| dominant negative phenotype of bacillus thuringiensis cry1ab, cry11aa and cry4ba mutants suggest hetero-oligomer formation among different cry toxins. | bacillus thuringiensis cry toxins are used worldwide in the control of different insect pests important in agriculture or in human health. the cry proteins are pore-forming toxins that affect the midgut cell of target insects. it was shown that non-toxic cry1ab helix α-4 mutants had a dominant negative (dn) phenotype inhibiting the toxicity of wildtype cry1ab when used in equimolar or sub-stoichiometric ratios (1∶1, 0.5∶1, mutant∶wt) indicating that oligomer formation is a key step in toxicity o ... | 2011 | 21603577 |
| novel transposable elements from anopheles gambiae. | abstract: background: transposable elements (tes) are dna sequences, present in the genome of most eukaryotic organisms, that hold the key characteristic of being able to mobilize and increase their copy number within chromosomes. these elements are important for eukaryotic genome structure and evolution and lately have been considered as potential drivers for introducing transgenes into pathogen transmitting insects as a means to control vector borne diseases. the aim of this work was to catalo ... | 2011 | 21605407 |
| variation in vector competence for dengue viruses does not depend on mosquito midgut binding affinity. | dengue virus genotypes of southeast asian origin have been associated with higher virulence and transmission compared to other genotypes of serotype 2 (den-2). we tested the hypothesis that genetic differences in dengue viruses may result in differential binding to the midgut of the primary vector, aedes aegypti, resulting in increased transmission or vectorial capacity. | 2011 | 21610852 |
| comparative genomic analysis of chitinase and chitinase-like genes in the african malaria mosquito (anopheles gambiae). | chitinase is an important enzyme responsible for chitin metabolism in a wide range of organisms including bacteria, yeasts and other fungi, nematodes and arthropods. however, current knowledge on chitinolytic enzymes, especially their structures, functions and regulation is very limited. in this study we have identified 20 chitinase and chitinase-like genes in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, through genome-wide searching and transcript profiling. we assigned these genes into eig ... | 2011 | 21611131 |
| phylogenetic distribution of intron positions in alpha-amylase genes of bilateria suggests numerous gains and losses. | most eukaryotes have at least some genes interrupted by introns. while it is well accepted that introns were already present at moderate density in the last eukaryote common ancestor, the conspicuous diversity of intron density among genomes suggests a complex evolutionary history, with marked differences between phyla. the question of the rates of intron gains and loss in the course of evolution and factors influencing them remains controversial. we have investigated a single gene family, alpha ... | 2011 | 21611157 |
| an investigation of phenylthiazole antiflaviviral agents. | flaviviruses are one of the most clinically important pathogens and their infection rates are increasing steadily. the phenylthiazole ring system has provided a template for the design and synthesis of antiviral agents that inhibit the flaviviruses by targeting their e-protein. unfortunately, there is a correlation between phenylthiazole antiflaviviral activity and the presence of the reactive and therefore potentially toxic mono- or dibromomethyl moieties at thiazole-c4. adding a linear hydroph ... | 2011 | 21612931 |
| dengue virus immunoglobulin m detection in a reference laboratory setting during the 2010 dengue virus outbreak on caribbean islands. | a large outbreak of dengue virus (dv) infections occurred on caribbean islands during 2010, with cases peaking during the second half of the year. in conjunction with the outbreak, we observed an unprecedented spike in the number of sera submitted for dv antibody testing between june and december 2010, with a concomitant increase in the number of igm-positive specimens, indicative of acute dv infection. analysis of the place of residence of the igm-positive patients identified june-december 2010 ... | 2011 | 21613462 |
| essential oil composition of five collections of achillea biebersteinii from central turkey and their antifungal and insecticidal activity. | the composition of the essential oils hydrodistilled from the aerial parts of five achillea biebersteinii afan samples, collected in central turkey from konya, isparta and ankara, were analyzed both by gas chromatography (gc-fid) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (gc-ms). eighty-four components were identified, representing 87 to 99% of the total oil composition. the identified major components were 1,8-cineole (9-37%), camphor (16-30%) and p-cymene (1-27%). two samples differed in piperi ... | 2011 | 21615036 |
| rnai knock-downs support roles for the mucin-like (aeimuc1) gene and short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (sdr) gene in aedes aegypti susceptibility to plasmodium gallinaceum. | the mosquito midgut represents the first barrier encountered by the plasmodium parasite (haemosporida: plasmodiidae) when it is ingested in blood from an infected vertebrate. previous studies identified the aedes aegypti (l.) (diptera: culicidae) mucin-like (aeimuc1) and short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (sdr) genes as midgut-expressed candidate genes influencing susceptibility to infection by plasmodium gallinaceum (brumpt). we used rna inference (rnai) by double-stranded rna (dsrna) injectio ... | 2011 | 21615441 |
| susceptibility of adult female aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) to the entomopathogenic fungus metarhizium anisopliae is modified following blood feeding. | abstract: background: the mosquito aedes aegypti, vector of dengue fever, is a target for control by entomopathogenic fungi. recent studies by our group have shown the susceptibility of adult a. aegypti to fungal infection by metarhizium anisopliae. this fungus is currently being tested under field conditions. however, it is unknown whether blood-fed a. aegypti females are equally susceptible to infection by entomopathogenic fungi as sucrose fed females. insect populations will be composed of fe ... | 2011 | 21615890 |
| yellow fever virus envelope protein expressed in insect cells is capable of syncytium formation in lepidopteran cells and could be used for immunodetection of yfv in human sera. | abstract: background: yellow fever is an haemorrhagic disease caused by a virus that belongs to the genus flavivirus (flaviviridae family) and is transmitted by mosquitoes. among the viral proteins, the envelope protein (e) is the most studied one, due to its high antigenic potencial. baculovirus are one of the most popular and efficient eukaryotic expression system. in this study a recombinant baculovirus (vsynyfe) containing the envelope gene (env) of the 17d vaccine strain of yellow fever vir ... | 2011 | 21619598 |
| the participation of calponin in the cross talk between 20-hydroxyecdysone and juvenile hormone signaling pathways by phosphorylation variation. | 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e) and juvenile hormone (jh) signaling pathways interact to mediate insect development, but the mechanism of this interaction is poorly understood. here, a calponin homologue domain (chd) containing protein (hacal) is reported to play a key role in the cross talk between 20e and jh signaling by varying its phosphorylation. chd is known as an actin binding domain present in many proteins including some signaling proteins. using an epidermal cell line (haepi), hacal was found ... | 2011 | 21625546 |
