Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted descending) Filter | PMID Filter |
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| cdna cloning and expression analysis of pattern recognition proteins from the chinese oak silkmoth, antheraea pernyi. | pattern recognition receptors play an important role in insect immune defense. we cloned the β-1,3-glucan recognition protein, lectin-5 and c-type lectin 1 genes of antheraea pernyi and examined the expression profiles of immune-stimulated pupae. after infection with bacillus subtilis, escherichia coli, antheraea pernyi nuclear polyhedrosis virus (apnpv) and saccharomyces cerevisiae, respectively, the pupae showed different gene expression levels in the different tissues examined (midgut, fatbod ... | 2012 | 26466728 |
| open field release of genetically engineered sterile male aedes aegypti in malaysia. | dengue is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease. in the absence of specific drugs or vaccines, control focuses on suppressing the principal mosquito vector, aedes aegypti, yet current methods have not proven adequate to control the disease. new methods are therefore urgently needed, for example genetics-based sterile-male-release methods. however, this requires that lab-reared, modified mosquitoes be able to survive and disperse adequately in the field. | 2012 | 22970102 |
| mosquito species composition and plasmodium vivax infection rates for korean army bases near the demilitarized zone in the republic of korea, 2011. | vivax malaria is a significant military and civilian health threat in northern republic of korea (rok). mosquito collections were performed at two rok army installations, paju near the demilitarized zone (dmz) using black light traps in 2011. the dmz, a 4 km wide border, is the northernmost point of the rok and separates the rok from the democratic people's republic of korea (dprk). anopheles spp. were identified by polymerase chain reaction and screened for plasmodium vivax sporozoites. of 4,35 ... | 2012 | 23243112 |
| random repeated cross sectional study on breeding site characterization of anopheles sinensis larvae in distinct villages of yongcheng city, people's republic of china. | characterizing the breeding site of anopheles sinensis is of major importance for the transition from malaria control to elimination in china. however, little information is available especially regarding the characteristics and influencing factors of breeding sites of an. sinensis in yongcheng city, a representative region of unstable malaria transmission in the huang-huai river region of central china. the aims of this study were to determine the breeding site characteristics of an. sinensis a ... | 2012 | 22444032 |
| nationwide distribution of culex mosquitoes and associated habitat characteristics at residential areas in malaysia. | a standardized larval dipping method was used to determine the infestation rates of culex and other species of mosquitoes in stagnant water at 20 residential areas. this study also examined the associations between culex distribution and various habitat characteristics across all states in malaysia. identification of 7,848 specimens yielded 6 species dominated by culex quinquefasciatus (82.74%), followed by cx. vishui (14.39%), cx. gelidus (2.70%), lutzia fuscanus (0.11%), armigeres subalbatus ( ... | 2012 | 23833895 |
| nationwide surveillance of west nile virus targeting mosquitoes and dead birds from april 2004 through march 2007 in japan. | we conducted nationwide west nile virus (wnv) surveillance targeting mosquitoes and dead birds to reveal whether the virus and its potential vectors are present in japan. a total of 12 766 mosquitoes and 230 dead birds were collected in april 2004-march 2005 (the 2004-2005 period), 10 755 mosquitoes and 267 dead birds in april 2005-march 2006 (the 2005-2006 period), and 8624 mosquitoes and 245 dead birds in april 2006-march 2007 (the 2006-2007 period). the species of most of the mosquitoes colle ... | 2011 | 20163573 |
| global analysis of the transcriptional response of whitefly to tomato yellow leaf curl china virus reveals the relationship of coevolved adaptations. | the begomoviruses are the largest and most economically important group of plant viruses transmitted exclusively by the whitefly bemisia tabaci in a circulative, persistent manner. the circulation of the viruses within the insect vectors involves complex interactions between virus and vector components; however, the molecular mechanisms of these interactions remain largely unknown. here we investigated the transcriptional response of the invasive b. tabaci middle east-asia minor 1 species to tom ... | 2011 | 21270146 |
| filarial worms reduce plasmodium infectivity in mosquitoes. | co-occurrence of malaria and filarial worm parasites has been reported, but little is known about the interaction between filarial worm and malaria parasites with the same anopheles vector. herein, we present data evaluating the interaction between wuchereria bancrofti and anopheles punctulatus in papua new guinea (png). our field studies in png demonstrated that an. punctulatus utilizes the melanization immune response as a natural mechanism of filarial worm resistance against invading w. bancr ... | 2011 | 21347449 |
| autoimmunity-related demyelination in infection by japanese encephalitis virus. | japanese encephalitis (je) virus is the most common cause of epidemic viral encephalitis in the world. the virus mainly infects neuronal cells and causes an inflammatory response after invasion of the parenchyma of the brain. the death of neurons is frequently observed, in which demyelinated axons are commonly seen. the mechanism that accounts for the occurrence of demyelination is ambiguous thus far. with a mouse model, the present study showed that myelin-specific antibodies appeared in sera, ... | 2011 | 21356046 |
| cardiomyopathy syndrome of atlantic salmon (salmo salar l.) is caused by a double-stranded rna virus of the totiviridae family. | cardiomyopathy syndrome (cms) of farmed and wild atlantic salmon (salmo salar l.) is a disease of yet unknown etiology characterized by a necrotizing myocarditis involving the atrium and the spongious part of the heart ventricle. here, we report the identification of a double-stranded rna virus likely belonging to the family totiviridae as the causative agent of the disease. the proposed name of the virus is piscine myocarditis virus (pmcv). on the basis of the rna-dependent rna polymerase (rdrp ... | 2011 | 21411528 |
| seasonal prevalence of mosquitoes, including vectors of brugian filariasis, in southern islands of the republic of korea. | a survey of mosquitoes, including the vector status of brugia malayi filariasis and their relative larval density, was conducted from 2002 to 2005 at several southern remote islands of jeollanam-do (province), gyeongsangnam-do, and jeju-do, korea, where filariasis was previously endemic. overall, a total of 9 species belonging to 7 genera were collected. ochlerotatus togoi (formerly known as aedes togoi), anopheles (hyrcanus) group, and culex pipiens were the predominant species captured at all ... | 2011 | 21461270 |
| continuity and change of japanese encephalitis virus in toyama prefecture, japan. | abstract. to determine the mechanisms of maintenance and evolution of japanese encephalitis virus (jev) in a temperate zone, we attempted to isolate jev from mosquitoes and pigs in toyama prefecture, japan. a total of 87 jevs were isolated from female culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes and pigs during 2005-2009. the prevalence of jev in toyama prefecture was seasonally late in comparison with that of the virus during 1966-1972. furthermore, jevs were isolated after the peak in the number of fema ... | 2011 | 21540378 |
