| the neglected tropical diseases of latin america and the caribbean: a review of disease burden and distribution and a roadmap for control and elimination. | the neglected tropical diseases (ntds) represent some of the most common infections of the poorest people living in the latin american and caribbean region (lac). because they primarily afflict the disenfranchised poor as well as selected indigenous populations and people of african descent, the ntds in lac are largely forgotten diseases even though their collective disease burden may exceed better known conditions such as of hiv/aids, tuberculosis, or malaria. based on their prevalence and heal ... | 2008 | 18820747 |
| cnact-1 gene is differentially expressed in the subtropical mosquito culex nigripalpus (diptera: culicidae), the primary west nile virus vector in florida. | analysis of differentially expressed genes is a common molecular biological tool to investigate changes in mosquito genes after a bloodmeal or parasite exposure. we report here the characterization of a differentially expressed actin gene, cnact-1, from the subtropical mosquito, culex nigripalpus theobald (diptera: culicidae). the cnact-1 genomic clone is 1.525 kb, includes one 66-bp intron, and a 328-bp 3'-untranslated region. the 376-amino acid putative translation product shares high similari ... | 2008 | 18826030 |
| novel arthropod repellent, bioud, is an efficacious alternative to deet. | for >50 yr, n,n-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet) has been the standard for arthropod repellents and has been an important tool to protect people from disease agents carried by ticks, mosquitoes, and other arthropods. however, some people avoid using deet because of concerns about adverse health effects. in 2007, a new repellent, bioud, with the active ingredient 7.75% 2-undecanone, originally derived from wild tomato (lycopersicon hirsutum dunal f. glabratum c. h. müll) plants, was registered by ... | 2008 | 18826032 |
| a 106-kda aminopeptidase is a putative receptor for bacillus thuringiensis cry11ba toxin in the mosquito anopheles gambiae. | bacillus thuringiensis (bt) insecticidal toxins bind to receptors on midgut epithelial cells of susceptible insects, and binding triggers biochemical events that lead to insect mortality. recently, a 100-kda aminopeptidase n (apn) was isolated from brush border membrane vesicles (bbmv) of anopheles quadrimaculatus and shown to bind cry11ba toxin with surface plasmon resonance (spr) detection [abdullah et al. (2006) bmc biochem. 7, 16]. in our study, a 106-kda apn, called agapn2, released by phos ... | 2008 | 18826260 |
| chikungunya outbreak, south india, 2006. | we investigated chikungunya outbreaks in south india and observed a high attack rate, particularly among adults and women. transmission was facilitated by aedes aegypti mosquitoes in peridomestic water containers, as indicated by a high breteau index. we recommended vector control measures and health education to promote safe water storage practices. | 2008 | 18826830 |
| virally associated arthritis 2008: clinical, epidemiologic, and pathophysiologic considerations. | several viruses have been associated with the development of inflammatory arthritis, including the hepatitis viruses (hepatitis b virus and hepatitis c virus), hiv, the parvovirus b19, the human t-cell lymphotropic virus-i, and the alphaviruses. here, we review the epidemiology, the pathophysiological mechanisms, the pertinent clinical and laboratory findings as well as the principles of therapy of the most common virus-associated arthritides. we believe that the knowledge of these key diagnosti ... | 2008 | 18828883 |
| d- and l-lactate dehydrogenases during invertebrate evolution. | the l-lactate and d-lactate dehydrogenases, which are involved in the reduction of pyruvate to l(-)-lactate and d(+)-lactate, belong to evolutionarily unrelated enzyme families. the genes encoding l-ldh have been used as a model for gene duplication due to the multiple paralogs found in eubacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes. phylogenetic studies have suggested that several gene duplication events led to the main isozymes of this gene family in chordates, but little is known about the evolut ... | 2008 | 18828920 |
| host adaptation of a wolbachia strain after long-term serial passage in mosquito cell lines. | the horizontal transfer of the bacterium wolbachia pipientis between invertebrate hosts hinges on the ability of wolbachia to adapt to new intracellular environments. the experimental transfer of wolbachia between distantly related host species often results in the loss of infection, presumably due to an inability of wolbachia to adapt quickly to the new host. to examine the process of adaptation to a novel host, we transferred a life-shortening wolbachia strain, wmelpop, from the fruit fly dros ... | 2008 | 18836024 |
| mosquito larval habitats and public health implications in abeokuta, ogun state, nigeria. | the larval habitats of mosquitoes were investigated in abeokuta, nigeria in order to determine the breeding sites of the existing mosquito fauna and its possible public health implications on the residents of the city. the habitats were sampled between august 2005 and july 2006 using plastic dippers and a pipette. the habitats were grouped as ground pools/ponds, gutters/open drains, tyres, domestic containers and treeholes/ leaf axils. ten species of mosquitoes were encountered in the five habit ... | 2008 | 18846789 |
| connexins, pannexins, innexins: novel roles of "hemi-channels". | | 2009 | 18853183 |
| the effect of artificial blood meals containing the hydroxynaphthoquinone m2279 on the developmental cycle pf plasmodium gallinaceum in aedes aegypti. | | 1948 | 18864109 |
| the effect of one plant extract and of certain drugs on the development of plasmodium gallinaceum in aedes aegypti. | | 1948 | 18867818 |
| studies on cyclic passage of yellow fever virus in south american mammals and mosquitoes; marsupials (metachirus nudicaudatus and marmosa) in combination with aedes aegypti as vector. | | 1948 | 18898700 |
| 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 |
| identification of the weevil immune genes and their expression in the bacteriome tissue. | persistent infections with mutualistic intracellular bacteria (endosymbionts) are well represented in insects and are considered to be a driving force in evolution. however, while pathogenic relationships have been well studied over the last decades very little is known about the recognition of the endosymbionts by the host immune system and the mechanism that limits their infection to the bacteria-bearing host tissue (the bacteriome). | 2008 | 18925938 |
| heartworm and wolbachia: therapeutic implications. | a safer, more effective adulticidal treatment and a safe method for reducing microfilaremia and breaking transmission of heartworm disease early in the treatment are needed. the present study evaluated efficacy of ivermectin (ivm) and doxycycline (doxy) alone or together (with or without melarsomine [mel]) in dogs with induced adult heartworm infection and assessed the ability of microfilariae from doxy-treated dogs to develop to l3 in aedes aegypti mosquitoes and subsequently to become reproduc ... | 2008 | 18930598 |
