| hemolytic c-type lectin cel-iii from sea cucumber expressed in transgenic mosquitoes impairs malaria parasite development. | the midgut environment of anopheline mosquitoes plays an important role in the development of the malaria parasite. using genetic manipulation of anopheline mosquitoes to change the environment in the mosquito midgut may inhibit development of the malaria parasite, thus blocking malaria transmission. here we generate transgenic anopheles stephensi mosquitoes that express the c-type lectin cel-iii from the sea cucumber, cucumaria echinata, in a midgut-specific manner. cel-iii has strong and rapid ... | 2007 | 18159942 |
| class ii-restricted protective immunity induced by malaria sporozoites. | the irradiated-sporozoite vaccine elicits sterile immunity against plasmodium parasites in experimental rodent hosts and human volunteers. based on rodent malaria models, it has been proposed that cd8+ t cells are the key protective effector mechanism required in sporozoite-induced immunity. to investigate the role of class ii-restricted immunity in protective immunity, we immunized beta2-microglobulin knockout (beta2m-/-) mice with irradiated plasmodium yoelii or p. berghei sporozoites. sterile ... | 2008 | 18160479 |
| transcriptionally active pcr for antigen identification and vaccine development: in vitro genome-wide screening and in vivo immunogenicity. | we have evaluated a technology called transcriptionally active pcr (tap) for high throughput identification and prioritization of novel target antigens from genomic sequence data using the plasmodium parasite, the causative agent of malaria, as a model. first, we adapted the tap technology for the highly at-rich plasmodium genome, using well-characterized p. falciparum and p. yoelii antigens and a small panel of uncharacterized open reading frames from the p. falciparum genome sequence database. ... | 2008 | 18164079 |
| can transgenic mosquitoes afford the fitness cost? | in a recent study, sm1-transgenic anopheles stephensi, which are resistant partially to plasmodium berghei, had higher fitness than non-transgenic mosquitoes when they were maintained on plasmodium-infected blood. this result should be interpreted cautiously with respect to malaria control using transgenic mosquitoes because, despite the evolutionary advantage conferred by the transgene, a concomitant cost prevents it from invading the entire population. indeed, for the spread of a resistance tr ... | 2008 | 18164248 |
| progression of plasmodium berghei through anopheles stephensi is density-dependent. | it is well documented that the density of plasmodium in its vertebrate host modulates the physiological response induced; this in turn regulates parasite survival and transmission. it is less clear that parasite density in the mosquito regulates survival and transmission of this important pathogen. numerous studies have described conversion rates of plasmodium from one life stage to the next within the mosquito, yet few have considered that these rates might vary with parasite density. here we e ... | 2007 | 18166078 |
| isolation and identification of mosquito larvicidal compound from abutilon indicum (linn.) sweet. | larvicidal activity of crude hexane, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether, acetone and methanol extracts of five medicinal plants, abutilon indicum, aegle marmelos, euphorbia thymifolia, jatropha gossypifolia and solanum torvum were assayed for their toxicity against the early fourth-instar larvae of culex quinquefasciatus. the larval mortality was observed after 24 h exposure. all extracts showed moderate larvicidal effects; however, the highest larval mortality was found in petroleum ether extract o ... | 2008 | 18176816 |
| plasmodium infection and endotoxic shock induce the expansion of regulatory dendritic cells. | during an acute plasmodium infection, uncontrolled proinflammatory responses can cause morbidity and mortality. regulation of this response is required to prevent immunopathology. we therefore decided to investigate a recently characterized subset of regulatory dendritic cells (dcs) that expresses low levels of cd11c and high levels of cd45rb. during a plasmodium yoelii infection, these regulatory cd11clowcd45rbhigh dcs become the prevalent cd11c-expressing cells in the spleen, overtaking the co ... | 2008 | 18178809 |
| the midgut transcriptome of lutzomyia longipalpis: comparative analysis of cdna libraries from sugar-fed, blood-fed, post-digested and leishmania infantum chagasi-infected sand flies. | in the life cycle of leishmania within the alimentary canal of sand flies the parasites have to survive the hostile environment of blood meal digestion, escape the blood bolus and attach to the midgut epithelium before differentiating into the infective metacyclic stages. the molecular interactions between the leishmania parasites and the gut of the sand fly are poorly understood. in the present work we sequenced five cdna libraries constructed from midgut tissue from the sand fly lutzomyia long ... | 2008 | 18194529 |
| identity and transfer of male reproductive gland proteins of the dengue vector mosquito, aedes aegypti: potential tools for control of female feeding and reproduction. | male reproductive gland proteins (mrgps) impact the physiology and/or behavior of mated females in a broad range of organisms. we sought to identify mrgps of the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, the primary vector of dengue and yellow fever viruses. earlier studies with ae. aegypti demonstrated that "matrone" (a partially purified male reproductive accessory gland substance) or male accessory gland fluid injected into virgin female ae. aegypti affect female sexual refractoriness, blood feed ... | 2008 | 18207079 |
| new active drugs against liver stages of plasmodium predicted by molecular topology. | we conducted a quantitative structure-activity relationship (qsar) study based on a database of 127 compounds previously tested against the liver stage of plasmodium yoelii in order to develop a model capable of predicting the in vitro antimalarial activities of new compounds. topological indices were used as structural descriptors, and their relation to antimalarial activity was determined by using linear discriminant analysis. a topological model consisting of two discriminant functions was cr ... | 2008 | 18212104 |
| inhibition of histamine-mediated signaling confers significant protection against severe malaria in mouse models of disease. | from the inoculation of plasmodium sporozoites via anopheles mosquito bites to the development of blood-stage parasites, a hallmark of the host response is an inflammatory reaction characterized by elevated histamine levels in the serum and tissues. given the proinflammatory and immunosuppressive activities associated with histamine, we postulated that this vasoactive amine participates in malaria pathogenesis. combined genetic and pharmacologic approaches demonstrated that histamine binding to ... | 2008 | 18227221 |
| evidence of blood stage efficacy with a virosomal malaria vaccine in a phase iia clinical trial. | previous research indicates that a combination vaccine targeting different stages of the malaria life cycle is likely to provide the most effective malaria vaccine. this trial was the first to combine two existing vaccination strategies to produce a vaccine that induces immune responses to both the pre-erythrocytic and blood stages of the p. falciparum life cycle. | 2008 | 18231580 |
