| a unique y gene in the asian malaria mosquito anopheles stephensi encodes a small lysine-rich protein and is transcribed at the onset of embryonic development. | in many organisms the y chromosome initiates sex determination and regulates male fertility and mating behaviour. however, molecular characterization of y genes is rare outside of a few model species because it is difficult to clone and analyse repeat-rich heterochromatic y sequences. in insects, y genes are only well characterized in a small number of drosophila species. here we report the discovery of guy1 (gene unique to the y), a gene unique to the y chromosome in the asian malaria mosquito, ... | 2013 | 23683123 |
| six novel y chromosome genes in anopheles mosquitoes discovered by independently sequencing males and females. | y chromosomes are responsible for the initiation of male development, male fertility, and other male-related functions in diverse species. however, y genes are rarely characterized outside a few model species due to the arduous nature of studying the repeat-rich y. | 2013 | 23617698 |
| identification and characterization of micrornas expressed in the african malaria vector anopheles funestus life stages using high throughput sequencing. | over the past several years, thousands of micrornas (mirnas) have been identified in the genomes of various insects through cloning and sequencing or even by computational prediction. however, the number of mirnas identified in anopheline species is low and little is known about their role. the mosquito anopheles funestus is one of the dominant malaria vectors in africa, which infects and kills millions of people every year. therefore, small rna molecules isolated from the four life stages (eggs ... | 2016 | 27825380 |
| insect transformation with piggybac: getting the number of injections just right. | the insertion of exogenous genetic cargo into insects using transposable elements is a powerful research tool with potential applications in meeting food security and public health challenges facing humanity. piggybac is the transposable element most commonly utilized for insect germline transformation. the described efficiency of this process is variable in the published literature, and a comprehensive review of transformation efficiency in insects is lacking. this study compared and contrasted ... | 2016 | 27027400 |
| dosage compensation in the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae. | dosage compensation is the fundamental process by which gene expression from the male monosomic x chromosome and from the diploid set of autosomes is equalized. various molecular mechanisms have evolved in different organisms to achieve this task. in drosophila, genes on the male x chromosome are upregulated to the levels of expression from the two x chromosomes in females. to test whether a similar mechanism is operating in immature stages of anopheles mosquitoes, we analyzed global gene expres ... | 2016 | 26782933 |
| increased production of pirnas from euchromatic clusters and genes in anopheles gambiae compared with drosophila melanogaster. | specific genomic loci, termed piwi-interacting rna (pirna) clusters, manufacture pirnas that serve as guides for the inactivation of complementary transposable elements (tes). the pirna pathway has been accurately detailed in drosophila melanogaster, while it remains poorly examined in other insects. this pathway is increasingly recognized as critical for germline development and reproduction. understanding of the pirna functions in mosquitoes could offer an opportunity for disease vector contro ... | 2015 | 26617674 |
| draft genome sequences of enterobacter sp. isolate ag1 from the midgut of the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae. | an isolate of enterobacter sp. was obtained from the microbial community within the gut of the anopheles gambiae mosquito, a major malaria vector in africa. this genome was sequenced and annotated. the genome sequences will facilitate subsequent efforts to characterize the mosquito gut microbiome. | 0 | 22965099 |
| screening of selected ethnomedicinal plants from south africa for larvicidal activity against the mosquito anopheles arabiensis. | this study was initiated to establish whether any south african ethnomedicinal plants (indigenous or exotic), that have been reported to be used traditionally to repel or kill mosquitoes, exhibit effective mosquito larvicidal properties. | 2012 | 22963538 |
| the anopheles gambiae ce5, a tight- and fast-binding thrombin inhibitor with post-transcriptionally regulated salivary-restricted expression. | mosquito saliva carries a large number of factors with anti-hemostatic, anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory activities. the ce5 protein was initially identified during an anopheles gambiae salivary gland transcriptome study and later shown to share sequence similarity with anophelin, a thrombin inhibitor from the saliva of the new world mosquito anopheles albimanus. the ce5 gene was found to encode different mrna isoforms coexisting in several tissues of both male and female mosquitoes, a hi ... | 2012 | 22617725 |
| molecular genetic manipulation of vector mosquitoes. | genetic strategies for reducing populations of vector mosquitoes or replacing them with those that are not able to transmit pathogens benefit greatly from molecular tools that allow gene manipulation and transgenesis. mosquito genome sequences and associated est (expressed sequence tags) databases enable large-scale investigations to provide new insights into evolutionary, biochemical, genetic, metabolic, and physiological pathways. additionally, comparative genomics reveals the bases for evolut ... | 0 | 18996342 |
| characterization of anopheles gambiae (african malaria mosquito) ferritin and the effect of iron on intracellular localization in mosquito cells. | ferritin is a 24-subunit molecule, made up of heavy chain (hc) and light chain (lc) subunits, which stores and controls the release of dietary iron in mammals, plants, and insects. in mosquitoes, dietary iron taken in a bloodmeal is stored inside ferritin. our previous work has demonstrated the transport of dietary iron to the ovaries via ferritin during oogenesis. we evaluated the localization of ferritin subunits inside ccl-125 [aedes aegypti linnaeus (diptera: culicidae), yellow fever mosquit ... | 2015 | 26078302 |
| crepuscular behavioral variation and profiling of opsin genes in anopheles gambiae and anopheles stephensi (diptera: culicidae). | we understand little about photo-preference and the molecular mechanisms governing vision-dependent behavior in vector mosquitoes. investigations of the influence of photo-preference on adult mosquito behaviors such as endophagy and exophagy and endophily and exophily will enhance our ability to develop and deploy vector-targeted interventions and monitoring techniques. our laboratory-based analyses have revealed that crepuscular period photo-preference differs between an. gambiae and an. stephe ... | 2015 | 26334802 |
| the activity of the pyrrole insecticide chlorfenapyr in mosquito bioassay: towards a more rational testing and screening of non-neurotoxic insecticides for malaria vector control. | the rapid selection of pyrethroid resistance throughout sub-saharan africa is a serious threat to malaria vector control. chlorfenapyr is a pyrrole insecticide which shows no cross resistance to insecticide classes normally used for vector control and is effective on mosquito nets under experimental hut conditions. unlike neurotoxic insecticides, chlorfenapyr owes its toxicity to disruption of metabolic pathways in mitochondria that enable cellular respiration. a series of experiments explored w ... | 2015 | 25879231 |