| effects of inducing or inhibiting apoptosis on sindbis virus replication in mosquito cells. | sindbis virus (sinv) is a mosquito-borne virus in the genus alphavirus, family togaviridae. like most alphaviruses, sinvs exhibit lytic infection (apoptosis) in many mammalian cell types, but are generally thought to cause persistent infection with only moderate cytopathic effects in mosquito cells. however, there have been several reports of apoptotic-like cell death in mosquitoes infected with alphaviruses or flaviviruses. given that apoptosis has been shown to be an antiviral response in othe ... | 2008 | 18931060 |
| tracking epidemic chikungunya virus into the indian ocean from east africa. | the largest documented outbreak of chikungunya virus (chikv) disease occurred in the indian ocean islands and india during 2004-2007. the magnitude of this outbreak led to speculation that a new variant of the virus had emerged that was either more virulent or more easily transmitted by mosquito vectors. to study this assertion, it is important to know the origin of the virus and how the particular strain circulating during the outbreak is related to other known strains. this study genetically c ... | 2008 | 18931072 |
| spatial point analysis based on dengue surveys at household level in central brazil. | dengue virus (denv) affects nonimunne human populations in tropical and subtropical regions. in the americas, dengue has drastically increased in the last two decades and brazil is considered one of the most affected countries. the high frequency of asymptomatic infection makes difficult to estimate prevalence of infection using registered cases and to locate high risk intra-urban area at population level. the goal of this spatial point analysis was to identify potential high-risk intra-urban ar ... | 2008 | 18937868 |
| models for predicting aedes aegypti larval indices based on satellite images and climatic variables. | forecasting models were developed for predicting aedes aegypti larval indices in an endemic area for dengue (cities of tartagal and orán, northwestern argentina), based on the breteau and house indices and environmental variables considered with and without time lags. descriptive models were first developed for each city and each index by multiple linear regressions, followed by a regional model including both cities together. finally, two forecasting regional models (frm) were developed and eva ... | 2008 | 18939688 |
| effectiveness of pyriproxyfen and diflubenzuron formulations as larvicides against aedes aegypti. | the efficacy of technical pyriproxyfen and diflubenzuron was evaluated at the laboratory level against aedes aegypti, where we achieved adult emergence inhibition (ei50) values of 0.048 and 1.59 ppb (microg/liter), respectively. we compared these data with values obtained for temephos. we prepared emulsifiable concentrate formulations of pyriproxyfen and diflubenzuron in the laboratory and obtained ei50 values of 0.01 and 0.02 ppb, respectively. we also obtained 100% adult emergence inhibition w ... | 2008 | 18939692 |
| field evaluation of boric acid- and fipronil-based bait stations against adult mosquitoes. | the effectiveness of boric acid (1%) and fipronil (0.1%) bait stations in reducing the number of laboratory-reared female aedes aegypti and ochlerotatus taeniorhynchus mosquitoes released in outdoor screened cages was evaluated. both toxicants significantly reduced landing rates of the 2 mosquito species on a human subject. however, no significant reduction in the number of adult mosquitoes caught by counterflow geometry (cfg) traps baited with co2 was observed in the boric acid- and fipronil-tr ... | 2008 | 18939695 |
| risk factors for house-entry by culicine mosquitoes in a rural town and satellite villages in the gambia. | abstract: | 2008 | 18939969 |
| intra-specific variation of sperm length in the malaria vector anopheles gambiae: males with shorter sperm have higher reproductive success. | intra-specific variation in sperm length influences male reproductive success in several species of insects. in males of the malaria vector anopheles gambiae, sperm length is highly variable but the significance of this variation is unknown. understanding what determines the reproductive success of male mosquitoes is critical for controlling malaria, and in particular for replacing natural populations with transgenic, malaria-resistant mosquitoes. | 2008 | 18939985 |
| long lasting persistence of bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (bti) in mosquito natural habitats. | background: the detrimental effects of chemical insecticides on the environment and human health have lead to the call for biological alternatives. today, one of the most promising solutions is the use of spray formulations based on bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (bti) in insect control programs. as a result, the amounts of bti spread in the environment are expected to increase worldwide, whilst the common belief that commercial bti is easily cleared from the ecosystem has not yet bee ... | 2008 | 18941501 |
| open source gis for hiv/aids management. | reliable access to basic services can improve a community's resilience to hiv/aids. accordingly, work is being done to upgrade the physical infrastructure in affected areas, often employing a strategy of decentralised service provision. spatial characteristics are one of the major determinants in implementing services, even in the smaller municipal areas, and good quality spatial information is needed to inform decision making processes. however, limited funds, technical infrastructure and human ... | 2008 | 18945338 |
| study of the relationship between aedes (stegomyia) aegypti egg and adult densities, dengue fever and climate in mirassol, state of são paulo, brazil. | the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between aedes aegypti egg and adult density indices, dengue fever and climate in mirassol, state of são paulo, brazil, between november 2004-november 2005. weekly collections of adults and eggs were made using, respectively, manual aspirators and oviposition traps that produced four entomological indices (positivity and average of females and eggs). weekly incidence coefficients were calculated based on dengue cases. each week, the data o ... | 2008 | 18949325 |
| mosquito traps designed to capture aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) females: preliminary comparison of adultrap, mosquitrap and backpack aspirator efficiency in a dengue-endemic area of brazil. | in this report, the efficiency of adultrap under field conditions is compared to a cdc backpack aspirator and to mosquitrap. an urban dengue-endemic area of rio de janeiro was selected to evaluate the efficiency of mosquito traps in capturing aedes aegypti females. adultrap and aspirator captured similar numbers of ae. aegypti females, with the former showing high specificity to gravid individuals (93.6%). a subsequent mark-release-recapture experiment was conducted to evaluate adultrap and mosq ... | 2008 | 18949333 |
