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eco-virological survey of aedes mosquito larvae in selected dengue outbreak areas in malaysia.background & objectivesi: transovarial transmission of dengue virus in the aedes vectors is now a well-documented phenomenon reported from many parts of the endemic areas in the world, which played an important role in initiating and maintaining the outbreak in human populations. this study investigated the factors affecting breeding habitats and the relationship with transovarial dengue virus in larvae of aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus.201425540966
exsheathment and midgut invasion of nocturnally subperiodic brugia malayi microfilariae in a refractory vector, aedes aegypti (thailand strain).exsheathment and midgut invasion of nocturnally subperiodic brugia malayi microfilariae were analyzed using light and scanning electron microscopy in a refractory vector, aedes aegypti (thailand strain). results showed that exsheathed microfilariae represented only approximately 1% of the total microfilaria midguts dissected at 5-min post-infected blood meal (pibm). the percentage of exsheathed microfilariae found in midguts progressively increased to about 20, 60, 80, 90, and 100% at 1-, 2-5-, ...201425138070
vector competence of selected mosquito species in kenya for ngari and bunyamwera viruses.bunyamwera and ngari viruses have been isolated from a range of mosquito species in kenya but their actual role in the maintenance and transmission of these viruses in nature remains unclear. identification of the mosquito species efficient in transmitting these viruses is critical for estimating the risk of human exposure and understanding the transmission and maintenance mechanism. we determined the vector competence of, aedes aegypti (l.), culex quinquefasciatus say, and anopheles gambiae gil ...201426309314
feeding host range of aedes albopictus (diptera: culicidae) demonstrates its opportunistic host-seeking behavior in rural singapore.aedes albopictus (skuse) is a competent vector of arboviruses of public health importance, including dengue virus (denv) and chikungunya virus viruses. ae. albopictus is the primary vector of chikungunya virus in singapore. however, despite being ubiquitous, it plays a secondary role in denv transmission. the vectorial capacity of ae. albopictus for denv in field settings appears to be weak because dengue primarily occurs in aedes aegypti (l.)-dominated, urban settings of the country. as host-se ...201425118424
the impact of temperature on the bionomics of aedes (stegomyia) aegypti, with special reference to the cool geographic range margins.the mosquito aedes (stegomyia) aegypti (l.), which occurs widely in the subtropics and tropics, is the primary urban vector of dengue and yellow fever viruses, and an important vector of chikungunya virus. there is substantial interest in how climate change may impact the bionomics and pathogen transmission potential of this mosquito. this forum article focuses specifically on the effects of temperature on the bionomics of ae. aegypti, with special emphasis on the cool geographic range margins w ...201424897844
chikungunya virus adaptation to a mosquito vector correlates with only few point mutations in the viral envelope glycoprotein.like most arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), chikungunya virus (chikv) is a rna virus maintained in nature in an alternating cycle of replication between invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. it has been assumed that host alternation restricts arbovirus genome evolution and imposes fitness trade-offs. despite their slower rates of evolution, arboviruses still have the capacity to produce variants capable to exploit new environments. to test whether the evolution of the newly emerged epidemic va ...201424681263
chikungunya and dengue autochthonous cases in europe, 2007-2012.a large number of autochthonous cases of dengue fever (2237) and chikungunya fever (231) occurred in europe (italy, france, croatia, madeira) during the period covered by our analysis (2007-2012). in all dengue outbreaks, the circulating strain, identified by means of molecular analysis, was the denv-1 strain. dengue and chikungunya are infectious diseases that often result in hospitalizations and are associated with high public health costs. the dengue epidemic on the island of madeira resulted ...201423962447
molecular and phytochemical investigation of angelica dahurica and angelica pubescentis essential oils and their biological activity against aedes aegypti, stephanitis pyrioides, and colletotrichum species.in this study, angelica dahurica and angelica pubescentis root essential oils were investigated as pest management perspectives, and root samples were also analyzed genetically using the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (its) region as a dna barcode marker. a. pubescentis root essential oil demonstrated weak antifungal activity against colletotrichum acutatum, colletotrichum fragariae, and colletotrichum gloeosporioides, whereas a. dahurica root essential oil did not show antifungal ...201425133520
chemical composition and biological effects of artemisia maritima and artemisia nilagirica essential oils from wild plants of western himalaya.artemisia species possess pharmacological properties that are used for medical purposes worldwide. in this paper, the essential oils from the aerial parts of artemisia nilagirica and artemisia maritima from the western indian himalaya region are described. the main compounds analyzed by simultaneous gc/ms and gc/fid were camphor and 1,8-cineole from a. maritima, and camphor and artemisia ketone from a. nilagirica. additionally, the oils were evaluated for their antibacterial, antifungal, mosquit ...201425127023
[determination in vivo of the role of esterase and glutathione transferase enzymes in pyrethroid resistance of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae)].an in vivo study of two synergists, that is, triphenil phosphate -specific esterase inhibitor- and ethacrynic acid -specific gluthation transferase inhibitor- was performed to determine if these enzymes were responsible for pyrethroid resistance of aedes aegypti. to this end, two insecticide resistant aedes aegypti strains were used, one strain selected with temephos by six selection generations (san-f6) and the other strain with delmamethrin by 12 selection generations (san-f12), being both str ...201423427458
[insecticide resistance mechanisms of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) from two peruvian provinces].insecticide resistance of aedes aegypti larvae and adults from two peruvian provinces, that is, trujillo and tumbes provinces, was conducted. high infestation indexes and extensive use of insecticides based on the vector surveillance and control strategy of the ministry of public health prevailed in these places. larval bioassays revealed susceptibility to organophosphorate insecticide called malathion in trujillo strain, it being moderate to fention and fenitrotion and high to chlorpyriphos and ...201423427457
physiological recordings and rna sequencing of the gustatory appendages of the yellow-fever mosquito aedes aegypti.electrophysiological recording of action potentials from sensory neurons of mosquitoes provides investigators a glimpse into the chemical perception of these disease vectors. we have recently identified a bitter sensing neuron in the labellum of female aedes aegypti that responds to deet and other repellents, as well as bitter quinine, through direct electrophysiological investigation. these gustatory receptor neuron responses prompted our sequencing of total mrna from both male and female label ...201425590536