| pbcap380, a novel oocyst capsule protein, is essential for malaria parasite survival in the mosquito. | an essential requisite for transmission of plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, is the successful completion of a complex developmental cycle in its mosquito vector. of hundreds of ookinetes that form in the mosquito midgut, only few transform into oocysts, a loss attributed to the action of the mosquito immune system. however, once oocysts form, they appear to be resistant to mosquito defences. during oocyst development, a thick capsule forms around the parasite and appears to function a ... | 2008 | 18248630 |
| annotation and expression profiling of apoptosis-related genes in the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti. | apoptosis has been extensively studied in drosophila by both biochemical and genetic approaches, but there is a lack of knowledge about the mechanisms of apoptosis regulation in other insects. in mosquitoes, apoptosis occurs during plasmodium and arbovirus infection in the midgut, suggesting that apoptosis plays a role in mosquito innate immunity. we searched the aedes aegypti genome for apoptosis-related genes using drosophila and anopheles gambiae protein sequences as queries. in this study we ... | 2008 | 18252247 |
| single-dose protection against plasmodium berghei by a simian adenovirus vector using a human cytomegalovirus promoter containing intron a. | human adenovirus serotype 5 (adh5) vector vaccines elicit strong immune responses to the encoded antigen and have been used in various disease models. we designed adh5 vectors expressing antigen under the control of a human cytomegalovirus (hcmv) immediate-early promoter containing its intron a sequence. the transcriptional levels of antigen and immune responses to antigen for vectors with the hcmv promoter with the intron a sequence (lp) were greater than those for adh5 vectors using the hcmv p ... | 2008 | 18256155 |
| genomic resources for invertebrate vectors of human pathogens, and the role of vectorbase. | high-throughput genome sequencing techniques have now reached vector biology with an emphasis on those species that are vectors of human pathogens. the first mosquito to be sequenced was anopheles gambiae, the vector for plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. further mosquitoes have followed: aedes aegypti (yellow fever and dengue fever vector) and culex pipiens (lymphatic filariasis and west nile fever). species that are currently in sequencing include the body louse pediculus humanus (typhus ... | 2009 | 18262474 |
| molecular and phylogenetic analysis of a novel salivary defensin cdna from malaria vector anopheles stephensi. | manipulating the endogenous immune responses of the mosquito such as temporal and spatial expression of antimicrobial peptides may help in the development of a refractory mosquito, unable to transmit malaria. in mosquito several small antimicrobial peptides are activated locally in the midgut and salivary glands upon plasmodium infection. anopheles stephensi, the major urban malaria vector in india, has been considered as an important insect model to study vector-parasite interactions; however, ... | 2008 | 18275930 |
| insulin regulates aging and oxidative stress in anopheles stephensi. | observations from nematodes to mammals indicate that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (iis) regulates lifespan. as in other organisms, iis is conserved in mosquitoes and signaling occurs in multiple tissues. during bloodfeeding, mosquitoes ingest human insulin. this simple observation suggested that exogenous insulin could mimic the endogenous hormonal control of aging in mosquitoes, providing a new model to examine this phenomenon at the organismal and cellular levels. to this end, ... | 2008 | 18281336 |
| the type and mysorensis forms of the anopheles stephensi (diptera: culicidae) in india exhibit identical ribosomal dna its2 and domain-3 sequences. | anopheles (cellia) stephensi liston 1901 is one of the major malaria vectors in the indian subcontinent, iran, and the middle east. three races in this species, namely a. stephensi stephensi (type form), a. stephensi variety mysorensis, and a. stephensi intermediate form, have earlier been reported by several investigators. we describe here the sequencing of the ribosomal dna internal transcribed spacer 2 (its2) and domain-3 (d3) loci of the a. stephensi type and variety mysorensis forms. we als ... | 2008 | 18309520 |
| murine model for assessment of plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking vaccine using transgenic plasmodium berghei parasites expressing the target antigen pfs25. | currently, there is no animal model for plasmodium falciparum challenge to evaluate malaria transmission-blocking vaccines based on the well-established pfs25 target antigen. the biological activity of transmission-blocking antibodies is typically assessed using an assay known as the membrane feeding assay (mfa). it is an in vitro method that involves mixing antibodies with cultured p. falciparum gametocytes and feeding them to mosquitoes through an artificial membrane followed by assessment of ... | 2008 | 18316385 |
| correctly folded pfs48/45 protein of plasmodium falciparum elicits malaria transmission-blocking immunity in mice. | malaria kills >1 million people each year, in particular in sub-saharan africa. although asexual forms are directly responsible for disease and death, sexual stages account for the transmission of plasmodium parasites from human to the mosquito vector and therefore the spread of the parasite in the population. development of a malaria vaccine is urgently needed to reduce morbidity and mortality. vaccines against sexual stages of plasmodium falciparum are meant to decrease the force of transmissi ... | 2008 | 18332422 |
| fitness of transgenic anopheles stephensi mosquitoes expressing the sm1 peptide under the control of a vitellogenin promoter. | three transgenic anopheles stephensi lines were established that strongly inhibit transmission of the mouse malaria parasite plasmodium berghei. fitness of the transgenic mosquitoes was assessed based on life table analysis and competition experiments between transgenic and wild-type mosquitoes. life table analysis indicated low fitness load for the 2 single-insertion transgenic mosquito lines vd35 and vd26 and no load for the double-insertion transgenic mosquito line vd9. however, in cage exper ... | 2008 | 18334506 |
| the enhancement of arbovirus transmission and disease by mosquito saliva is associated with modulation of the host immune response. | arthropod-borne (arbo-) viruses have emerged as a major human health concern. viruses transmitted by mosquitoes are the cause of the most serious and widespread arbovirus diseases worldwide and are ubiquitous in both feral and urban settings. arboviruses, including dengue and west nile virus, are injected into vertebrates within mosquito saliva during mosquito feeding. mosquito saliva contains anti-haemostatic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory molecules that facilitate the acquisition of a ... | 2008 | 18342898 |
| the plasmodium trap/mic2 family member, trap-like protein (tlp), is involved in tissue traversal by sporozoites. | in the apicomplexan protozoans motility and cell invasion are mediated by the trap/mic2 family of transmembrane proteins, members of which link extracellular adhesion to the intracellular actomyosin motor complex. here we characterize a new member of the trap/mic2 family, named trap-like protein (tlp), that is highly conserved within the plasmodium genus. similar to the plasmodium sporozoite protein, trap, and the ookinete protein, ctrp, tlp possesses an extracellular domain architecture that is ... | 2008 | 18346224 |