| bionomics of aedes aegypti subpopulations (diptera: culicidae) from misiones province, northeastern argentina. | life statistics of four aedes aegypti subpopulations from the subtropical province of misiones were studied during autumn and winter, under semi-natural conditions, coming from the localities of posadas (sw), san javier (se), bernardo de irigoyen (ne) and puerto libertad (nw). the eastern subpopulations are geographically separated by the central mountain system of the province from the western subpopulations. high percentages of larval and pupal survival (97-100%) were recorded, and no signific ... | 2009 | 18951865 |
| a drosophila protein family implicated in pheromone perception is related to tay-sachs gm2-activator protein. | low volatility, lipid-like cuticular hydrocarbon pheromones produced by drosophila melanogaster females play an essential role in triggering and modulating mating behavior, but the chemosensory mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. recently, we showed that the cheb42a protein, which is expressed in only 10 pheromone-sensing taste hairs on the front legs of males, modulates progression to late stages of male courtship behavior in response to female-specific cuticular hydrocarbons. here we ... | 2009 | 18952610 |
| the role of clca proteins in inflammatory airway disease. | inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) exhibit stereotyped traits that are variably expressed in each person. in experimental mouse models of chronic lung disease, these individual disease traits can be genetically segregated and thereby linked to distinct determinants. functional genomic analysis indicates that at least one of these traits, mucous cell metaplasia, depends on members of the calcium-activated chloride channel (clca) gene famil ... | 2009 | 18954282 |
| centrosomedb: a human centrosomal proteins database. | active research on the biology of the centrosome during the past decades has allowed the identification and characterization of many centrosomal proteins. unfortunately, the accumulated data is still dispersed among heterogeneous sources of information. here we present centrosome:db, which intends to compile and integrate relevant information related to the human centrosome. we have compiled a set of 383 likely human centrosomal genes and recorded the associated supporting evidences. centrosome: ... | 2009 | 18971254 |
| mechanism of ns2b-mediated activation of ns3pro in dengue virus: molecular dynamics simulations and bioassays. | the ns2b cofactor is critical for proteolytic activation of the flavivirus ns3 protease. to elucidate the mechanism involved in ns2b-mediated activation of ns3 protease, molecular dynamic simulation, principal component analysis, molecular docking, mutagenesis, and bioassay studies were carried out on both the dengue virus ns3pro and ns2b-ns3pro systems. the results revealed that the ns2b-ns3pro complex is more rigid than ns3pro alone due to its robust hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction n ... | 2009 | 18971276 |
| detection of host virus-reactive antibodies in blood meals of naturally engorged mosquitoes. | although serosurvey in human or animals is a useful and straightforward strategy routinely used for public health, it often faces different types of impediments: ethics, beliefs, limitation by animal owners, hazard of access to wild animals. to survey virus circulation, we applied the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) technique to detect dengue and japanese encephalitis (je) virus-reactive antibodies in blood meals collected from mosquitoes without regard to the potential of mosquito spe ... | 2008 | 18973442 |
| the effect of a single blood meal on the phenotypic expression of insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector anopheles funestus. | anopheles funestus is a major malaria vector in southern africa. vector control relies on the use of insecticide chemicals to significantly reduce the number of malaria vectors by targeting that portion of the female population that takes blood meals and subsequently rests indoors. it has been suggested that the intake of a blood meal may assist female mosquitoes to tolerate higher doses of insecticide through vigour tolerance. it is hypothesized that during the process of blood digestion, detox ... | 2008 | 18973704 |
| mixture for controlling insecticide-resistant malaria vectors. | the spread of resistance to pyrethroids in the major afrotropical malaria vectors anopheles gambiae s.s. necessitates the development of new strategies to control resistant mosquito populations. to test the efficacy of nets treated with repellent and insecticide against susceptible and insecticide-resistant an. gambiae mosquito populations, we impregnated mosquito bed nets with an insect repellent mixed with a low dose of organophosphorous insecticide and tested them in a rice-growing area near ... | 2008 | 18976553 |
| aedes fadd: a novel death domain-containing protein required for antibacterial immunity in the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti. | microbial infections in insects activate a series of immune responses that culminate in the production of antimicrobial peptides (amps). in drosophila, two signaling pathways, govern the challenge-dependent expression of amps; the toll and imd pathways. while amps have been the subject of much research in mosquitoes, the regulation of the pathways required for amp expression remains largely unknown. we report here the identification of aedes fadd (aefadd), a death domain protein in aedes aegypti ... | 2009 | 18977438 |
| dissection of midgut and salivary glands from ae. aegypti mosquitoes. | the mosquito midgut and salivary glands are key entry and exit points for pathogens such as plasmodium parasites and dengue viruses. this video protocol demonstrates dissection techniques for removal of the midgut and salivary glands from aedes aegypti mosquitoes. | 2007 | 18979026 |
| evaluation of two counterflow traps for testing behaviour-mediating compounds for the malaria vector anopheles gambiae s.s. under semi-field conditions in tanzania. | evaluation of mosquito responses towards different trap-bait combinations in field trials is a time-consuming process that can be shortened by experiments in contained semi-field systems. possible use of the bg sentinel (bgs) trap to sample anopheles gambiae s.s. was evaluated. the efficiency of this trap was compared with that of the mosquito magnet-x (mm-x) trap, when baited with foot odour alone or combinations of foot odour with carbon dioxide (co2) or lemongrass as behaviour-modifying cues. | 2008 | 18980669 |