| maternal germline-specific genes in the asian malaria mosquito anopheles stephensi: characterization and application for disease control. | anopheles stephensi is a principal vector of urban malaria on the indian subcontinent and an emerging model for molecular and genetic studies of mosquito biology. to enhance our understanding of female mosquito reproduction, and to develop new tools for basic research and for genetic strategies to control mosquito-borne infectious diseases, we identified 79 genes that displayed previtellogenic germline-specific expression based on rna-seq data generated from 11 life stage-specific and sex-specif ... | 2014 | 25480960 |
| the remarkable journey of adaptation of the plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite to new world anopheline mosquitoes. | plasmodium falciparum originated in africa, dispersed around the world as a result of human migration and had to adapt to several different indigenous anopheline mosquitoes. anophelines from the new world are evolutionary distant form african ones and this probably resulted in a more stringent selection of plasmodium as it adapted to these vectors. it is thought that plasmodium has been genetically selected by some anopheline species through unknown mechanisms. the mosquito immune system can gre ... | 0 | 25185006 |
| resistance mechanisms of anopheles stephensi (diptera: culicidae) to temephos. | anopheles stephensi is a sub-tropical species and has been considered as one of the most important vector of human malaria throughout the middle east and south asian region including the malarious areas of southern iran. current reports confirmed an. stephensi resistance to temephos in oman and india. however, there is no comprehensive research on mechanisms of temephos resistance in an. stephensi in the literature. this study was designed in order to clarify the enzymatic and molecular mechanis ... | 2014 | 26114145 |
| mass spectrometry based proteomic analysis of salivary glands of urban malaria vector anopheles stephensi. | salivary gland proteins of anopheles mosquitoes offer attractive targets to understand interactions with sporozoites, blood feeding behavior, homeostasis, and immunological evaluation of malaria vectors and parasite interactions. to date limited studies have been carried out to elucidate salivary proteins of an. stephensi salivary glands. the aim of the present study was to provide detailed analytical attributives of functional salivary gland proteins of urban malaria vector an. stephensi. a pro ... | 2014 | 25126571 |
| a crossover study to evaluate the diversion of malaria vectors in a community with incomplete coverage of spatial repellents in the kilombero valley, tanzania. | malaria elimination is unlikely to occur if vector control efforts focus entirely on transmission occurring indoors without addressing vectors that bite outdoors and outside sleeping hours. additional control tools such as spatial repellents may provide the personal protection required to fill this gap. however, since repellents do not kill mosquitoes it is unclear if vectors will be diverted from households that use spatial repellents to those that do not. | 2016 | 27527601 |
| rift valley fever outbreak, southern mauritania, 2012. | after a period of heavy rainfall, an outbreak of rift valley fever occurred in southern mauritania during september-november 2012. a total of 41 human cases were confirmed, including 13 deaths, and 12 rift valley fever virus strains were isolated. moudjeria and temchecket departments were the most affected areas. | 0 | 24447334 |
| entomological and parasitological impacts of indoor residual spraying with ddt, alphacypermethrin and deltamethrin in the western foothill area of madagascar. | in madagascar, indoor residual spraying (irs) with insecticide was part of the national malaria control programme since the middle of the twentieth century. it was mainly employed in the highlands and the foothill areas, which are prone to malaria epidemics. prior to a policy change foreseeing a shift from ddt to pyrethroids, a study was carried out to assess the entomological and parasitological impacts of irs in areas with ddt or pyrethroids and in areas without irs. | 2014 | 24423246 |
| do topical repellents divert mosquitoes within a community? health equity implications of topical repellents as a mosquito bite prevention tool. | repellents do not kill mosquitoes--they simply reduce human-vector contact. thus it is possible that individuals who do not use repellents but dwell close to repellent users experience more bites than otherwise. the objective of this study was to measure if diversion occurs from households that use repellents to those that do not use repellents. | 2013 | 24376852 |
| comparative field evaluation of combinations of long-lasting insecticide treated nets and indoor residual spraying, relative to either method alone, for malaria prevention in an area where the main vector is anopheles arabiensis. | long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) and indoor residual spraying (irs) are commonly used together in the same households to improve malaria control despite inconsistent evidence on whether such combinations actually offer better protection than nets alone or irs alone. | 2013 | 23433393 |
| a modified experimental hut design for studying responses of disease-transmitting mosquitoes to indoor interventions: the ifakara experimental huts. | differences between individual human houses can confound results of studies aimed at evaluating indoor vector control interventions such as insecticide treated nets (itns) and indoor residual insecticide spraying (irs). specially designed and standardised experimental huts have historically provided a solution to this challenge, with an added advantage that they can be fitted with special interception traps to sample entering or exiting mosquitoes. however, many of these experimental hut designs ... | 2012 | 22347415 |
| functional characterization of nadph-cytochrome p450 reductase from bactrocera dorsalis: possible involvement in susceptibility to malathion. | nadph cytochrome p450 reductase (cpr) is essential for cytochrome p450 catalysis, which is important in the detoxification and activation of xenobiotics. in this study, two transcripts of bactrocera dorsalis cpr (bdcpr) were cloned, and the deduced amino-acid sequence had an n-terminus membrane anchor for bdcpr-x1 and three conserved binding domains (fmn, fad, and nadp), as well as an fad binding motif and catalytic residues for both bdcpr-x1 and bdcpr-x2. bdcpr-x1 was detected to have the high ... | 2015 | 26681597 |
| the effects of oviposition-site deprivation on longevity and bloodfeeding rate in anopheles gambiae. | the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, needs surface water in order to lay their eggs. in many parts of africa, there are dry periods varying from days to months in length when suitable larval sites are not available and female mosquitoes experience oviposition-site deprivation (osd). previous studies have shown that egg-laying and egg-hatching rates were reduced due to osd. here, we assessed its effect on longevity and bloodfeeding rate of anopheles gambiae. we predicted that osd will ... | 2014 | 24708656 |
