Publications

expression of a toll signaling regulator serpin in a mycoinsecticide for increased virulence.	serpins are ubiquitously distributed serine protease inhibitors that covalently bind to target proteases to exert their activities. serpins regulate a wide range of activities, particularly those in which protease-mediated cascades are active. the drosophila melanogaster serpin spn43ac negatively controls the toll pathway that is activated in response to fungal infection. the entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana offers an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides for inse ...	24837378
sscp analysis of cdna markers provides a dense linkage map of the aedes aegypti genome.	an intensive linkage map of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, was constructed using single-strand conformation polymorphism (sscp) analysis of cdna markers to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps). a total of 94 a. aegypti cdnas were downloaded from genbank and primers were designed to amplify fragments <500 bp in size. these primer pairs amplified 94 loci, 57 (61%) of which segregated in a single f(1) intercross family among 83 f(2) progeny. this allowed us to produce a dense ...	11404335
integration of the aedes aegypti mosquito genetic linkage and physical maps.	two approaches were used to correlate the aedes aegypti genetic linkage map to the physical map. sts markers were developed for previously mapped rflp-based genetic markers so that large genomic clones from cosmid libraries could be found and placed to the metaphase chromosome physical maps using standard fish methods. eight cosmids were identified that contained eight rflp marker sequences, and these cosmids were located on the metaphase chromosomes. twenty-one cdnas were mapped directly to met ...	11238414
glycoproteins from insect cells: sialylated or not?	our growing comprehension of the biological roles of glycan moieties has created a clear need for expression systems that can produce mammalian-type glycoproteins. in turn, this has intensified interest in understanding the protein glycosylation pathways of the heterologous hosts that are commonly used for recombinant glycoprotein expression. among these, insect cells are the most widely used and, particularly in their role as hosts for baculovirus expression vectors, provide a powerful tool for ...	11308014
epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of dengue infection in korean travelers.	dengue viral infection has rapidly spread around the world in recent decades. in korea, autochthonous cases of dengue fever have not been confirmed yet. however, imported dengue cases have been increased since 2001. the risk of developing severe dengue in korean has been increased by the accumulation of past-infected persons with residual antibodies to dengue virus and the remarkable growth of traveling to endemic countries in southeast asia. notably, most of imported dengue cases were identifie ...	27822922
mosquito-specific microrna-1890 targets the juvenile hormone-regulated serine protease jha15 in the female mosquito gut.	females of the hematophagous mosquito species require a vertebrate blood meal to supply amino acids and other nutrients necessary for egg development, serving as the driving force for the spread of many vector-borne diseases in humans. blood digestion utilizes both early and late phase serine proteases (sps) that are differentially regulated at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. to uncover the regulatory complexity of sps in the female mosquito midgut, we investigated involvemen ...	26488481
accelerated evolution of constraint elements for hematophagic adaptation in mosquitoes.	comparative genomics is a powerful approach that comprehensively interprets the genome. herein, we performed whole genome comparative analysis of 16 diptera genomes, including four mosquitoes and 12 drosophilae. we found more than 540 000 constraint elements (ces) in the diptera genome, with the majority found in the intergenic, coding and intronic regions. accelerated elements (aes) identified in mosquitoes were mostly in the protein-coding regions (>93%), which differs from vertebrates in geno ...	26646568
response of culex quinquefasciatus larvae to three insecticides.		27049713
predicting wolbachia potential to knock down dengue virus transmission.	releasing mosquitoes infected with the intracellular bacteria wolbachia is a candidate strategy for dengue control that has recently advanced to field-testing. a critical next step is to evaluate the impact of this strategy on dengue epidemiology. a recent study by ferguson and colleagues presents a mathematical framework to predict the likely effect of mosquitoes carrying wolbachia on dengue virus transmission. fitting the mathematical model to empirical data obtained with wolbachia-infected mo ...	26697448
essential oil composition, antimicrobial and pharmacological activities of lippia sidoides cham. (verbenaceae) from são gonçalo do abaeté, minas gerais, brazil.	lippia sidoides (verbenaceae) is used in brazilian folk medicine as an antiseptic, and it is usually applied topically on skin, mucous membranes, mouth, and throat, or used for vaginal washings.	27867267
trends in clinical trials of dengue vaccine.	dengue is one of the most important vector-borne disease and an increasing problem worldwide because of current globalization trends. roughly, half the world's population lives in dengue endemic countries, and nearly 100 million people are infected annually with dengue. india has the highest burden of the disease with 34% of the global cases. in the context of an expanding and potentially fatal infectious disease without effective prevention or specific treatment, the public health value of a pr ...	27843790