| multigenome dna sequence conservation identifies hox cis-regulatory elements. | to learn how well ungapped sequence comparisons of multiple species can predict cis-regulatory elements in caenorhabditis elegans, we made such predictions across the large, complex ceh-13/lin-39 locus and tested them transgenically. we also examined how prediction quality varied with different genomes and parameters in our comparisons. specifically, we sequenced approximately 0.5% of the c. brenneri and c. sp. 3 ps1010 genomes, and compared five caenorhabditis genomes (c. elegans, c. briggsae, ... | 2008 | 18981268 |
| phase i clinical evaluation of rden4delta30-200,201: a live attenuated dengue 4 vaccine candidate designed for decreased hepatotoxicity. | the rden4delta30-200,201 is a live attenuated denv-4 vaccine candidate specifically designed to further attenuate the rden4delta30 parent virus. in the present study, 28 healthy adult volunteers were randomized to receive either 10(5) plaque-forming unit (pfu) of vaccine (20) or placebo (8) as a single subcutaneous injection. volunteers were evaluated for safety every other day for 16 days. serum neutralizing antibody titer against den4 was determined at study day 28, 42, and 180. the vaccine in ... | 2008 | 18981503 |
| size alters susceptibility of vectors to dengue virus infection and dissemination. | the size of arthropod vectors may affect their ability to transmit pathogens. here we test the hypothesis that body size alters the susceptibility of aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus mosquitoes to dengue virus (denv) infection and subsequent dissemination throughout the body of the mosquito. after feeding on blood containing known quantities of virus, smaller-sized females were significantly more likely to become infected and to disseminate virus than larger individuals. the effects of size we ... | 2008 | 18981505 |
| occurrence, productivity and spatial distribution of key-premises in two dengue-endemic areas of rio de janeiro and their role in adult aedes aegypti spatial infestation pattern. | to evaluate: (1) the occurrence, maintenance, productivity, spatial distribution and premise condition index score of aedes aegypti-infested houses and key-premises in a suburban district (tubiacanga) and a slum (favela do amorim) of rio de janeiro and (2) the role of these factors in adult ae. aegypti female spatial distribution. | 2008 | 18983276 |
| biostable agonists that match or exceed activity of native insect kinins on recombinant arthropod gpcrs. | the multifunctional arthropod 'insect kinins' share the evolutionarily conserved c-terminal pentapeptide motif phe-x(1)-x(2)-trp-gly-nh(2), where x(1)=his, asn, ser, or tyr and x(2)=ser, pro, or ala. insect kinins regulate diuresis in many species of insects. compounds with similar biological activity could be exploited for the control of arthropod pest populations such as the mosquito aedes aegypti (l.) and the southern cattle tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus (canestrini), vectors of hu ... | 2009 | 18983996 |
| spatial and temporal clustering of dengue virus transmission in thai villages. | transmission of dengue viruses (denv), the leading cause of arboviral disease worldwide, is known to vary through time and space, likely owing to a combination of factors related to the human host, virus, mosquito vector, and environment. an improved understanding of variation in transmission patterns is fundamental to conducting surveillance and implementing disease prevention strategies. to test the hypothesis that denv transmission is spatially and temporally focal, we compared geographic and ... | 2008 | 18986209 |
| ex vivo promoter analysis of antiviral heat shock cognate 70b gene in anopheles gambiae. | the anopheles gambiae heat shock cognate gene (hsc70b) encodes a constitutively expressed protein in the hsp70 family and it functions as a molecular chaperone for protein folding. however, the expression of hsc70b can be further induced by certain stimuli such as heat shock and infection. we previously demonstrated that the an. gambiae hsc70b is induced during o'nyong-nyong virus (onnv) infection and subsequently suppresses onnv replication in the mosquito. to further characterize the inducibil ... | 2008 | 18986525 |
| anopheles gambiae apl1 is a family of variable lrr proteins required for rel1-mediated protection from the malaria parasite, plasmodium berghei. | we previously identified by genetic mapping an anopheles gambiae chromosome region with strong influence over the outcome of malaria parasite infection in nature. candidate gene studies in the genetic interval, including functional tests using the rodent malaria parasite plasmodium berghei, identified a novel leucine-rich repeat gene, apl1, with functional activity against p. berghei. | 2008 | 18989366 |
| emerging infections: a perpetual challenge. | emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, and their determinants, have recently attracted substantial scientific and popular attention. hiv/aids, severe acute respiratory syndrome, h5n1 avian influenza, and many other emerging diseases have either proved fatal or caused international alarm. common and interactive co-determinants of disease emergence, including population growth, travel, and environmental disruption, have been increasingly documented and studied. are emerging infections a new ... | 2008 | 18992407 |
| energy metabolism during diapause in culex pipiens mosquitoes. | diapause in overwintering adult female culex pipiens mosquitoes plays an important role in the transmission of west nile and other encephalitis-inducing flaviviruses. to investigate the dynamic metabolic processes that control cx. pipiens diapause, we used radioactive tracer techniques with [(14)c]-glucose to investigate the metabolic fate and flux of glucose in adult mosquitoes reared under diapause (18 degrees c, short day) and non-diapause (27 degrees c, long day) conditions. we found that by ... | 2009 | 18992753 |
| ov-apr-1, an aspartic protease from the carcinogenic liver fluke, opisthorchis viverrini: functional expression, immunolocalization and subsite specificity. | the human liver fluke opisthorchis viverrini is endemic in thailand, laos and cambodia where long standing infection is associated with cancer of the bile ducts, cholangiocarcinoma. here we describe a cathepsin d-like aspartic protease from the gut and other tissues in o. viverrini. phylogenetic analysis indicated that ov-apr-1 is cathepsin d-like, conforming with clan aa, family a1 of the merops classification. ov-apr-1 is expressed in the gut of the mature hermaphroditic parasite, in the repro ... | 2009 | 18996218 |
| acute renal failure in a patient with severe malaria and dengue shock syndrome. | malaria is an infectious disease caused by plasmodium, which lives and breeds in human blood cells, and is transmitted through the bites of anopheles mosquitoes. renal impairment, often caused by malaria, is acute renal failure (arf) due to acute tubular necrosis (atn). dengue virus is transmitted from human to human through aedes aegypti mosquito bites. dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf), the most severe stage of infection, is characterized by bleeding and shock tendencies (dengue shock syndrome, d ... | 2008 | 19000545 |