| emergence of genotype i of japanese encephalitis virus as the dominant genotype in asia. | japanese encephalitis virus (jev), a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen, is one of the major causes of viral encephalitis worldwide. previous phylogenetic studies based on the envelope protein indicated that there are four genotypes, and surveillance data suggest that genotype i is gradually replacing genotype iii as the dominant strain. here we report an evolutionary analysis based on 98 full-length genome sequences of jev, including 67 new samples isolated from humans, pigs, mosquitoes, midges. ... | 2011 | 21697481 |
| the abundance and host-seeking behavior of culicine species (diptera: culicidae) and anopheles sinensis in yongcheng city, people's republic of china. | abstract: background: the knowledge of mosquito species diversity and the level of anthropophily exhibited by each species in a region are of great importance to the integrated vector control. culicine species are the primary vectors of japanese encephalitis (je) virus and filariasis in china. anopheles sinensis plays a major role in the maintenance of plasmodium vivax malaria transmission in china. the goal of this study was to compare the abundance and host-seeking behavior of culicine specie ... | 2011 | 22115320 |
| evaluation of larvicidal activity of medicinal plant extracts against three mosquito vectors. | to evaluate the mosquito larvicidal activity of plant extracts. | 2011 | 21771411 |
| the primary role of fibrinogen-related proteins in invertebrates is defense, not coagulation. | in vertebrates, the conversion of fibrinogen into fibrin is an essential process that underlies the establishment of the supporting protein framework required for coagulation. in invertebrates, fibrinogen-domain-containing proteins play a role in the defense response generated against pathogens; however, they do not function in coagulation, suggesting that this role has been recently acquired. molecules containing fibrinogen motifs have been identified in numerous invertebrate organisms, and mos ... | 2010 | 21063081 |
| indoor resting density pattern of mosquito species in fingeswar block of raipur district in chhattisgarh, central india. | anopheline mosquitoes are vectors of human malaria and hence they are of greatest concern. around 40% of the world's population resides in malaria affected areas. malaria affects poor communities and causes enormous economic losses. the deadly disease annually causes clinical illness in 400-600 million people and kills 2-3 millions annually (who 2008). faunistic survey was conducted in fingeswar block in raipur district of chhattisgarh state of india during january 2003 to march 2004 to asses th ... | 2010 | 23129894 |
| armigeres subalbatus (diptera: culicidae) prophenoloxidase iii is required for mosquito cuticle formation: ultrastructural study on dsrna-knockdown mosquitoes. | we previously suggested that armigeres subalbatus (coquillett) prophenoloxidase iii (as-pro-po iii) might be associated with morphogenesis of larvae and pupae. because po and its activation system are present in the insect cuticle, and cuticle formation is a major event during pupal morphogenesis, we used ultrastructural analysis to examine the effects of as-pro-po iii knockdown on the formation of pupal and adult cuticle. inoculation of as-pro-po iii dsrna resulted in the incomplete formation o ... | 2010 | 20695265 |
| hemolytic activity is mediated by the endogenous lectin in the mosquito hemolymph serum. | although cytolysis of invading organisms is an innate form of immunity used by invertebrates, so far the underlying mechanism remains less explored. the pupal hemolymph of the mosquito armigeres subalbatus induces an activity that causes hemolysis of human red blood cells (hrbc). this hemolytic activity was inhibited by sialic acid (n-acetylneuraminic acid) and serine protease inhibitors. we purified the sialic acid-specific lectin(s) from the pupal hemolymph using formaldehyde-fixed hrbc and de ... | 2010 | 20193690 |
| the drosophila prr gnbp3 assembles effector complexes involved in antifungal defenses independently of its toll-pathway activation function. | the drosophila toll-signaling pathway controls the systemic antifungal host response. gram-negative binding protein 3 (gnbp3), a member of the beta-glucan recognition protein family senses fungal infections and activates this pathway. a second detection system perceives the activity of proteolytic fungal virulence factors and redundantly activates toll. gnbp3(hades) mutant flies succumb more rapidly to candida albicans and to entomopathogenic fungal infections than wt flies, despite normal trigg ... | 2010 | 20201042 |
| transgenesis and paratransgenesis to control insect-borne diseases: current status and future challenges. | insect-borne diseases cause significant human morbidity and mortality. current control and preventive methods against vector-borne diseases rely mainly on insecticides. the emergence of insecticide resistance in many disease vectors highlights the necessity to develop new strategies to control these insects. vector transgenesis and paratransgenesis are novel strategies that aim at reducing insect vectorial capacity, or seek to eliminate transmission of pathogens such as plasmodium sp., trypanoso ... | 2010 | 19819346 |
| characterization of expression, activity and role in antibacterial immunity of anopheles gambiae lysozyme c-1. | there are eight lysozyme genes in the anopheles gambiae genome. transcripts of one of these genes, lysc-1, increased in anopheles gambiae cell line 4a3b by 24 h after exposure to heat-killed micrococcus luteus. lysozyme activity was also identified in conditioned media from the cell line from which the protein was purified to homogeneity using ion exchange and gel filtration. mass spectrometric analysis of the purified protein showed 100% identity to lysozyme c-1. purified lysozyme c-1 was teste ... | 2010 | 19932188 |
| differential transcriptomic responses of biomphalaria glabrata (gastropoda, mollusca) to bacteria and metazoan parasites, schistosoma mansoni and echinostoma paraensei (digenea, platyhelminthes). | a 70-mer-oligonucleotide-based microarray (1152 features) that emphasizes stress and immune responses factors was constructed to study transcriptomic responses of the snail biomphalaria glabrata to different immune challenges. in addition to sequences with relevant putative id and gene ontology (go) annotation, the array features non-immune factors and unknown b. glabrata ests for functional gene discovery. the transcription profiles of b. glabrata (3 biological replicates, each a pool of 5 snai ... | 2010 | 19962194 |
| identification of protein components of egg masses indicates parental investment in immunoprotection of offspring by biomphalaria glabrata (gastropoda, mollusca). | the macromolecules contributed by the freshwater gastropod biomphalaria glabrata, intermediate host of schistosoma mansoni, to developing offspring inside egg masses are poorly known. sds-page fractionated egg mass fluids (emf) of m line and bb02 b. glabrata were analyzed by maldi-tof (ms and tandem ms). a mascot database was assembled with est data from b. glabrata and other molluscs to aid in sequence characterization. of approximately 20 major emf polypeptides, 16 were identified as defense-r ... | 2010 | 19995576 |
| differential transcript expression between the microfilariae of the filarial nematodes, brugia malayi and b. pahangi. | brugia malayi and b. pahangi are two closely related nematodes that cause filariasis in humans and animals. however, b. pahangi microfilariae are able to develop in and be transmitted by the mosquito, armigeres subalbatus, whereas most b. malayi are rapidly melanized and destroyed within the mosquito hemocoel. a cross-species microarray analysis employing the b. malayi v2 array was carried out to determine the transcriptional differences between b. malayi and b. pahangi microfilariae with simila ... | 2010 | 20370932 |