transcriptional activation is a conserved feature of the early embryonic factor zelda that requires a cluster of four zinc fingers for dna binding and a low-complexity activation domain.delayed transcriptional activation of the zygotic genome is a nearly universal phenomenon in metazoans. immediately following fertilization, development is controlled by maternally deposited products, and it is not until later stages that widespread activation of the zygotic genome occurs. although the mechanisms driving this genome activation are currently unknown, the transcriptional activator zelda (zld) has been shown to be instrumental in driving this process in drosophila melanogaster. her ...201425538246
a systematic review and meta-analysis of dengue risk with temperature change.dengue fever (df) is the most serious mosquito-borne viral disease in the world and is significantly affected by temperature. although associations between df and temperatures have been reported repeatedly, conclusions have been inconsistent. six databases were searched up to 23 march 2014, without language and geographical restrictions. the articles that studied the correlations between temperatures and dengue were selected, and a random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled odds ratio ...201425546270
seropositivity of dengue antibodies during pregnancy.malaysia a dengue endemic country with dengue infections in pregnancy on the rise. the present study was aimed at determining dengue seroprevalence (igg or igm) during pregnancy and its neonatal transmission in dengue seropositive women.201425587564
computational analysis reveals a successive adaptation of multiple inositol polyphosphate phosphatase 1 in higher organisms through evolution.multiple inositol polyphosphate phosphatase 1 (minpp1) in higher organisms dephosphorylates insp6, the most abundant inositol phosphate. it also dephosphorylates less phosphorylated insp5 and insp4 and more phosphorylated insp7 or insp8. minpp1 is classified as a member of the histidine acid phosphatase super family of proteins with functional resemblance to phytases found in lower organisms. this study took a bioinformatics approach to explore the extent of evolutionary diversification in minpp ...201425574123
sequence conservation, phylogenetic relationships, and expression profiles of nondigestive serine proteases and serine protease homologs in manduca sexta.serine protease (sp) and serine protease homolog (sph) genes in insects encode a large family of proteins involved in digestion, development, immunity, and other processes. while 68 digestive sps and their close homologs are reported in a companion paper (kuwar et al., in preparation), we have identified 125 other sps/sphs in manduca sexta and studied their structure, evolution, and expression. fifty-two of them contain cystine-stabilized structures for molecular recognition, including clip, ldl ...201425530503
we can't all be supermodels: the value of comparative transcriptomics to the study of non-model insects.insects are the most diverse group of organisms on the planet. variation in gene expression lies at the heart of this biodiversity and recent advances in sequencing technology have spawned a revolution in researchers' ability to survey tissue-specific transcriptional complexity across a wide range of insect taxa. increasingly, studies are using a comparative approach (across species, sexes and life stages) that examines the transcriptional basis of phenotypic diversity within an evolutionary con ...201425524309
tissue-specific transcriptomics, chromosomal localization, and phylogeny of chemosensory and odorant binding proteins from the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum reveal subgroup specificities for olfaction or more general functions.chemoreception is based on the senses of smell and taste that are crucial for animals to find new food sources, shelter, and mates. the initial step in olfaction involves the translocation of odorants from the periphery through the aqueous lymph of the olfactory sensilla to the odorant receptors most likely by chemosensory proteins (csps) or odorant binding proteins (obps).201425523483
high-quality genome (re)assembly using chromosomal contact data.closing gaps in draft genome assemblies can be costly and time-consuming, and published genomes are therefore often left 'unfinished.' here we show that genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (3c) data can be used to overcome these limitations, and present a computational approach rooted in polymer physics that determines the most likely genome structure using chromosomal contact data. this algorithm--named graal--generates high-quality assemblies of genomes in which repeated and duplicated ...201425517223
identification of wolbachia-responsive micrornas in the two-spotted spider mite, tetranychus urticae.the two-spotted spider mite, tetranychus urticae, is infected with wolbachia, which have the ability to manipulate host reproduction and fitness. micrornas (mirnas) are small non-coding rnas that are involved in many biological processes such as development, reproduction and host-pathogen interactions. although mirna was observed to involve in wolbachia-host interactions in the other insect systems, its roles have not been fully deciphered in the two-spotted spider mite.201425515563
a method for assessing chemically-induced paralysis in headless mosquito larvae.there is a growing interest in studies of mosquito physiology and toxicology due to the heightened need for controlling this group of human disease vectors. in the process of testing a group of polar compounds on mosquito muscles, a novel headless larva bioassay was developed. the heads were removed from fourth instar aedes aegypti larvae, which permitted access of pharmacological agents to the hemocoel while maintaining larval viability. the method allowed effective quantification of the paraly ...201426844208
sensorineural hearing loss in hemorrhagic dengue?dengue is an acute febrile infectious disease, with high fever followed by symptoms flu-like. dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf) is a vascular leak syndrome and could present spontaneous bleeding and worsening of symptoms after some days. dengue could have some ent manifestations, however hearing loss is not one of them. sudden hearing loss is considered as sensorineural or perceptual hearing loss with a sudden onset in a person without other prior otological history. the relation between infectious ...201425625489
sexual conflict and seminal fluid proteins: a dynamic landscape of sexual interactions.sexual reproduction requires coordinated contributions from both sexes to proceed efficiently. however, the reproductive strategies that the sexes adopt often have the potential to give rise to sexual conflict because they can result in divergent, sex-specific costs and benefits. these conflicts can occur at many levels, from molecular to behavioral. here, we consider sexual conflict mediated through the actions of seminal fluid proteins. these proteins provide many excellent examples in which t ...201425502515
allatostatin-c reversibly blocks the transport of citrate out of the mitochondria and inhibits juvenile hormone synthesis in mosquitoes.aedes aegypti allatostatin-c (aeaast-c or piscf-ast) is a strong and fast reversible inhibitor of juvenile hormone iii (jh iii) synthesis by the corpora allata (ca) of mosquitoes; however, its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. aeaast-c showed no inhibitory activity in the presence of any of the intermediate precursors of jh iii indicating that the aeaast-c target is located before the entry of acetyl-coa in the pathway. stimulation experiments using different sources of carbon (gluc ...201425500428