| occurrence of bacillus thuringiensis in canopies of a natural lucidophyllous forest in japan. | a total of 39 bacillus thuringiensis isolates were recovered from 38 leaves collected from 5- to 10-m-high canopies of 8 micro-/meso-phanerophyte species in a lucidophyllous forest of japan. b. thuringiensis-positive leaves accounted for 1.4% of a total of 2805 leaves from 15 tree species. the frequency of the organism was 0.8% among the bacillus cereus/b. thuringiensis group. of 39 isolates obtained, 27 (69.2%) were allocated to 11 h serovars, and 12 isolates remained unidentified: 11 were moti ... | 2009 | 19002526 |
| enhancing effect of a protein from lonomia obliqua hemolymph on recombinant protein production. | gene expression in animal cells allows large scale production of proteins used for either structure and function studies or therapeutic purposes. maximizing recombinant protein production is necessary to optimize cell growth and protein expression. some studies have demonstrated the presence of pharmacologically active substances in insect hemolymph. in this work, we have identified and purified a protein from lonomia obliqua hemolymph able to increase the production of the rabies virus glycopro ... | 2008 | 19003176 |
| role of an ancestral d-bifunctional protein containing two sterol-carrier protein-2 domains in lipid uptake and trafficking in toxoplasma. | the inability to synthesize cholesterol is universal among protozoa. the intracellular pathogen toxoplasma depends on host lipoprotein-derived cholesterol to replicate in mammalian cells. mechanisms of cholesterol trafficking in this parasite must be important for delivery to proper organelles. we characterized a unique d-bifunctional protein variant expressed by toxoplasma consisting of one n-terminal d-3-hydroxyacyl-coa dehydrogenase domain fused to two tandem sterol carrier protein-2 (scp-2) ... | 2009 | 19005217 |
| examining the relative activity of several dicistrovirus intergenic internal ribosome entry site elements in uninfected insect and mammalian cell lines. | comparisons of the relative activities of 11 intergenic region (igr) internal ribosome entry site (ires) elements of insect dicistrovirus with 5' ires elements of the hepatitis c and encephalomyocarditis viruses were performed in insect and mammalian cells. dual luciferase assays were performed to determine the most effective dicistrovirus igr ires in the lepidopteran cell lines sf9 (spodoptera frugiperda) and bmn (bombyx mori), and the dipteran cell lines s2 (drosophila melanogaster) and atc-10 ... | 2008 | 19008405 |
| insights into rna unwinding and atp hydrolysis by the flavivirus ns3 protein. | together with the ns5 polymerase, the ns3 helicase has a pivotal function in flavivirus rna replication and constitutes an important drug target. we captured the dengue virus ns3 helicase at several stages along the catalytic pathway including bound to single-stranded (ss) rna, to an atp analogue, to a transition-state analogue and to atp hydrolysis products. rna recognition appears largely sequence independent in a way remarkably similar to eukaryotic dead box proteins vasa and eif4aiii. on ssr ... | 2008 | 19008861 |
| mosquito runx4 in the immune regulation of ppo gene expression and its effect on avian malaria parasite infection. | prophenoloxidases (ppos) are key enzymes of the melanization reaction, which is a prominent defense mechanism of arthropods. the mosquito aedes aegypti has ten ppo genes in the genome, four of which (ppo1, ppo3, ppo5, and ppo8) were expressed in response to microbial infection. cactus depletion resulted in transcriptional activation of these four genes, suggesting this up-regulation to be under the control of the toll pathway. the silencing of cactus also led to developmental arrest and death of ... | 2008 | 19011100 |
| expression of the cytochrome p450s, cyp6p3 and cyp6m2 are significantly elevated in multiple pyrethroid resistant populations of anopheles gambiae s.s. from southern benin and nigeria. | insecticide resistance in anopheles mosquitoes is threatening the success of malaria control programmes. this is particularly true in benin where pyrethroid resistance has been linked to the failure of insecticide treated bed nets. the role of mutations in the insecticide target sites in conferring resistance has been clearly established. in this study, the contribution of other potential resistance mechanisms was investigated in anopheles gambiae s.s. from a number of localities in southern ben ... | 2008 | 19014539 |
| salty dog, an slc5 symporter, modulates drosophila response to salt stress. | to regulate their internal environments, organisms must adapt to varying ion levels in their diet. adult drosophila were exposed to dietary salt stress, and their physiological, survival, and gene expression responses monitored. insects continued to feed on nacl-elevated diet, although levels >4% wt/vol ultimately proved fatal. affymetrix microarray analysis of flies fed on diet containing elevated nacl showed a phased response: the earliest response was widespread upregulation of immune genes, ... | 2009 | 19018044 |
| ecdysteroid ligand-receptor selectivity--exploring trends to design orthogonal gene switches. | a set of thirty-two natural and ten semisynthetic ecdysteroids was assayed in murine 3t3 cells across ten different ecdysteroid receptor (ecr) ligand-binding domains derived from nine arthropod species in an engineered gene switch format. among the ecdysteroids tested, the most biologically widespread ecdysteroid, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e), was moderately and consistently potent across the tested ecrs. the most potent ligand-receptor combination (ec(50) = 0.3 nm) was ponasterone a (poa) actuating ... | 2008 | 19021756 |
| exploring the mialome of ticks: an annotated catalogue of midgut transcripts from the hard tick, dermacentor variabilis (acari: ixodidae). | ticks are obligate blood feeders. the midgut is the first major region of the body where blood and microbes ingested with the blood meal come in contact with the tick's internal tissues. little is known about protein expression in the digestive tract of ticks. in this study, for analysis of global gene expression during tick attachment and feeding, we generated and sequenced 1,679 random transcripts (ests) from cdna libraries from the midguts of female ticks at varying stages of feeding. | 2008 | 19021911 |
| effect of nitric oxide on dengue virus replication in aedes aegypti and anopheles albimanus. | dengue virus (denv) is transmitted to humans by aedes sp. mosquitoes. little is known about the cellular and molecular interactions between the virus and the mosquito. the identification of resistance mechanisms could provide insight for the development of control strategies based on genetic manipulation. | 2008 | 19023217 |