| wolbachia infections are virulent and inhibit the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum in anopheles gambiae. | endosymbiotic wolbachia bacteria are potent modulators of pathogen infection and transmission in multiple naturally and artificially infected insect species, including important vectors of human pathogens. anopheles mosquitoes are naturally uninfected with wolbachia, and stable artificial infections have not yet succeeded in this genus. recent techniques have enabled establishment of somatic wolbachia infections in anopheles. here, we characterize somatic infections of two diverse wolbachia stra ... | 2011 | 21625582 |
| mosquito species abundance and diversity in malindi, kenya and their potential implication in pathogen transmission. | mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) are important vectors of human disease-causing pathogens. mosquitoes are found both in rural and urban areas. deteriorating infrastructure, poor access to health, water and sanitation services, increasing population density, and widespread poverty contribute to conditions that modify the environment, which directly influences the risk of disease within the urban and peri-urban ecosystem. the objective of this study was to evaluate the mosquito vector abundance and ... | 2011 | 21626425 |
| host alternation is necessary to maintain the genome stability of rift valley fever virus. | most arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are rna viruses, which are maintained in nature by replication cycles that alternate between arthropod and vertebrate hosts. arboviruses appear to experience lower rates of evolution than rna viruses that replicate in a single host. this genetic stability is assumed to result from a fitness trade-off imposed by host alternation, which constrains arbovirus genome evolution. to test this hypothesis, we used rift valley fever virus (rvfv), an arbovirus tha ... | 2011 | 21629727 |
| tissue and stage-specific distribution of wolbachia in brugia malayi. | most filarial parasite species contain wolbachia, obligatory bacterial endosymbionts that are crucial for filarial development and reproduction. they are targets for alternative chemotherapy, but their role in the biology of filarial nematodes is not well understood. light microscopy provides important information on morphology, localization and potential function of these bacteria. surprisingly, immunohistology and in situ hybridization techniques have not been widely used to monitor wolbachia ... | 2011 | 21629728 |
| efficacy of a tetravalent chimeric dengue vaccine (denvax) in cynomolgus macaques. | abstract. three tetravalent formulations of chimeric dengue (denvax) viruses containing the pre-membrane and envelope genes of serotypes 1-4 expressed by the attenuated denv-2 pdk-53 genome were tested for safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy in cynomolgus macaques (macaca fascicularis). subcutaneous injection of the denvax formulations was well-tolerated. low levels of viremia of only one of the four vaccine viruses were detected yet virus neutralizing antibody titers were induced against all f ... | 2011 | 21633037 |
| transmission potential of two chimeric chikungunya vaccine candidates in the urban mosquito vectors, aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus. | abstract. chikungunya virus (chikv) is an emerging, mosquito-borne alphavirus that has caused major epidemics in africa and asia. we developed chimeric vaccine candidates using the non-structural protein genes of either venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (veev) attenuated vaccine strain tc-83 or a naturally attenuated strain of eastern equine encephalitis virus (eeev) and the structural genes of chikv. because the transmission of genetically modified live vaccine strains is undesirable because ... | 2011 | 21633043 |
| a protocol for collecting and staining hemocytes from the yellow fever mosquito <em>aedes aegypti</em>. | mosquitoes are vectors for a number of disease-causing pathogens such as the yellow fever virus, malaria parasites and filarial worms. laboratories are investigating anti-pathogen components of the innate immune system in disease vector species in the hopes of generating transgenic mosquitoes that are refractory to such pathogens(1, 2). the innate immune system of mosquitoes consists of several lines of defense (3). pathogens that manage to escape the barrier imposed by the epithelium-lined mosq ... | 2011 | 21633325 |
| prospective field study of transovarial dengue-virus transmission by two different forms of aedes aegypti in an urban area of bangkok, thailand. | a prospective field study was conducted to determine transovarial dengue-virus transmission in two forms of aedes aegypti mosquitoes in an urban district of bangkok, thailand. immature aedes mosquitoes were collected monthly for one year and reared continuously until adulthood in the laboratory. mosquitoes assayed for dengue virus were processed in pools and their dengue virus infection status was determined by one-step rt-pcr and nested-pcr methods. of a total 15,457 newly emerged adult ae. aeg ... | 2011 | 21635652 |
| ultra-prolonged activation of co2-sensing neurons disorients mosquitoes. | carbon dioxide (co(2)) present in exhaled air is the most important sensory cue for female blood-feeding mosquitoes, causing activation of long-distance host-seeking flight, navigation towards the vertebrate host and, in the case of aedes aegypti, increased sensitivity to skin odours. the co(2) detection machinery is therefore an ideal target to disrupt host seeking. here we use electrophysiological assays to identify a volatile odorant that causes an unusual, ultra-prolonged activation of co(2) ... | 2011 | 21637258 |
| genotoxicity of lapachol evaluated by wing spot test of drosophila melanogaster. | this study investigated the genotoxicity of lapachol (lap) evaluated by wing spot test of drosophila melanogaster in the descendants from standard (st) and high bioactivation (hb) crosses. this assay detects the loss of heterozygosity of marker genes expressed phenotypically on the fly's wings. drosophila has extensive genetic homology to mammals, which makes it a suitable model organism for genotoxic investigations. three-day-old larvae from st crosses (females flr(3)/tm3, bd(s) x males mwh/mwh ... | 2010 | 21637432 |
| ns3 protease from flavivirus as a target for designing antiviral inhibitors against dengue virus. | the development of novel therapeutic agents is essential for combating the increasing number of cases of dengue fever in endemic countries and among a large number of travelers from non-endemic countries. the dengue virus has three structural proteins and seven non-structural (ns) proteins. ns3 is a multifunctional protein with an n-terminal protease domain (ns3pro) that is responsible for proteolytic processing of the viral polyprotein, and a c-terminal region that contains an rna triphosphatas ... | 2010 | 21637471 |
| isolation and characterization of genes functionally involved in ovarian development of the giant tiger shrimp penaeus monodon by suppression subtractive hybridization (ssh). | suppression subtractive hybridization (ssh) libraries between cdna in stages i (previtellogenic) and iii (cortical rod) ovaries of the giant tiger shrimp (penaeus monodon) were established. in all, 452 ests were unidirectionally sequenced. sequence assembly generated 28 contigs and 201 singletons, 109 of which (48.0%) corresponding to known sequences previously deposited in genbank. several reproduction-related transcripts were identified. the full-length cdna of anaphase promoting complex subun ... | 2010 | 21637577 |