| cytokine-induced tumor suppressors: a grim story. | cytokines belonging to the ifn family are potent growth suppressors. in a number of clinical and preclinical studies, vitamin a and its derivatives like retinoic acid (ra) have been shown to exert synergistic growth-suppressive effects on several tumor cells. we have employed a genome-wide expression-knockout approach to identify the genes critical for ifn/ra-induced growth suppression. a number of novel genes associated with retinoid-interferon-induced mortality (grim) were isolated. in this re ... | 2010 | 20382543 |
| mosquito transcriptome profiles and filarial worm susceptibility in armigeres subalbatus. | armigeres subalbatus is a natural vector of the filarial worm brugia pahangi, but it kills brugia malayi microfilariae by melanotic encapsulation. because b. malayi and b. pahangi are morphologically and biologically similar, comparing ar. subalbatus-b. pahangi susceptibility and ar. subalbatus-b. malayi refractoriness could provide significant insight into recognition mechanisms required to mount an effective anti-filarial worm immune response in the mosquito, as well as provide considerable de ... | 2010 | 20421927 |
| alteration of microbial communities colonizing leaf litter in a temperate woodland stream by growth of trees under conditions of elevated atmospheric co2. | elevated atmospheric co(2) can cause increased carbon fixation and altered foliar chemical composition in a variety of plants, which has the potential to impact forested headwater streams because they are detritus-based ecosystems that rely on leaf litter as their primary source of organic carbon. fungi and bacteria play key roles in the entry of terrestrial carbon into aquatic food webs, as they decompose leaf litter and serve as a source of nutrition for invertebrate consumers. this study test ... | 2010 | 20543045 |
| isolation and full-length sequence analysis of armigeres subalbatus totivirus, the first totivirus isolate from mosquitoes representing a proposed novel genus (artivirus) of the family totiviridae. | during an investigation of arboviruses in china, a novel dsrna virus was isolated from adult female armigeres subalbatus. full genome sequence analysis showed the virus to be related to members of the family totiviridae, and was therefore named 'armigeres subalbatus totivirus' (astv). transmission electron microscopy identified icosahedral, non-enveloped virus particles with a mean diameter of 40 nm. the astv genome is 7510 bp in length, with two orfs. orf1 (4443 nt) encodes the coat-protein and ... | 2010 | 20702653 |
| upregulation of a novel eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5a (eif5a) in dengue 2 virus-infected mosquito cells. | dengue virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is the etiological agent of dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and dengue shock syndrome. it generally induces apoptosis in mammalian cells, but frequently results in persistent infection in mosquito cells. that mechanism remains to be explored. in turn, a genomic survey through subtractive hybridization (pcr-select cdna subtraction) was conducted in order to find gene(s) that may play a role in interactions between the virus and its host cells. | 2010 | 20819232 |
| zoonotic brugia pahangi filariasis in a suburbia of kuala lumpur city, malaysia. | five local malaysian patients with clinical manifestations consistent with lymphatic filariasis were referred to our medical centre between 2003 and 2006. although no microfilariae (mf) were detected in their nocturnal blood samples, all were diagnosed to have lymphatic filariasis on the basis of clinical findings and positive serology results. pcr on their blood samples revealed that two of the patients were infected with brugia pahangi, an animal filarial worm hitherto not known to cause human ... | 2010 | 20951228 |
| serological investigations of flavivirus prevalence in khammouane province, lao people's democratic republic, 2007-2008. | a large-scale cross-sectional seroprevalence study of dengue (den) and japanese encephalitis (je) was conducted in khammouane province, lao pdr, as part of the initial baseline health impact assessment of the nam theun 2 hydroelectric dam construction project. health surveys were performed between may 2007 and february 2008 with serum samples collected from healthy individuals involved in the resettlement program of 16 villages (total surveyed population 4,369). hemagglutination inhibition assay ... | 2010 | 21036856 |
| discovery of plasmodium modulators by genome-wide analysis of circulating hemocytes in anopheles gambiae. | insect hemocytes mediate important cellular immune responses including phagocytosis and encapsulation and also secrete immune factors such as opsonins, melanization factors, and antimicrobial peptides. however, the molecular composition of these important immune cells has not been elucidated in depth, because of their scarcity in the circulating hemolymph, their adhesion to multiple tissues and the lack of primary culture methods to produce sufficient material for a genome-wide analysis. in this ... | 2009 | 19940242 |
| mosquito infection responses to developing filarial worms. | human lymphatic filariasis is a mosquito-vectored disease caused by the nematode parasites wuchereria bancrofti, brugia malayi and brugia timori. these are relatively large roundworms that can cause considerable damage in compatible mosquito vectors. in order to assess how mosquitoes respond to infection in compatible mosquito-filarial worm associations, microarray analysis was used to evaluate transcriptome changes in aedes aegypti at various times during b. malayi development. changes in trans ... | 2009 | 19823571 |
| ecological study of avian malaria vectors on the island of minami-daito, japan. | the seasonal prevalence and spatial distribution of mosquitoes were examined as part of an avian malaria study on the oceanic island of minami-daito island, japan. because dry ice was not available in this study, yeast-generated co2 was used to attract biting mosquitoes. adult mosquitoes were collected biweekly using battery-operated traps enhanced with yeast-generated co2 and a gravid trap from march 2006 to february 2007. the co2-baited traps were distributed in 4 different habitats: sugar can ... | 2009 | 19852217 |
| persistent wolbachia and cultivable bacteria infection in the reproductive and somatic tissues of the mosquito vector aedes albopictus. | commensal and symbiotic microbes have a considerable impact on the behavior of many arthropod hosts, including hematophagous species that transmit pathogens causing infectious diseases to human and animals. little is known about the bacteria associated with mosquitoes other than the vectorized pathogens. this study investigated wolbachia and cultivable bacteria that persist through generations in ae. albopictus organs known to host transmitted arboviruses, such as dengue and chikungunya. | 2009 | 19633721 |
| [the first report of kadipiro virus isolation in china]. | 5 strains of virus isolated from culex tritaeniorhynchus, anopheles sinensis and armigeres subalbatus, which caused cytopathic effect in c6/36 cells, had been obtained in the survey of arboviruses in northwestern yunnan province. china. the virus particles displayed 70 nanometers diameter (n=7) with no envelope but spikes on the surfaces. rna-page of the genomes of the isolates showed 6-5-1 profile. a fragment of the 12th segment sequence was amplified by a pair of specific primers for kadipiro ... | 2009 | 19634758 |