| vectorbase: a data resource for invertebrate vector genomics. | vectorbase (http://www.vectorbase.org) is an niaid-funded bioinformatic resource center focused on invertebrate vectors of human pathogens. vectorbase annotates and curates vector genomes providing a web accessible integrated resource for the research community. currently, vectorbase contains genome information for three mosquito species: aedes aegypti, anopheles gambiae and culex quinquefasciatus, a body louse pediculus humanus and a tick species ixodes scapularis. since our last report vectorb ... | 2009 | 19028744 |
| biochemical and structural properties of mouse kynurenine aminotransferase iii. | kynurenine aminotransferase iii (kat iii) has been considered to be involved in the production of mammalian brain kynurenic acid (kyna), which plays an important role in protecting neurons from overstimulation by excitatory neurotransmitters. the enzyme was identified based on its high sequence identity with mammalian kat i, but its activity toward kynurenine and its structural characteristics have not been established. in this study, the biochemical and structural properties of mouse kat iii (m ... | 2009 | 19029248 |
| dengue virus in aedes aegypti larvae and infestation dynamics in roraima, brazil. | to detect the presence of dengue virus in larval forms of aedes aegypti and to associate vector presence with rainfall and incidence of disease. | 2008 | 19031506 |
| the anopheles gambiae adult midgut peritrophic matrix proteome. | malaria is a devastating disease. for transmission to occur, plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, must complete a complex developmental cycle in its mosquito vector. thus, the mosquito is a potential target for disease control. plasmodium ookinetes, which develop within the mosquito midgut, must first cross the midgut's peritrophic matrix (pm), a thick extracellular sheath that completely surrounds the blood meal. the pm poses a partial, natural barrier against parasite invasion of the mi ... | 2009 | 19038338 |
| alphavirus-derived small rnas modulate pathogenesis in disease vector mosquitoes. | mosquito-borne viruses cause significant levels of morbidity and mortality in humans and domesticated animals. maintenance of mosquito-borne viruses in nature requires a biological transmission cycle that involves alternating virus replication in a susceptible vertebrate and mosquito host. although the vertebrate infection is acute and often associated with disease, continual transmission of these viruses in nature depends on the establishment of a persistent, nonpathogenic infection in the mosq ... | 2008 | 19047642 |
| paradoxical effects of sublethal exposure to the naturally derived insecticide spinosad in the dengue vector mosquito, aedes aegypti. | recent studies have indicated that spinosad, a mixture of two tetracyclic macrolide compounds produced during the fermentation of a soil actinomycete, may be suitable for controlling a number of medically important mosquito species, including the dengue vector, aedes aegypti l. the authors determined the effects of a 1 h exposure to a 50% lethal concentration (lc(50)) of spinosad in the larval stage on the wing length, longevity and reproductive capacity of the adult survivors. | 2009 | 19051219 |
| dengue virus-infected aedes aegypti in the home environment. | we determined abundance of aedes aegypti mosquitoes and presence of dengue virus (denv) in females collected from premises of laboratory-confirmed dengue patients over a 12-month period (march 2007 to february 2008) in merida, mexico. backpack aspiration from 880 premises produced 1,836 females and 1,292 males indoors (predominantly from bedrooms) and 102 females and 108 males from patios/backyards. the mean weekly indoor catch rate per home peaked at 7.8 females in late august. outdoor abundanc ... | 2008 | 19052309 |
| short report: comparison of oral infectious dose of west nile virus isolates representing three distinct genotypes in culex quinquefasciatus. | phylogenetic analysis of west nile virus in north america has identified replacement of the originally introduced clade, eastern united states (ny99), by the north american clade. in addition, the transient emergence of other clades and genetic variants has also been observed. in this study, we investigated the potential role of the mosquito in the selection of these clades and genetic variants. we determined the relative susceptibility of culex quinquefasciatus to infection with isolates from t ... | 2008 | 19052310 |
| the aedes aegypti larval transcriptome: a comparative perspective with emphasis on trypsins and the domain structure of peritrophins. | the genome sequence of aedes aegypti was recently reported. a significant amount of expressed sequence tags (ests) were sequenced to aid in the gene prediction process. in the present work we describe an integrated analysis of the genomic and est data, focusing on genes with preferential expression in larvae (lg), adults (ag) and in both stages (sg). a total of 913 genes (5.4% of the transcript complement) are lg, including ion transporters and cuticle proteins that are important for ion homeost ... | 2009 | 19054160 |
| targeting the x chromosome during spermatogenesis induces y chromosome transmission ratio distortion and early dominant embryo lethality in anopheles gambiae. | we have exploited the high selectivity of the homing endonuclease i-ppoi for the x-linked anopheles gambiae 28s ribosomal genes to selectively target x chromosome carrying spermatozoa. our data demonstrated that in heterozygous males, the expression of i-ppoi in the testes induced a strong bias toward y chromosome-carrying spermatozoa. notably, these male mosquitoes also induced complete early dominant embryo lethality in crosses with wild-type females. morphological and molecular data indicated ... | 2008 | 19057670 |
| rio de janeiro against aedes aegypti: yellow fever in 1908 and dengue in 2008 - editorial. | | 2008 | 19057810 |
| persistency of transovarial dengue virus in aedes aegypti (linn.). | a study was conducted to examine the persistency of transovarial dengue virus type 2 (den-2) in a selangor strain of aedes aegypti mosquitoes. two hundred 4-5 day old female mosquitoes were fed with blood containing dengue virus. the infected mosquitoes were reared to the 7th generation; each generation was screened for the virus using immunological staining methods. the virus was detectable until the 5th generation but absent in the 6th and the 7th generations. therefore, dengue virus type 2 ca ... | 2008 | 19058573 |
| six months of aedes aegypti control with a novel controlled-release formulation of pyriproxyfen in domestic water storage containers in cambodia. | a field evaluation of a novel, 5% controlled-release formulation of pyriproxyfen was carried out in 400-500 liter concrete water storage jars, the most common and important larval habitat of the dengue vector, aedes aegypti, in cambodia. the formulation consisted of cylindrical resin strands, 3 mm in diameter and 40 mm in length. pyriproxyfen was applied to 100 jars at a target dose of 0.03-0.04 mg of active ingredient (a.i.) per liter (30-40 ppb) in households in phum thmei, a village near the ... | 2008 | 19058575 |