| evidence of two lineages of the dengue vector aedes aegypti in the brazilian amazon, based on mitochondrial dna nd4 gene sequences. | genetic variation was estimated in ten samples populations of aedes aegypti from the brazilian amazon, by using a 380 bp fragment of the mitochocondrial nadh dehydrogenase subunit 4 (nd4) gene. a total of 123 individuals were analyzed, whereby 13 haplotypes were found. mean genetic diversity was slightly high (h = 0.666 ± 0.029; π = 0.0115 ± 0.0010). two amova analyses indicated that most of the variation (~70%-72%) occurred within populations. the variation found among and between populations w ... | 2009 | 21637700 |
| complete sequences of mitochondria genomes of aedes aegypti and culex quinquefasciatus and comparative analysis of mitochondrial dna fragments inserted in the nuclear genomes. | we present complete sequences of the mitochondrial genomes for two important mosquitoes, aedes aegypti and culex quinquefasciatus, that are major vectors of dengue virus and lymphatic filariasis, respectively. the a. aegypti mitochondrial genome is 16,655 bp in length and that of c.quinquefasciatus is 15,587 bp, yet both contain 13 protein coding genes, 22 transfer rna (trna) genes, one 12s ribosomal rna (rrna) gene, one 16s rrna gene and a control region (cr) in the same order. the difference i ... | 2011 | 21640823 |
| pyrosequencing-based expression profiling and identification of differentially regulated genes from manduca sexta, a lepidopteran model insect. | although manduca sexta has significantly contributed to our knowledge on a variety of insect physiological processes, the lack of its genome sequence hampers the large-scale gene discovery, transcript profiling, and proteomic analysis in this biochemical model species. here we report our implementation of the rna-seq cdna sequencing approach based on massively parallel pyrosequencing, which allows us to categorize transcripts based on their relative abundances and to discover process- or tissue- ... | 2011 | 21641996 |
| synthesis of (-)-callicarpenal, a potent arthropod-repellent. | callicarpenal (1), a natural terpenoid isolated from american beautyberry (callicarpa americana), has shown significant repellent activities against mosquitoes, ticks and imported fire ants. here we report our efficient synthetic approach to this natural product, and preliminary results of the mosquito biting-deterrent effects of callicarpenal as well as its synthetic precursors and related c(8)-epimers. the synthetic strategy allows rapid access to various epimers and analogues of the natural p ... | 2011 | 21643472 |
| [increase of entomological indices during the pre-epidemic period of dengue in ben tre, south vietnam.] | dengue has emerged in vietnam 50 years ago and since has become endemo-epidemic throughout the whole country. each year, major epidemics of dengue fever (df) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (dhf) hit south vietnam during the rainy season, causing significant morbidity and mortality, especially among young children. the only preventive measure is vector control, but it is often implemented too late or indiscriminately. the aim of this study was to investigate, in the pre-epidemic stage, the existenc ... | 2011 | 21643648 |
| identification and characterization of two arylalkylamine n-acetyltransferases in the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti. | in this study we provide a molecular and biochemical identification of two arylalkylamine n-acetyltransferases (aanat) from aedes aegypti mosquitoes. n-acetyldopamine, the enzyme product of aanat, was detected in ae. aegypti, indicating the presence of an aanat in this mosquito. a blast search of the ae. aegypti genome, using sequence information from an activity-verified drosophila aanat, identified thirteen putative aanat sequences sharing 13-48% sequence identity with the drosophila enzyme. e ... | 2011 | 21645618 |
| efficacy of fungus mediated silver and gold nanoparticles against aedes aegypti larvae. | chrysosporium tropicum is a pathogenic fungus. it is known to be an effective mosquito control agent. in the present study, we have synthesized the silver and gold nanoparticles using c. tropicum. these nanoparticles have been characterized through microscan reader, x-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscopy, and further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. the characterization study confirmed the spherical shape and size (2-15 and 20-50 nm) of gold and silver nanoparticles. th ... | 2011 | 21647674 |
| endemic dengue associated with the co-circulation of multiple viral lineages and localized density-dependent transmission. | dengue is one of the most important infectious diseases of humans and has spread throughout much of the tropical and subtropical world. despite this widespread dispersal, the determinants of dengue transmission in endemic populations are not well understood, although essential for virus control. to address this issue we performed a phylogeographic analysis of 751 complete genome sequences of dengue 1 virus (denv-1) sampled from both rural (dong thap) and urban (ho chi minh city) populations in s ... | 2011 | 21655108 |
| [perinatal dengue infection]. | dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease, with worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical areas. argentina was certified free of aedes aegypti in the sixties, however the vector reappered in 1984. in the nineties, small dengue outbreaks occurred with autocthonus diseases at first limited to the northern provinces. in the summer of 2008-2009, autocthonus cases were reported in other parts of the country. vertical dengue virus transmission has been infrequently described, and the effect on ... | 2011 | 21660390 |
| cysteine proteases from bloodfeeding arthropod ectoparasites. | cysteine proteases have been discovered in various bloodfeeding ectoparasites. here, we assemble the available information about the function of these peptidases and reveal their role in hematophagy and parasite development. while most of the data shed light on key proteolytic events that play a role in arthropod physiology, we also report on the association of cysteine proteases with arthropod vectorial capacity. with emphasis on ticks, specifically ixodes ricinus, we finally propose a model ab ... | 2011 | 21660665 |
| a new strategy for aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) control with community participation using a new fumigant formulation. | dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever are mosquito-borne viral diseases that coincide with the distribution of aedes aegypti (l.), the primary vector in the tropical and semitropical world. with no available vaccine, controlling the dengue vector is essential to avoid epidemics. this study evaluates the efficacy of a new smoke-generating formulation containing pyriproxyfen and permethrin in puerto libertad, misiones, argentina. a fumigant tablet (ft) was applied inside the houses by the community ... | 2011 | 21661319 |
| a model to predict evaporation rates in habitats used by container-dwelling mosquitoes. | container-dwelling mosquitoes use a wide variety of container habitats. the bottle cap is often cited as the smallest container habitat used by container species. when containers are small, the habitat conditions can greatly affect evaporation rates that in turn can affect the species dynamics within the container. an evaporation rate model was adapted to predict evaporation rates in mosquito container habitats. in both the laboratory and field, our model was able to predict actual evaporation r ... | 2011 | 21661337 |