		27737980
reining in angola's yellow fever outbreak.	rosa moreira tells andréia azevedo soares how angola reined in its worst yellow fever epidemic in 30 years.	27843160
imported chikungunya virus strains, taiwan, 2006-2014.	we identified 78 imported chikungunya cases in taiwan during 2006-2014. sixty-six (84.6%) cases were initially suspected to be dengue, which indicates the necessity for laboratory diagnostics in differentiation between dengue and chikungunya. results also emphasize the need for active surveillance of febrile illness at points of entry.	27767908
functional expression and characterization of aedes aegypti dopachrome conversion enzyme.	a full-length mosquito dopachrome conversion enzyme (dce) and its truncated form lacking the last 54 carboxyl-terminal amino acid residues are expressed using a baculovirus/insect cell expression system. the full-length recombinant dce displayed multiple bands during native page with substrate staining, but only one active band was detected when the truncated recombinant dce was analyzed under identical analysis conditions. our data suggest that the last 50 some carboxyl-terminal residues are in ...	11779167
testing for context-dependence in a processing chain interaction among detritus-feeding aquatic insects.	scirtid beetles may benefit mosquitoes ochlerotatus triseriatus (say) by consuming whole leaves and leaving behind fine particles required by mosquito larvae. such interactions based on the sequential use of a resource that occurs in multiple forms are known as processing chains.models of processing chains predict that interactions can vary from commensal (0, +) to amensal (0, -), depending on how quickly resource is processed in the absence of consumers.the scirtid-o. triseriatus system was use ...	19060960
comparative characterization of aedes 3-hydroxykynurenine transaminase/alanine glyoxylate transaminase and drosophila serine pyruvate aminotransferase.	this study describes the comparative analysis of two insect recombinant aminotransferases, aedes aegypti 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-hk) transaminase/alanine glyoxylate aminotransferase (ae-hkt/agt) and drosophila melanogaster serine pyruvate aminotransferase (dm-spat), which share 52% identity in their amino acid sequences. both enzymes showed agt activity. in addition, ae-hkt/agt is also able to catalyze the transamination of 3-hk or kynurenine with glyoxylate, pyruvate or oxaloacetate as the amino ...	12220660
venezuela launches new campaign against dengue fever.		12219753
the impact of genomics on global health.	ensuring that advances in genomics are applied to the health improvement of people living in developing countries is an important contemporary challenge. in the near term, such advances are likely to alleviate infectious diseases, with longer-term benefits envisaged for chronic disorders. to ensure that benefits are shared by developing countries, attention must be paid to complex ethical, legal, social, and economic issues, as well as to public education and engagement. creative and equitable i ...	12084683
the history of dengue outbreaks in the americas.	dengue is a viral disease usually transmitted by aedes aegypti mosquitoes. dengue outbreaks in the americas reported in medical literature and to the pan american health organization are described. the outbreak history from 1600 to 2010 was categorized into four phases: introduction of dengue in the americas (1600-1946); continental plan for the eradication of the ae. aegypti (1947-1970) marked by a successful eradication of the mosquito in 18 continental countries by 1962; ae. aegypti reinfesta ...	23042846
acute and subacute oral toxicity of litsea elliptica blume essential oil in rats.	litsea elliptica blume has been traditionally used to treat headache, fever, and stomach ulcer, and has also been used as an insect repellent. the acute and subacute toxicities of l. elliptica essential oil were evaluated orally by gavage in female sprague-dawley rats. for the acute toxicity study, l. elliptica essential oil was administered in doses from 500 to 4000 mg/kg (single dose), and in the subacute toxicity test, the following doses were used: 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg, for 28 consecutive ...	23024045
study of the fragmentation of arginine isobutyl ester applied to arginine quantification in aedes aegypti mosquito excreta.	it has been demonstrated that argininolysis and uricolysis are involved in the synthesis and excretion of urea in aedes aegypti female mosquitoes. to further investigate the metabolic regulation of urea in female mosquitoes, it is desirable to have a rapid and efficient method to monitor arginine (arg) concentration in mosquito excreta. thus, a procedure currently used for the identification of arg in urea cycle disorders in newborn babies was adapted to analyze arg in a. aegypti excreta. the fr ...	23019169
light-mediated control of rhodopsin movement in mosquito photoreceptors.	multiple mechanisms contribute to a photoreceptor's ability to adapt to ambient light conditions. the mosquito aedes aegypti expresses the long-wavelength rhodopsin aaop1 in all r1-r6 photoreceptors and most r8 photoreceptors. these photoreceptors alter the cellular location of aaop1 and reorganize their photosensitive rhabdomeric membranes on a daily basis. during daylight periods, aaop1 is excluded from the light-sensitive rhabdomeres and localized to multivesicular bodies (mvbs) within the ph ...	23035078