| impact of larviciding with a bacillus thuringiensis israelensis formulation, vectobac wg, on dengue mosquito vectors in a dengue endemic site in selangor state, malaysia. | the field bioefficacy of a wettable granule (wg) formulation of bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (bti), vectobac wg (bti strain am65-52) against dengue vectors, aedes aegypti and ae albopictus; was evaluated in a suburban residential area (tst) and in a temporary settlement site (kb) in the state of selangor, malaysia. pre-control ovitrap surveillance of the trial sites indicated a high population of both types of aedes mosquitoes. the populations were monitored continuously by weekly ovitrapp ... | 2008 | 19058596 |
| anopheles gambiae males produce and transfer the vitellogenic steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone to females during mating. | in female insects, the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e) plays a major role in activating vitellogenesis, a process required for egg development. by contrast with vertebrates, production of large amounts of hormonal steroids has not been reported in adult male insects. in the present study, we analyzed steroidogenesis in both male and female adult of the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae and we found that a. gambiae male mosquitoes produce high amounts of the steroid hormone 20e. importa ... | 2008 | 19060216 |
| chikungunya: a paradigm of emergence and globalization of vector-borne diseases. | chikungunya (chik) fever is a tropical arboviral disease responsible for acute polyarthritis which can last for weeks to months. in 2007, the chikungunya virus (chikv) reached europe. since the beginning of this outbreak, several million cases of chikungunya virus disease have occurred in autochthonous populations and in travelers who were diagnosed after they returned home from epidemic areas. chikv, usually transmitted by aedes aegypti mosquitoes, has now been repeatedly associated with a new ... | 2008 | 19061754 |
| [cost-benefit analysis of vector control in areas of potential dengue transmission]. | to evaluate the cost-benefit of an intervention utilizing fumigation against adult mosquitoes along with actions to control immature aedes aegypti to prevent transmission in a high-risk area. | 2008 | 19062602 |
| venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in iquitos, peru: urban transmission of a sylvatic strain. | enzootic strains of venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (veev) have been isolated from febrile patients in the peruvian amazon basin at low but consistent levels since the early 1990s. through a clinic-based febrile surveillance program, we detected an outbreak of veev infections in iquitos, peru, in the first half of 2006. the majority of these patients resided within urban areas of iquitos, with no report of recent travel outside the city. to characterize the risk factors for veev infection w ... | 2008 | 19079600 |
| the history and evolution of human dengue emergence. | dengue viruses (denv) are the most important human arboviral pathogens. transmission in tropical and subtropical regions of the world includes a sylvatic, enzootic cycle between nonhuman primates and arboreal mosquitoes of the genus aedes, and an urban, endemic/epidemic cycle principally between aedes aegypti, a mosquito that exploits peridomestic water containers as its larval habitats, and human reservoir hosts that are preferred for blood feeding. genetic studies suggest that all four serotyp ... | 2008 | 19081488 |
| calculating the survival rate and estimated population density of gravid aedes aegypti (diptera, culicidae) in rio de janeiro, brazil. | population size and daily survival rates of disease vectors are important determinants of vectorial capacity. a mark-release-recapture experiment was conducted in a dengue endemic urban neighborhood of rio de janeiro, brazil, to estimate population size, survival rate and vectorial capacity of aedes aegypti females using back-pack aspirators and gravid sticky traps (mosquitrap). estimations of the gravid female population size were different when using data gathered from just the mosquitrap (3,5 ... | 2008 | 19082265 |
| bacillus sphaericus mtx1 and mtx2 toxins co-expressed in escherichia coli are synergistic against aedes aegypti larvae. | mtx1 and mtx2 are mosquitocidal toxins produced by some strains of bacillus sphaericus during vegetative phase of growth. mtx1 from b. sphaericus 2297 shows higher toxicity against culex quinquefasciatus larvae than to aedes aegypti larvae whereas mtx2 from b. sphaericus 2297 shows lower toxicity against c. quinquefasciatus than to a. aegypti larvae. to test synergism of these toxins against a. aegypti larvae, mtx1 and mtx2 genes were cloned into a single plasmid and expressed in escherichia col ... | 2009 | 19082531 |
| efficacy of a new combined larvicidal-adulticidal ultralow volume formulation against aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae), vector of dengue. | a new ultralow volume formulation (ulv) containing permethrin as an adulticidal active ingredient and the insect growth regulator (igr) pyriproxyfen as a larvicide was developed and its efficacy evaluated in a field trial in wanda, misiones (argentina). two separate study areas were sprayed: one with a ulv formulation of permethrin 15% plus pyriproxyfen 3% and the other with permethrin 15% only. a third untreated area was kept as a control. sentinel cages containing adult mosquitoes and jars con ... | 2009 | 19082625 |
| identification of a complex peptidergic neuroendocrine network in the hard tick, rhipicephalus appendiculatus. | neuropeptides are crucial regulators of development and various physiological functions but little is known about their identity, expression and function in vectors of pathogens causing serious diseases, such as ticks. therefore, we have used antibodies against multiple insect and crustacean neuropeptides to reveal the presence of these bioactive molecules in peptidergic neurons and cells of the ixodid tick rhipicephalus appendiculatus. these antibodies have detected 15 different immunoreactive ... | 2009 | 19082627 |
| efficacy of different treatment regimes against setariosis (setaria tundra, nematoda: filarioidea) and associated peritonitis in reindeer. | when a severe peritonitis outbreak in semi-domesticated reindeer was noticed in 2003 in finland, the concerned industry urged immediate preventive actions in order to avoid detrimental effects of s. tundra and further economical losses. a research programme was swiftly initiated to study s. tundra and its impact on the health and wellbeing of reindeer. | 2008 | 19087262 |
| molecular analysis of photic inhibition of blood-feeding in anopheles gambiae. | anopheles gambiae mosquitoes exhibit an endophilic, nocturnal blood feeding behavior. despite the importance of light as a regulator of malaria transmission, our knowledge on the molecular interactions between environmental cues, the circadian oscillators and the host seeking and feeding systems of the anopheles mosquitoes is limited. | 2008 | 19087335 |