| fever from the forest: prospects for the continued emergence of sylvatic dengue virus and its impact on public health. | the four dengue virus (denv) serotypes that circulate among humans emerged independently from ancestral sylvatic progenitors that were present in non-human primates, following the establishment of human populations that were large and dense enough to support continuous inter-human transmission by mosquitoes. this ancestral sylvatic-denv transmission cycle still exists and is maintained in non-human primates and aedes mosquitoes in the forests of southeast asia and west africa. here, we provide a ... | 2011 | 21666708 |
| in vivo imaging of chikungunya virus in mice and aedes mosquitoes using a renilla luciferase clone. | abstract chikungunya virus (chikv) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that in humans causes an acute febrile illness characterized by fever, arthralgia, and rash. it is currently associated with large outbreaks in asia, africa, and islands of the indian ocean and has been introduced from these tropical regions into europe, where local transmission has been recorded on two occasions. the underlying basis of the pathogenesis of chikv and related alphaviruses that produce similar symptoms remains uncle ... | 2011 | 21668347 |
| first dengue virus detection in aedes albopictus from delhi, india: its breeding ecology and role in dengue transmission. | objectiveôçé to report dengue virus and its disease transmission in aedes albopictus in the national capital territory of delhi, india. methodsôçé monthly aedes surveys were carried out in 126 urban localities of delhi in 2008 and 2009. pools of all three species of aedes mosquitoes were tested for dengue virus (denv) using an antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. resultsôçé aedes aegypti was the most prevalent species, breeding throughout the year. aedes albopictus was found in 9.5 ... | 2011 | 21668590 |
| effects of irritant chemicals on aedes aegypti resting behavior: is there a simple shift to untreated "safe sites"? | previous studies have identified the behavioral responses of aedes aegypti to irritant and repellent chemicals that can be exploited to reduce man-vector contact. maximum efficacy of interventions based on irritant chemical actions will, however, require full knowledge of variables that influence vector resting behavior and how untreated "safe sites" contribute to overall impact. | 2011 | 21814587 |
| development of a semi-field system for contained field trials with aedes aegypti in southern mexico. | abstract. development of new genetic approaches to either interfere with the ability of mosquitoes to transmit dengue virus or to reduce vector population density requires progressive evaluation from the laboratory to contained field trials, before open field release. trials in contained outdoor facilities are an important part of this process because they can be used to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of modified strains in settings that include natural environmental variations witho ... | 2011 | 21813843 |
| reduction in host-finding behaviour in fungus-infected mosquitoes is correlated with reduction in olfactory receptor neuron responsiveness. | abstract: background: chemical insecticides against mosquitoes are a major component of malaria control worldwide. fungal entomopathogens formulated as biopesticides and applied as insecticide residual sprays could augment current control strategies and mitigate the evolution of resistance to chemical-based insecticides. methods: anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were exposed to beauveria bassiana or metarhizium acridum fungal spores and sub-lethal effects of exposure to fungal infection were studi ... | 2011 | 21812944 |
| bacillus amyloliquefaciens: a mosquitocidal bacterium from mangrove forests of andaman & nicobar islands, india. | samples collected from the mangrove forests of andaman & nicobar islands yielded a mosquitocidal bacterium, whose extracellular metabolite(s) exhibited mosquito larvicidal and pupicidal activity. the bacterium was isolated using standard microbiological methods and identified using classical biochemical tests and rpob gene sequences. the mosquitocidal bacterium was identified as bacillus amyloliquefaciens. mosquitocidal metabolite(s) was separated from the culture supernatant of the bacterium an ... | 2011 | 21810402 |
| larvicidal activity of medicinal plant extracts against anopheles subpictus & culex tritaeniorhynchus. | background & objectives: mosquitoes transmit serious human diseases, causing millions of deaths every year and the development of resistance to chemical insecticides resulting in rebounding vectorial capacity. plants may be alternative sources of mosquito control agents. the present study assessed the role of larvicidal activities of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol dried leaf and bark extracts of annona squamosa l., chrysanthemum indicum l., and tridax procumbens l. agai ... | 2011 | 21808141 |
| effectiveness of indoor ultra-low volume application of aqua reslin super during an emergency. | indoor ultra-low volume (ulv) applications of aqua reslin super (permethrin + s-bioallethrin) were carried out using portable solo port 423 sprayers in an urban area of reforma, chiapas, mexico. sprayers were calibrated to discharge a flow rate of 110 ml/min with a dose range of approximately 0.55 to 0.792 mg al/m3 space. entomological evaluation, based on 3 cages per house, each containing 15 sugar-fed, 2-4-day-old aedes aegypti females and placed in hidden locations in 4 randomly selected hous ... | 2011 | 21805852 |
| high prevalence of bacterial spore-formers active against mosquito larvae in temporary monsoon flooded sites in orissa, india. | different ecosystems were probed in the vicinity of the city of bhubaneswar in the indian state of orissa for the presence of bacterial spore-formers with activity against mosquito larvae. the most productive sites were places that were flooded during the monsoon season, including roadside ditches and shorelines of ponds. among 630 isolates screened, 44 (7%) showed larvicidal activity against larvae of aedes aegypti. the specific activity of the bacterial spore-formers varied greatly. isolates w ... | 2011 | 21805851 |
| human and environmental factors affecting aedes aegypti distribution in an arid urban environment. | aedes aegypti has reappeared in urban communities in the southwestern u.s.a. in the 1990s after a 40-year absence. in 2003 and 2004, a systematic survey was conducted throughout metropolitan tucson, az, to identify human and environmental factors associated with ae. aegypti distribution within an arid urban area. aedes aegypti presence and abundance were measured monthly using the centers for disease control and prevention enhanced oviposition traps at sampling sites established in a grid at 3- ... | 2011 | 21805845 |
| no evidence of dengue virus circulation in rural gabon. | to the editor: dengue virus (denv) is a mosquito-borne rna virus belonging to the family flaviviridae. it is composed of 4 closely related serotypes designated denv-1-4. there are 2 transmission cycles for this virus. the endemic/epidemic cycle involves humans and the mosquito species aedes aegypti and ae. albopictus. the zoonotic or sylvatic cycle involves monkeys and sylvatic aedes spp. mosquitoes (1). | 2011 | 21801657 |