the effect of virus-blocking wolbachia on male competitiveness of the dengue vector mosquito, aedes aegypti.the bacterial endosymbiont wolbachia blocks the transmission of dengue virus by its vector mosquito aedes aegypti, and is currently being evaluated for control of dengue outbreaks. wolbachia induces cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci) that results in the developmental failure of offspring in the cross between wolbachia-infected males and uninfected females. this increases the relative success of infected females in the population, thereby enhancing the spread of the beneficial bacterium. however, w ...201425502564
biological invasions, climate change and genomics.the rate of biological invasions is expected to increase as the effects of climate change on biological communities become widespread. climate change enhances habitat disturbance which facilitates the establishment of invasive species, which in turn provides opportunities for hybridization and introgression. these effects influence local biodiversity that can be tracked through genetic and genomic approaches. metabarcoding and metagenomic approaches provide a way of monitoring some types of comm ...201425667601
modeling tools for dengue risk mapping - a systematic review.the global spread and the increased frequency and magnitude of epidemic dengue in the last 50 years underscore the urgent need for effective tools for surveillance, prevention, and control. this review aims at providing a systematic overview of what predictors are critical and which spatial and spatio-temporal modeling approaches are useful in generating risk maps for dengue.201425487167
the relative importance of dna methylation and dnmt2-mediated epigenetic regulation on wolbachia densities and cytoplasmic incompatibility.wolbachia pipientis is a worldwide bacterial parasite of arthropods that infects germline cells and manipulates host reproduction to increase the ratio of infected females, the transmitting sex of the bacteria. the most common reproductive manipulation, cytoplasmic incompatibility (ci), is expressed as embryonic death in crosses between infected males and uninfected females. specifically, wolbachia modify developing sperm in the testes by unknown means to cause a post-fertilization disruption of ...201425538866
the mode of action of spatial repellents and their impact on vectorial capacity of anopheles gambiae sensu stricto.malaria vector control relies on toxicity of insecticides used in long lasting insecticide treated nets and indoor residual spraying. this is despite evidence that sub-lethal insecticides reduce human-vector contact and malaria transmission. the impact of sub-lethal insecticides on host seeking and blood feeding of mosquitoes was measured. taxis boxes distinguished between repellency and attraction inhibition of mosquitoes by measuring response of mosquitoes towards or away from transfluthrin co ...201425485850
exploring features and function of ss-riok-3, an enigmatic kinase gene from strongyloides stercoralis.right open reading frame protein kinase 3 (riok-3) belongs to the atypical kinase family. unlike the other two members, riok-1 and riok-2, which are conserved from archaea to humans, riok-3 occurs only in multicellular organisms. studies on hela cells indicate that human riok-3 is a component of the 40s small ribosome subunit and supports cancer cell growth and survival. however, almost nothing is known about the function of riok-3. we explored the functional role of riok-3 encoding gene from st ...201425477034
embryonic development and rates of metabolic activity in early and late hatching eggs of the major malaria vector anopheles gambiae.anopheles gambiae eggs generally hatch at the completion of embryo development; two-three days post oviposition. however, staggered or delayed hatching has been observed whereby a single batch of eggs shows marked variation in time-to-hatch, with some eggs hatching 18 days post oviposition or later. the mechanism enabling delayed hatch has not been clearly elucidated but is likely mediated by environmental and genetic factors that either induce diapause or slow embryo development. this study aim ...201425479444
proteomic analysis of pig (sus scrofa) olfactory soluble proteome reveals o-linked-n-acetylglucosaminylation of secreted odorant-binding proteins.the diversity of olfactory binding proteins (obps) is a key point to understand their role in molecular olfaction. since only few different sequences were characterized in each mammalian species, they have been considered as passive carriers of odors and pheromones. we have explored the soluble proteome of pig nasal mucus, taking benefit of the powerful tools of proteomics. combining two-dimensional electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and western-blot with specific antibodies, our analyses revea ...201425538681
de novo assembly and transcriptome analysis of the mediterranean fruit fly ceratitis capitata early embryos.the agricultural pest ceratitis capitata, also known as the mediterranean fruit fly or medfly, belongs to the tephritidae family, which includes a large number of other damaging pest species. the medfly has been the first non-drosophilid fly species which has been genetically transformed paving the way for designing genetic-based pest control strategies. furthermore, it is an experimentally tractable model, in which transient and transgene-mediated rnai have been successfully used. we applied il ...201425474564
international dispersal of dengue through air travel: importation risk for europe.the worldwide distribution of dengue is expanding, in part due to globalized traffic and trade. aedes albopictus is a competent vector for dengue viruses (denv) and is now established in numerous regions of europe. viremic travellers arriving in europe from dengue-affected areas of the world can become catalysts of local outbreaks in europe. local dengue transmission in europe is extremely rare, and the last outbreak occurred in 1927-28 in greece. however, autochthonous transmission was reported ...201425474491
genomes of the rice pest brown planthopper and its endosymbionts reveal complex complementary contributions for host adaptation.the brown planthopper, nilaparvata lugens, the most destructive pest of rice, is a typical monophagous herbivore that feeds exclusively on rice sap, which migrates over long distances. outbreaks of it have re-occurred approximately every three years in asia. it has also been used as a model system for ecological studies and for developing effective pest management. to better understand how a monophagous sap-sucking arthropod herbivore has adapted to its exclusive host selection and to provide in ...201425609551
sustained, area-wide control of aedes aegypti using cdc autocidal gravid ovitraps.we have shown that the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) autocidal gravid ovitraps (ago trap) reduced the aedes aegypti population and prevented mosquito outbreaks in southern puerto rico. after showing treatment efficacy for 1 year, we deployed three traps per home in an area that formerly did not have traps and in a site that served as the intervention area. two new areas were selected as reference sites to compare the density of ae. aegypti without traps. we monitored mosquitoe ...201425223937
economic and disease burden of dengue illness in india.between 2006 and 2012 india reported an annual average of 20,474 dengue cases. although dengue has been notifiable since 1996, regional comparisons suggest that reported numbers substantially underrepresent the full impact of the disease. adjustment for underreporting from a case study in madurai district and an expert delphi panel yielded an annual average of 5,778,406 clinically diagnosed dengue cases between 2006 and 2012, or 282 times the reported number per year. the total direct annual med ...201425294616