| insecticidal activities of leaf essential oils from cinnamomum osmophloeum against three mosquito species. | the larvicidal activities of leaf essential oils and their constituents from six chemotypes of indigenous cinnamon (cinnamomum osmophloeum kaneh.) trees were evaluated against three mosquito species. results of larvicidal tests demonstrated that the leaf essential oils of cinnamaldehyde type and cinnamaldehyde/cinnamyl acetate type had an excellent inhibitory effect against aedes albopictus larvae, and their lc(50) values in 24h were 40.8 microg/ml (lc(90)=81.7 microg/ml) and 46.5 microg/ml (lc( ... | 2009 | 18396039 |
| armigeres subalbatus prophenoloxidase iii: cloning, characterization and potential role in morphogenesis. | it has long been suggested that phenoloxidases (pos) play key roles in various physiological functions in insects, e.g., cuticular sclerotization, wound healing, egg tanning and melanotic encapsulation of pathogens. here we report that a mosquito po, designated armigeres subalbatus prophenoloxidase iii (as-pro-po iii), is likely involved in the morphogenesis in mosquito. expression profile analysis found that as-pro-po iii mrna is persistently expressed in adult mosquitoes and is not significant ... | 2009 | 19013240 |
| transgenesis approaches for functional analysis of peptidergic cells in the silkworm bombyx mori. | the domestic silkworm, bombyx mori represents an insect model of great scientific and economic importance. besides the establishment of a stable germline transformation using the piggybac vector, technically feasible methods for in vivo gene delivery and transient gene expression were developed using viral based vectors, especially sindbis viruses and baculoviruses. the recombinant baculovirus, autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (acmnpv), commonly used for large-scale protein p ... | 2009 | 19111552 |
| distribution of arboviruses and mosquitoes in northwestern yunnan province, china. | from july to september in 2005 and 2006, a survey was conducted to identify mosquito species and mosquito-borne arboviruses at elevations ranging from 900-3280 m between 24 degrees 00' n and 29 degrees 00' n latitude in the northwestern part of yunnan province, china. a total of 54,879 mosquitoes representing 15 species and 4 genera was collected using uv light traps at 59 sites. culex tritaeniorhynchus and anopheles sinensis were the most abundant species. the density of mosquitoes as well as t ... | 2009 | 19196130 |
| molecular evolution of immune genes in the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae. | background: as pathogens that circumvent the host immune response are favoured by selection, so are host alleles that reduce parasite load. such evolutionary processes leave their signature on the genes involved. deciphering modes of selection operating on immune genes might reveal the nature of host-pathogen interactions and factors that govern susceptibility in host populations. such understanding would have important public health implications. methodology/findings: we analyzed polymorphisms ... | 2009 | 19234606 |
| loop-mediated isothermal amplification applied to filarial parasites detection in the mosquito vectors: dirofilaria immitis as a study model. | abstract: | 2009 | 19284882 |
| the salivary transcriptome of anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae) larvae: a microarray-based analysis. | in spite of the many recent developments in the field of vector sialomics, the salivary glands of larval mosquitoes have been largely unexplored. we used whole-transcriptome microarray analysis to create a gene-expression profile of the salivary gland tissue of fourth-instar anopheles gambiae larvae, and compare it to the gene-expression profile of a matching group of whole larvae. we identified a total of 221 probes with expression values that were (a) significantly enriched in the salivary gla ... | 2009 | 19328852 |
| genome-wide transcriptomic profiling of anopheles gambiae hemocytes reveals pathogen-specific signatures upon bacterial challenge and plasmodium berghei infection. | the mosquito anopheles gambiae is a major vector of human malaria. increasing evidence indicates that blood cells (hemocytes) comprise an essential arm of the mosquito innate immune response against both bacteria and malaria parasites. to further characterize the role of hemocytes in mosquito immunity, we undertook the first genome-wide transcriptomic analyses of adult female an. gambiae hemocytes following infection by two species of bacteria and a malaria parasite. | 2009 | 19500340 |
| phylogenetic analysis and temporal diversification of mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) based on nuclear genes and morphology. | phylogenetic analyses provide a framework for examining the evolution of morphological and molecular diversity, interpreting patterns in biogeography, and achieving a stable classification. the generic and suprageneric relationships within mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) are poorly resolved, making these subjects difficult to address. | 2009 | 20028549 |
| differential expression of aedes aegypti salivary transcriptome upon blood feeding. | saliva of aedes aegypti contains a complex array of proteins essential for both blood feeding and pathogen transmission. a large numbers of those proteins are classified as unknown in regard to their function(s). understanding the dynamic interactions at the mosquito-host interface can be achieved in part by characterizing mosquito salivary gland gene expression relative to blood feeding. towards this end, we developed an oligonucleotide microarray representing 463 transcripts to determine diffe ... | 2009 | 19630962 |
| transcription in mosquito hemocytes in response to pathogen exposure. | mosquito hemocytes are blood cells that are fundamental for combating systemic infection. a study published in bmc genomics shows that hemocyte gene transcription in response to immune challenge is pathogen-specific and reaffirms the primary role of these cells in immunity. | 2009 | 19519953 |
| molecular and functional analyses of amino acid decarboxylases involved in cuticle tanning in tribolium castaneum. | aspartate 1-decarboxylase (adc) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase (ddc) provide beta-alanine and dopamine used in insect cuticle tanning. beta-alanine is conjugated with dopamine to yield n-beta-alanyldopamine (nbad), a substrate for the phenol oxidase laccase that catalyzes the synthesis of cuticle protein cross-linking agents and pigment precursors. we identified adc and ddc genes in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum (tc), and investigated their functions. tcadc mrna was mos ... | 2009 | 19366687 |
| evolution and potential function of fibrinogen-like domains across twelve drosophila species. | the fibrinogen-like (fbg) domain consists of approximately 200 amino acid residues, which has high sequence similarity to the c-terminal halves of fibrinogen beta and gamma chains. fibrinogen-related proteins (freps) containing one or more fbg domains are found universally in vertebrates and invertebrates. in invertebrates, freps are involved in immune responses and other aspects of physiology. to understand the complexity of this gene family in drosophila, we analyzed freps in twelve drosophila ... | 2008 | 18513432 |
