| detection of leishmania infantum in naturally infected lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae: phlebotominae) and canis familiaris in misiones, argentina: the first report of a pcr-rflp and sequencing-based confirmation assay. | in this study, a genotypification of leishmania was performed using polimerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) and sequencing techniques to identify species of leishmania parasites in phlebotomine sand flies and dogs naturally infected. between january-february of 2009, cdc light traps were used to collect insect samples from 13 capture sites in the municipality of posadas, which is located in the province of misiones of argentina. sand flies identified as lutz ... | 2010 | 20944995 |
| blueport: a platform to study the eosinophilic response of mice to the bite of a vector of leishmania parasites, lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies. | visceral leishmaniasis is a serious human disease transmitted, in the new world, by lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies. natural resistance to leishmania transmission in residents of endemic areas has been attributed to the acquisition of immunity to sand fly salivary proteins. one theoretical way to accelerate the acquisition of this immunity is to increase the density of antigen-presenting cells at the sand fly bite site. here we describe a novel tissue platform that can be used for this purpose. | 2010 | 21048957 |
| canine visceral leishmaniasis due to leishmania (l.) infantum chagasi in amazonian brazil: comparison of the parasite density from the skin, lymph node and visceral tissues between symptomatic and asymptomatic, seropositive dogs. | canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl) is recognizable by characteristic signs of disease and is highly lethal. the infection, however, may be quite inapparent in some seropositive dogs, and this has raised the polemic question as to whether or not such animals can be a source of infection for lutzomyia longipalpis, the vector of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl). in this study we have examined 51 dogs with acute cvl from an avl area in pará state, northern brazil, and compared the parasite den ... | 2010 | 21049230 |
| pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide receptor 1 mediates anti-inflammatory effects in allergic airway inflammation in mice. | bronchial asthma is characterized by airway inflammation and reversible obstruction. since the gold standard of therapy, a combination of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids and bronchodilatory β(2) agonists, has recently been discussed to be related to an increased mortality, there is a need for novel therapeutic pathways. | 2010 | 21059121 |
| lutzomyia longipalpis saliva triggers lipid body formation and prostaglandin e₂ production in murine macrophages. | sand fly saliva contains molecules that modify the host's hemostasis and immune responses. nevertheless, the role played by this saliva in the induction of key elements of inflammatory responses, such as lipid bodies (lb, also known as lipid droplets) and eicosanoids, has been poorly investigated. lbs are cytoplasmic organelles involved in arachidonic acid metabolism that form eicosanoids in response to inflammatory stimuli. in this study, we assessed the role of salivary gland sonicate (sgs) fr ... | 2010 | 21072234 |
| phlebotominae fauna (diptera: psychodidae) in an urban district of belo horizonte, brazil, endemic for visceral leishmaniasis: characterization of favored locations as determined by spatial analysis. | belo horizonte, the capital of the southeastern state of minas gerais, brazil, and the fourth-largest city in the country, has the highest incidence of human visceral leishmaniasis (vl) together with a high prevalence of canine vl. the northeast sanitary district (nsd) of belo horizonte has the largest historical average of human vl cases in the metropolitan region, and is classified as a priority area for epidemiological and entomological monitoring of the disease. the objectives of the present ... | 2010 | 21110938 |
| leishmania infantum: lipophosphoglycan intraspecific variation and interaction with vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. | interspecies variations in lipophosphoglycan (lpg) have been the focus of intense study over the years due its role in specificity during sand fly-leishmania interaction. this cell surface glycoconjugate is highly polymorphic among species with variations in sugars that branch off the conserved gal(β1,4)man(α1)-po(4) backbone of repeat units. however, the degree of intraspecies polymorphism in lpg of leishmania infantum (syn. leishmania chagasi) is not known. in this study, intraspecific variati ... | 2010 | 21118695 |
| sand flies of nicaragua: a checklist and reports of new collections. | sand flies within the genus lutzomyia serve as the vectors for all species of the protozoan parasite leishmania in the new world. in this paper, we present a summary of the 29 species of lutzomyia and one of brumptomyia previously reported for nicaragua and report results of our recent collections of 565 sand flies at eight localities in the country from 2001-2006. lutzomyia longipalpis was the predominant species collected within the pacific plains region of western nicaragua, while lutzomyia c ... | 2010 | 21120358 |
| sex pheromone and period gene characterization of lutzomyia longipalpis sensu lato (lutz & neiva) (diptera: psychodidae) from posadas, argentina. | lutzomyia longipalpis s.l. is the primary vector of leishmania (l.) infantum in the new world. in this study, male lutzomyia longipalpis specimens from posadas, argentina were characterized for two polymorphic markers: the male sex pheromone and the period (per) gene. the male sex pheromone was identified as (s)-9-methylgermacrene-b, the same compound produced by lu. longipalpis from paraguay and many populations from brazil. the analysis of per gene sequences revealed that the population from a ... | 2010 | 21120366 |