biochemical identification and crystal structure of kynurenine formamidase from drosophila melanogaster.	kfase (kynurenine formamidase), also known as arylformamidase and formylkynurenine formamidase, efficiently catalyses the hydrolysis of nfk (n-formyl-l-kynurenine) to kynurenine. kfase is the second enzyme in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism. a number of intermediates formed in the kynurenine pathway are biologically active and implicated in an assortment of medical conditions, including cancer, schizophrenia and neurodegenerative diseases. consequently, enzymes involved in the ky ...	22690733
dengue fever in south korea, 2006-2010.		22931747
100 years of the pan american health organization.		12453801
a 3-synapse positive feedback loop regulates the excitability of an interneuron critical for sensitization in the leech.	sensitization of reflexive shortening in the leech has been linked to serotonin (5-ht)-induced changes in the excitability of a single interneuron, the s cell. this neuron is necessary for sensitization and complete dishabituation of reflexive shortening, during which it contributes to the sensory-motor reflex. the s cell does not contain 5-ht, which is released primarily from the retzius (r) cells, whose firing enhances s-cell excitability. here, we show that the s cell excites the r cells, mai ...	16571760
acetylcholinesterase genes within the diptera: takeover and loss in true flies.	it has recently been reported that the synaptic acetylcholinesterase (ache) in mosquitoes is encoded by the ace-1 gene, distinct and divergent from the ace-2 gene, which performs this function in drosophila. this is an unprecedented situation within the diptera order because both ace genes derive from an old duplication and are present in most insects and arthropods. nevertheless, drosophila possesses only the ace-2 gene. thus, a secondary loss occurred during the evolution of diptera, implying ...	17002944
infectious disease management: lessons from cuba.		18382630
a transcriptome analysis of the aedes aegypti vitellogenic fat body.	aedes (stegomyia) aegypti is an important dengue vector in tropical and subtropical zones throughout the world. a transcriptome of ae. aegypti vitellogenic fat bodies is described here. the fat body is a dynamic tissue that participates in multiple biochemical functions of intermediate metabolism. a total of 589 randomly selected cdnas were assembled into 262 clusters based on their primary sequence similarities. the putative translated proteins were classified into categories based on their fun ...	19537968
immune pathways and defence mechanisms in honey bees apis mellifera.	social insects are able to mount both group-level and individual defences against pathogens. here we focus on individual defences, by presenting a genome-wide analysis of immunity in a social insect, the honey bee apis mellifera. we present honey bee models for each of four signalling pathways associated with immunity, identifying plausible orthologues for nearly all predicted pathway members. when compared to the sequenced drosophila and anopheles genomes, honey bees possess roughly one-third a ...	17069638
expression of insulin pathway genes during the period of caste determination in the honey bee, apis mellifera.	female honeybees have two castes, queens and workers. developmental fate is determined by larval diet. coding sequences made available through the honey bee genome sequencing consortium allow for a pathway-based approach to understanding caste determination. we examined the expression of several genes of the insulin signalling pathway, which is central to regulation of growth based on nutrition. we found one insulin-like peptide expressed at very high levels in queen but not worker larvae. also, ...	17069635
development of johnston's organ in drosophila.	hearing is a specialized mechanosensory modality that is refined during evolution to meet the particular requirements of different organisms. in the fruitfly, drosophila, hearing is mediated by johnston's organ, a large chordotonal organ in the antenna that is exquisitely sensitive to the near-field acoustic signal of courtship songs generated by male wing vibration. we summarize recent progress in understanding the molecular genetic determinants of johnston's organ development and discuss surpr ...	17891726
dna transposons and the evolution of eukaryotic genomes.	transposable elements are mobile genetic units that exhibit broad diversity in their structure and transposition mechanisms. transposable elements occupy a large fraction of many eukaryotic genomes and their movement and accumulation represent a major force shaping the genes and genomes of almost all organisms. this review focuses on dna-mediated or class 2 transposons and emphasizes how this class of elements is distinguished from other types of mobile elements in terms of their structure, ampl ...	18076328
revolutionary fever: disease and war in the lower south, 1776-1783.		18528506
photoirradiation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with uva light - a pathway leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and dna damage.	polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) are a class of genotoxic environmental contaminants. we have long been interested in determining the mechanisms by which pahs induce genotoxicity. although the metabolic activation of pahs leading to biological activities has been well studied, the photo-induced activation pathway has seldom reported. in this paper, we review the study of photoirradiation of pahs with uva irradiation results in (i) cytotoxicity and dna damage (ii) dna single strand cleavag ...	17159277