| expression of a mutated phospholipase a2 in transgenic aedes fluviatilis mosquitoes impacts plasmodium gallinaceum development. | the genetic manipulation of mosquito vectors is an alternative strategy in the fight against malaria. it was previously shown that bee venom phospholipase a2 (pla2) inhibits ookinete invasion of the mosquito midgut although mosquito fitness was reduced. to maintain the pla2 blocking ability without compromising mosquito biology, we mutated the protein-coding sequence to inactivate the enzyme while maintaining the protein's structure. dna encoding the mutated pla2 (mpla2) was placed downstream of ... | 2008 | 18353106 |
| malaria liver stage susceptibility locus identified on mouse chromosome 17 by congenic mapping. | host genetic variants are known to confer resistance to plasmodium blood stage infection and to control malaria severity both in humans and mice. this work describes the genetic mapping of a locus for resistance to liver stage parasite in the mouse. first, we show that decreased susceptibility to the liver stage of plasmodium berghei in the balb/c mouse strain is attributable to intra-hepatic factors and impacts on the initial phase of blood stage infection. we used qtl mapping techniques to ide ... | 2008 | 18365019 |
| the conserved plant sterility gene hap2 functions after attachment of fusogenic membranes in chlamydomonas and plasmodium gametes. | the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie species-specific membrane fusion between male and female gametes remain largely unknown. here, by use of gene discovery methods in the green alga chlamydomonas, gene disruption in the rodent malaria parasite plasmodium berghei, and distinctive features of fertilization in both organisms, we report discovery of a mechanism that accounts for a conserved protein required for gamete fusion. a screen for fusion mutants in chlamydomonas identified a ... | 2008 | 18367645 |
| adenylyl cyclase alpha and camp signaling mediate plasmodium sporozoite apical regulated exocytosis and hepatocyte infection. | malaria starts with the infection of the liver of the host by plasmodium sporozoites, the parasite form transmitted by infected mosquitoes. sporozoites migrate through several hepatocytes by breaching their plasma membranes before finally infecting one with the formation of an internalization vacuole. migration through host cells induces apical regulated exocytosis in sporozoites. here we show that apical regulated exocytosis is induced by increases in camp in sporozoites of rodent (p. yoelii an ... | 2008 | 18389080 |
| hepatocyte permissiveness to plasmodium infection is conveyed by a short and structurally conserved region of the cd81 large extracellular domain. | invasion of hepatocytes by plasmodium sporozoites is a prerequisite for establishment of a malaria infection, and thus represents an attractive target for anti-malarial interventions. still, the molecular mechanisms underlying sporozoite invasion are largely unknown. we have previously reported that the tetraspanin cd81, a known receptor for the hepatitis c virus (hcv), is required on hepatocytes for infection by sporozoites of several plasmodium species. here we have characterized cd81 molecula ... | 2008 | 18389082 |
| high mobility group protein hmgb2 is a critical regulator of plasmodium oocyst development. | the sexual cycle of plasmodium is required for transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to mammals, but how parasites induce the expression of genes required for the sexual stages is not known. we disrupted the plasmodium yoelii gene encoding high mobility group nuclear factor hmgb2, which encodes a dna-binding protein potentially implicated in transcriptional regulation of malaria gene expression. we investigated its function in vivo in the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. deltapyhmgb2 parasit ... | 2008 | 18400754 |
| relative susceptibility of some common mosquito vector larvae to synthetic insecticidal compounds in north-western rajasthan. | relative susceptibility of three important mosquito vector larvae viz., anopheles stephensi, aedes aegypti and culex quinquefasciatus, prevalent in the arid region was determined against four organophosphates (malathion, fenitrothion, fenthion, temephos) and three synthetic pyrethroid (alphamethrin, deltamethrin and fanvalerate) compounds. studies were carried out on late 3rd or early 4th instar larvae of these species using standard who technique. based on concentration mortality data lc50 and ... | 2007 | 18405120 |
| investigating the properties of bacillus thuringiensis cry proteins with novel loop replacements created using combinatorial molecular biology. | cry proteins are a large family of crystalline toxins produced by bacillus thuringiensis. individually, the family members are highly specific, but collectively, they target a diverse range of insects and nematodes. domain ii of the toxins is important for target specificity, and three loops at its apex have been studied extensively. there is considerable interest in determining whether modifications in this region may lead to toxins with novel specificity or potency. in this work, we studied th ... | 2008 | 18408065 |
| disruption of the plasmodium berghei 2-cys peroxiredoxin tpx-1 gene hinders the sporozoite development in the vector mosquito. | to investigate the physiologic role of cytosolic 2-cys peroxiredoxin of plasmodium berghei (pbtpx-1), we infected the vector mosquito anopheles stephensi with a parasite carrying a targeted knockout of pbtpx-1 (prx-ko). the number of prx-ko midgut oocysts at 14-15 days post-feeding (pf) was comparable to that of the parent strain (wt); however, the numbers of sporozoites that formed in midgut oocysts and accumulated in the salivary gland of prx-ko-infected mosquitoes by 21 days pf were decreased ... | 2008 | 18417228 |
| expression and processing of plasmodium berghei sera3 during liver stages. | cysteine proteases mediate liberation of plasmodium berghei merozoites from infected hepatocytes. in an attempt to identify the responsible parasite proteases, we screened the genome of p. berghei for cysteine protease-encoding genes. rt-pcr analyses revealed that transcription of four out of five p. berghei serine repeat antigen (pbsera) genes was strongly upregulated in late liver stages briefly before the parasitophorous vacuole membrane ruptured to release merozoites into the host cell cytop ... | 2008 | 18419771 |
| addition of cpg odn to recombinant pseudomonas aeruginosa exoprotein a conjugates of ama1 and pfs25 greatly increases the number of responders. | both the blood-stage protein apical membrane antigen 1 (ama1) and the 25-kda sexual-stage protein (pfs25) of plasmodium falciparum are two leading candidates in malarial vaccine development. we have previously demonstrated that conjugation of these malarial antigens to recombinant pseudomonas aeruginosa exoprotein a (repa) significantly increased the mean-specific functional antibody responses in mice; however, some mice responded poorly and were unable to demonstrate a functional response. we h ... | 2008 | 18423804 |
| ecological immunology of mosquito-malaria interactions. | more than a century after the discovery of the complex life cycle of its causative agent, malaria remains a major health problem. understanding mosquito-malaria interactions could lead to breakthroughs in malaria control. novel strategies, such as the design of transgenic mosquitoes refractory to plasmodium, or design of human vaccines emulating mosquito resistance to the parasite, require extensive knowledge of processes involved in immune responses and of microevolutionary mechanisms that crea ... | 2008 | 18424235 |