| neuropeptidomics of the mosquito aedes aegypti. | neuropeptidomic data were collected on the mosquito ae. aegypti, which is considered the most tractable mosquito species for physiological and endocrine studies. the data were solely obtained by direct mass spectrometric profiling, including tandem fragmentation, of selected tissues from single specimens, which yielded a largely complete accounting of the putative bioactive neuropeptides; truncated neuropeptides with low abundance were not counted as mature peptides. differential processing with ... | 0 | 20163154 |
| igg1 and igg4 antibody responses to the anopheles gambiae salivary protein gsg6 in the sympatric ethnic groups mossi and fulani in a malaria hyperhendemic area of burkina faso. | human antibody response to the anopheles gambiae salivary protein gsg6 has recently emerged as a potentially useful tool for malaria epidemiological studies and for the evaluation of vector control interventions. however, the current understanding of the host immune response to mosquito salivary proteins and of the possible crosstalk with early response to plasmodium parasites is still very limited. we report here the analysis of igg1 and igg4 subclasses among anti-gsg6 igg responders belonging ... | 2014 | 24760038 |
| an affordable, quality-assured community-based system for high-resolution entomological surveillance of vector mosquitoes that reflects human malaria infection risk patterns. | more sensitive and scalable entomological surveillance tools are required to monitor low levels of transmission that are increasingly common across the tropics, particularly where vector control has been successful. a large-scale larviciding programme in urban dar es salaam, tanzania is supported by a community-based (cb) system for trapping adult mosquito densities to monitor programme performance. | 2012 | 22624853 |
| mevalonate-farnesal biosynthesis in ticks: comparative synganglion transcriptomics and a new perspective. | juvenile hormone (jh) controls the growth, development, metamorphosis, and reproduction of insects. for many years, the general assumption has been that jh regulates tick and other acarine development and reproduction the same as in insects. although researchers have not been able to find the common insect jhs in hard and soft tick species and jh applications appear to have no effect on tick development, it is difficult to prove the negative or to determine whether precursors to jh are made in t ... | 2016 | 26959814 |
| why so many unknown genes? partitioning orphans from a representative transcriptome of the lone star tick amblyomma americanum. | genomic resources within the phylum arthropoda are largely limited to the true insects but are beginning to include unexplored subphyla, such as the crustacea and chelicerata. investigations of these understudied taxa uncover high frequencies of orphan genes, which lack detectable sequence homology to genes in pre-existing databases. the ticks (acari: chelicerata) are one such understudied taxon for which genomic resources are urgently needed. ticks are obligate blood-feeders that vector major d ... | 2013 | 23445305 |
| cysteine peptidases and their inhibitors in tetranychus urticae: a comparative genomic approach. | cysteine peptidases in the two-spotted spider mite tetranychus urticae are involved in essential physiological processes, including proteolytic digestion. cystatins and thyropins are inhibitors of cysteine peptidases that modulate their activity, although their function in this species has yet to be investigated. comparative genomic analyses are powerful tools to obtain advanced knowledge into the presence and evolution of both, peptidases and their inhibitors, and could aid to elucidate issues ... | 2012 | 22784002 |
| outdoor biting by anopheles mosquitoes on bioko island does not currently impact on malaria control. | there have been many recent reports that the rate of outdoor biting by malaria vectors has increased. this study examined the impact this might have on malaria transmission by assessing the association between exposure to outdoor bites and malaria infection on bioko island, equatorial guinea. | 2015 | 25895674 |
| changes in malaria epidemiology in a rural area of cubal, angola. | scarce information about malaria epidemiology in angola has been published. the objective of this study is to describe the epidemiology of malaria at the hospital nossa senhora da paz (cubal, angola) and the fatality rate due to malaria (total and in children under five years) in the last five years. | 2015 | 25604647 |
| perceptions and recommendations by scientists for a potential release of genetically modified mosquitoes in nigeria. | the use of genetically modified mosquitoes (gmms) for the control of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases has been proposed in malaria-endemic countries, such as nigeria, which has the largest burden in africa. scientists are major stakeholders whose opinions and perceptions can adversely affect the success of the trials of gmms if they are not involved early. unfortunately, information on the awareness of nigerians scientists and their overall perception of the gmms is practically non-exis ... | 2014 | 24758165 |
| large fluctuations in the effective population size of the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae s.s. during vector control cycle. | on bioko island, equatorial guinea, indoor residual spraying (irs) has been part of the bioko island malaria control project since early 2004. despite success in reducing childhood infections, areas of high transmission remain on the island. we therefore examined fluctuations in the effective population size (n e ) of the malaria vector anopheles gambiae in an area of persistent high transmission over two spray rounds. we analyzed data for 13 microsatellite loci from 791 an. gambiae specimens co ... | 2013 | 24478799 |
| country-level operational implementation of the global plan for insecticide resistance management. | malaria control is reliant on the use of long-lasting pyrethroid-impregnated nets and/or indoor residual spraying (irs) of insecticide. the rapid selection and spread of operationally significant pyrethroid resistance in african malaria vectors threatens our ability to sustain malaria control. establishing whether resistance is operationally significant is technically challenging. routine monitoring by bioassay is inadequate, and there are limited data linking resistance selection with changes i ... | 2013 | 23696658 |
| malaria transmission after five years of vector control on bioko island, equatorial guinea. | malaria is endemic with year-round transmission on bioko island. the bioko island malaria control project (bimcp) started in 2004 with the aim to reduce malaria transmission and to ultimately eliminate malaria. while the project has been successful in reducing overall malaria morbidity and mortality, foci of high malaria transmission still persist on the island. results from the 2009 entomological collections are reported here. | 2012 | 23146423 |