evaluation of aadop2 receptor antagonists reveals antidepressants and antipsychotics as novel lead molecules for control of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti.the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, vectors disease-causing agents that adversely affect human health, most notably the viruses causing dengue and yellow fever. the efficacy of current mosquito control programs is challenged by the emergence of insecticide-resistant mosquito populations, suggesting an urgent need for the development of chemical insecticides with new mechanisms of action. one recently identified potential insecticide target is the a. aegypti d1-like dopamine receptor, aadop ...201425332454
molecular cloning and characterization of g alpha proteins from the western tarnished plant bug, lygus hesperus.the gα subunits of heterotrimeric g proteins play critical roles in the activation of diverse signal transduction cascades. however, the role of these genes in chemosensation remains to be fully elucidated. to initiate a comprehensive survey of signal transduction genes, we used homology-based cloning methods and transcriptome data mining to identity gα subunits in the western tarnished plant bug (lygus hesperus knight). among the nine sequences identified were single variants of the gαi, gαo, g ...201426463065
virulence of entomopathogenic fungi metarhizium anisopliae and paecilomyces fumosoroseus for the microbial control of spodoptera exigua.the beet armyworm spodoptera exigua (lepidoptera: noctuidae) is difficult to control using chemical insecticides because of the development of insecticide resistance. several pest control agents are used to control the beet armyworm. entomopathogenic fungi are one of the candidates for eco-friendly pest control instead of chemical control agents. in this study, among various entomopathogenic fungal strains isolated from soil two isolates were selected as high virulence pathogens against larva of ...201425606011
influence of additives on the yield and pathogenicity of conidia produced by solid state cultivation of an isaria javanica isolate.recently, the q biotype of tobacco whitefly has been recognized as the most hazardous strain of bemisia tabaci worldwide, because of its increased resistance to some insecticide groups. as an alternative control agent, we selected an isaria javanica isolate as a candidate for the development of a mycopesticide against the q biotype of sweet potato whitefly. to select optimal mass production media for solid-state fermentation, we compared the production yield and virulence of conidia between 2 su ...201425606006
local evolution of pyrethroid resistance offsets gene flow among aedes aegypti collections in yucatan state, mexico.the mosquito aedes aegypti is the major vector of the four serotypes of dengue virus (denv1-4). previous studies have shown that ae. aegypti in mexico have a high effective migration rate and that gene flow occurs among populations that are up to 150 km apart. since 2000, pyrethroids have been widely used for suppression of ae. aegypti in cities in mexico. in yucatan state in particular, pyrethroids have been applied in and around dengue case households creating an opportunity for local selectio ...201425371186
binding of a fluorescence reporter and a ligand to an odorant-binding protein of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti.odorant-binding proteins (obps), also named pheromone-binding proteins when the odorant is a pheromone, are essential for insect olfaction. they solubilize odorants that reach the port of entry of the olfactory system, the pore tubules in antennae and other olfactory appendages. then, obps transport these hydrophobic compounds through an aqueous sensillar lymph to receptors embedded on dendritic membranes of olfactory receptor neurons. structures of obps from mosquito species have shed new light ...201425671088
is dengue a disease of poverty? a systematic review.policy prescriptions for combating dengue fever tend to focus on addressing environmental and social conditions of poverty. however, while poverty has long been considered a determinant of dengue, the research evidence for such a relationship is not well established. results of a systematic review of the research literature designed to identify and assess the current state of the empirical evidence for the dengue-poverty link reveal a mixed story. of 260 peer-reviewed articles referencing dengue ...201425546339
identification, expression, and molecular evolution of micrornas in the "living fossil" triops cancriformis (tadpole shrimp).micrornas have been identified and analyzed in various model species, but an investigation of mirnas in nonmodel species is required for a more complete understanding of mirna evolution. in this study, we investigated the mirnas of the nonmodel species triops cancriformis (tadpole shrimp), a "living fossil," whose morphological form has not changed in almost 200 million years. dramatic ontogenetic changes occur during its development. to clarify the evolution of mirnas, we comparatively analyzed ...201425525151
[epidemiologic situation on dangerous infectious diseases on the territory of republic of abkhazia].data from literature and results of epizootological examination of the territory of republic of abkhazia in 2011 and 2012 that confirm the presence in the republic of natural foci of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, west nile fever, crimean hemorrhagic fever, tick-borne encephalitis, q fever, tahyna, inkoo, bhanja, sindbis fever, anaplasmosis, tick-borne borreliosis, tularemia and leptospirosis are presented. rabies and anthrax are actual for abkhazia. spread of aedes aegypti mosquitos in ...201424605653
green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using delphinium denudatum root extract exhibits antibacterial and mosquito larvicidal activities.green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (agnps) using aqueous root extract of delphinium denudatum (dd) by reduction of ag(+) ions from silver nitrate solution has been investigated. the synthesized ddagnps were characterized by using uv-vis spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (xrd), field emission scanning electron microscope (fesem) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ftir). the prepared ddagnps showed maximum absorbance at 416nm and particles were polydispersed in nature, spherical in sh ...201424632157
identification and characterization of a novel marine bacillus cereus for mosquito control.entomopathogenic bacteria to control mosquitoes are a promising environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. in the present study, a novel mosquitocidal bacterium was isolated from marine soil collected from east coastal areas at pondicherry (india). 16s rrna gene sequence alignment depicted that this isolate belonged to bacillus cereus vcrc-b520 (ncbi: kc-119192). biochemical studies on bacterial growth, biomass, and toxin production have revealed that this strain could possibl ...201424192866
application of post-pcr methods for analysis of mosquito densovirus.two clades of aedes densovirus, aedes aegypti densovirus and aedes albopictus densovirus, were classified according to the origin of isolation. these two densoviruses were isolated from indigenous mosquitoes and mosquito cell lines, respectively. this group of invertebrate viruses belongs to the subfamily densovirinae of the parvoviridae family and infects only insects. several types of densoviruses have been isolated from mosquitoes especially aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus, which are impor ...201425507597