| critical role of a k+ channel in plasmodium berghei transmission revealed by targeted gene disruption. | regulated k(+) transport across the plasma membrane is of vital importance for the survival of most cells. two k(+) channels have been identified in the plasmodium falciparum genome; however, their functional significance during parasite life cycle in the vertebrate host and during transmission through the mosquito vector remains unknown. we hypothesize that these two k(+) channels mediate the transport of k(+) in the parasites, and thus are important for parasite survival. to test this hypothes ... | 2008 | 18434537 |
| functional characterization of a redundant plasmodium trap family invasin, trap-like protein, by aldolase binding and a genetic complementation test. | efficient and specific host cell entry is of exquisite importance for intracellular pathogens. parasites of the phylum apicomplexa are highly motile and actively enter host cells. these functions are mediated by type i transmembrane invasins of the trap family that link an extracellular recognition event to the parasite actin-myosin motor machinery. we systematically tested potential parasite invasins for binding to the actin bridging molecule aldolase and complementation of the vital cytoplasmi ... | 2008 | 18441124 |
| genome sequence surveys of brachiola algerae and edhazardia aedis reveal microsporidia with low gene densities. | microsporidia are well known models of extreme nuclear genome reduction and compaction. the smallest microsporidian genomes have received the most attention, but genomes of different species range in size from 2.3 mb to 19.5 mb and the nature of the larger genomes remains unknown. | 2008 | 18445287 |
| insulin signaling and foxo regulate the overwintering diapause of the mosquito culex pipiens. | the short day lengths of late summer program the mosquito culex pipiens to enter a reproductive diapause characterized by an arrest in ovarian development and the sequestration of huge fat reserves. we suggest that insulin signaling and foxo (forkhead transcription factor), a downstream molecule in the insulin signaling pathway, mediate the diapause response. when we used rnai to knock down expression of the insulin receptor in nondiapausing mosquitoes (those reared under long day lengths) the p ... | 2008 | 18448677 |
| targeted deletion of sap1 abolishes the expression of infectivity factors necessary for successful malaria parasite liver infection. | malaria parasite sporozoites prepare for transmission to a mammalian host by upregulation of uis (upregulated in infectious sporozoites) genes. a number of uis gene products are essential for the establishment of the intrahepatocytic niche. however, the factors that regulate the expression of genes involved in gain of infectivity for the liver are unknown. herein, we show that a conserved plasmodium sporozoite low-complexity asparagine-rich protein, sap1 (sporozoite asparagine-rich protein 1), h ... | 2008 | 18466298 |
| malaria and obesity: obese mice are resistant to cerebral malaria. | the relationship between malaria and obesity are largely unknown. this is partly due to the fact that malaria occurs mainly in tropical areas where, until recently, obesity was not prevalent. it now appears, however, that obesity is emerging as a problem in developing countries. to investigate the possible role of obesity on the host-parasite response to malarial infection, this study applied a murine model, which uses the existence of genetically well characterized obese mice. | 2008 | 18489748 |
| the microneme proteins ctrp and soap are not essential for plasmodium berghei ookinete to oocyst transformation in vitro in a cell free system. | two plasmodium berghei ookinete micronemal proteins, circumsporozoite and trap related protein (ctrp) and secreted ookinete adhesive protein (soap) both interact with the basal lamina component laminin. following gene disruption studies it has been proposed that, apart from their role in motility, these proteins may be required for interactions leading to ookinete-to-oocyst transformation. | 2008 | 18489758 |
| interactions between dendritic cells and cd4+ t cells during plasmodium infection. | during infection, dendritic cells (dcs) encounter pathogenic microorganisms that can modulate their function and shape the t cell responses generated. during the process of t cell activation, dcs establish strong, long-lasting interactions with naïve t cells. | 2008 | 18495039 |
| transmission blocking immunity in the malaria non-vector mosquito anopheles quadriannulatus species a. | despite being phylogenetically very close to anopheles gambiae, the major mosquito vector of human malaria in africa, anopheles quadriannulatus is thought to be a non-vector. understanding the difference between vector and non-vector mosquitoes can facilitate development of novel malaria control strategies. we demonstrate that an. quadriannulatus is largely resistant to infections by the human parasite plasmodium falciparum, as well as by the rodent parasite plasmodium berghei. by using genetics ... | 2008 | 18497855 |
| cloning, characterization, and expression of micrornas from the asian malaria mosquito, anopheles stephensi. | micrornas (mirnas) are non-coding rnas that are now recognized as a major class of gene-regulating molecules widely distributed in metozoans and plants. mirnas have been found to play important roles in apoptosis, cancer, development, differentiation, inflammation, longevity, and viral infection. there are a few reports describing mirnas in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, on the basis of similarity to known mirnas from other species. an. stephensi is the most important malaria v ... | 2008 | 18500992 |
| west nile virus infection of drosophila melanogaster induces a protective rnai response. | to determine if west nile virus (wnv) infection of insect cells induces a protective rnai response, drosophila melanogaster s2 and aedes albopictus c6/36 cells were infected with wnv, and the production of wnv-homologous small rnas was assayed as an indicator of rnai induction. a distinct population of approximately 25 nt wnv-homologous small rnas was detected in infected s2 cells but not c6/36 cells. rnai knockdown of argonaute 2 in s2 cells resulted in slightly increased susceptibility to wnv ... | 2008 | 18501400 |
| gene-specific signatures of elevated non-synonymous substitution rates correlate poorly across the plasmodium genus. | comparative genome analyses of parasites allow large scale investigation of selective pressures shaping their evolution. an acute limitation to such analysis of plasmodium falciparum is that there is only very partial low-coverage genome sequence of the most closely related species, the chimpanzee parasite p. reichenowi. however, if orthologous genes have been under similar selective pressures throughout the plasmodium genus then positive selection on the p. falciparum lineage might be predicted ... | 2008 | 18509456 |
| the transmembrane isoform of plasmodium falciparum maebl is essential for the invasion of anopheles salivary glands. | malaria transmission depends on infective stages in the mosquito salivary glands. plasmodium sporozoites that mature in midgut oocysts must traverse the hemocoel and invade the mosquito salivary glands in a process thought to be mediated by parasite ligands. maebl, a homologue of the transmembrane ebp ligands essential in merozoite invasion, is expressed abundantly in midgut sporozoites. alternative splicing generates different maebl isoforms and so it is unclear what form is functionally essent ... | 2008 | 18509478 |