| dengue virus infection in africa. | reported incidence of dengue has increased worldwide in recent decades, but little is known about its incidence in africa. during 1960-2010, a total of 22 countries in africa reported sporadic cases or outbreaks of dengue; 12 other countries in africa reported dengue only in travelers. the presence of disease and high prevalence of antibody to dengue virus in limited serologic surveys suggest endemic dengue virus infection in all or many parts of africa. dengue is likely underrecognized and unde ... | 2011 | 21801609 |
| the major antigenic membrane protein of "candidatus phytoplasma asteris" selectively interacts with atp synthase and actin of leafhopper vectors. | phytoplasmas, uncultivable phloem-limited phytopathogenic wall-less bacteria, represent a major threat to agriculture worldwide. they are transmitted in a persistent, propagative manner by phloem-sucking hemipteran insects. phytoplasma membrane proteins are in direct contact with hosts and are presumably involved in determining vector specificity. such a role has been proposed for phytoplasma transmembrane proteins encoded by circular extrachromosomal elements, at least one of which is a plasmid ... | 2011 | 21799902 |
| on the treatment of airline travelers in mathematical models. | the global spread of infectious diseases is facilitated by the ability of infected humans to travel thousands of miles in short time spans, rapidly transporting pathogens to distant locations. mathematical models of the actual and potential spread of specific pathogens can assist public health planning in the case of such an event. models should generally be parsimonious, but must consider all potentially important components of the system to the greatest extent possible. we demonstrate and disc ... | 2011 | 21799782 |
| comparative efficacy of two poeciliid fish in indoor cement tanks against chikungunya vector aedes aegypti in villages in karnataka, india. | abstract: background: in 2006, severe outbreaks of aedes aegypti-transmitted chikungunya occurred in villages in karnataka, south india. we evaluated the effectiveness of combined information, education and communication (iec) campaigns using two potential poeciliid larvivorous fish guppy (poecilia reticulata) and mosquitofish (gambusia affinis), in indoor cement tanks for aedes larval control. methods: trials were conducted in two villages (domatmari and srinivaspura) in tumkur district from ma ... | 2011 | 21798018 |
| a proteogenomic analysis of anopheles gambiae using high-resolution fourier transform mass spectrometry. | anopheles gambiae is a major mosquito vector responsible for malaria transmission, whose genome sequence was reported in 2002. genome annotation is a continuing effort and many of the ~13,000 genes listed in vectorbase for anopheles gambiae are predictions that have still not been validated by any other method. to identify protein-coding genes of anopheles gambiae based on its genomic sequence, we carried out a deep proteomic analysis using high-resolution fourier transform mass spectrometry for ... | 2011 | 21795387 |
| inhibition of dengue virus infections in cell cultures and in ag129 mice by an sirna targeting a highly conserved sequence. | the dengue viruses (denv) exist as numerous genetic strains that are grouped into four antigenically distinct serotypes. denv strains from each serotype can cause severe disease and threaten public health in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. no licensed antiviral to treat denv infections is currently available and there is an acute need for the development of novel therapeutics. we found that a synthetic sirna (dc-3) targeting the highly conserved 5' cyclization sequence (5' cs) region ... | 2011 | 21795337 |
| innate immune control of west nile virus infection. | west nile virus (wnv), from the flaviviridae family, is a re-emerging zoonotic pathogen of medical importance. in humans, wnv infection may cause life-threatening meningoencephalitis or long-term neurologic sequelae. wnv is transmitted by culex spp mosquitoes and both the arthropod vector and the mammalian host are equipped with antiviral innate immune mechanisms sharing a common phylogeny. as far as the current evidence is able to demonstrate, mosquitoes primarily rely on rna interference, toll ... | 2011 | 21790942 |
| a high-throughput screening assay for the identification of flavivirus ns5 capping enzyme gtp-binding inhibitors: implications for antiviral drug development. | there are no effective antivirals currently available for the treatment of flavivirus infection in humans. as such, the identification and characterization of novel drug target sites are critical to developing new classes of antiviral drugs. the flavivirus ns5 n-terminal capping enzyme (ce) is vital for the formation of the viral rna cap structure, which directs viral polyprotein translation and stabilizes the 5' end of the viral genome. the structure of the flavivirus ce has been solved, and a ... | 2011 | 21788392 |
| ensembl biomarts: a hub for data retrieval across taxonomic space. | for a number of years the biomart data warehousing system has proven to be a valuable resource for scientists seeking a fast and versatile means of accessing the growing volume of genomic data provided by the ensembl project. the launch of the ensembl genomes project in 2009 complemented the ensembl project by utilizing the same visualization, interactive and programming tools to provide users with a means for accessing genome data from a further five domains: protists, bacteria, metazoa, plants ... | 2011 | 21785142 |
| development and clinical evaluation of multiple investigational monovalent denv vaccines to identify components for inclusion in a live attenuated tetravalent denv vaccine. | the laboratory of infectious diseases at the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases, national institutes of health has been engaged in an effort to develop a safe, efficacious, and affordable live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine (latv) for more than ten years. numerous recombinant monovalent denv vaccine candidates have been evaluated in the scid-huh-7 mouse and in rhesus macaques to identify those candidates with a suitable attenuation phenotype. in addition, the ability of ... | 2011 | 21781997 |
| first report on susceptibility of wild aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) using carapa guianensis (meliaceae) and copaifera sp. (leguminosae). | oils of carapa guianensis and copaifera spp. are well known in the amazonian region as natural insect repellent, and studies have reported their efficiency as larvicide against some laboratory mosquito species. however, in wild populations of mosquitoes, these oils have not yet been evaluated. thus, the objective of this study was to investigate their efficiency as larvicide in wild populations of aedes aegypti with a history of exposure to organophosphate. the susceptibility of larvae was deter ... | 2011 | 21779861 |
| dna vaccines against dengue virus type 2 based on truncate envelope protein or its domain iii. | two dna vaccines were constructed encoding the ectodomain (domains i, ii and iii) of the denv2 envelope protein (pe1d2) or only its domain iii (pe2d2), fused to the human tissue plasminogen activator signal peptide (t-pa). the expression and secretion of recombinant proteins was confirmed in vitro in bhk cells transfected with the two plasmids, detected by immunofluorescence or immunoprecipitation of metabolically labeled gene products, using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against denv2. b ... | 2011 | 21779317 |