application of post-pcr methods for analysis of mosquito densovirus.two clades of aedes densovirus, aedes aegypti densovirus and aedes albopictus densovirus, were classified according to the origin of isolation. these two densoviruses were isolated from indigenous mosquitoes and mosquito cell lines, respectively. this group of invertebrate viruses belongs to the subfamily densovirinae of the parvoviridae family and infects only insects. several types of densoviruses have been isolated from mosquitoes especially aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus, which are impor ...201425427347
pre-selecting resistance against individual bti cry toxins facilitates the development of resistance to the bti toxins cocktail.the bioinsecticide bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis is a larvicide used worldwide for mosquito control, which contains three cry toxins and one cyt toxin. we investigated for the first time in aedes aegypti (1) the evolution of resistance and cross-resistance of strains selected with each cry toxin, and (2) the effect of pre-selection with cry toxin on the evolution of resistance to a mix of bti toxins. cross resistance was higher between cry4ba and cry11aa than between cry4aa and eithe ...201424768915
pyrethroid resistance in aedes aegypti larvae (diptera: culicidae) from singapore.we report the first comprehensive insecticide susceptibility status ofaedes aegypti (l.) larvae from singapore. the study indicated that ae. aegypti is susceptible to temephos, although resistance (rr50 = 1.29-4.43-fold) couldbe developing. of high concern is the detection of moderate to high resistance to permethrin (rr50 = 29-47-fold) and etofenprox (rr50 = 14-34-fold). biolarvicide bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (bti) remains effective. the insecticide susceptibility profile of ae. aegypt ...201424605467
uv light and urban pollution: bad cocktail for mosquitoes?mosquito breeding sites consist of water pools, which can either be large open areas or highly covered ponds with vegetation, thus with different light exposures combined with the presence in water of xenobiotics including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) generated by urban pollution. uv light and pahs are abiotic factors known to both affect the mosquito insecticide resistance status. nonetheless, their potential combined effects on the mosquito physiology have never been investigated. t ...201424275062
arboviral diseases and malaria in australia, 2011-12: annual report of the national arbovirus and malaria advisory committee.the national notifiable diseases surveillance system received notifications for 7,875 cases of disease transmitted by mosquitoes during the 2011-12 season (1 july 2011 to 30 june 2012). the alphaviruses barmah forest virus and ross river virus accounted for 6,036 (77%) of these. there were 18 notifications of dengue virus infection acquired in australia and 1,390 cases that were acquired overseas, while for 38 cases, the place of acquisition was unknown. imported cases of dengue in australia wer ...201425222207
myco-synthesis of silver nanoparticles using beauveria bassiana against dengue vector, aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae).the efficacy of silver synthesized biolarvicide with the help of entomopathogenic fungus, beauveria bassiana, was assessed against the different larval instars of dengue vector, aedes aegypti. the silver nanoparticles were observed and characterized by a scanning electron microscope (sem) and energy-dispersive x-ray (edx). a surface plasmon resonance band was observed at 420 nm in uv-vis spectrophotometer. the characterization was confirmed by shape (spherical), size 36.88-60.93 nm, and edx spec ...201424861012
biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using bacillus thuringiensis against dengue vector, aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae).the present study reveals the larvicidal activity of silver nanoparticles (agnps) synthesized by bacillus thuringiensis (bt) against aedes aegypti responsible for the diseases of public health importance. the bt-agnps were characterized by using uv-visible spectrophotometer followed by scanning electron microscopy (sem) and energy-dispersive x-ray (edx) spectroscopy. a surface plasmon resonance spectrum of agnps was obtained at 420 nm. the particle sizes were measured through sem imaging ranging ...201424173811
construction and characterization of the interdomain chimeras using cry11aa and cry11ba from bacillus thuringiensis and identification of a possible novel toxic chimera.three structural domains of mosquitocidal cry11aa and cry11ba from bacillus thuringiensis were exchanged to produce interdomain chimeras [baa (11ba/11aa/11aa), aba (11aa/11ba/11aa), aab (11aa/11aa/11ba), abb (11aa/11ba/11ba), bab (11ba/11aa/11ba), bba (11ba/11ba/11aa]. chimeras bab, baa, bba, and aab formed inclusion bodies in the crystal-negative b. thuringiensis host and produced expected protein bands on sds-page gel. however, no inclusion body or target protein could be found for chimeras ab ...201424068502
transcriptome responses of the host trichoplusia ni to infection by the baculovirus autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus.productive infection of trichoplusia ni cells by the baculovirus autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (acmnpv) leads to expression of ~156 viral genes and results in dramatic cell remodeling. how the cell transcriptome responds to viral infection was unknown due to the lack of a reference genome and transcriptome for t. ni. we used an ~60-gb rna sequencing (rna-seq) data set from infected and uninfected t. ni cells to generate and annotate a de novo transcriptome assembly of appr ...201425231311
an experimental and bioinformatics protocol for rna-seq analyses of photoperiodic diapause in the asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus.photoperiodic diapause is an important adaptation that allows individuals to escape harsh seasonal environments via a series of physiological changes, most notably developmental arrest and reduced metabolism. global gene expression profiling via rna-seq can provide important insights into the transcriptional mechanisms of photoperiodic diapause. the asian tiger mosquito, aedes albopictus, is an outstanding organism for studying the transcriptional bases of diapause due to its ease of rearing, ea ...201425490084
dengue co-infection in a blood stream infection caused by stenotrophomonas maltophilia: a case report.stenotrophomonas maltophilia (s. maltophilia) is an emerging opportunistic bacterial pathogen with resistance to several commonly used antibiotics. owing to its multidrug resistance (mdr), management of s. maltophilia blood stream infection (bsi) is challenging and requires the selection of appropriate antibiotic therapy. the presence of thrombocytopenia and shock are independent risk factors associated with increased mortality in patients with s. maltophilia bsi. we describe an unusual case of ...201425550715
concurrent transcriptional profiling of dirofilaria immitis and its wolbachia endosymbiont throughout the nematode life cycle reveals coordinated gene expression.dirofilaria immitis, or canine heartworm, is a filarial nematode parasite that infects dogs and other mammals worldwide. current disease control relies on regular administration of anthelmintic preventives, however, relatively poor compliance and evidence of developing drug resistance could warrant alternative measures against d. immitis and related human filarial infections be taken. as with many other filarial nematodes, d. immitis contains wolbachia, an obligate bacterial endosymbiont thought ...201425433394