| grim-19: a double-edged sword that regulates anti-tumor and innate immune responses. | gene associated with retinoid-interferon-β-induced mortality (grim)-19, was originally identified as a critical regulatory protein necessary for interferon-β-retinoic acid-induced cell death. overexpression of grim-19 activates cell death and its suppression or inactivation promotes cell growth. grim-19 targets multiple proteins/pathways for exerting growth control and cell death. however, grim-19 is also required for normal cellular processes. in addition, viruses 'hijack' grim-19 for their sur ... | 2008 | 21566745 |
| a transgenic sensor strain for monitoring the rnai pathway in the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti. | the rna interference pathway functions as an antiviral defense in invertebrates. in order to generate a phenotypic marker which "senses" the status of the rnai pathway in aedes aegypti, transgenic strains were developed to express egfp and dsred marker genes in the eye, as well as double-stranded rna homologous to a portion of the egfp gene. transgenic "sensor" mosquitoes exhibited robust eye-specific dsred expression with little egfp, indicating rnai-based silencing. cloning and high-throughput ... | 2008 | 18549956 |
| susceptibility of various mosquitoes of thailand to nocturnal subperiodic wuchereria bancrofti. | ten different mosquito species representing five genera were allowed to feed on human blood containing microfilariae (5.5-6.5 mf/microl) of nocturnal subperiodic wuchereria bancrofti from kanchanaburi province, thailand. aedes aegypti, aedes albopictus, aedes desmotes, downsiomyia species (=finlaya niveus group), culex quinquefasciatus, anopheles dirus a, an. maculatus, an. minimus, armigeres subalbatus, and mansonia uniformis were fed under laboratory conditions using an artificial membrane fee ... | 2008 | 19263851 |
| a recent survey of mosquito fauna in guangdong province,southern china, with a review of past records [corrected]. | the southern province of guangdong has long been subject to endemic mosquito-borne diseases. in recent years, this region of china has experienced rapid, extensive economic development involving environmental change, making much of the scant knowledge of its mosquito fauna obsolete. this paper reviews previous mosquito surveys, some of which may be too old to be of relevance to present-day conditions, and presents the results of a recent survey of adult and immature mosquitoes. the main vectors ... | 2008 | 19120964 |
| fibrinogen-bearing protein genes in the snail biomphalaria glabrata: characterization of two novel genes and expression studies during ontogenesis and trematode infection. | all fibrinogen (fbg)-bearing proteins documented to date in the freshwater snail biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediate host of the human blood fluke schistosoma mansoni, possess the same molecular structure; one or two immunoglobin superfamily (igsf) domains at the n-terminus and a fbg domain at the c-terminus (named as fbg-related protein (frep)). here we report two novel genes that encode fbg-bearing proteins from b. glabrata. different from all known freps, the first gene encodes a protein ... | 2008 | 18417215 |
| conserved mosquito/parasite interactions affect development of plasmodium falciparum in africa. | in much of sub-saharan africa, the mosquito anopheles gambiae is the main vector of the major human malaria parasite, plasmodium falciparum. convenient laboratory studies have identified mosquito genes that affect positively or negatively the developmental cycle of the model rodent parasite, p. berghei. here, we use transcription profiling and reverse genetics to explore whether five disparate mosquito gene regulators of p. berghei development are also pertinent to a. gambiae/p. falciparum inter ... | 2008 | 18483558 |
| nature limits filarial transmission. | abstract: lymphatic filariasis, caused by wuchereria bancrofti, brugia malayi and b. timori is a public health problem of considerable magnitude of the tropics and subtropics. presently 1.3 billion people are at risk of lymphatic filariasis (lf) infection and about 120 million people are affected in 83 countries. in this context it is worth mentioning that 'nature' itself limits filarial transmission to a great extent in a number of ways such as by reducing vector populations, parasitic load and ... | 2008 | 18500974 |
| silencing the genes for dopa decarboxylase or dopachrome conversion enzyme reduces melanization of foreign targets in anopheles gambiae. | the production of melanin is a complex biochemical process in which several enzymes may play a role. although phenoloxidase and serine proteases are clearly key components, the activity of other enzymes, including dopa decarboxylase and dopachrome conversion enzyme may also be required. we tested the effect of knockdown of gene expression for these two enzymes on melanization of abiotic targets in the mosquito, anopheles gambiae. knockdown of dopa decarboxylase and dopachrome conversion enzyme r ... | 2008 | 18534885 |
| the resting sites and blood-meal sources of anopheles minimus in taiwan. | the who declared taiwan free from malaria in 1965, but in 2003 the reporting of two introduced cases in a rural area suggested a possible local transmission of this disease. therefore, understanding the resting sites and the blood sources of anopheles minimus is crucial in order to provide information for implementing vector control strategies. | 2008 | 18538036 |
| evaluation of the function of a type i peritrophic matrix as a physical barrier for midgut epithelium invasion by mosquito-borne pathogens in aedes aegypti. | in addition to modulating blood meal digestion and protecting the midgut epithelial cells from mechanical and chemical damage, a biological function attributed to the mosquito type i peritrophic matrix (pm) is preventing or reducing pathogen invasion, especially from plasmodium spp. previously, we demonstrated that chitin is an essential component of the pm and is synthesized de novo in response to blood feeding in aedes aegypti. therefore, knocking down chitin synthase expression by rna interfe ... | 2008 | 18627241 |
| biocontrol of larval mosquitoes by acilius sulcatus (coleoptera: dytiscidae). | problems associated with resistant mosquitoes and the effects on non-target species by chemicals, evoke a reason to find alternative methods to control mosquitoes, like the use of natural predators. in this regard, aquatic coleopterans have been explored less compared to other insect predators. in the present study, an evaluation of the role of the larvae of acilius sulcatus linnaeus 1758 (coleoptera: dytiscidae) as predator of mosquito immatures was made in the laboratory. its efficacy under fi ... | 2008 | 18922168 |
| innate immunity in insects: surface-associated dopa decarboxylase-dependent pathways regulate phagocytosis, nodulation and melanization in medfly haemocytes. | phagocytosis, melanization and nodulation in insects depend on phenoloxidase (po) activity. in this report, we demonstrated that these three processes appear to be also dependent on dopa decarboxylase (ddc) activity. using flow cytometry, rna interference, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence, we demonstrated the constitutive expression of ddc and its strong association with the haemocyte surface, in the medfly ceratitis capitata. in addition, we showed that escherichia coli phagocytosis i ... | 2008 | 17983437 |
| annotation and expression profiling of apoptosis-related genes in the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti. | apoptosis has been extensively studied in drosophila by both biochemical and genetic approaches, but there is a lack of knowledge about the mechanisms of apoptosis regulation in other insects. in mosquitoes, apoptosis occurs during plasmodium and arbovirus infection in the midgut, suggesting that apoptosis plays a role in mosquito innate immunity. we searched the aedes aegypti genome for apoptosis-related genes using drosophila and anopheles gambiae protein sequences as queries. in this study we ... | 2008 | 18252247 |