| development of denvax: a chimeric dengue-2 pdk-53-based tetravalent vaccine for protection against dengue fever. | dengue. virus infection is the leading arboviral cause of disease worldwide. a vaccine is being developed based on the attenuated den-2 virus, den-2 pdk-53. in this review, we summarize the characteristics of the parent den-2 pdk-53 strain as well as the chimeric viruses containing the prm and e genes of den-1, den-3 or den-4 virus in the genetic backbone of the den-2 pdk-53 virus (termed denvax). tetravalent denvax formulations containing cloned, fully sequenced isolates of the den-2 pdk-53 vir ... | 2011 | 21777638 |
| simultaneous detection and differentiation of dengue virus serotypes 1-4, japanese encephalitis virus, and west nile virus by a combined reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay. | abstract: | 2011 | 21777455 |
| structure-function analysis of diacylglycerol acyltransferase sequences from 70 organisms. | abstract: background: diacylglycerol acyltransferase families (dgats) catalyze the final and rate-limiting step of triacylglycerol (tag) biosynthesis in eukaryotic organisms. understanding the roles of dgats will help to create transgenic plants with value-added properties and provide clues for therapeutic intervention for obesity and related diseases. the objective of this analysis was to identify conserved sequence motifs and amino acid residues for better understanding of the structure-functi ... | 2011 | 21777418 |
| molecular characterization of a kif3a-like kinesin gene in the testis of the chinese fire-bellied newt cynops orientalis. | kif3a, the subunit within the kinesin-2 superfamily, is a typically n-terminal motor protein, which is involved in membranous organelle and intraflagellar transport. during spermatogenesis, kif3a plays a critical role in the formation of flagella and cilia. kif3a is also related to the left-right asymmetry, the signal pathway, dna damage and tumorigenesis. we used rt-pcr and in situ hybridization to clone the kif3a gene, and we identified its function in the testis of the chinese fire-bellied ne ... | 2011 | 21773941 |
| proteomic analysis of an aedes albopictus cell line infected with dengue serotypes 1 and 3 viruses. | abstract: background: proteomic analysis was performed to identify proteins regulated during infection by dengue serotypes 1 and 3 in an aedes albopictus cell line. the potential of these viruses to cause severe disease at primary infection is of interest although few studies have been performed with these two dengue serotypes. results: the most relevant observation of our study is the significant overexpression of proteins involved in the cellular stress response and the glycolysis pathway afte ... | 2011 | 21767351 |
| endemic venezuelan equine encephalitis in the americas: hidden under the dengue umbrella. | venezuelan equine encephalitis (vee) is an emerging infectious disease in latin america. outbreaks have been recorded for decades in countries with enzootic circulation, and the recent implementation of surveillance systems has allowed the detection of additional human cases in countries and areas with previously unknown vee activity. clinically, vee is indistinguishable from dengue and other arboviral diseases and confirmatory diagnosis requires the use of specialized laboratory tests that are ... | 2011 | 21765860 |
| a new factor in the aedes aegypti immune response: clsp2 modulates melanization. | microbial infections in the mosquito aedes aegypti activate the newly identified clsp1 and clsp2 genes, which encode modular proteins composed of elastase-like serine protease and c-type lectin domains. these genes are predominantly regulated by the immune deficiency pathway, but also by the toll pathway. silencing of clsp2, but not clsp1, results in the activation of prophenoloxidase (ppo), the terminal enzyme in the melanization cascade, suggesting that clsp2 is a negative modulator of this re ... | 2011 | 21760616 |
| organic parasite control for poultry and rabbits in british columbia, canada. | abstract: plants used for treating endo- and ectoparasites of rabbits and poultry in british columbia included arctium lappa (burdock), artemisia sp. (wormwood), chenopodium album (lambsquarters) and c. ambrosioides (epazote), cirsium arvense (canada thistle), juniperus spp. (juniper), mentha piperita (peppermint), nicotiana sp. (tobacco), papaver somniferum (opium poppy), rubus spp. (blackberry and raspberry relatives), symphytum officinale (comfrey), taraxacum officinale (common dandelion), th ... | 2011 | 21756341 |
| comparative genomic analysis of drosophila melanogaster and vector mosquito developmental genes. | genome sequencing projects have presented the opportunity for analysis of developmental genes in three vector mosquito species: aedes aegypti, culex quinquefasciatus, and anopheles gambiae. a comparative genomic analysis of developmental genes in drosophila melanogaster and these three important vectors of human disease was performed in this investigation. while the study was comprehensive, special emphasis centered on genes that 1) are components of developmental signaling pathways, 2) regulate ... | 2011 | 21754989 |
| the diagnostic sensitivity of dengue rapid test assays is significantly enhanced by using a combined antigen and antibody testing approach. | serological tests for igm and igg are routinely used in clinical laboratories for the rapid diagnosis of dengue and can differentiate between primary and secondary infections. dengue virus non-structural protein 1 (ns1) has been identified as an early marker for acute dengue, and is typically present between days 1-9 post-onset of illness but following seroconversion it can be difficult to detect in serum. | 2011 | 21713023 |
| an in vivo transfection approach elucidates a role for aedes aegypti thioester-containing proteins in flaviviral infection. | mosquitoes transmit pathogens that cause infectious diseases of global importance. techniques to easily introduce genes into mosquitoes, however, limit investigations of the interaction between microbes and their arthropod vectors. we now show that a cationic liposome significantly enhances delivery and expression of plasmid dna in aedes aegypti and anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. we then introduced the genes for ae. aegypti thioester-containing proteins (aeteps), which are involved in the control ... | 2011 | 21818390 |
| dna binding activities of the herves transposase from the mosquito anopheles gambiae. | abstract: | 2011 | 21689391 |
| bacteria-induced dscam isoforms of the crustacean, pacifastacus leniusculus. | the down syndrome cell adhesion molecule, also known as dscam, is a member of the immunoglobulin super family. dscam plays an essential function in neuronal wiring and appears to be involved in innate immune reactions in insects. the deduced amino acid sequence of dscam in the crustacean pacifastacus leniusculus (pldscam), encodes 9(ig)-4(fniii)-(ig)-2(fniii)-tm and it has variable regions in the n-terminal half of ig2 and ig3 and the complete ig7 and in the transmembrane domain. the cytoplasmic ... | 2011 | 21695245 |
| genome-wide profiling of diel and circadian gene expression in the malaria vector anopheles gambiae. | anopheles gambiae, the primary african vector of malaria parasites, exhibits numerous rhythmic behaviors including flight activity, swarming, mating, host seeking, egg laying, and sugar feeding. however, little work has been performed to elucidate the molecular basis for these daily rhythms. to study how gene expression is regulated globally by diel and circadian mechanisms, we have undertaken a dna microarray analysis of an. gambiae under light/dark cycle (ld) and constant dark (dd) conditions. ... | 2011 | 21715657 |