non-coding rna gene families in the genomes of anopheline mosquitoes.only a small fraction of the mosquito species of the genus anopheles are able to transmit malaria, one of the biggest killer diseases of poverty, which is mostly prevalent in the tropics. this diversity has genetic, yet unknown, causes. in a further attempt to contribute to the elucidation of these variances, the international "anopheles genomes cluster consortium" project (a.k.a. "16 anopheles genomes project") was established, aiming at a comprehensive genomic analysis of several anopheline sp ...201425432596
targeted mutagenesis of aryl hydrocarbon receptor 2a and 2b genes in atlantic killifish (fundulus heteroclitus).understanding molecular mechanisms of toxicity is facilitated by experimental manipulations, such as disruption of function by gene targeting, that are especially challenging in non-standard model species with limited genomic resources. while loss-of-function approaches have included gene knock-down using morpholino-modified oligonucleotides and random mutagenesis using mutagens or retroviruses, more recent approaches include targeted mutagenesis using zinc finger nuclease (zfn), transcription a ...201425481785
the lineage-specific evolution of aquaporin gene clusters facilitated tetrapod terrestrial adaptation.a major physiological barrier for aquatic organisms adapting to terrestrial life is dessication in the aerial environment. this barrier was nevertheless overcome by the devonian ancestors of extant tetrapoda, but the origin of specific molecular mechanisms that solved this water problem remains largely unknown. here we show that an ancient aquaporin gene cluster evolved specifically in the sarcopterygian lineage, and subsequently diverged into paralogous forms of aqp2, -5, or -6 to mediate water ...201425426855
spatiotemporal clustering, climate periodicity, and social-ecological risk factors for dengue during an outbreak in machala, ecuador, in 2010.dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, is a rapidly emerging public health problem in ecuador and throughout the tropics. however, we have a limited understanding of the disease transmission dynamics in these regions. previous studies in southern coastal ecuador have demonstrated the potential to develop a dengue early warning system (ews) that incorporates climate and non-climate information. the objective of this study was to characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics and climatic and soc ...201425420543
functional characterization of five different prxamide receptors of the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum with peptidomimetics and identification of agonists and antagonists.the neuropeptidergic system in insects is an excellent target for pest control strategies. one promising biorational approach is the use of peptidomimetics modified from endogenous ligands to enhance biostability and bioavailability. in this study, we functionally characterized five different g protein-coupled receptors in a phylogenetic cluster, containing receptors for prxamide in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum, by evaluating a series of 70 different peptides and peptidomimetics. thr ...201425447413
coordinated changes in jh biosynthesis and jh hemolymph titers in aedes aegypti mosquitoes.juvenile hormone iii (jh) is synthesized by the corpora allata (ca) and plays a key role in mosquito development and reproduction. a decrease in jh titer during the last instar larvae allows pupation and metamorphosis to proceed. as the anti-metamorphic role of jh comes to an end, the ca of the late pupa once again synthesizes jh, which plays an essential role in orchestrating reproductive maturation. in spite of the importance of aedes aegypti as a vector, a detailed study of the changes of jh ...201425445664
approaches to refining estimates of global burden and economics of dengue.dengue presents a formidable and growing global economic and disease burden, with around half the world's population estimated to be at risk of infection. there is wide variation and substantial uncertainty in current estimates of dengue disease burden and, consequently, on economic burden estimates. dengue disease varies across time, geography and persons affected. variations in the transmission of four different viruses and interactions among vector density and host's immune status, age, pre-e ...201425412506
the relevance of dengue virus genotypes surveillance at country level before vaccine approval.dengue is a major threat for public health in tropical and subtropical countries around the world. in the absence of a licensed vaccine and effective antiviral therapies, control measures have been based on education activities and vector elimination. current efforts for developing a vaccine are both promising and troubling. at the advent of the introduction of a tetravalent dengue vaccine, molecular surveillance of the circulating genotypes in different geographical regions has gained considera ...201425483495
characterization of the anopheles gambiae octopamine receptor and discovery of potential agonists and antagonists using a combined computational-experimental approach.octopamine receptors (oars) perform key functions in the biological pathways of primarily invertebrates, making this class of g-protein coupled receptors (gpcrs) a potentially good target for insecticides. however, the lack of structural and experimental data for this insect-essential gpcr family has promoted the development of homology models that are good representations of their biological equivalents for in silico screening of small molecules.201425407998
promoting health education and public awareness about dengue and its mosquito vector in saudi arabia.currently, dengue fever is considered as the main health problem in several parts (mekkah, jeddah, jazan and najran) of kingdom of saudi arabia (ksa) with dramatically increase in the number of cases reported every year. this is associated with obvious ineffectiveness in the recent control and management programs for the mosquito vector (aedes aegypti). here, we suggested promoting the health education and public awareness among saudi people to improve the control of dengue mosquito vector. seve ...201425403705
modelling hen harrier dynamics to inform human-wildlife conflict resolution: a spatially-realistic, individual-based approach.individual-based models have gained popularity in ecology, and enable simultaneous incorporation of spatial explicitness and population dynamic processes to understand spatio-temporal patterns of populations. we introduce an individual-based model for understanding and predicting spatial hen harrier (circus cyaneus) population dynamics in great britain. the model uses a landscape with habitat, prey and game management indices. the hen harrier population was initialised according to empirical cen ...201425405860
comparative gene expression of wigglesworthia inhabiting non-infected and trypanosoma brucei gambiense-infected glossina palpalis gambiensis flies.tsetse flies (glossina sp.) that transmit trypanosomes causing human (and animal) african trypanosomiasis (hat and aat, respectively) harbor symbiotic microorganisms, including the obligate primary symbiont wigglesworthia glossinidia. a relationship between wigglesworthia and tsetse fly infection by trypanosomes has been suggested, as removal of the symbiont results in a higher susceptibility to midgut infection in adult flies. to investigate this relationship and to decipher the role of w. glos ...201425452752