| gene silencing in phlebotomine sand flies: xanthine dehydrogenase knock down by dsrna microinjections. | lutzomyia longipalpis are vectors of medically important visceral leishmaniasis in south america. blood-fed adult females digest large amounts of protein, and xanthine dehydrogenase is thought to be a key enzyme involved in protein catabolism through the production of urate. large amounts of heme are also released during digestion with potentially damaging consequences, as heme can generate oxygen radicals that damage lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. however, urate is an antioxidant that may ... | 2008 | 18510977 |
| comparison of male reproductive success in malaria-refractory and susceptible strains of anopheles gambiae. | in female mosquitoes that transmit malaria, the benefits of being refractory to the plasmodium parasite are balanced by the immunity costs in the absence of infection. male mosquitoes, however, gain no advantage from being refractory to blood-transmitted parasites, so that any costs associated with an enhanced immune system in the males limit the evolution of female refractoriness and has practical implications for the release of transgenic males. | 2008 | 18534029 |
| a sporozoite asparagine-rich protein controls initiation of plasmodium liver stage development. | plasmodium sporozoites invade host hepatocytes and develop as liver stages (ls) before the onset of erythrocytic infection and malaria symptoms. ls are clinically silent, and constitute ideal targets for causal prophylactic drugs and vaccines. the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying ls development remain poorly characterized. here we describe a conserved plasmodium asparagine-rich protein that is specifically expressed in sporozoites and liver stages. gene disruption in plasmodium bergh ... | 2008 | 18551171 |
| laboratory evaluation of 3 repellents against anopheles stephensi in the islamic republic of iran. | this study evaluated the repellency effect of 3 topical repellents (permethrin, deet and neem tree extract) against 3-5 day old females of laboratory and field strains of anopheles stephensi. probing/biting rates on the shaved belly of white rabbits were counted. effective dose (ed) 50 and ed95 values were calculated by probit statistic software. the results revealed ed50 values of 0.007, 0.005 and 0.191 mg/cm2 for permethrin, deet and neem, respectively, against the field strain. the figures fo ... | 2008 | 18561716 |
| proteomic analysis of zygote and ookinete stages of the avian malaria parasite plasmodium gallinaceum delineates the homologous proteomes of the lethal human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum. | delineation of the complement of proteins comprising the zygote and ookinete, the early developmental stages of plasmodium within the mosquito midgut, is fundamental to understand initial molecular parasite-vector interactions. the published proteome of plasmodium falciparum does not include analysis of the zygote/ookinete stages, nor does that of p. berghei include the zygote stage or secreted proteins. p. gallinaceum zygote, ookinete, and ookinete-secreted/released protein samples were prepare ... | 2008 | 18563747 |
| novel peptide marker corresponding to salivary protein gsg6 potentially identifies exposure to anopheles bites. | in order to improve malaria control, and under the aegis of who recommendations, many efforts are being devoted to developing new tools for identifying geographic areas with high risk of parasite transmission. evaluation of the human antibody response to arthropod salivary proteins could be an epidemiological indicator of exposure to vector bites, and therefore to risk of pathogen transmission. in the case of malaria, which is transmitted only by anopheline mosquitoes, maximal specificity could ... | 2008 | 18575604 |
| depletion of plasmodium berghei plasmoredoxin reveals a non-essential role for life cycle progression of the malaria parasite. | proliferation of the pathogenic plasmodium asexual blood stages in host erythrocytes requires an exquisite capacity to protect the malaria parasite against oxidative stress. this function is achieved by a complex antioxidant defence system composed of redox-active proteins and low mw antioxidants. here, we disrupted the p. berghei plasmoredoxin gene that encodes a parasite-specific 22 kda member of the thioredoxin superfamily. the successful generation of plasmoredoxin knockout mutants in the ro ... | 2008 | 18575607 |
| rodent plasmodium: population dynamics of early sporogony within anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. | early sporogony of plasmodium parasites involves 2 major developmental transitions within the insect vector, i.e., gametocyte-to-ookinete and ookinete-to-oocyst. this study compared the population dynamics of early sporogony among murine rodent plasmodium (plasmodium berghei, plasmodium chabaudi, plasmodium vinckei, and plasmodium yoelii) developing within anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. estimates of absolute densities were determined for gametocytes, ookinetes, and oocysts for 108 experimental ... | 2008 | 18576764 |
| effect of washing on the bioefficacy of insecticide-treated nets (itns) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) against main malaria vector anopheles stephensi by three bioassay methods. | the use of pyrethoid impregnated bednets is one of the main malaria vector control strategies worldwide. the objective of the present study was to evaluate the bioefficacy of bednets impregnated with various pyrethroids after repeated washings. | 2008 | 18592843 |
| chloroquine mediated modulation of anopheles gambiae gene expression. | plasmodium development in the mosquito is crucial for malaria transmission and depends on the parasite's interaction with a variety of cell types and specific mosquito factors that have both positive and negative effects on infection. whereas the defensive response of the mosquito contributes to a decrease in parasite numbers during these stages, some components of the blood meal are known to favor infection, potentiating the risk of increased transmission. the presence of the antimalarial drug ... | 2008 | 18596975 |
| plasmodium development in the mosquito: biology bottlenecks and opportunities for mathematical modeling. | quantitative analyses of malaria parasite development are necessary to assess the efficacy of control measures. such analyses in the mammalian host have been difficult to implement, lagging behind the use of antiparasitic drugs, vaccine development and transmission-blocking strategies. even less is known about the genetic, environmental and other factors that impact sporogony in the mosquito host. here, we summarize current knowledge and review a first attempt to model sporogonic development qua ... | 2008 | 18603475 |
| the aedes aegypti toll pathway controls dengue virus infection. | aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector of dengue viruses, utilizes its innate immune system to ward off a variety of pathogens, some of which can cause disease in humans. to date, the features of insects' innate immune defenses against viruses have mainly been studied in the fruit fly drosophila melanogaster, which appears to utilize different immune pathways against different types of viruses, in addition to an rna interference-based defense system. we have used the recently released whole-genome s ... | 2008 | 18604274 |