| variation in metabolic rate of anopheles gambiae and a. arabiensis in a sahelian village. | in the sahel, the anopheles gambiae complex consists of anopheles arabiensis and the m and s molecular forms of a. gambiae sensu stricto. however, the composition of these malaria vectors varies spatially and temporally throughout the region and is thought to be linked to environmental factors such as rainfall, larval site characteristics and duration of the dry season. to examine possible physiological divergence between these taxa, we measured metabolic rates of mosquitoes during the wet seaso ... | 2011 | 21697426 |
| novel chikungunya vaccine candidate with an ires-based attenuation and host range alteration mechanism. | chikungunya virus (chikv) is a reemerging mosquito-borne pathogen that has recently caused devastating urban epidemics of severe and sometimes chronic arthralgia. as with most other mosquito-borne viral diseases, control relies on reducing mosquito populations and their contact with people, which has been ineffective in most locations. therefore, vaccines remain the best strategy to prevent most vector-borne diseases. ideally, vaccines for diseases of resource-limited countries should combine lo ... | 2011 | 21829348 |
| the chikungunya epidemic on la r+®union island in 2005-2006: a cost-of-illness study. | this study was conducted to assess the impact of chikungunya on health costs during the epidemic that occurred on la r+®union in 2005-2006. | 2011 | 21695162 |
| lower survival rate, longevity and fecundity of aedes aegypti (diptera: culicidae) females orally challenged with dengue virus serotype 2. | as the pathogenic effects of a parasite on its hosts can strongly influence its epidemiology, we compared the life-histories of dengue virus serotype 2 (denv-2)-infected and uninfected aedes aegypti females. unexposed mosquitoes lived longer than exposed ones, but those infected lived longer than exposed but negative (as assayed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription pcr [qrt-pcr]) mosquitoes. infected mosquitoes from a long-established laboratory colony presented more viral rna copies ... | 2011 | 21700303 |
| age-specificity of clinical dengue during primary and secondary infections. | this study aims to estimate the age-specific risks of clinical dengue attack (i.e., the risk of symptomatic dengue among the total number of dengue virus (denv) infections) during primary and secondary infections. | 2011 | 21713018 |
| francisella-arthropod vector interaction and its role in patho-adaptation to infect mammals. | francisella tularensis is a gram-negative, intracellular, zoonotic bacterium, and is the causative agent of tularemia with a broad host range. arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes, and flies maintain f. tularensis in nature by transmitting the bacteria among small mammals. while the tick is largely believed to be a biological vector of f. tularensis, transmission by mosquitoes and flies is largely believed to be mechanical on the mouthpart through interrupted feedings. however, the mechanism of ... | 2011 | 21687425 |
| infection intensity dependent responses of anopheles gambiae to african malaria parasites plasmodium falciparum. | malaria remains a devastating disease despite efforts for control and prevention. extensive studies using mostly rodent infection models reveal that successful plasmodium parasite transmission by the african mosquito vector anopheles gambiae depends on finely tuned vector/parasite interactions. here we investigate the transcriptional response of a. gambiae to geographically related plasmodium falciparum populations at varying infection intensities and different infection stages. these responses ... | 2011 | 21844236 |
| distribution and phylogenetic comparisons of a novel mosquito flavivirus sequence present in culex tarsalis mosquitoes from western canada with viruses isolated in california and colorado. | in a previous study, a new flavivirus genome sequence was identified in culex tarsalis mosquitoes obtained in alberta, canada and was shown to be genetically related to but distinct from members of the insect-specific flaviviruses. nonstructural protein 5-encoding sequences amplified from cx. tarsalis pools from western canada have shown a high similarity to genome sequences of novel flaviviruses isolated from mosquitoes in california and colorado. despite wide distribution of this virus, design ... | 2011 | 21734143 |
| use of a tandem affinity purification assay to detect interactions between west nile and dengue viral proteins and proteins of the mosquito vector. | west nile and dengue viruses are (re)emerging mosquito-borne flaviviruses that cause significant morbidity and mortality in man. the identification of mosquito proteins that associate with flaviviruses may provide novel targets to inhibit infection of the vector or block transmission to humans. here, a tandem affinity purification (tap) assay was used to identify 18 mosquito proteins that interact with dengue and west nile capsid, envelope, ns2a or ns2b proteins. we further analyzed the interact ... | 2011 | 21700306 |
| comparative analysis of hemocyte phagocytosis between six species of arthropods as measured by flow cytometry. | phagocytosis of pathogens by hemocytes is a rapid-acting immune response and represents a primary means of limiting microbial infection in some species of arthropods. to survey the relative capacity of hemocyte phagocytosis as a function of the arthropod immune response, we examined the extent of phagocytosis among a wide taxonomic range of arthropod species including a decapod crustacean (litopenaeus vannamei), three ixodid tick species (amblyomma americanum, dermacentor variabilis, and ixodes ... | 2011 | 21843526 |
| phenotypic characterization of patient dengue virus isolates in balb/c mice differentiates dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever from dengue shock syndrome. | abstract: | 2011 | 21835036 |
| natural resistance-associated macrophage protein is a cellular receptor for sindbis virus in both insect and mammalian hosts. | alphaviruses, including several emerging human pathogens, are a large family of mosquito-borne viruses with sindbis virus being a prototypical member of the genus. the host factor requirements and receptors for entry of this class of viruses remain obscure. using a drosophila system, we identified the divalent metal ion transporter natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (nramp) as a host cell surface molecule required for sindbis virus binding and entry into drosophila cells. consequen ... | 2011 | 21843867 |
| could peak proteinuria determine whether a patient with dengue fever develop into dengue hemorrhagic/dengue shock syndrome?-a prospective cohort study. | abstract: background: worldwide there is a need to develop simple effective predictors that can distinguish whether a patient will progress from dengue fever (df) to life threatening dengue hemorrhagic (dhf) or dengue shock syndrome (dss). we explored whether proteinuria could be used as such a marker. methods: we included patients admitted to hospital with suspected dengue fever. starting at enrollment until discharge, each patient's daily spot urine protein creatinine ratio (upcr) was measured ... | 2011 | 21819596 |
| endectocides for malaria control. | systemic endectocidal drugs, used to control nematodes in humans and other vertebrates, can be toxic to anopheles spp. mosquitoes when they take a blood meal from a host that has recently received one of these drugs. recent laboratory and field studies have highlighted the potential of ivermectin to control malaria parasite transmission if this drug is distributed strategically and more often. there are important theoretical benefits to this strategy, as well as caveats. a better understanding o ... | 2011 | 21727027 |