community based vector control in malindi, kenya.	community involvement has become an important component of the national malaria control strategy in kenya, resulting in the organization of groups charged with addressing mosquito and malaria-related concerns within the community.	17604514
rnai knockdown of a salivary transcript leading to lethality in the pea aphid, acyrthosiphon pisum.	abstract injection of sirna (small interfering rna) into parthenogenetic adult pea aphids (acyrthosiphon pisum) is shown here to lead to depletion of a target salivary gland transcript. the sirna was generated from double stranded rna that covered most of the open reading frame of the transcript, which we have called coo2. the coo2 transcript level decreases dramatically over a 3-day period after injection of sirna. with a lag of 1 to 2 days, the sicoo2-rna injected insects died, on average 8 da ...	20233093
genomic organization and developmental expression of glutathione s-transferase genes of the diamondback moth, plutella xylostella.	in the present study, we cloned and sequenced the entire coding regions of two glutathione s-transferase (gst) genes encoding pxgsts and pxgste from the diamondback moth, plutella xylostella l. (lepidoptera: yponomeutidae), along with their respective 5' and 3' flanking regions. the pxgsts gene was composed of four exons and three introns. based on amino acid identity with gst genes from other insects, this gene was classified as a member of the sigma class. the gene encoding pxgste had an intro ...	20233073
mal de mayo.		17479908
biochemical mechanisms leading to tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase activation.	tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (tdo) is the first enzyme in the tryptophan oxidation pathway. it is a hemoprotein and its heme prosthetic group is present as a heme-ferric (heme-fe(3+)) form that is not active. to be able to oxidize tryptophan, the heme-fe(3+) form of the enzyme must be reduced to a heme-ferrous (heme-fe(2+)) form and this study describes conditions that promote tdo activation. tdo is progressively activated upon mixing with tryptophan in a neutral buffer, which leads to an impressi ...	17212352
spatial vulnerability to dengue in a brazilian urban area during a 7-year surveillance.	this study considers the vulnerability of the urban area of the city of belo horizonte to dengue. a total number of 89,607 cases registered in the surveillance system from 1996 to 2002 were analyzed. seven epidemic waves were identified during this period. cases were grouped into 2,563 census areas, and three risk categories were proposed based on how many times each area reached a threshold established for each epidemic wave. the association between the risk categories and the socioeconomic, de ...	17243024
vaccinating in disease-free regions: a vaccine model with application to yellow fever.	concerns regarding natural or induced emergence of infectious diseases have raised a debate on the pros and cons of pre-emptive vaccination of populations under uncertain risk. in the absence of immediate risk, ethical issues arise because even smaller risks associated with the vaccine are greater than the immediate disease risk (which is zero). the model proposed here seeks to formalize the vaccination decision process looking from the perspective of the susceptible individual, and results are ...	17442650
climate change and developing-country cities: implications for environmental health and equity.	climate change is an emerging threat to global public health. it is also highly inequitable, as the greatest risks are to the poorest populations, who have contributed least to greenhouse gas (ghg) emissions. the rapid economic development and the concurrent urbanization of poorer countries mean that developing-country cities will be both vulnerable to health hazards from climate change and, simultaneously, an increasing contributor to the problem. we review the specific health vulnerabilities o ...	17393341
biocomputational characterization and evolutionary analysis of bubaline dicer1 enzyme.	dicer, an ribonuclease type iii type endonuclease, is the key enzyme involved in biogenesis of micrornas (mirnas) and small interfering rnas (sirnas), and thus plays a critical role in rna interference through post transcriptional regulation of gene expression. this enzyme has not been well studied in the indian water buffalo, an important species known for disease resistance and high milk production. in this study, the primary coding sequence (5,778 bp) of bubaline dicer (genbank: ab969677.1) w ...	25925065
fever and prominent arthralgia in a traveler who returned from amazonia: differentiating between dengue fever and chikungunya fever.		26157592
longevity of animals under reactive oxygen species stress and disease susceptibility due to global warming.	the world is projected to experience an approximate doubling of atmospheric co2 concentration in the next decades. rise in atmospheric co2 level as one of the most important reasons is expected to contribute to raise the mean global temperature 1.4 °c-5.8 °c by that time. a survey from 128 countries speculates that global warming is primarily due to increase in atmospheric co2 level that is produced mainly by anthropogenic activities. exposure of animals to high environmental temperatures is mos ...	26981200