| phase 1 trial of malaria transmission blocking vaccine candidates pfs25 and pvs25 formulated with montanide isa 51. | pfs25 and pvs25, surface proteins of mosquito stage of the malaria parasites p. falciparum and p. vivax, respectively, are leading candidates for vaccines preventing malaria transmission by mosquitoes. this single blinded, dose escalating, controlled phase 1 study assessed the safety and immunogenicity of recombinant pfs25 and pvs25 formulated with montanide isa 51, a water-in-oil emulsion. | 2008 | 18612426 |
| evaluation of the function of a type i peritrophic matrix as a physical barrier for midgut epithelium invasion by mosquito-borne pathogens in aedes aegypti. | in addition to modulating blood meal digestion and protecting the midgut epithelial cells from mechanical and chemical damage, a biological function attributed to the mosquito type i peritrophic matrix (pm) is preventing or reducing pathogen invasion, especially from plasmodium spp. previously, we demonstrated that chitin is an essential component of the pm and is synthesized de novo in response to blood feeding in aedes aegypti. therefore, knocking down chitin synthase expression by rna interfe ... | 2008 | 18627241 |
| competency of anopheles stephensi mysorensis strain for plasmodium vivax and the role of inhibitory carbohydrates to block its sporogonic cycle. | despite the abundance of studies conducted on the role of mosquitoes in malaria transmission, the biology and interaction of plasmodium with its insect host still holds many mysteries. this paper provides the first study to follow the sporogonic cycle of plasmodium vivax in a wild insecticide-resistant mysorensis strain of anopheles stephensi, a major vector of vivax malaria in south-eastern iran. the study subsequently demonstrates that host-parasite sugar binding interactions are critical to t ... | 2008 | 18627630 |
| genistein-supplemented diet decreases malaria liver infection in mice and constitutes a potential prophylactic strategy. | in tropical regions millions of people still live at risk of malaria infection. indeed the emergence of resistance to chloroquine and other drugs in use in these areas reinforces the need to implement alternative prophylactic strategies. genistein is a naturally occurring compound that is widely used as a food supplement and is thought to be effective in countering several pathologies. results presented here show that genistein inhibits liver infection by the plasmodium parasite, the causative a ... | 2008 | 18628947 |
| imc1b is a putative membrane skeleton protein involved in cell shape, mechanical strength, motility, and infectivity of malaria ookinetes. | membrane skeletons are cytoskeletal elements that have important roles in cell development, shape, and structural integrity. malaria parasites encode a conserved family of putative membrane skeleton proteins related to articulins. one member, imc1a, is expressed in sporozoites and localizes to the pellicle, a unique membrane complex believed to form a scaffold onto which the ligands and glideosome are arranged to mediate parasite motility and invasion. imc1b is a closely related structural paral ... | 2008 | 18650444 |
| plasmodium yoelii sporozoites modulate cytokine profile and induce apoptosis in murine kupffer cells. | plasmodium sporozoites traverse kupffer cells on their way into the liver. sporozoite contact does not elicit a respiratory burst in these hepatic macrophages and blocks the formation of reactive oxygen species in response to secondary stimuli via elevation of the intracellular camp concentration. here we show that increasing the camp level with dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (db-camp) or isobutylmethylxanthine (ibmx) also modulates cytokine secretion in murine kupffer cells towards an ... | 2008 | 18656478 |
| characterization of the multicopper oxidase gene family in anopheles gambiae. | the multicopper oxidase (mco) family of enzymes includes laccases, which oxidize a broad range of substrates including diphenols, and several oxidases with specific substrates such as iron, copper or ascorbic acid. we have identified five putative mco genes in the genome of anopheles gambiae and have cloned cdnas encompassing the full coding region for each gene. mco1 mrna was detected in all developmental stages and in all of the larval and adult tissues tested. we observed an increase in mco1 ... | 2008 | 18675911 |
| ethnobotanical study of some of mosquito repellent plants in north-eastern tanzania. | the use of plant repellents against nuisance biting insects is common and its potential for malaria vector control requires evaluation in areas with different level of malaria endemicity. the essential oils of ocimum suave and ocimum kilimandscharicum were evaluated against malaria vectors in north-eastern tanzania. | 2008 | 18687119 |
| temperature shift and host cell contact up-regulate sporozoite expression of plasmodium falciparum genes involved in hepatocyte infection. | plasmodium sporozoites are deposited in the skin by anopheles mosquitoes. they then find their way to the liver, where they specifically invade hepatocytes in which they develop to yield merozoites infective to red blood cells. relatively little is known of the molecular interactions during these initial obligatory phases of the infection. recent data suggested that many of the inoculated sporozoites invade hepatocytes an hour or more after the infective bite. we hypothesised that this pre-invas ... | 2008 | 18688281 |
| responses of anopheles gambiae, anopheles stephensi, aedes aegypti, and culex pipiens mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) to cool and humid refugium conditions. | like all terrestrial arthropods, mosquitoes must cope with the threat of desiccation. to gain insight into their survival strategies, we recorded the behavioral responses of anopheles gambiae, anopheles stephensi, aedes aegypti, and culex pipiens offered zones of different microclimatic conditions in laboratory cages. the cooled refugium was at 25.6 degrees c, 86% rh and the control was at 28.5 degrees c, 75% rh, i.e., a difference in saturation deficit of 3.9 mm hg between the two zones. we sho ... | 2008 | 18697317 |
| efficacy of culture filtrates of metarhizium anisopliae against larvae of anopheles stephensi and culex quinquefasciatus. | efficacy of culture filtrates of five strains of metarhizium anisopliae isolated from insects were evaluated against anopheles stephensi and culex quinquefasciatus. the culture filtrates released from the strains of m. anisopliae in the ypss and chitin broths were filtered and used for the bioassays after a growth of 7 days. among the culture filtrates of five strains, m. anisopliae 892 was found to be more effective against both the mosquitoes. the lc(50) values of culture filtrates of m. aniso ... | 2008 | 18709394 |
| distinct malaria parasite sporozoites reveal transcriptional changes that cause differential tissue infection competence in the mosquito vector and mammalian host. | the malaria parasite sporozoite transmission stage develops and differentiates within parasite oocysts on the anopheles mosquito midgut. successful inoculation of the parasite into a mammalian host is critically dependent on the sporozoite's ability to first infect the mosquito salivary glands. remarkable changes in tissue infection competence are observed as the sporozoites transit from the midgut oocysts to the salivary glands. our microarray analysis shows that compared to oocyst sporozoites, ... | 2008 | 18710954 |