estimation of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) population size and adult male survival in an urban area in panama.traditional mosquito control strategies rely heavily on the use of chemical insecticides. however, concerns about the efficiency of traditional control methods, environmental impact and emerging pesticide resistance have highlighted the necessity for developing innovative tools for mosquito control. some novel strategies, including release of insects carrying a dominant lethal gene (ridl®), rely on the sustained release of modified male mosquitoes and therefore benefit from a thorough understand ...201425410991
advances in genome editing technology and its promising application in evolutionary and ecological studies.genetic modification has long provided an approach for "reverse genetics", analyzing gene function and linking dna sequence to phenotype. however, traditional genome editing technologies have not kept pace with the soaring progress of the genome sequencing era, as a result of their inefficiency, time-consuming and labor-intensive methods. recently, invented genome modification technologies, such as zfn (zinc finger nuclease), talen (transcription activator-like effector nuclease), and crispr/cas ...201425414792
a role for taiman in insect metamorphosis.recent studies in vitro have reported that the methoprene-tolerant (met) and taiman (tai) complex is the functional receptor of juvenile hormone (jh). experiments in vivo of met depletion have confirmed this factor's role in jh signal transduction, however, there is no equivalent data regarding tai because its depletion in larval or nymphal stages of the beetle tribolium castaneum and the bug pyrrhocoris apterus results in 100% mortality. we have discovered that the cockroach blattella germanica ...201425356827
contribution of s-layer proteins to the mosquitocidal activity of lysinibacillus sphaericus.lysinibacillus sphaericus strains belonging the antigenic group h5a5b produce spores with larvicidal activity against larvae of culex mosquitoes. c7, a new isolated strain, which presents similar biochemical characteristics and bin toxins in their spores as the reference strain 2362, was, however, more active against larvae of culex mosquitoes. the contribution of the surface layer protein (s-layer) to this behaviour was envisaged since this envelope protein has been implicated in the pathogenic ...201425354162
genomic signal processing methods for computation of alignment-free distances from dna sequences.genomic signal processing (gsp) refers to the use of digital signal processing (dsp) tools for analyzing genomic data such as dna sequences. a possible application of gsp that has not been fully explored is the computation of the distance between a pair of sequences. in this work we present gafd, a novel gsp alignment-free distance computation method. we introduce a dna sequence-to-signal mapping function based on the employment of doublet values, which increases the number of possible amplitude ...201425393409
phytochemical constituents and toxicity of duguetia furfuracea hydroalcoholic extract in drosophila melanogaster.duguetia furfuracea is frequently used as a medicinal plant in brazil. however, studies have evidenced its cytotoxic, bactericide, and antitumor activities. in the present study we aimed to evaluate the potential toxicity of hydroalcoholic leaves extracts of d. furfuracea (hedf) in a drosophila melanogaster model. toxicity was assessed as changes in locomotor performance, mitochondrial activity, oxidative stress, mapks phosphorylation, and apoptosis induction after exposure to hedf concentration ...201425435894
establishment of macrocyclic lactone resistant dirofilaria immitis isolates in experimentally infected laboratory dogs.strains of dirofilaria immitis suspected of lack of efficacy (loe) to macrocyclic lactone (ml) preventive drugs have been increasingly reported in dogs by practicing veterinarians since 2005 in the lower mississippi delta region. if proven, and not controlled in the early stages, the emergence of ml drug resistance threatens to become a widespread problem in the us that may limit the effectiveness of current preventive drug treatment methods.201425376278
motif mismatches in microsatellites: insights from genome-wide investigation among 20 insect species.we present a detailed genome-wide comparative study of motif mismatches of microsatellites among 20 insect species representing five taxonomic orders. the results show that varying proportions (∼15-46%) of microsatellites identified in these species are imperfect in motif structure, and that they also vary in chromosomal distribution within genomes. it was observed that the genomic abundance of imperfect repeats is significantly associated with the length and number of motif mismatches of micros ...201425378245
in vitro, in silico and in vivo studies of ursolic acid as an anti-filarial agent.as part of our drug discovery program for anti-filarial agents from indian medicinal plants, leaves of eucalyptus tereticornis were chemically investigated, which resulted in the isolation and characterization of an anti-filarial agent, ursolic acid (ua) as a major constituent. antifilarial activity of ua against the human lymphatic filarial parasite brugia malayi using in vitro and in vivo assays, and in silico docking search on glutathione-s-transferase (gst) parasitic enzyme were carried out. ...201425375886
discovery and characterization of a potent and selective inhibitor of aedes aegypti inward rectifier potassium channels.vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria, which are transmitted by infected female mosquitoes, affect nearly half of the world's population. the emergence of insecticide-resistant mosquito populations is reducing the effectiveness of conventional insecticides and threatening current vector control strategies, which has created an urgent need to identify new molecular targets against which novel classes of insecticides can be developed. we previously demonstrated that small molecule ...201425375326
epidemiological trends of dengue disease in thailand (2000-2011): a systematic literature review.a literature survey and analysis was conducted to describe the epidemiology of dengue disease in thailand reported between 2000 and 2011. the literature search identified 610 relevant sources, 40 of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria defined in the review protocol. peaks in the number of cases occurred during the review period in 2001, 2002, 2008 and 2010. a shift in age group predominance towards older ages continued through the review period. disease incidence and deaths remained highest i ...201425375766
a lectin from dioclea violacea interacts with midgut surface of lutzomyia migonei, unlike its homologues, cratylia floribunda lectin and canavalia gladiata lectin.leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by phlebotomine sand fly. susceptibility and refractoriness to leishmania depend on the outcome of multiple interactions that take place within the sand fly gut. promastigote attachment to sand fly midgut epithelium is essential to avoid being excreted together with the digested blood meal. promastigote and gut sand fly surface glycans are important ligands in this attachment. the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the interaction of ...201425431778
temperature during larval development and adult maintenance influences the survival of anopheles gambiae s.s.malaria transmission depends on vector life-history parameters and population dynamics, and particularly on the survival of adult anopheles mosquitoes. these dynamics are sensitive to climatic and environmental factors, and temperature is a particularly important driver. data currently exist on the influence of constant and fluctuating adult environmental temperature on adult anopheles gambiae s.s. survival and on the effect of larval environmental temperature on larval survival, but none on how ...201425367091