| the emergence of insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector anopheles funestus (diptera: culicidae) from sentinel sites in mutare and mutasa districts, zimbabwe. | insecticide resistance in major malaria vectors poses severe challenges for stakeholders responsible for controlling the disease. during the 2013/14 season, malaria vector sentinel sites in mutare and mutasa districts, zimbabwe, experienced high presence of gravid malaria vector mosquitoes resting indoors in recently pyrethroid-sprayed structures. subsequently, an evaluation of insecticide resistance in anopheles funestus populations, the major malaria vector, was conducted to better inform the ... | 2015 | 26589891 |
| where have all the mosquito nets gone? spatial modelling reveals mosquito net distributions across tanzania do not target optimal anopheles mosquito habitats. | malaria remains the deadliest vector-borne disease despite long-term, costly control efforts. the united republic of tanzania has implemented countrywide anti-malarial interventions over more than a decade, including national insecticide-treated net (itn) rollouts and subsequent monitoring. while previous analyses have compared spatial variation in malaria endemicity with itn distributions, no study has yet compared anopheles habitat suitability to determine proper allocation of itns. this study ... | 2015 | 26283538 |
| the dynamics of pyrethroid resistance in anopheles arabiensis from zanzibar and an assessment of the underlying genetic basis. | the emergence of pyrethroid resistance in the malaria vector, anopheles arabiensis, threatens to undermine the considerable gains made towards eliminating malaria on zanzibar. previously, resistance was restricted to the island of pemba while mosquitoes from unguja, the larger of the two islands of zanzibar, were susceptible. here, we characterised the mechanism(s) responsible for resistance on zanzibar using a combination of gene expression and target-site mutation assays. | 2013 | 24314005 |
| a second chance to tackle african malaria vector mosquitoes that avoid houses and don't take drugs. | | 2013 | 23589532 |
| evaluation of alternative mosquito sampling methods for malaria vectors in lowland south--east zambia. | sampling malaria vectors and measuring their biting density is of paramount importance for entomological surveys of malaria transmission. human landing catch (hlc) has been traditionally regarded as a gold standard method for surveying human exposure to mosquito bites. however, due to the risk of human participant exposure to mosquito-borne parasites and viruses, a variety of alternative, exposure-free trapping methods were compared in lowland, south-east zambia. | 2013 | 23570257 |
| human exposure to anopheline mosquitoes occurs primarily indoors, even for users of insecticide-treated nets in luangwa valley, south-east zambia. | current front line malaria vector control methods such as indoor residual spraying (irs) and long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins), rely upon the preference of many primary vectors to feed and/or rest inside human habitations where they can be targeted with domestically-applied insecticidal products. we studied the human biting behaviour of the malaria vector anopheles funestus giles and the potential malaria vector anopheles quadriannulatus theobald in luangwa valley, south-east zambia. | 2012 | 22647493 |
| a small-scale field trial of pyriproxyfen-impregnated bed nets against pyrethroid-resistant anopheles gambiae s.s. in western kenya. | pyrethroid resistance is becoming a major problem for vector control programs, because at present, there are few suitable chemical substitutes for pyrethroids, as when used on bed nets the insecticide must have low mammalian toxicity as well as high activity to mosquitoes. pyriproxyfen (ppf) is one of the most active chemicals among the juvenile hormone mimic (jhm) group. sterilizing mosquitoes by using ppf could be a potential control measure for pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors. we investi ... | 2014 | 25333785 |
| cryptic species within anopheles longipalpis from southern africa and phylogenetic comparison with members of the an. funestus group. | house-resting anopheles mosquitoes are targeted for vector control interventions; however, without proper species identification, the importance of these anopheles to malaria transmission is unknown. anopheles longipalpis, a non-vector species, has been found in significant numbers resting indoors in houses in southern zambia, potentially impacting on the utilization of scarce resources for vector control. the identification of an. longipalpis is currently based on classical morphology using min ... | 2008 | 18715522 |
| biting behaviour of african malaria vectors: 1. where do the main vector species bite on the human body? | malaria control in africa relies heavily on indoor vector management, primarily indoor residual spraying and insecticide treated bed nets. little is known about outdoor biting behaviour or even the dynamics of indoor biting and infection risk of sleeping household occupants. in this paper we explore the preferred biting sites on the human body and some of the ramifications regarding infection risk and exposure management. | 2015 | 25650005 |
| dissecting the mechanisms responsible for the multiple insecticide resistance phenotype in anopheles gambiae s.s., m form, from vallée du kou, burkina faso. | with the exception of target site mutations, insecticide resistance mechanisms in the principle malaria vector anopheles gambiae, remains largely uncharacterized in burkina faso. here we detected high prevalence of resistance in vallée du kou (vk) to pyrethroids, ddt and dieldrin, moderate level for carbamates and full susceptibility to organophosphates. high frequencies of l1014f kdr (75%) and rdl (87%) mutations were observed showing strong correlation with pyrethroids/ddt and dieldrin resista ... | 2013 | 23380570 |
| genome organization, phylogenies, expression patterns, and three-dimensional protein models of two acetylcholinesterase genes from the red flour beetle. | since the report of a paralogous acetylcholinesterase (ache, ec3.1.1.7) gene in the greenbug (schizaphis graminum) in 2002, two different ache genes (ace1 and ace2) have been identified in each of at least 27 insect species. however, the gene models of ace1 and ace2, and their molecular properties have not yet been comprehensively analyzed in any insect species. in this study, we sequenced the full-length cdnas, computationally predicted the corresponding three-dimensional protein models, and pr ... | 2012 | 22359679 |
| microsatellite data suggest significant population structure and differentiation within the malaria vector anopheles darlingi in central and south america. | anopheles darlingi is the most important malaria vector in the neotropics. an understanding of a. darlingi's population structure and contemporary gene flow patterns is necessary if vector populations are to be successfully controlled. we assessed population genetic structure and levels of differentiation based on 1,376 samples from 31 localities throughout the peruvian and brazilian amazon and central america using 5-8 microsatellite loci. | 2008 | 18366795 |
| brain proteomics of anopheles gambiae. | anopheles gambiae has a well-adapted system for host localization, feeding, and mating behavior, which are all governed by neuronal processes in the brain. however, there are no published reports characterizing the brain proteome to elucidate neuronal signaling mechanisms in the vector. to this end, a large-scale mapping of the brain proteome of an. gambiae was carried out using high resolution tandem mass spectrometry, revealing a repertoire of >1800 proteins, of which 15% could not be assigned ... | 2014 | 24937107 |