research on climate and dengue in malaysia: a systematic review.	dengue is a climate-sensitive infectious disease. climate-based dengue early warning may be a simple, low-cost, and effective tool for enhancing surveillance and control. scientific studies on climate and dengue in local context form the basis for advancing the development of a climate-based early warning system. this study aims to review the current status of scientific studies in climate and dengue and the prospect or challenges of such research on a climate-based dengue early warning system i ...	26931438
hexokinase is a key regulator of energy metabolism and ros activity in insect lifespan extension.	developmental arrest (diapause) is a 'non-aging' state that is similar to the caenorhabditis elegans dauer stage and drosophila lifespan extension. diapause results in low metabolic activity and a profound extension of insect lifespan. here, we cloned the helicoverpa armigera hexokinase (hk) gene, a gene that is critical for the developmental arrest of this species. hk expression and activity levels were significantly increased in nondiapause-destined pupae compared with those of diapause-destin ...	26852422
dual lipolytic control of body fat storage and mobilization in drosophila.	energy homeostasis is a fundamental property of animal life, providing a genetically fixed balance between fat storage and mobilization. the importance of body fat regulation is emphasized by dysfunctions resulting in obesity and lipodystrophy in humans. packaging of storage fat in intracellular lipid droplets, and the various molecules and mechanisms guiding storage-fat mobilization, are conserved between mammals and insects. we generated a drosophila mutant lacking the receptor (akhr) of the a ...	17488184
definition of the minimal fragments of sti1 required for dimerization, interaction with hsp70 and hsp90 and in vivo functions.	the molecular chaperone hsp (heat-shock protein) 90 is critical for the activity of diverse cellular client proteins. in a current model, client proteins are transferred from hsp70 to hsp90 in a process mediated by the co-chaperone sti1/hop, which may simultaneously interact with hsp70 and hsp90 via separate tpr (tetratricopeptide repeat) domains, but the mechanism and in vivo importance of this function is unclear. in the present study, we used truncated forms of sti1 to determine the minimal r ...	17300223
silencing of molt-regulating transcription factor gene, cihr3, affects growth and development of sugarcane stem borer, chilo infuscatellus.	rna interference (rnai) is a technology for conducting functional genomic studies and a potential tool for crop protection against insect pests. development of reliable methods for production and delivery of double-stranded rna (dsrna) is the major challenge for efficient pest control. in this study, chilo infuscatellus snellen (crambidae: lepidoptera) was fed with cihr3 dsrna expressed in bacteria or synthesized in vitro. the dsrna ingested by c. infuscatellus successfully triggered silencing o ...	23427912
two drosophila deg/enac channel subunits have distinct functions in gustatory neurons that activate male courtship.	trimeric sodium channels of the deg/enac family have important roles in neurons, but the specific functions of different subunits present in heteromeric channels are poorly understood. we previously reported that the drosophila deg/enac subunit ppk25 is essential in a small subset of gustatory neurons for activation of male courtship behavior, likely through detection of female pheromones. here we show that, like mutations in ppk25, mutations in another drosophila deg/enac subunit gene, nope, sp ...	22915128
recent advances in dengue: relevance to puerto rico.	dengue represents an increasingly important public health challenge in puerto rico, with recent epidemics in 2007, 2010, and 2012-2013. although recent advances in dengue vaccine development offer hope for primary prevention, the role of health professionals in the diagnosis and management of dengue patients is paramount. case definitions for dengue, dengue with warning signs, and severe dengue provide a framework to guide clinical decision-making. furthermore, the differentiation between dengue ...	26061055
the sublethal effects of the entomopathic fungus leptolegnia chapmanii on some biological parameters of the dengue vector aedes aegypti.	the mosquito aedes aegypti (l.) (diptera: culicidae) is the primary vector of dengue in the americas. the use of chemical insecticides is recommended during outbreaks of dengue in order to reduce the number of adult mosquitoes; however, because ae. aegypti is highly synanthropic, the use of insecticides in densely populated areas is a dangerous practice. leptolegnia chapmanii seymour (straminipila: peronosporomycetes) is an entomopathogenic microorganism that has demonstrated marked pathogenicit ...	23901823
differential behavioral responses to water-borne cues to predation in two container-dwelling mosquitoes.	larvae of the mosquito toxorhynchites rutilus (coquillett) prey upon other container-dwelling insects, including larvae of aedes albopictus (skuse), which is native to asia but was introduced into the united states, and on the native tree hole mosquito ochlerotatus triseriatus (say). previous work has established that o. triseriatus adopts low-risk behaviors in the presence of predation risk from t. rutilus. it is unknown whether introduced a. albopictus show a similar response to this predator. ...	17710216