a social-ecological analysis of community perceptions of dengue fever and aedes aegypti in machala, ecuador.the growing burden of dengue fever and the lack of a vaccine or specific medical treatment have increased the urgency of the public health sector to identify alternative management strategies. a prevailing trend in latin america has been a shift towards decentralized vector control programs with integrated management strategies, requiring significant intersectoral coordination, community engagement, and knowledge of the local social-ecological system (ses). community perceptions and responses ar ...201425370883
expression profile and gene age jointly shaped the genome-wide distribution of premature termination codons in a drosophila melanogaster population.widespread premature termination codon mutations (ptcs) were recently observed in human and fly populations. we took advantage of the population resequencing data in the drosophila genetic reference panel to investigate how the expression profile and the evolutionary age of genes shaped the allele frequency distribution of ptcs. after generating a high-quality data set of ptcs, we clustered genes harboring ptcs into three categories: genes encoding low-frequency ptcs (≤ 1.5%), moderate-frequency ...201425371429
overtone-based pitch selection in hermit thrush song: unexpected convergence with scale construction in human music.many human musical scales, including the diatonic major scale prevalent in western music, are built partially or entirely from intervals (ratios between adjacent frequencies) corresponding to small-integer proportions drawn from the harmonic series. scientists have long debated the extent to which principles of scale generation in human music are biologically or culturally determined. data from animal "song" may provide new insights into this discussion. here, by examining pitch relationships us ...201425368163
economic cost and burden of dengue in the philippines.dengue, the world's most important mosquito-borne viral disease, is endemic in the philippines. during 2008-2012, the country's department of health reported an annual average of 117,065 dengue cases, placing the country fourth in dengue burden in southeast asia. this study estimates the country's annual number of dengue episodes and their economic cost. our comparison of cases between active and passive surveillance in punta princesa, cebu city yielded an expansion factor of 7.2, close to the p ...201425510723
methylated glycans as conserved targets of animal and fungal innate defense.effector proteins of innate immune systems recognize specific non-self epitopes. tectonins are a family of β-propeller lectins conserved from bacteria to mammals that have been shown to bind bacterial lipopolysaccharide (lps). we present experimental evidence that two tectonins of fungal and animal origin have a specificity for o-methylated glycans. we show that tectonin 2 of the mushroom laccaria bicolor (lb-tec2) agglutinates gram-negative bacteria and exerts toxicity toward the model nematode ...201424879441
the midgut of aedes albopictus females expresses active trypsin-like serine peptidases.aedes albopictus is widely distributed across tropical and sub-tropical regions and is associated with the transmission of several arboviruses. although this species is increasingly relevant to public health due its ability to successfully colonize both urban and rural habitats, favoring the dispersion of viral infections, little is known about its biochemical traits, with all assumptions made based on studies of a. aegypti. in previous studies we characterized the peptidase profile of pre-imagi ...201424886160
a viral over-expression system for the major malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae.understanding pathogen/mosquito interactions is essential for developing novel strategies to control mosquito-borne diseases. technical advances in reverse-genetics, such as rna interference (rnai), have facilitated elucidation of components of the mosquito immune system that are antagonistic to pathogen development, and host proteins essential for parasite development. forward genetic approaches, however, are limited to generation of transgenic insects, and while powerful, mosquito transgenesis ...201424875042
coup-tfs and eye development.recent studies reveal that coup-tf genes are essential for neural development, cardiovascular development, energy metabolism and adipogenesis, as well as for organogenesis of multiple systems. in this review, we mainly describe the coup-tf genes, molecular mechanisms of coup-tf action, and their crucial functions in the morphogenesis of the murine eye. mutations of coup-tf genes lead to the congenital coloboma and/or optic atrophy in both mouse and human, indicating that the study on coup-tfs an ...201424878540
recurrent horizontal transfers of chapaev transposons in diverse invertebrate and vertebrate animals.horizontal transfer (ht) of a transposable element (te) into a new genome is regarded as an important force to drive genome variation and biological innovation. in addition, ht also plays an important role in the persistence of tes in eukaryotic genomes. here, we provide the first documented example for the repeated ht of three families of chapaev transposons in a wide range of animal species, including mammals, reptiles, jawed fishes, lampreys, insects, and in an insect bracovirus. multiple ali ...201424868016
large indoor cage study of the suppression of stable aedes aegypti populations by the release of thiotepa-sterilised males.the sterile insect technique (sit) is a promising pest control method in terms of efficacy and environmental compatibility. in this study, we determined the efficacy of thiotepa-sterilised males in reducing the target aedes aegypti populations. treated male pupae were released weekly into large laboratory cages at a constant ratio of either 5:1 or 2:1 sterile-to-fertile males. a two-to-one release ratio reduced the hatch rate of eggs laid in the cage by approximately a third and reduced the adul ...201424863972
cellular effects of bacterial n-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-l-homoserine lactone on the sponge suberites domuncula (olivi, 1792): insights into an intimate inter-kingdom dialogue.sponges and bacteria have lived together in complex consortia for 700 million years. as filter feeders, sponges prey on bacteria. nevertheless, some bacteria are associated with sponges in symbiotic relationships. to enable this association, sponges and bacteria are likely to have developed molecular communication systems. these may include molecules such as n-acyl-l-homoserine lactones, produced by gram-negative bacteria also within sponges. in this study, we examined the role of n-3-oxododecan ...201424858701
animal toxins and their advantages in biotechnology and pharmacology. 201424977166
corticosteroids in the treatment of dengue shock syndrome.dengue infection causes significant morbidity and mortality in over 100 countries worldwide, and its incidence is on the rise. the pathophysiological basis for the development of severe dengue, characterized by plasma leakage and the "shock syndrome" are poorly understood. no specific treatment or vaccine is available, and careful monitoring and judicious administration of fluids forms the mainstay of management at present. it is postulated that vascular endothelial dysfunction, induced by cytok ...201424899817
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