| absence/presence calling in microarray-based cgh experiments with non-model organisms. | structural variations in genomes are commonly studied by (micro)array-based comparative genomic hybridization. the data analysis methods to infer copy number variation in model organisms (human, mouse) are established. in principle, the procedures are based on signal ratios between test and reference samples and the order of the probe targets in the genome. these procedures are less applicable to experiments with non-model organisms, which frequently comprise non-sequenced genomes with an unknow ... | 2014 | 24771343 |
| combining next-generation sequencing and microarray technology into a transcriptomics approach for the non-model organism chironomus riparius. | whole-transcriptome gene-expression analyses are commonly performed in species that have a sequenced genome and for which microarrays are commercially available. to do such analyses in species with no or limited genome data, i.e. non-model organisms, necessary transcriptomics resources, i.e. an annotated transcriptome and a validated gene-expression microarray, must first be developed. the aim of the present study was to establish an advanced approach for developing transcriptomics resources for ... | 2012 | 23133553 |
| variation in exposure to anopheles gambiae salivary gland peptide (gsg6-p1) across different malaria transmission settings in the western kenya highlands. | the existing metrics of malaria transmission are limited in sensitivity under low transmission intensity. robust surveillance systems are needed as interventions to monitor reduced transmission and prevention of rapid reintroduction. serological tools based on antibody responses to parasite and vector antigens are potential tools for transmission measurements. the current study sought to evaluate antibody responses to anopheles gambiae salivary gland peptide (gsg6- p1), as a biomarker of human e ... | 2012 | 22963464 |
| species shifts in the anopheles gambiae complex: do llins successfully control anopheles arabiensis? | high coverage of conventional and long-lasting insecticide treated nets (itns and llins) in parts of e africa are associated with reductions in local malaria burdens. shifts in malaria vector species ratio have coincided with the scale-up suggesting that some species are being controlled by itns/llins better than others. | 2012 | 22438864 |
| anopheles darlingi polytene chromosomes: revised maps including newly described inversions and evidence for population structure in manaus. | salivary gland polytene chromosomes of 4th instar anopheles darlingi root were examined from multiple locations in the brazilian amazon. minor modifications were made to existing polytene photomaps. these included changes to the breakpoint positions of several previously described paracentric inversions and descriptions of four new paracentric inversions, two on the right arm of chromosome 3 and two on the left arm of chromosome 3 that were found in multiple locations. a total of 18 inversions o ... | 0 | 27223867 |
| daily rhythms in mosquitoes and their consequences for malaria transmission. | the 24-h day involves cycles in environmental factors that impact organismal fitness. this is thought to select for organisms to regulate their temporal biology accordingly, through circadian and diel rhythms. in addition to rhythms in abiotic factors (such as light and temperature), biotic factors, including ecological interactions, also follow daily cycles. how daily rhythms shape, and are shaped by, interactions between organisms is poorly understood. here, we review an emerging area, namely ... | 2016 | 27089370 |
| protobug: functional families from the complete proteomes of insects. | protobug (http://www.protobug.cs.huji.ac.il) is a database and resource of protein families in arthropod genomes. protobug platform presents the relatedness of complete proteomes from 17 insects as well as a proteome of the crustacean, daphnia pulex. the represented proteomes from insects include louse, bee, beetle, ants, flies and mosquitoes. based on an unsupervised clustering method, protein sequences were clustered into a hierarchical tree, called protobug. protobug covers about 300,000 sequ ... | 2015 | 25911153 |
| molecular characterization of human pathogenic bunyaviruses of the nyando and bwamba/pongola virus groups leads to the genetic identification of mojuí dos campos and kaeng khoi virus. | human infection with bwamba virus (bwav) and the closely related pongola virus (pgav), as well as nyando virus (ndv), are important causes of febrile illness in africa. however, despite seroprevalence studies that indicate high rates of infection in many countries, these viruses remain relatively unknown and unstudied. in addition, a number of unclassified bunyaviruses have been isolated over the years often with uncertain relationships to human disease. | 2014 | 25188437 |
| spatio-temporal malaria transmission patterns in navrongo demographic surveillance site, northern ghana. | the relationship between entomological measures of malaria transmission intensity and mortality remains uncertain. this is partly because transmission is heterogeneous even within small geographical areas. studying this relationship requires high resolution, spatially structured, longitudinal entomological data. geostatistical models that have been used to analyse the spatio-temporal heterogeneity have not considered the uncertainty in both sporozoite rate (sr) and mosquito density data. this st ... | 2013 | 23405912 |
| consistently high estimates for the proportion of human exposure to malaria vector populations occurring indoors in rural africa. | insecticide-treated nets (itns) and indoor residual spraying (irs) are highly effective tools for controlling malaria transmission in africa because the most important vectors, from the anopheles gambiae complex and the a. funestus group, usually prefer biting humans indoors at night. | 2013 | 23396849 |
| addressing malaria vector control challenges in south sudan: proposed recommendations. | upon the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement in 2005, the republic of south sudan (rss) has faced a lot of challenges, such as a lack of infrastructure, human resources and an enormous burden of vector borne diseases including malaria. while a national malaria strategic plan 2006-2011 was developed, the vector control component has remained relatively weak. the strategy endorses the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (llins) as the frontline intervention with other intervent ... | 2013 | 23394124 |
| impact of home-based management of malaria combined with other community-based interventions: what do we learn from rwanda? | this study aimed to evaluate the impact of home-based management of malaria (hbm) strategy on time to treatment and reported presumed malaria morbidity in children aged less than 5 years in rwanda. | 2013 | 23560133 |
| physical condition and maintenance of mosquito bed nets in kwale county, coastal kenya. | despite the extensive ownership and use of insecticide-treated nets (itns) over the last decade, the effective lifespan of these nets, especially their physical integrity, under true operational conditions is not well-understood. usefulness of nets declines primarily due to physical damage or loss of insecticidal activity. | 2013 | 23374429 |