an empirical test of the aggregation model of coexistence and consequences for competing container-dwelling mosquitoes.	we investigated the aggregation model of coexistence as a potential mechanism explaining patterns of coexistence between container mosquitoes aedes albopictus and aedes aegypti in southern florida, usa. aedes aegypti coexists with the invasive a. albopictus in many locations despite being an inferior resource competitor under most conditions. in agreement with aggregation theory we observed significant intraspecific aggregation of a. albopictus in all six field sites sampled in southern florida ...	23691666
predator identity and additive effects in a treehole community.	multiple predator species can interact as well as strongly affect lower trophic levels, resulting in complex, nonadditive effects on prey populations and community structure. studies of aquatic systems have shown that interactive effects of predators on prey are not necessarily predictable from the direct effects of each species alone. to test for complex interactions, the individual and combined effects of a top and intermediate predator on larvae of native and invasive mosquito prey were exami ...	16676542
does differential predation permit invasive and native mosquito larvae to coexist in florida?	1. the hypothesis that selective predation on larvae of the invasive aedes albopictus (skuse) could account for its stable coexistence with the native mosquito species and inferior competitor ochlerotatus triseriatus (say) in florida treeholes and container systems was tested experimentally.2. functional responses of the two dipteran predators toxorhynchites rutilus (coquillett) and corethrella appendiculata (grabham) were evaluated separately for a. albopictus and o. triseriatus prey. both pred ...	22532705
functional classification and central nervous projections of olfactory receptor neurons housed in antennal trichoid sensilla of female yellow fever mosquitoes, aedes aegypti.	mosquitoes are highly dependent on their olfactory system for, e.g. host location and identification of nectar-feeding and oviposition sites. odours are detected by olfactory receptor neurons (orns) housed in hair-shaped structures, sensilla, on the antennae and maxillary palps. in order to unravel the function of the olfactory system in the yellow fever vector, aedes aegypti, we performed single-sensillum recordings from trichoid sensilla on female antennae. these sensilla are divided into four ...	17880395
towards abolition of immunogenic structures in insect cells: characterization of a honey-bee (apis mellifera) multi-gene family reveals both an allergy-related core alpha1,3-fucosyltransferase and the first insect lewis-histo-blood-group-related antigen-synthesizing enzyme.	glycoproteins from honey-bee (apis mellifera), such as phospholipase a2 and hyaluronidase, are well-known major bee-venom allergens. they carry n-linked oligosaccharide structures with two types of alpha1,3-fucosylation: the modification by alpha1,3-fucose of the innermost core glcnac, which constitutes an epitope recognized by ige from some bee-venom-allergic patients, and an antennal lewis-like galnacbeta1,4(fucalpha1,3)glcnac moiety. we now report the cloning and expression of two cdnas encod ...	17029591
comparative genomics of odorant binding proteins in anopheles gambiae, aedes aegypti, and culex quinquefasciatus.	about 1 million people in the world die each year from diseases spread by mosquitoes, and understanding the mechanism of host identification by the mosquitoes through olfaction is at stake. the role of odorant binding proteins (obps) in the primary molecular events of olfaction in mosquitoes is becoming an important focus of biological research in this area. here, we present a comprehensive comparative genomics study of obps in the three disease-transmitting mosquito species anopheles gambiae, a ...	23292137
vasa genes: emerging roles in the germ line and in multipotent cells.	sexually reproducing metazoans establish a cell lineage during development that is ultimately dedicated to gamete production. work in a variety of animals suggests that a group of conserved molecular determinants act in this germ line maintenance and function. the most universal of these genes are vasa and vasa-like dead-box rna helicase genes. however, recent evidence indicates that vasa genes also function in other cell types, distinct from the germ line. here we evaluate our current understan ...	20586054
the central role of mosquito cytochrome p450 cyp6zs in insecticide detoxification revealed by functional expression and structural modelling.	the resistance of mosquitoes to chemical insecticides is threatening vector control programmes worldwide. cytochrome p450 monooxygenases (cyps) are known to play a major role in insecticide resistance, allowing resistant insects to metabolize insecticides at a higher rate. among them, members of the mosquito cyp6z subfamily, like aedes aegypti cyp6z8 and its anopheles gambiae orthologue cyp6z2, have been frequently associated with pyrethroid resistance. however, their role in the pyrethroid degr ...	23844938
multimodal integration of carbon dioxide and other sensory cues drives mosquito attraction to humans.	multiple sensory cues emanating from humans are thought to guide blood-feeding female mosquitoes to a host. to determine the relative contribution of carbon dioxide (co2) detection to mosquito host-seeking behavior, we mutated the aaeggr3 gene, a subunit of the heteromeric co2 receptor in aedes aegypti mosquitoes. gr3 mutants lack electrophysiological and behavioral responses to co2. these mutants also fail to show co2-evoked responses to heat and lactic acid, a human-derived attractant, suggest ...	24581501