| gene expression studies in mosquitoes. | research on gene expression in mosquitoes is motivated by both basic and applied interests. studies of genes involved in hematophagy, reproduction, olfaction, and immune responses reveal an exquisite confluence of biological adaptations that result in these highly-successful life forms. the requirement of female mosquitoes for a bloodmeal for propagation has been exploited by a wide diversity of viral, protozoan and metazoan pathogens as part of their life cycles. identifying genes involved in h ... | 2008 | 19161831 |
| infection and vertical transmission of kamiti river virus in laboratory bred aedes aegypti mosquitoes. | kamiti river virus (krv) is an insect-only flavivirus that was isolated from field-collected ae. macintoshi mosquitoes in 1999, and is closely related to cell fusing agent virus. both of these viruses belong to the family flaviviridae, which also contains other viruses of medical importance, such as yellow fever virus, west nile virus and dengue. because ae. macintoshi is the only known natural host to krv, the main objective of this study was to establish the possibility that other mosquito hos ... | 2007 | 20337552 |
| effectiveness of zanthoxylum piperitum-derived essential oil as an alternative repellent under laboratory and field applications. | recently, there were considerable efforts made to promote the use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable natural insecticides and repellents, particularly from botanical sources. in this study, zanthoxylum piperitum-derived essential oil isolated by steam distillation was investigated and compared to the standard synthetic repellent, n,n-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet), for repellency against mosquitoes under laboratory and field conditions. the oil of z. piperitum alone and also with 5% ... | 2007 | 16896651 |
| [investigation of mosquito abundance and composition around the rare birds national nature reserve of yancheng, jiangsu province]. | to investigate the mosquito abundance and their relative species composition within and outside the rare birds national nature reserve of yancheng, jiangsu province. | 2007 | 18038802 |
| continuous exposure to plasmodium results in decreased susceptibility and transcriptomic divergence of the anopheles gambiae immune system. | plasmodium infection has been shown to compromise the fitness of the mosquito vector, reducing its fecundity and longevity. however, from an evolutionary perspective, the impact of plasmodium infection as a selective pressure on the mosquito is largely unknown. | 2007 | 18053261 |
| construction and characterization of an expressed sequenced tag library for the mosquito vector armigeres subalbatus. | the mosquito, armigeres subalbatus, mounts a distinctively robust innate immune response when infected with the nematode brugia malayi, a causative agent of lymphatic filariasis. in order to mine the transcriptome for new insight into the cascade of events that takes place in response to infection in this mosquito, 6 cdna libraries were generated from tissues of adult female mosquitoes subjected to immune-response activation treatments that lead to well-characterized responses, and from aging, n ... | 2007 | 18088419 |
| mosquito transcriptome changes and filarial worm resistance in armigeres subalbatus. | armigeres subalbatus is a natural vector of the filarial worm brugia pahangi, but it rapidly and proficiently kills brugia malayi microfilariae by melanotic encapsulation. because b. malayi and b. pahangi are morphologically and biologically similar, the armigeres-brugia system serves as a valuable model for studying the resistance mechanisms in mosquito vectors. we have initiated transcriptome profiling studies in ar. subalbatus to identify molecular components involved in b. malayi refractorin ... | 2007 | 18088420 |
| structural insights into the innate immune recognition specificities of l- and h-ficolins. | innate immunity relies critically upon the ability of a few pattern recognition molecules to sense molecular markers on pathogens, but little is known about these interactions at the atomic level. human l- and h-ficolins are soluble oligomeric defence proteins with lectin-like activity, assembled from collagen fibers prolonged by fibrinogen-like recognition domains. the x-ray structures of their trimeric recognition domains, alone and in complex with various ligands, have been solved to resoluti ... | 2007 | 17215869 |
| efficiency of salivary gland invasion by malaria sporozoites is controlled by rapid sporozoite destruction in the mosquito haemocoel. | for successful transmission to the vertebrate host, malaria sporozoites must migrate from the mosquito midgut to the salivary glands. here, using purified sporozoites inoculated into the mosquito haemocoel, we show that salivary gland invasion is inefficient and that sporozoites have a narrow window of opportunity for salivary gland invasion. only 19% of sporozoites invade the salivary glands, all invasion occurs within 8h at a rate of approximately 200 sporozoites per hour, and sporozoites that ... | 2007 | 17275826 |
| replication of flock house virus in three genera of medically important insects. | flock house virus (family nodaviridae, genus alphanodavirus, fhv) was originally isolated from grass grubs costelytra zealandica (white) (coleoptera: scarabaeidae) in new zealand and belongs to a family of divided genome, plus-sense rna insect viruses. fhv replicates in insects, a nematode, plants, and yeast. we previously reported replication of fhv in four genera of mosquitoes and expression of green fluorescent protein in aedes aegypti (l.) produced by an fhv-based vector. we report here that ... | 2007 | 17294927 |
| response of armigeres subalbatus (diptera: culicidae) to intraperitoneally isolated brugia spp. microfilariae. | the relationship between mosquito and parasite involves a delicate balance that is influenced not only by the mosquito but also by parasite determinants. using the biologically and morphologically similar parasites brugia malayi and brugia pahangi and the mosquito armigeres subalbatus (coquillett) (diptera: culicidae), it should be possible to dissect out the key elements involved in initiating or avoiding an immune response, known as melanotic encapsulation, because in this mosquito b. malayi m ... | 2007 | 17427699 |
| molecular survey of dirofilaria immitis and dirofilaria repens by direct pcr for wild caught mosquitoes in the republic of korea. | adult mosquito collections using new jersey light traps and black-hole light traps were conducted to determine the potential vectors and the relative mosquito infection rates of dirofilaria immitis and dirofilaria repens in gyeonggi and gangwon provinces, republic of korea, 2005. dirofilaria spp. were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) using species-specific primers for d. immitis and d. repens. minimum field infection rates (mfir) [mfir = (number infected pools/total number of mosquit ... | 2007 | 17644255 |
| broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of the reactive compounds generated in vitro by manduca sexta phenoloxidase. | although quinone production and melanin formation are widely recognized as an integral part of the insect defense system, experimental evidence is lacking that the proteolytic activation of prophenoloxidase participates in the direct killing of invading microbes-active phenoloxidase generates quinones that polymerize to form melanin. here, we report the antimicrobial effect of reactive intermediates produced in phenoloxidase-catalyzed reactions. after being treated with manduca sexta phenoloxida ... | 2007 | 17681234 |