| the effect of larval nutritional deprivation on the life history and ddt resistance phenotype in laboratory strains of the malaria vector anopheles arabiensis. | anopheles arabiensis is a major malaria vector in africa. it thrives in agricultural areas and has been associated with increased malaria incidence in areas under rice and maize cultivation. this effect may be due to increased adult size and abundance as a consequence of optimal larval nutrition. the aim of this study was to examine the effect of larval nutrition on the life history and expression of insecticide resistance in adults of laboratory reared an. arabiensis. | 2013 | 23368928 |
| intrinsically disordered regions of p53 family are highly diversified in evolution. | proteins of the p53 family are expressed in vertebrates and in some invertebrate species. the main function of these proteins is to control and regulate cell cycle in response to various cellular signals, and therefore to control the organism's development. the regulatory functions of the p53 family members originate mostly from their highly-conserved and well-structured dna-binding domains. many human diseases (including various types of cancer) are related to the missense mutations within this ... | 2013 | 23352836 |
| persistent detection of plasmodium falciparum, p. malariae, p. ovale curtisi and p. ovale wallikeri after act treatment of asymptomatic ghanaian school-children. | two hundred and seventy four asymptomatic ghanaian school-children aged 5 to 17 years were screened for malaria parasites by examination of blood films. one hundred and fifty five microscopically-positive individuals were treated with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and followed for 3 weeks. retrospective species-specific pcr of all 274 screened samples identified an additional 60 children with sub-patent parasitaemia, and a substantial proportion of co-infections with plasmodium malariae, plasmo ... | 2013 | 24533292 |
| geographic coincidence of increased malaria transmission hazard and vulnerability occurring at the periphery of two tanzanian villages. | the goal of malaria elimination necessitates an improved understanding of any fine-scale geographic variations in transmission risk so that complementary vector control tools can be integrated into current vector control programmes as supplementary measures that are spatially targeted to maximize impact upon residual transmission. this study examines the distribution of host-seeking malaria vectors at households within two villages in rural tanzania. | 2013 | 23331947 |
| de novo transcriptome characterization of vitis vinifera cv. corvina unveils varietal diversity. | plants such as grapevine (vitis spp.) display significant inter-cultivar genetic and phenotypic variation. the genetic components underlying phenotypic diversity in grapevine must be understood in order to disentangle genetic and environmental factors. | 2013 | 23331995 |
| trends in multiplicity of plasmodium falciparum infections among asymptomatic residents in the middle belt of ghana. | malaria is the most important cause of mortality and morbidity in children living in the kintampo districts in the middle part of ghana. this study has investigated the multiplicity of infection (moi) within asymptomatic residents of the kintampo districts, and the influence of age and seasonality on moi, by studying the distribution of the polymorphic plasmodium falciparum antigen merozoite surface protein 2 (msp2). | 2013 | 23327681 |
| topographic models for predicting malaria vector breeding habitats: potential tools for vector control managers. | identification of malaria vector breeding sites can enhance control activities. although associations between malaria vector breeding sites and topography are well recognized, practical models that predict breeding sites from topographic information are lacking. we used topographic variables derived from remotely sensed digital elevation models (dems) to model the breeding sites of malaria vectors. we further compared the predictive strength of two different dems and evaluated the predictability ... | 2013 | 23324389 |
| mathematical evaluation of community level impact of combining bed nets and indoor residual spraying upon malaria transmission in areas where the main vectors are anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes. | indoor residual insecticide spraying (irs) and long-lasting insecticide treated nets (llins) are commonly used together even though evidence that such combinations confer greater protection against malaria than either method alone is inconsistent. | 2013 | 23324456 |
| operational scale entomological intervention for malaria control: strategies, achievements and challenges in zambia. | while consensus on malaria vector control policy and strategy has stimulated unprecedented political-will, backed by international funding organizations and donors, vector control interventions are expansively being implemented based on assumptions with unequaled successes. this manuscript reports on the strategies, achievements and challenges of the past and contemporary malaria vector control efforts in zambia. | 2013 | 23298401 |
| geographical factors affecting bed net ownership, a tool for the elimination of anopheles-transmitted lymphatic filariasis in hard-to-reach communities. | vector control, including the use of bed nets, is recommended as a possible strategy for eliminating lymphatic filariasis (lf) in post-conflict countries such as the democratic republic of congo (drc). this study examined the geographical factors that influence bed net ownership in drc in order to identify hard-to-reach communities that need to be better targeted. in particular, urban/rural differences and the influence of population density, proximity to cities and health facilities, plus acces ... | 2013 | 23308281 |
| comparative genomics of odorant binding proteins in anopheles gambiae, aedes aegypti, and culex quinquefasciatus. | about 1 million people in the world die each year from diseases spread by mosquitoes, and understanding the mechanism of host identification by the mosquitoes through olfaction is at stake. the role of odorant binding proteins (obps) in the primary molecular events of olfaction in mosquitoes is becoming an important focus of biological research in this area. here, we present a comprehensive comparative genomics study of obps in the three disease-transmitting mosquito species anopheles gambiae, a ... | 0 | 23292137 |
| increase in malaria prevalence and age of at risk population in different areas of gabon. | following the deployment of new recommendations for malaria control according to the world health organization, an estimation of the real burden of the disease is needed to better identify populations at risk and to adapt control strategies. the aim of the present study was to estimate the clinical burden of malaria among febrile children aged less than 11 years, before and after six-year of deployment of malaria control strategies in different areas of gabon. | 2013 | 23282198 |
| sustainable malaria control: transdisciplinary approaches for translational applications. | with the adoption of the global malaria action plan, several countries are moving from malaria control towards elimination and eradication. however, the sustainability of some of the approaches taken may be questionable. here, an overview of malaria control and elimination strategies is provided and the sustainability of each in context of vector- and parasite control is assessed. from this, it can be concluded that transdisciplinary approaches are essential for sustained malaria control and eli ... | 2012 | 23268712 |