cloning, expression analysis, and molecular modeling of the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor alpha2 subunit gene from the common cutworm, spodoptera litura.	intensive research on the molecule structures of the gamma-nminobutyric acid (gaba) receptor in agricultural pests has great significance to the mechanism investigation, resistance prevention, and molecular design of novel pesticides. the gaba receptor a2 (slgabarα2) subunit gene in spodoptera litura (fabricius) (lepidoptera: noctuidae) was cloned using the technologies of reverse transcription pcr and rapid amplification of cdna ends. the gemonic dna sequence of slgabarα2 has 5164 bp with 8 exo ...	23909412
nutrition-dependent control of insect development by insulin-like peptides.	in metazoans, members of the insulin-like peptide (ilp) family play a role in multiple physiological functions in response to the nutritional status. ilps have been identified and characterized in a wide variety of insect species. insect ilps that are mainly produced by several pairs of medial neurosecretory cells in the brain circulate in the hemolymph and act systemically on target tissues. physiological and biochemical studies in lepidoptera and genetic studies in the fruit fly have greatly e ...	26664828
molecular determinants of differential ligand sensitivities of insect ecdysteroid receptors.	the functional receptor for insect ecdysteroid hormones is a heterodimer consisting of two nuclear hormone receptors, ecdysteroid receptor (ecr) and the retinoid x receptor homologue ultraspiracle (usp). although ecdysone is commonly thought to be a hormone precursor and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e), the physiologically active steroid, little is known about the relative activity of ecdysteroids in various arthropods. as a step toward characterization of potential differential ligand recognition, we ...	10805730
proteome changes in the plasma of papilio xuthus (lepidoptera: papilionidae): effect of parasitization by the endoparasitic wasp pteromalus puparum (hymenoptera: pteromalidae).	although the biochemical dissection of parasitoid-host interactions is becoming well characterized, the molecular knowledge concerning them is minimal. in order to understand the molecular bases of the host immune response to parasitoid attack, we explored the response of papilio xuthus parasitized by the endoparasitic wasp pteromalus puparum using proteomic approach. by examining the differential expression of plasma proteins in the parasitized and unparasitized host pupae by two-dimensional (2 ...	19489110
but2 is a member of the third major group of hat transposons and is involved in horizontal transfer events in the genus drosophila.	the hat superfamily comprises a large and diverse array of dna transposons found in all supergroups of eukaryotes. here we characterized the drosophila buzzatii but2 element and found that it harbors a five-exon gene encoding a 643-aa putatively functional transposase. a phylogeny built with 85 hat transposases yielded, in addition to the two major groups already described, ac and buster, a third one comprising 20 sequences that includes but2, tip100, hat-4_bm, and rp-hat1. this third group is h ...	24459285
cloning and immunoreactivity of the 5-ht 1mac and 5-ht 2mac receptors in the central nervous system of the freshwater prawn macrobrachium rosenbergii.	biogenic amines are implicated in several mental disorders, many of which involve social interactions. simple model systems, such as crustaceans, are often more amenable than vertebrates for studying mechanisms underlying behaviors. although various cellular responses of biogenic amines have been characterized in crustaceans, the mechanisms linking these molecules to behavior remain largely unknown. observed effects of serotonin receptor agonists and antagonists in abdomen posture, escape respon ...	19184976
cloning and sequence analysis of chitin synthase gene fragments of demodex mites.	to our knowledge, few reports on demodex studied at the molecular level are available at present. in this study our group, for the first time, cloned, sequenced and analyzed the chitin synthase (chs) gene fragments of demodex folliculorum, demodex brevis, and demodex canis (three isolates from each species) from xi'an china, by designing specific primers based on the only partial sequence of the chs gene of d. canis from japan, retrieved from genbank. results show that amplification was successf ...	23024043
foreword.		24473796
insights into the venom composition of the ectoparasitoid wasp nasonia vitripennis from bioinformatic and proteomic studies.	with the nasonia vitripennis genome sequences available, we attempted to determine the proteins present in venom by two different approaches. first, we searched for the transcripts of venom proteins by a bioinformatic approach using amino acid sequences of known hymenopteran venom proteins. second, we performed proteomic analyses of crude n. vitripennis venom removed from the venom reservoir, implementing both an off-line two-dimensional liquid chromatography matrix-assisted laser desorption/ io ...	20167014