| comparative genomic analysis of the tribolium immune system. | tribolium castaneum is a species of coleoptera, the largest and most diverse order of all eukaryotes. components of the innate immune system are hardly known in this insect, which is in a key phylogenetic position to inform us about genetic innovations accompanying the evolution of holometabolous insects. we have annotated immunity-related genes and compared them with homologous molecules from other species. | 2007 | 17727709 |
| characterization of immune genes from the schistosome host snail biomphalaria glabrata that encode peptidoglycan recognition proteins and gram-negative bacteria binding protein. | peptidoglycan (pgn) recognition proteins (pgrps) and gram-negative bacteria binding proteins (gnbps) play an essential role in toll/imd signaling pathways in arthropods. the existence of homologous pathways involving pgrps and gnbps in other major invertebrate phyla such as the mollusca remains unclear. in this paper, we report four full-length pgrp cdnas and one full-length gnbp cdna cloned from the snail biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediate host of the human blood fluke schistosoma mansoni, ... | 2007 | 17805526 |
| evolution and horizontal transfer of a dd37e dna transposon in mosquitoes. | itmd37e, a unique class ii transposable element (te) with an ancient origin, appears to have been involved in multiple horizontal transfers in mosquitoes as itmd37e sequences from 10 mosquito species of five genera share high nucleotide (nt) identities. for example, itmd37e sequences from aedes aegypti and anopheles gambiae, which have an estimated common ancestor of 145-200 million years ago, display 92% nt identity. the comparison of itmd37e and host mosquito phylogenies shows a lack of congru ... | 2007 | 17947403 |
| recombination-ready sindbis replicon expression vectors for transgene expression. | sindbis viruses have been widely used as tools to study gene function in cells. despite the utility of these systems, the construction and production of alphavirus replicons is time consuming and inefficient due to potential additional restriction sites within the insert region and lack of directionality for insert ligation. in this report, we present a system useful for producing recombinant sindbis replicons that uses lambda phage recombination technology to rapidly and specifically construct ... | 2007 | 17963504 |
| characterization of tyrosine hydroxylase from manduca sexta. | in insects, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (dopa) is required for tanning of newly formed cuticle and the production of melanin during some types of immune responses. dopa is produced by the hydroxylation of tyrosine, and this reaction can be catalyzed by two types of enzymes: tyrosine hydroxylase (th) and phenoloxidase (po). th is required for cuticle tanning in drosophila melanogaster and for cuticle pigmentation in other insect species, but additional functions of th have been uncertain. in contr ... | 2007 | 17967351 |
| diapause-specific gene expression in the northern house mosquito, culex pipiens l., identified by suppressive subtractive hybridization. | in this study we probe the molecular events underpinning diapause observed in overwintering females of culex pipiens. using suppressive subtractive hybridization (ssh) we have identified 40 genes that are either upregulated or downregulated during this seasonal period of dormancy. northern blot hybridizations have confirmed the expression of 32 of our ssh clones, including six genes that are upregulated specifically in early diapause, 17 that are upregulated in late diapause, and two upregulated ... | 2007 | 17098250 |
| high antibody prevalence in an unconventional ecosystem is related to circulation of a low-virulent strain of japanese encephalitis virus. | liu-chiu islet, a relatively isolated ecosystem that is free of rice cultivation, has long considered free of japanese encephalitis (je). however, a new strain (t1p1) of je virus was isolated from the mosquito, armigeres subalbatus, and a rather broad distribution of neutralizing antibody has been reported on the islet, suggesting that the circulating virus could be an attenuated strain. in an assessment on 219 blood samples obtained from residents of liu-chiu islet, the positive rate of jev-spe ... | 2007 | 17113688 |
| penetration of the mosquito midgut is not required for brugia pahangi microfilariae to avoid the melanotic encapsulation response of armigeres subalbatus. | insect vectors of disease have the capacity to respond to, and prevent further development of, parasites and pathogens using a response known as melanotic encapsulation. the naturally-occurring armigeres subalbatus-brugia spp. system provides an excellent way to investigate melanotic encapsulation and immune recognition in a mosquito host, because brugia malayi microfilariae (mf) acquired via a blood meal are rapidly melanized in the body cavity of ar. subalbatus, but brugia pahangi mf evade or ... | 2007 | 17116367 |
| the juan non-ltr retrotransposon in mosquitoes: genomic impact, vertical transmission and indications of recent and widespread activity. | in contrast to dna-mediated transposable elements (tes), retrotransposons, particularly non-long terminal repeat retrotransposons (non-ltrs), are generally considered to have a much lower propensity towards horizontal transfer. detailed studies on site-specific non-ltr families have demonstrated strict vertical transmission. more studies are needed with non-site-specific non-ltr families to determine whether strict vertical transmission is a phenomenon related to site specificity or a more gener ... | 2007 | 17620143 |
| comparison of the morphology of oocysts and the phylogenetic analysis of four ascogregarina species (eugregarinidae: lecudinidae) as inferred from small subunit ribosomal dna sequences. | this study on the ultrastructure of the oocysts of four isolated species of ascogregarina (a. taiwanensis (lien and levine) (eugregarinidae: lecudinidae) from aedes albopictus (skuse), a. culicis (ross) (eugregarinidae: lecudinidae) from aedes aegypti (l.), a. armigerei (eugregarinidae: lecudinidae) from armigeres subalbatus (coquillet), and ascogregarina sp. (eugregarinidae: lecudinidae) from ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus (theobald)) using a scanning electron microscope revealed significant ... | 2007 | 17291827 |
| predatory efficiency of the sewage drain inhabiting larvae of toxorhynchites splendens wiedemann on culex quinquefasciatus say and armigeres subalbatus (coquillett) larvae. | the rate of predation by stage iv instar toxorhynchites splendens larvae on the equivalent instar stage larvae of culex quinquefasciatus and armigeres subalbatus, co-occurring in sewage drains, were noted for a period of three consecutive days in the laboratory using different prey densities and combinations. the rate of predation varied by age of the predator, density of prey, and prey type. the number of ar. subalbatus larvae consumed by a single tx. splendens larva ranged between 0.50 +/- 0.7 ... | 2007 | 18041295 |
| development of lymphatic filarial parasite wuchereria bancrofti (spirurida: onchocercidae) in mosquito species (diptera: culicidae) fed artificially on microfilaremic blood. | the efficiency of laboratory colonies of mosquitoes such as anopheles stephensi liston, aedes aegypti (l.) liverpool strain, ae. aegypti wild type, aedes albopictus (skuse), culex tritaeniorhynchus giles, culex sitiens wiedemann, and armigeres subalbatus coquillett in supporting the development of wuchereria bancrofti (cobbold) (spirurida: onchocercidae) microfilariae to infective larvae was investigated. the mosquitoes were fed on heparinized microfilaremic human blood by using a membrane-feedi ... | 2006 | 17162957 |