| insecticidal activity of the essential oil from fruits and seeds of schinus terebinthifolia raddi against african malaria vectors. | alternative insecticides for the control of malaria and filarial vectors are of paramount need as resistance is increasing among classes of insecticides currently in use in the public health sector. in this study, mosquitocidal activity of schinus terebinthifolia essential oil against anopheles gambiae s.s., an. arabiensis and culex quinquefasciatus was assessed in laboratory, semi- field and full- field conditions | 2011 | 21729280 |
| evolutionary conserved micrornas are ubiquitously expressed compared to tick-specific mirnas in the cattle tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus. | micrornas (mirnas) are small non-coding rnas that act as regulators of gene expression in eukaryotes modulating a large diversity of biological processes. the discovery of mirnas has provided new opportunities to understand the biology of a number of species. the cattle tick, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus, causes significant economic losses in cattle production worldwide and this drives us to further understand their biology so that effective control measures can be developed. to be able t ... | 2011 | 21699734 |
| susceptibility of anopheles stephensi to plasmodium gallinaceum: a trait of the mosquito, the parasite, and the environment. | vector susceptibility to plasmodium infection is treated primarily as a vector trait, although it is a composite trait expressing the joint occurrence of the parasite and the vector with genetic contributions of both. a comprehensive approach to assess the specific contribution of genetic and environmental variation on "vector susceptibility" is lacking. here we developed and implemented a simple scheme to assess the specific contributions of the vector, the parasite, and the environment to "vec ... | 2011 | 21694762 |
| entomological study of chikungunya infections in the state of kelantan, malaysia. | chikungunya infection has become a public health threat in malaysia since the 2008 nationwide outbreaks. aedes albopictus skuse has been identified as the chikungunya vector in johor state during the outbreaks. in 2009, several outbreaks had been reported in the state of kelantan. entomological studies were conducted in kelantan in four districts, namely jeli, tumpat, pasir mas and tanah merah to identify the vector responsible for the virus transmission. | 2011 | 21727669 |
| the invaders: phylogeography of dengue and chikungunya viruses aedes vectors, on the south west islands of the indian ocean. | aedes albopictus and aedes aegypti are the two main worldwide arbovirus vectors that have experienced invasion phases. aedes aegypti is a pantropical species that spread centuries ago whereas ae. albopictus started the main wave of invasion in the 1980s. both species have been at various times on the different islands in southwestern indian ocean (swio). this area provides an opportunity to examine the extent to which mosquitoes colonization patterns are influenced by different introductory even ... | 2011 | 21827872 |
| susceptibility of mosquito and lepidopteran cell lines to the mosquito iridescent virus (iiv-3) from aedes taeniorhynchus. | mosquito iridescent viruses (miv) are members of the genus chloriridovirus that currently contains only the type iiv-3 from aedestaeniorhynchus. the complete genome of invertebrate iridescent virus -3 (iiv-3) has been sequenced and the availability of a tissue culture system would facilitate functional genomic studies. this investigation, using quantitative pcr and electron microscopy, has determined that the mosquito cell lines aedes aegypti (aag2), aedes albopictus (c6/36) and anopheles gambia ... | 2011 | 21741386 |
| new insights into the mechanism of odorant detection by the malaria - transmitting mosquito anopheles gambiae. | anopheles gambiae mosquitoes that transmit plasmodium falciparum malaria use a series of olfactory cues present in human sweat to locate their hosts for a blood meal. recognition of these odor cues occurs through the interplay of odorant receptors and odorant binding proteins (obps) that bind to odorant molecules and transport and present them to the receptors. recent studies have implicated potential heterodimeric interactions between two obps, obp1 and obp4, as important for perception of indo ... | 2011 | 21816826 |
| why dengue and yellow fever coexist in some areas of the world and not in others? | urban yellow fever and dengue coexist in africa but not in asia and south america. in this paper, we examine four hypotheses (and various combinations thereof) to explain the absence of yellow fever in urban areas of asia and south america. in addition, we examine an additional hypothesis that offers an explanation of the coexistence of the infections in africa while at the same time explaining their lack of coexistence in asia. the hypotheses we tested to explain the nonexistence of yellow feve ... | 2011 | 21839800 |
| male mating competitiveness of a wolbachia-introgressed aedes polynesiensis strain under semi-field conditions. | lymphatic filariasis (lf), a global public health problem affecting approximately 120 million people worldwide, is a leading cause of disability in the developing world including the south pacific. despite decades of ongoing mass drug administration (mda) in the region, some island nations have not yet achieved the threshold levels of microfilaremia established by the world health organization for eliminating transmission. previously, the generation of a novel aedes polynesiensis strain (cp) inf ... | 2011 | 21829750 |
| semaphorin-1a is required for aedes aegypti embryonic nerve cord development. | although mosquito genome projects have uncovered orthologues of many known developmental regulatory genes, extremely little is known about mosquito development. in this study, the role of semaphorin-1a (sema1a) was investigated during vector mosquito embryonic ventral nerve cord development. expression of sema1a and the plexin a (plexa) receptor are detected in the embryonic ventral nerve cords of aedes aegypti (dengue vector) and anopheles gambiae (malaria vector), suggesting that sema1a signal ... | 2011 | 21738767 |
| enhanced activity of an insecticidal protein, trypsin modulating oostatic factor (tmof), through conjugation with aliphatic polyethylene glycol. | background: trypsin modulating oostatic factor (tmof), a decapeptide (tyr-asp-pro-ala-pro(6) ) isolated from the ovaries of the adult yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, regulates trypsin biosynthesis. tmof per os is insecticidal to larval mosquitoes and a good model for the development of technologies to enhance protein insecticide activity by reduced catabolism and/or enhanced delivery to the target. results: tfa-tmof-k (tfa = trifluoro acetyl) allowed the specific conjugation of monodispers ... | 2011 | 21710555 |
| vaccination with dengue virus-like particles induces humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. | the incidence of dengue, an infectious disease caused by dengue virus (denv), has dramatically increased around the world in recent decades and is becoming a severe public health threat. however, there is currently no specific treatment for dengue fever, and licensed vaccine against dengue is not available. vaccination with virus-like particles (vlps) has shown considerable promise for many viral diseases, but the effect of denv vlps to induce specific immune responses has not been adequately in ... | 2011 | 21714940 |