a mosquito sperm's journey from male ejaculate to egg: mechanisms, molecules, and methods for exploration.	the fate of mosquito sperm in the female reproductive tract has been addressed sporadically and incompletely, resulting in significant gaps in our understanding of sperm-female interactions that ultimately lead to fertilization. as with other diptera, mosquito sperm have a complex journey to their ultimate destination, the egg. after copulation, sperm spend a short time at the site of insemination where they are hyperactivated and quickly congregate near the entrance of the spermathecal ducts. w ...	27147424
big data: the future of biocuration.		18769432
mechanisms and dynamics of orphan gene emergence in insect genomes.	orphan genes are defined as genes that lack detectable similarity to genes in other species and therefore no clear signals of common descent (i.e., homology) can be inferred. orphans are an enigmatic portion of the genome because their origin and function are mostly unknown and they typically make up 10% to 30% of all genes in a genome. several case studies demonstrated that orphans can contribute to lineage-specific adaptation. here, we study orphan genes by comparing 30 arthropod genomes, focu ...	23348040
a visible dominant marker for insect transgenesis.	transgenesis of most insects currently relies on fluorescence markers. here we establish a transformation marker system causing phenotypes visible to the naked eye due to changes in the color of melanin pigments, which are widespread in animals. ubiquitous overexpression of arylalkylamine-n-acetyl transferase in the silkworm, bombyx mori, changes the color of newly hatched first-instar larvae from black to a distinctive light brown color, and can be used as a molecular marker by directly connect ...	23250425
sub-lethal metal stress response of larvae of aedes aegypti.	aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) has adapted to urban environments; the urbanisation process provides suitable habitats for this disease vector subsequently increasing the probability of the transmission of pathogens in high-density environments. urban environments provide metal stressed larval habitats. however, little is known about the physiological cost of metal stress or how this might affect the performance of this mosquito species. this study aims to characterise the sub-lethal physiolo ...	24926118
bacillus thuringiensis cry1a toxins are versatile proteins with multiple modes of action: two distinct pre-pores are involved in toxicity.	cry proteins from bacillus thuringiensis are insecticidal pfts (pore-forming toxins). in the present study, we show that two distinct functional pre-pores of cry1ab are formed after binding of the protoxin or the protease-activated toxin to the cadherin receptor, but before membrane insertion. both pre-pores actively induce pore formation, although with different characteristics, and contribute to the insecticidal activity. we also analysed the oligomerization of the mutant cry1abmod protein. th ...	24456341
clinical, virologic, and epidemiologic characteristics of dengue outbreak, dar es salaam, tanzania, 2014.	we investigated a dengue outbreak in dar es salaam, tanzania, in 2014, that was caused by dengue virus (denv) serotype 2. denv infection was present in 101 (20.9%) of 483 patients. patient age and location of residence were associated with infection. seven (4.0%) of 176 patients were co-infected with malaria and denv.	27088845
an operational framework for insecticide resistance management planning.	arthropod vectors transmit organisms that cause many emerging and reemerging diseases, and their control is reliant mainly on the use of chemical insecticides. only a few classes of insecticides are available for public health use, and the increased spread of insecticide resistance is a major threat to sustainable disease control. the primary strategy for mitigating the detrimental effects of insecticide resistance is the development of an insecticide resistance management plan. however, few exa ...	27089119
seasonality and the effectiveness of mass vaccination.	many infectious diseases have seasonal outbreaks, which may be driven by cyclical environmental conditions (e.g., an annual rainy season) or human behavior (e.g., school calendars or seasonal migration). if a pathogen is only transmissible for a limited period of time each year, then seasonal outbreaks could infect fewer individuals than expected given the pathogen's in-season transmissibility. influenza, with its short serial interval and long season, probably spreads throughout a population un ...	27105983
detection of all four dengue serotypes in aedes aegypti female mosquitoes collected in a rural area in colombia.	the aedes aegypti vector for dengue virus (denv) has been reported in urban and periurban areas. the information about denv circulation in mosquitoes in colombian rural areas is limited, so we aimed to evaluate the presence of denv in ae. aegypti females caught in rural locations of two colombian municipalities, anapoima and la mesa. mosquitoes from 497 rural households in 44 different rural settlements were collected. pools of about 20 ae. aegypti females were processed for denv serotype detect ...	27074252
inner workings: a big role for a microbial parasite.		27095842
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
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
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
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
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
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
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