| novel virus discovery in field-collected mosquito larvae using an improved system for rapid determination of viral rna sequences (rdv ver4.0). | in this study, we improved a method for rapid determination of viral rna sequences (rdv) to overcome the limitations of previous versions. the rdv ver4.0 method can detect rna sequences with at least 1,000 copies as starting material. a novel virus, which was isolated from field-collected aedes aegypti larvae in the phasi charoen district of thailand using c6/36 cells, was identified using the rdv ver4.0 protocol. the virus was named phasi charoen virus (phav). we used a high-throughput pyrosequ ... | 2009 | 19089585 |
| resistance of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) in 2006 to pyrethroid insecticides in indonesia and its association with oxidase and esterase levels. | three strains of aedes aegypti collected in 2006 from three major cities in indonesia, i.e., bandung, palembang and surabaya, were tested to determine their resistance status to pyrethroid (permethrin and deltamethrin) and also the resistance mechanisms regarding three detoxifying enzymes, i.e., oxidase, esterase a and esterase b. the resistance level was expressed as resistance ratio (rr) compared to the susceptible vcru strain. results of this study showed that ae. aegypti in indonesia has dev ... | 2007 | 19093483 |
| larval competition differentially affects arbovirus infection in aedes mosquitoes. | both density-mediated and trait-mediated indirect biotic interactions may be important in structuring communities. indirect interactions in many study systems remain unexplored; in part, because they are often difficult to detect, and in many instances, have been identified empirically only when unexpected results arise. indirect effects induced by competition may be particularly important among organisms with complex life cycles, wherein competitive effects experienced in one life stage influen ... | 2005 | 19096729 |
| detection of an allele conferring resistance to bacillus sphaericus binary toxin in culex quinquefasciatus populations by molecular screening. | the activity of the bacillus sphaericus binary (bin) toxin on culex quinquefasciatus larvae depends on its specific binding to the cqm1 receptor, a midgut membrane-bound alpha-glucosidase. a 19-nucleotide deletion in the cqm1 gene (cqm1(rec)) mediates high-level resistance to bin toxin. here, resistance in nontreated and b. sphaericus-treated field populations of c. quinquefasciatus was assessed through bioassays as well as a specific pcr assay designed to detect the cqm1(rec) allele in individu ... | 2009 | 19098223 |
| 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 |
| the chikungunya epidemic in italy and its repercussion on the blood system. | the chikungunya virus (chikv) is transmitted by aedes mosquitoes and recently caused a massive epidemic on la réunion island, in the indian ocean. between july and september 2007 it caused the first autochthonous epidemic outbreak in europe, in the region of emilia-romagna in the north-east of italy. | 2008 | 19112735 |
| impact of pre-seasonal focal treatment on population densities of the mosquito aedes aegypti in trinidad, west indies: a preliminary study. | a new pre-seasonal focal treatment strategy against aedes aegypti l. (diptera: culicidae) mosquitoes is described for the first time. it was evaluated for 25 weeks using ovitraps, and larval and pupal surveys in the townships of curepe (treated) and st. joseph (untreated), trinidad, west indies. both townships were similar with respect to number of houses, size of human populations, the number of ae. aegypti infested houses and containers. in march 2003, a total of 9403 containers were inspected ... | 2009 | 19114025 |
| molecular profiling of t-helper immune genes during dengue virus infection. | in this study, we provide a comprehensive molecular profiling of the involvement of t- helper (th) genes during dengue virus infection of different cell types. the th gene profiles of three human cell types (monocytes, t-cells and hepatocytes) were analyzed simultaneously via array-based rt-pcr upon infection with dengue virus. differential regulation of 41 th genes was identified and of which 20 of those genes may contribute to immuno-pathogenesis of dengue virus infection by regulating inflamm ... | 2008 | 19117515 |
| stable introduction of a life-shortening wolbachia infection into the mosquito aedes aegypti. | most pathogens require a relatively long period of development in their mosquito vector before they can be transmitted to a new human host; hence, only older insects are of epidemiological importance. the successful transfer of a life-shortening strain of the inherited bacterial symbiont, wolbachia, into the major mosquito vector of dengue, aedes aegypti, halved adult life span under laboratory conditions. the association is stable, and the wolbachia strain is maternally inherited at high freque ... | 2009 | 19119237 |
| identification of immune-responsive genes in the mosquito culex quinquefasciatus infected with the filarial parasite wuchereria bancrofti. | several antimicrobial/parasitic peptides are known to be upregulated in mosquitoes upon infection with parasites. the aim of this study was to identify immune-responsive genes in the vector mosquito, culex quinquefasciatus say (diptera: culicidae) against the human lymphatic filarial parasite, wuchereria bancrofti (cobbold) (spirurida: onchocercidae). suppression subtractive hybridization was performed using rna from filarial infected and non-infected mosquitoes to obtain differentially expresse ... | 2008 | 19120967 |
| vectors and transmission dynamics for setaria tundra (filarioidea; onchocercidae), a parasite of reindeer in finland. | abstract: | 2009 | 19126197 |
| tobacco arp3 is localized to actin-nucleating sites in vivo. | the polarity of actin is a central determinant of intracellular transport in plant cells. to visualize actin polarity in living plant cells, the tobacco homologue of the actin-related protein 3 (arp3) was cloned and a fusion with the red fluorescent protein (rfp) was generated. upon transient expression of these fusions in the tobacco cell line by-2 (nicotiana tabacum l. cv. bright yellow 2), punctate structures were observed near the nuclear envelope and in the cortical plasma. these dots could ... | 2009 | 19129161 |
| expression profiles of urbilaterian genes uniquely shared between honey bee and vertebrates. | large-scale comparison of metazoan genomes has revealed that a significant fraction of genes of the last common ancestor of bilateria (urbilateria) is lost in each animal lineage. this event could be one of the underlying mechanisms involved in generating metazoan diversity. however, the present functions of these ancient genes have not been addressed extensively. to understand the functions and evolutionary mechanisms of such ancient urbilaterian genes, we carried out comprehensive expression p ... | 2009 | 19138430 |