| the feasibility of malaria elimination in south africa. | following the last major malaria epidemic in 2000, malaria incidence in south africa has declined markedly. the decrease has been so emphatic that south africa now meets the world health organization (who) threshold for malaria elimination. given the millennium development goal of reversing the spread of malaria by 2015, south africa is being urged to adopt an elimination agenda. this study aimed to determine the appropriateness of implementing a malaria elimination programme in present day sout ... | 2012 | 23253091 |
| the fitness of african malaria vectors in the presence and limitation of host behaviour. | host responses are important sources of selection upon the host species range of ectoparasites and phytophagous insects. however little is known about the role of host responses in defining the host species range of malaria vectors. this study aimed to estimate the relative importance of host behaviour to the feeding success and fitness of african malaria vectors, and assess its ability to predict their known host species preferences in nature. | 2012 | 23253167 |
| anopheline larval habitats seasonality and species distribution: a prerequisite for effective targeted larval habitats control programmes. | larval control is of paramount importance in the reduction of malaria vector abundance and subsequent disease transmission reduction. understanding larval habitat succession and its ecology in different land use managements and cropping systems can give an insight for effective larval source management practices. this study investigated larval habitat succession and ecological parameters which influence larval abundance in malaria epidemic prone areas of western kenya. | 2012 | 23272215 |
| directionally selected cytochrome p450 alleles are driving the spread of pyrethroid resistance in the major malaria vector anopheles funestus. | pyrethroid insecticides are critical for malaria control in africa. however, resistance to this insecticide class in the malaria vector anopheles funestus is spreading rapidly across africa, threatening the success of ongoing and future malaria control programs. the underlying resistance mechanisms driving the spread of this resistance in wild populations remain largely unknown. here, we show that increased expression of two tandemly duplicated p450 genes, cyp6p9a and cyp6p9b, is the main mechan ... | 2012 | 23248325 |
| malaria parasite diversity and transmission intensity affect development of parasitological immunity in a mathematical model. | the development of parasitological immunity against malaria affects the ability to detect infection, the efficiency of the local human parasite reservoir at infecting mosquitoes, and the response to reintroduction of parasites to previously cleared areas. observations of similar age-trends in detected prevalence and mean parasitaemia across more than an order-of-magnitude of variation in baseline transmission complicate simple exposure-driven explanations. | 2012 | 23241282 |
| biochemical characterization of chitin synthase activity and inhibition in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae. | chitin synthase (chs) is an important enzyme catalyzing the formation of chitin polymers in all chitin containing organisms and a potential target site for insect pest control. however, our understanding of biochemical properties of insect chss has been very limited. we here report enzymatic and inhibitory properties of chs prepared from the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae. our study, which represents the first time to use a nonradioactive method to assay chs activity in an insect sp ... | 2012 | 23955856 |
| use of a mixture statistical model in studying malaria vectors density. | vector control is a major step in the process of malaria control and elimination. this requires vector counts and appropriate statistical analyses of these counts. however, vector counts are often overdispersed. a non-parametric mixture of poisson model (npmp) is proposed to allow for overdispersion and better describe vector distribution. mosquito collections using the human landing catches as well as collection of environmental and climatic data were carried out from january to december 2009 i ... | 2012 | 23185626 |
| implications of bio-efficacy and persistence of insecticides when indoor residual spraying and long-lasting insecticide nets are combined for malaria prevention. | bio-efficacy and residual activity of insecticides used for indoor residual spraying (irs) and long-lasting insecticide nets (llins) were assessed against laboratory-reared and wild populations of the malaria vector, anopheles arabiensis in south eastern tanzania. implications of the findings are examined in the context of potential synergies and redundancies where irs and llins are combined. | 2012 | 23164062 |
| biochemical characterization of anopheles gambiae srpn6, a malaria parasite invasion marker in mosquitoes. | serine proteinase inhibitors of the serpin family are well known as negative regulators of hemostasis, thrombolysis and innate immune responses. additionally, non-inhibitory serpins serve functions as chaperones, hormone transporters, or anti-angiogenic factors. in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae s.s., at least three serpins (srpns) are implicated in the innate immune response against malaria parasites. based on reverse genetic and cell biological analyses, agsrpn6 limits parasit ... | 2012 | 23152794 |
| patterns of genomic differentiation between ecologically differentiated m and s forms of anopheles gambiae in west and central africa. | anopheles gambiae m and s are thought to be undergoing ecological speciation by adapting to different larval habitats. toward an improved understanding of the genetic determinants and evolutionary processes shaping their divergence, we used a 400,000 single-nucleotide polymorphism (snp) genotyping array to characterize patterns of genomic differentiation between four geographically paired m and s population samples from west and central africa. in keeping with recent studies based on more limite ... | 0 | 23132896 |
| impact of pyrethroid resistance on operational malaria control in malawi. | the impact of insecticide resistance on insect-borne disease programs is difficult to quantify. the possibility of eliminating malaria in high-transmission settings is heavily dependent on effective vector control reducing disease transmission rates. pyrethroids are the dominant insecticides used for malaria control, with few options for their replacement. their failure will adversely affect our ability to control malaria. pyrethroid resistance has been selected in malawi over the last 3 y in th ... | 2012 | 23118337 |
| simulation of malaria epidemiology and control in the highlands of western kenya. | models of plasmodium falciparum malaria epidemiology that provide realistic quantitative predictions of likely epidemiological outcomes of existing vector control strategies have the potential to assist in planning for the control and elimination of malaria. this work investigates the applicability of mathematical modelling of malaria transmission dynamics in rachuonyo south, a district with low, unstable transmission in the highlands of western kenya. | 2012 | 23107070 |