| establishment of a large semi-field system for experimental study of african malaria vector ecology and control in tanzania. | medical entomologists increasingly recognize that the ability to make inferences between laboratory experiments of vector biology and epidemiological trends observed in the field is hindered by a conceptual and methodological gap occurring between these approaches which prevents hypothesis-driven empirical research from being conducted on relatively large and environmentally realistic scales. the development of semi-field systems (sfs) has been proposed as the best mechanism for bridging this ga ... | 2008 | 18715508 |
| an insight into the salivary transcriptome and proteome of the soft tick and vector of epizootic bovine abortion, ornithodoros coriaceus. | the salivary glands of blood-sucking arthropods contain a redundant 'magic potion' that counteracts their vertebrate host's hemostasis, inflammation, and immunity. we here describe the salivary transcriptome and proteomics (sialome) of the soft tick ornithodoros coriaceus. the resulting analysis helps to consolidate the classification of common proteins found in both soft and hard ticks, such as the lipocalins, kunitz, cystatin, basic tail, hebraein, defensin, til domain, metalloprotease, 5'-nuc ... | 2008 | 18725333 |
| viral paratransgenesis in the malaria vector anopheles gambiae. | paratransgenesis, the genetic manipulation of insect symbiotic microorganisms, is being considered as a potential method to control vector-borne diseases such as malaria. the feasibility of paratransgenic malaria control has been hampered by the lack of candidate symbiotic microorganisms for the major vector anopheles gambiae. in other systems, densonucleosis viruses (dnvs) are attractive agents for viral paratransgenesis because they infect important vector insects, can be genetically manipulat ... | 2008 | 18725926 |
| cyanobacterial toxins as allelochemicals with potential applications as algaecides, herbicides and insecticides. | cyanobacteria ("blue-green algae") from marine and freshwater habitats are known to produce a diverse array of toxic or otherwise bioactive metabolites. however, the functional role of the vast majority of these compounds, particularly in terms of the physiology and ecology of the cyanobacteria that produce them, remains largely unknown. a limited number of studies have suggested that some of the compounds may have ecological roles as allelochemicals, specifically including compounds that may in ... | 2008 | 18728763 |
| attenuated plasmodium yoelii lacking purine nucleoside phosphorylase confer protective immunity. | malaria continues to devastate sub-saharan africa owing to the emergence of drug resistance to established antimalarials and to the lack of an efficacious vaccine. plasmodium species have a unique streamlined purine pathway in which the dual specificity enzyme purine nucleoside phosphorylase (pnp) functions in both purine recycling and purine salvage. to evaluate the importance of pnp in an in vivo model of malaria, we disrupted pypnp, the gene encoding pnp in the lethal plasmodium yoelii ym str ... | 2008 | 18758447 |
| reverse genetics screen identifies six proteins important for malaria development in the mosquito. | transmission from the vertebrate host to the mosquito vector represents a major population bottleneck in the malaria life cycle that can successfully be targeted by intervention strategies. however, to date only about 25 parasite proteins expressed during this critical phase have been functionally analysed by gene disruption. we describe the first systematic, larger scale generation and phenotypic analysis of plasmodium berghei knockout (ko) lines, characterizing 20 genes encoding putatively sec ... | 2008 | 18761621 |
| memory cd8 t cell responses exceeding a large but definable threshold provide long-term immunity to malaria. | infection of mice with sporozoites of plasmodium berghei or plasmodium yoelii has been used extensively to evaluate liver-stage protection by candidate preerythrocytic malaria vaccines. unfortunately, repeated success of such vaccines in mice has not translated readily to effective malaria vaccines in humans. thus, mice may be used better as models to dissect basic parameters required for immunity to plasmodium-infection than as preclinical vaccine models. in turn, this basic information may aid ... | 2008 | 18780790 |
| larvicidal and adulticidal activities of some medicinal plants against the malarial vector, anopheles stephensi (liston). | the present study was undertaken to test the efficacy of 11 commonly available medicinal plants and compare its efficacy in relation to larvicidal and mosquitocidal activities against larvae and adults of anopheles stephensi (liston). all the medicinal plants and the mixture were effective against larvae of a. stephensi as evidenced by low lethal concentration and lethal time. the lethality varied in adults and plant extracts of mixture; eucalyptus globulus, cymbopogan citratus, artemisia annua, ... | 2009 | 18787842 |
| transmission of different strains of plasmodium cynomolgi to aotus nancymaae monkeys and relapse. | forty-four splenectomized aotus nancymaae monkeys were infected with 6 different strains of plasmodium cynomolgi, 11 via trophozoites and 33 via sporozoites. sporozoites from anopheles dirus, anopheles freeborni, anopheles gambiae, anopheles maculatus, and anopheles stephensi resulted in prepatent periods ranging from 9 to 39 days (median of 15 days). importantly, relapse was demonstrated in 5 of 5 sporozoite-induced infections with the rossan strain following treatment with chloroquine. | 2009 | 18788885 |
| pcr-based detection of plasmodium in anopheles mosquitoes: a comparison of a new high-throughput assay with existing methods. | detection of the four malaria-causing plasmodium species (plasmodium falciparum, plasmodium vivax, plasmodium ovale and plasmodium malariae) within their mosquito hosts is an essential component of vector control programmes. several pcr protocols have been developed for this purpose. many of these methods, while sensitive, require multiple pcr reactions to detect and discriminate all four plasmodium species. in this study a new high-throughput assay was developed and compared with three previous ... | 2008 | 18793416 |
| transgenic rodent plasmodium berghei parasites as tools for assessment of functional immunogenicity and optimization of human malaria vaccines. | | 2008 | 18806208 |
| localisation of laminin within plasmodium berghei oocysts and the midgut epithelial cells of anopheles stephensi. | abstract: | 2008 | 18808667 |
| transformation of the rodent malaria parasite plasmodium chabaudi and generation of a stable fluorescent line pcgfpcon. | the rodent malaria parasite plasmodium chabaudi has proven of great value in the analysis of fundamental aspects of host-parasite-vector interactions implicated in disease pathology and parasite evolutionary ecology. however, the lack of gene modification technologies for this model has precluded more direct functional studies. | 2008 | 18808685 |
| rapid identification of plasmodium-carrying mosquitoes using loop-mediated isothermal amplification. | with an aim to develop a quick and simple method to survey pathogen-transmitting vectors, lamp (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) was applied to the identification of plasmodium-carrying mosquitoes, specifically a plasmodium-transmitting experimental model using rodent malaria parasite (plasmodium berghei) and anopheline mosquitoes (anopheles stephensi). the detection sensitivity limit of the lamp reaction amplifying the spect2 gene was determined to be 1 x 10(2) purified plasmodium parasi ... | 2008 | 18809384 |