| gene expression profiling of spodoptera frugiperda hemocytes and fat body using cdna microarray reveals polydnavirus-associated variations in lepidopteran host genes transcript levels. | genomic approaches provide unique opportunities to study interactions of insects with their pathogens. we developed a cdna microarray to analyze the gene transcription profile of the lepidopteran pest spodoptera frugiperda in response to injection of the polydnavirus hdiv associated with the ichneumonid wasp hyposoter didymator. polydnaviruses are associated with parasitic ichneumonoid wasps and are required for their development within the lepidopteran host, in which they act as potent immunosu ... | 2006 | 16790040 |
| beta 1, 3-glucan recognition protein from the mosquito, armigeres subalbatus, is involved in the recognition of distinct types of bacteria in innate immune responses. | the activation of an immune response to invading microorganisms generally requires recognition by pattern recognition receptors. beta 1, 3-glucan recognition proteins (grps) have specific affinity for beta 1, 3-glucan, a component on the surface of fungi and bacteria. in this study, we show that grp from armigeres subalbatus mosquitoes (asgrp) is able to bind different bacterial species, and that this binding varies from species to species and is independent of gram type. asgrp knockdown with do ... | 2006 | 16984413 |
| characterization of hemocytes from the mosquitoes anopheles gambiae and aedes aegypti. | hemocytes are an essential component of the mosquito immune system but current knowledge of the types of hemocytes mosquitoes produce, their relative abundance, and their functions is limited. addressing these issues requires improved methods for collecting and maintaining mosquito hemocytes in vitro, and comparative data that address whether important vector species produce similar or different hemocyte types. toward this end, we conducted a comparative study with anopheles gambiae and aedes ae ... | 2006 | 17098164 |
| parallel infection of japanese encephalitis virus and wolbachia within cells of mosquito salivary glands. | the endosymbiont wolbachia usually causes cytoplasmic incompatibility in dipteran hosts, including mosquitoes. however, some important arbovirus-transmitting mosquitoes such as aedes aegypti (l.) are not heritably infected by wolbachia. in wolbachia-harboring mosquito armigeres subalbatus coquillett, colocalization of wolbachia and inoculated japanese encephalitis virus (family flaviviridae, genus flavivirus, jev) in salivary gland (sg) cells was shown by electron microscopy. the infection rate ... | 2006 | 16892635 |
| plasma phenoloxidase of the larval tobacco budworm, heliothis virescens, is virucidal. | heliothis virescens larval plasma contains high levels of an antiviral activity against the budded form of the helicoverpa zea single nucleopolyhedrovirus (hzsnpv) in vitro. preliminary results indicated that phenoloxidase is primarily responsible for this virucidal effect. however it is known that other enzymes that generate antimicrobial reactive oxygen intermediates and reactive nitrogen intermediates are present in hemolymph that could contribute to the observed virucidal activity. to elucid ... | 2006 | 19537988 |
| asap: a resource for annotating, curating, comparing, and disseminating genomic data. | asap is a comprehensive web-based system for community genome annotation and analysis. asap is being used for a large-scale effort to augment and curate annotations for genomes of enterobacterial pathogens and for additional genome sequences. new tools, such as the genome alignment program mauve, have been incorporated into asap in order to improve display and analysis of related genomes. recent improvements to the database and challenges for future development of the system are discussed. asap ... | 2006 | 16381899 |
| ecology of invasive mosquitoes: effects on resident species and on human health. | investigations of biological invasions focus on patterns and processes that are related to introduction, establishment, spread and impacts of introduced species. this review focuses on the ecological interactions operating during invasions by the most prominent group of insect vectors of disease, mosquitoes. first, we review characteristics of non-native mosquito species that have established viable populations, and those invasive species that have spread widely and had major impacts, testing wh ... | 2005 | 17637849 |
| a comparative study of adult mosquito trapping using dry ice and yeast generated carbon dioxide. | adult mosquito collections were conducted for 12 weeks in two residential areas in kuala lumpur. the cdc light traps were compared using dry ice and yeast as sources of carbon dioxide attractants for mosquitoes. the efficacy of the dry ice baited trap was significant over yeast generated co2 trap. the predominant species obtained were culex quinquefasciatus, stegomyia albopicta and armigeres subalbatus. | 2005 | 16883295 |
| mosquito innate immunity: involvement of beta 1,3-glucan recognition protein in melanotic encapsulation immune responses in armigeres subalbatus. | beta 1,3-glucan recognition proteins (grp) have specific affinity for beta 1,3-glucan, a component on the surface of fungi and bacteria. by interacting with beta 1,3-glucan, grp initiates activation of prophenoloxidase, a key enzyme in the signaling pathway leading to melanotic encapsulation in invertebrates. in this study, we characterize a novel hemocyte-specific grp from the mosquito, armigeres subalbatus (asgrp). the 1.57 kb cdna clone encodes a 499 deduced amino acid sequence, which contain ... | 2005 | 15610820 |
| characterization of two novel pacifastin-like peptide precursor isoforms in the desert locust (schistocerca gregaria): cdna cloning, functional analysis and real-time rt-pcr gene expression studies. | in the last decade, a new serine protease inhibitor family has been described in arthropods. eight members of the family were purified from locusts and share a conserved cysteine array (cys-xaa(9-12)-cys-asn-xaa-cys-xaa-cys-xaa(2-3)-gly-xaa(3-6)-cys-thr-xaa3-cys) with nine inhibitory domains of the light chain of the crayfish protease inhibitor, pacifastin (plds; pacifastin light chain domains). using cdna cloning, several pacifastin-related precursors have been identified, encoding additional p ... | 2005 | 15631618 |
| quantitative genetics of vector competence for la crosse virus and body size in ochlerotatus hendersoni and ochlerotatus triseriatus interspecific hybrids. | la crosse virus is a leading cause of pediatric encephalitis in the united states. the mosquito ochlerotatus triseriatus is an efficient vector for la crosse virus, whereas the closely related o. hendersoni transmits only at very low rates. quantitative trait loci (qtl) affecting the ability to orally transmit this virus and adult body size were identified in 164 f(2) female individuals from interspecific crosses of o. hendersoni females and o. triseriatus males using a combination of composite ... | 2005 | 15654112 |
| manduca sexta prophenoloxidase activating proteinase-1 (pap-1) gene: organization, expression, and regulation by immune and hormonal signals. | insect phenoloxidase (po) participates in melanotic encapsulation, wound healing, and cuticle sclerotization. it is converted from prophenoloxidase (propo) by a propo-activating proteinase (pap). manduca sexta pap-1, the final component of a serine proteinase cascade, cleaves propo to generate active po. in an effort to understand the transcriptional regulation, we isolated a genomic clone of the pap-1 gene, determined its nucleotide sequence, and elucidated its exon-intron organization. compute ... | 2005 | 15857768 |