| characterization of a chitin synthase encoding gene and effect of diflubenzuron in soybean aphid, aphis glycines. | chitin synthases are critical enzymes for synthesis of chitin and thus for subsequent growth and development in insects. we identified the cdna of chitin synthase gene (chs) in aphis glycines, the soybean aphid, which is a serious pest of soybean. the full-length cdna of chs in a. glycines (aychs) was 5802 bp long with an open reading frame of 4704 bp that encoded for a 1567 amino acid residues protein. the predicted aychs protein had a molecular mass of 180.05 kda and its amino acid sequence co ... | 2012 | 23139631 |
| the effects of oviposition-site deprivation on anopheles gambiae reproduction. | the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, depends on availability of suitable surface water for oviposition. short and long dry spells occur throughout the year in many parts of its range that limit its access to oviposition sites. although not well understood, oviposition-site deprivation has been found to rapidly reduce egg batch size and hatch rate of several mosquito species. we conducted laboratory experiments to assess these effects of oviposition-site deprivation on an. gambiae and ... | 2012 | 23072301 |
| reconsideration of anopheles rivulorum as a vector of plasmodium falciparum in western kenya: some evidence from biting time, blood preference, sporozoite positive rate, and pyrethroid resistance. | anopheles gambiae, an. arabiensis, and an. funestus are widespread malaria vectors in africa. anopheles rivulorum is the next most widespread species in the an. funestus group. the role of an. rivulorum as a malaria vector has not been fully studied, although it has been found to be a minor or opportunistic transmitter of plasmodium falciparum. | 2012 | 23050856 |
| human antibody response to anopheles saliva for comparing the efficacy of three malaria vector control methods in balombo, angola. | human antibody (ab) response to anopheles whole saliva, used as biomarker of anopheles exposure, was investigated over a period of two years (2008-2009), in children between 2 to 9 years old, before and after the introduction of three different malaria vector control methods; deltamethrin treated long lasting impregnated nets (llin) and insecticide treated plastic sheeting (itps)--zero fly®) (itps-zf), deltamethrin impregnated durable (wall) lining (itps-dl--zerovector®) alone, and indoor residu ... | 2012 | 23028499 |
| the development of insecticide-treated durable wall lining for malaria control: insights from rural and urban populations in angola and nigeria. | durable lining (dl) is a deltamethrin-impregnated polyethylene material, which is designed to cover domestic walls that would normally be sprayed with residual insecticide. the operational success of dl as a long-lasting insecticidal substrate will be dependent on a high level of user acceptability as households must maintain correctly installed linings on their walls for several years. preliminary trials were undertaken to identify a material to develop into a marketable wall lining and to asse ... | 2012 | 22989007 |
| the efficacy of vectron 20 wp, etofenprox, for indoor residual spraying in areas of high vector resistance to pyrethroids and organochlorines in zambia. | the selection of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors has the potential to compromise any insecticide-based vector control programme. to ensure that the insecticides used for indoor residual spraying and insecticide-treated nets in zambia remain effective and their choice is evidence based, insecticide resistance surveillance and monitoring are essential. this study assessed and compared the residual efficacy of etofenprox (vectron 20 wp), an ether pyrethroid, at 0.1 g/m(2) with pyrethroids ... | 2012 | 24967135 |
| population genetic structure of the malaria vector anopheles funestus, in a recently re-colonized area of the senegal river basin and human-induced environmental changes. | anopheles funestus is one of the major malaria vectors in tropical africa. because of several cycles of drought events that occurred during the 1970s, this species had disappeared from many parts of sahelian africa, including the senegal river basin. however, this zone has been re-colonized during the last decade by an. funestus, following the implementation of two dams on the senegal river. previous studies in that area revealed heterogeneity at the biological and chromosomal level among these ... | 2012 | 22950576 |
| positional cloning of rp2 qtl associates the p450 genes cyp6z1, cyp6z3 and cyp6m7 with pyrethroid resistance in the malaria vector anopheles funestus. | pyrethroid resistance in anopheles funestus is threatening malaria control in africa. elucidation of underlying resistance mechanisms is crucial to improve the success of future control programs. a positional cloning approach was used to identify genes conferring resistance in the uncharacterised rp2 quantitative trait locus (qtl) previously detected in this vector using f6 advanced intercross lines (ail). a 113 kb bac clone spanning rp2 was identified and sequenced revealing a cluster of 15 p45 ... | 2012 | 22948188 |
| real-time pcr assay for discrimination of plasmodium ovale curtisi and plasmodium ovale wallikeri in the ivory coast and in the comoros islands. | plasmodium ovale is one of the five malaria species infecting humans. recent data have shown that the name of this neglected species masks two distinct genotypes also called curtisi and wallikeri. some authors show that these species could be sympatric. these two subspecies are not differentiated by microscopy techniques and malaria rapid diagnostic tests. this diagnostic defect is the result of low parasitaemia, antigenic polymorphism and absence of antibodies performance and requires the use o ... | 2012 | 22947418 |
| malaria control in south africa 2000-2010: beyond mdg6. | malaria is one of the key targets within goal 6 of the millennium development goals (mdgs), whereby the disease needs to be halted and reversed by the year 2015. several other international targets have been set, however the mdgs are universally accepted, hence it is the focus of this manuscript. | 2012 | 22913727 |
| anticholinesterase insecticide retrospective. | the anticholinesterase (antiche) organophosphorus (op) and methylcarbamate (mc) insecticides have been used very effectively as contact and systemic plant protectants for seven decades. about 90 of these compounds are still in use - the largest number for any insecticide chemotype or mode of action. in both insects and mammals, ache inhibition and acetylcholine accumulation leads to excitation and death. the cholinergic system of insects is located centrally (where it is protected from ionized o ... | 2012 | 22926007 |
| candidate chemosensory genes in female antennae of the noctuid moth spodoptera littoralis. | chemical senses are crucial for all organisms to detect various environmental information. different protein families, expressed in chemosensory organs, are involved in the detection of this information, such as odorant-binding proteins, olfactory and gustatory receptors, and ionotropic receptors. we recently reported an expressed sequence tag (est) approach on male antennae of the noctuid moth, spodoptera littoralis, with which we could identify a large array of chemosensory genes in a species ... | 2012 | 22904672 |