| characterization and expression of the odorant-binding protein 7 gene in anopheles stephensi and comparative analysis among five mosquito species. | odorant-binding proteins (obps) are important molecular players in insect olfaction, which has a great influence on the host-seeking behaviour of mosquitoes and other disease vectors. the mrna level of the anopheles gambiae obp7 gene (agam-obp7) is higher in the adult female antennae and is slightly reduced in the female heads after blood-feeding. here we report the cloning, sequencing, chromosomal mapping and transcript analysis of aste-obp7, the obp7 gene from the asian malaria mosquito anophe ... | 2008 | 18811600 |
| hyaluronidase of bloodsucking insects and its enhancing effect on leishmania infection in mice. | salivary hyaluronidases have been described in a few bloodsucking arthropods. however, very little is known about the presence of this enzyme in various bloodsucking insects and no data are available on its effect on transmitted microorganisms. here, we studied hyaluronidase activity in thirteen bloodsucking insects belonging to four different orders. in addition, we assessed the effect of hyaluronidase coinoculation on the outcome of leishmania major infection in balb/c mice. | 2008 | 18820742 |
| cloning and expression of bacillus thuringiensis cry11 crystal protein gene in escherichia coli. | the six most toxic pakistani isolates of bacillus thuringiensis (sbs bt-23, 29, 34, 37, 45 and 47), which were previously characterized for their toxicity against larvae of mosquito, anopheles stephensi, and the presence of cry4 gene, were used for cry11 (cry4d) gene amplification. a 1.9-kb dna fragment of cry11 gene was pcr-amplified, cloned in expression vector pt7-7, and then used for transformation of e. coli bl21c. the optimum expression was obtained with 1 mm iptg at 37 degrees c for 3 h. ... | 2009 | 18821029 |
| deforestation and vectorial capacity of anopheles gambiae giles mosquitoes in malaria transmission, kenya. | we investigated the effects of deforestation on microclimates and sporogonic development of plasmodium falciparum parasites in anopheles gambiae mosquitoes in an area of the western kenyan highland prone to malaria epidemics. an. gambiae mosquitoes were fed with p. falciparum-infected blood through membrane feeders. fed mosquitoes were placed in houses in forested and deforested areas in a highland area (1,500 m above sea level) and monitored for parasite development. deforested sites had higher ... | 2008 | 18826815 |
| ddbj dealing with mass data produced by the second generation sequencer. | dna data bank of japan (ddbj) (http://www.ddbj.nig.ac.jp) collected and released 2 368 110 entries or 1 415 106 598 bases in the period from july 2007 to june 2008. the releases in this period include genome scale data of bombyx mori, oryzas latipes, drosophila and lotus japonicus. in addition, from this year we collected and released trace archive data in collaboration with national center for biotechnology information (ncbi). the first release contains those of o. latipes and bacterial meta ge ... | 2009 | 18927114 |
| 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 |
| characterization of the 3-hkt gene in important malaria vectors in india, viz: anopheles culicifacies and anopheles stephensi (diptera: culicidae). | the 3-hydroxykynurenine transaminase (3-hkt) gene plays a vital role in the development of malaria parasites by participating in the synthesis of xanthurenic acid, which is involved in the exflagellation of microgametocytes in the midgut of malaria vector species. the 3-hkt enzyme is involved in the tryptophan metabolism of anophelines. the gene had been studied in the important global malaria vector, anopheles gambiae. in this report, we have conducted a preliminary investigation to characteriz ... | 2008 | 18949331 |
| effects of culture media on larvicidal property of secondary metabolites of mosquito pathogenic fungus chrysosporium lobatum (moniliales: moniliaceae). | in order to determine the potential role of secondary metabolites of chrysosporium lobatum as a biological control agent for mosquitoes, effects of culture media on the larvicidal property of secondary metabolites was evaluated. the secondary metabolites of c. lobatum released in the sabouraud's dextrose broth (sdb) and chitin broth (cb) were collected by filtering through whatman no. 3 chr filter after 7 days of growth. first, second and third instars of anopheles stephensi and culex quinquefas ... | 2009 | 18951866 |
| gene disruption of plasmodium falciparum p52 results in attenuation of malaria liver stage development in cultured primary human hepatocytes. | difficulties with inducing sterile and long lasting protective immunity against malaria with subunit vaccines has renewed interest in vaccinations with attenuated plasmodium parasites. immunizations with sporozoites that are attenuated by radiation (ras) can induce strong protective immunity both in humans and rodent models of malaria. recently, in rodent parasites it has been shown that through the deletion of a single gene, sporozoites can also become attenuated in liver stage development and, ... | 2008 | 18958160 |
| reflections on early malaria vaccine studies, the first successful human malaria vaccination, and beyond. | advances towards protective vaccines against malaria were made feasible by the development of a rodent model of mammalian malaria that allowed production of all stages of the malaria parasite for study. investigations with sporozoites (the stage transmitted by mosquitoes in their saliva) demonstrated that immunization with radiation-attenuated sporozoites could produce a solid, sterile immunity, first shown in studies with mice and later with human volunteers. protective immune mechanisms involv ... | 2009 | 18973784 |
| a new method for forensic dna analysis of the blood meal in chagas disease vectors demonstrated using triatoma infestans from chuquisaca, bolivia. | feeding patterns of the vector are important in the epidemiology of chagas disease, the leading cause of heart disease in latin america. chagas disease is caused by the parasite, trypanasoma cruzi, which is transmitted by blood feeding insects. historically, feeding behaviours of haematophagous insects have been investigated using serological reactions, which have detection limits in terms of both taxonomic resolution, and quantity and quality of the blood meal. they are labor intensive, require ... | 2008 | 18974787 |
| proteomic profiling of plasmodium sporozoite maturation identifies new proteins essential for parasite development and infectivity. | plasmodium falciparum sporozoites that develop and mature inside an anopheles mosquito initiate a malaria infection in humans. here we report the first proteomic comparison of different parasite stages from the mosquito -- early and late oocysts containing midgut sporozoites, and the mature, infectious salivary gland sporozoites. despite the morphological similarity between midgut and salivary gland sporozoites, their proteomes are markedly different, in agreement with their increase in hepatocy ... | 2008 | 18974882 |
| full-malaria/parasites and full-arthropods: databases of full-length cdnas of parasites and arthropods, update 2009. | full-malaria/parasites is a database for transcriptome studies of apicomplexa and other parasites, which is based on our original full-length cdna sequences and physical cdna clone resources. in this update, the database has been expanded to contain the shogun sequencing for the entire sequences of 14,818 non-redundant full-length cdna clones from six apicomplexa parasites and 6.8 million of transcription start sites (tss), both of which had been produced by novel protocols using the oligo-cappi ... | 2009 | 18987005 |