survival and reproductive success. yet, the order of behavioural events (mating, sugar feeding, blood feeding) during this time has received little attention. we discovered that among female cohorts sampled from emergence, sugar feeding had a higher probability than blood feeding of occurring first, and mating rarely occurred before a meal was taken. the night after emergence, 48% of females fed on sugar in ...	21499504
new baseline environmental assessment of mosquito ecology in northern haiti during increased urbanization.	the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in port-au-prince, haiti, led to the large-scale displacement of over 2.3 million people, resulting in rapid and unplanned urbanization in northern haiti. this study evaluated the impact of this unplanned urbanization on mosquito ecology and vector-borne diseases by assessing land use and change patterns. land-use classification and change detection were carried out on remotely sensed images of the area for 2010 and 2013. change detection identified areas that we ...	26047183
plagues and peoples revisited. basic and strategic research for ingectious disease control at the intergace in the life, health and social sciences.		12789403
high frequencies of minos transposon mobilization are obtained in insects by using in vitro synthesized mrna as a source of transposase.	one of the most frequently encountered problems in transposon-mediated transgenesis is low transformation frequency, often resulting from difficulty in expressing from injected plasmid dna constructs adequate levels of transposase in embryos. capped rna corresponding to the spliced transcript of the minos transposable element has been synthesized in vitro and shown to be an effective source of transposase protein for minos transposon mobilization. transposase produced by this mrna is shown to ca ...	12140317
evaluation of compounds for insecticidal activity on adult mosquitos. 3. properties of some n-methylthiolcarbamates.	n-methylcarbamates derived from thiophenols possess negligible insecticidal activity against the mosquitos anopheles stephensi and aedes aegypti. the probable basic reason for the inactivity is that these compounds are much less efficient inhibitors of cholinesterase than the oxygen analogues.	4392937
evaluation of compounds for insecticidal activity on adult mosquitos. 5. toxicity to adult mosquitos and residual properties of some pyrethroids.	new pyrethrin-like compounds are compared with earlier synthetic pyrethroids and natural pyrethrins for intrinsic toxicity to adult mosquitos and for residual contact activity. two of the compounds are at least as toxic as pyrethrin i to female anopheles stephensi and aedes aegypti. residues of these compounds are very persistent in the dark or in very subdued lighting but they decompose on exposure to normal intensities of daylight and rapidly lose their insecticidal activity.	4392939
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
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