| a canine leishmaniasis pilot survey in an emerging focus of visceral leishmaniasis: posadas (misiones, argentina). | an increasing number of reports are calling our attention to the worldwide spread of leishmaniasis. the urbanization of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (vl) has been observed in different south american countries, due to changes in demographic and ecological factors. in may 2006, vl was detected for the first time in the city of posadas (misiones, argentina). this event encouraged us to conduct a clinical and parasitological pilot survey on domestic dogs from posadas to identify their potential ... | 2010 | 21122107 |
| eco-epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in the urban area of paracatu, state of minas gerais, brazil. | the present study was developed in the urban area of paracatu, an endemic city for the american visceral leishmaniasis in brazil. a six-month canine survey was performed with 6295 domiciled dogs in 28 districts in that area and showed that 4.2% of those (267 dogs) were positive for vl by elisa and ifat serum assays. prevalence ratios for canine vl varied between 1.2% and 16.1%, depending on the district under investigation. fifteen dogs - 80% of which were clinically asymptomatic for vl - were s ... | 2010 | 21146311 |
| targeting the midgut secreted ppchit1 reduces leishmania major development in its natural vector, the sand fly phlebotomus papatasi. | during its developmental cycle within the sand fly vector, leishmania must survive an early proteolytic attack, escape the peritrophic matrix, and then adhere to the midgut epithelia in order to prevent excretion with remnants of the blood meal. these three steps are critical for the establishment of an infection within the vector and are linked to interactions controlling species-specific vector competence. ppchit1 is a midgut-specific chitinase from phlebotomus papatasi presumably involved in ... | 2010 | 21152058 |
| study of phlebotomine sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) collected in a leishmania-endemic area of the metropolitan region of belo horizonte, brazil. | phlebotomine sand flies are distributed across nearly all faunal regions of the world, represented by over 800 species, of which many are important vectors of human pathogens. brazil is currently faced with the expansion and urbanization of leishmaniases, with an increase in the numbers of human cases and seropositive dogs in various medium-sized to large cities. the objective of the current study was to survey the phlebotomine sand fly species in an area endemic for american cutaneous leishmani ... | 2010 | 21175043 |
| [ecological aspects of phlebotomines (diptera: psychodidae) in the urban area of ponta porã municipality, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil]. | the aim of this study was to carry out an analysis of urban phlebotomine fauna and a survey of infestations (intradomiciliary and peridomiciliary) in ponta porã municipality state of mato grosso do sul. | 2010 | 21181032 |
| vaccines to combat the neglected tropical diseases. | the neglected tropical diseases (ntds) represent a group of parasitic and related infectious diseases such as amebiasis, chagas disease, cysticercosis, echinococcosis, hookworm, leishmaniasis, and schistosomiasis. together, these conditions are considered the most common infections in low- and middle-income countries, where they produce a level of global disability and human suffering equivalent to better known conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome an ... | 2011 | 21198676 |
| the molecular detection of different leishmania species within sand flies from a cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis sympatric area in southeastern brazil. | over the last 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of leishmaniasis cases in brazil. belo horizonte (bh) is one of the most highly populated brazilian cities that is affected by visceral leishmaniasis (vl). the health services in bh are coordinated by a central nucleus that is subdivided into nine sanitary districts. historically, the highest level of human vl cases was found in the northeast sanitary district (nsd). the objective of our study was to detect leishmania infection in ... | 2010 | 21225201 |
| [molecular analysis of natural infection of lutzomyia longipalpis in an endemic area for visceral leishmaniasis in brazil]. | the main purpose of this study was to investigate natural infection by leishmania chagasi in female sand flies in a visceral leishmaniasis (vl) focus on são luís island, maranhão state, brazil. molecular analysis by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) was applied to determine the rate of natural infection of lutzomyia longipalpis by l. chagasi in areas of old and recent human settlement on são luís island. based on a sample of 800 female specimens captured from march to august 2005, the natural infe ... | 2010 | 21243235 |
| lutzomyia longipalpis naturally infected by leishmania (l.) chagasi in várzea grande, mato grosso state, brazil, an area of intense transmission of visceral leishmaniasis. | the american visceral leishmaniasis (avl) is caused by parasites belonging to the genus leishmania (trypanosomatidae) and is transmitted to humans through the bite of certain species of infected phlebotomine sand flies. in this study, we investigated the natural infection ratio of lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector species of avl in brazil, in várzea grande, mato grosso state. between july 2004 and june 2006, phlebotomine sand flies were captured in peridomestic areas using cdc light-traps. ... | 2010 | 21243236 |
| sand flies (diptera: psychodidae) in a cerrado area of the maranhão state, brazil. | the present paper aims to increase the knowledge on the sand fly fauna in the cerrado areas of maranhão state in urban, rural and forest environments. the research was carried out from october 2007 to september 2008, between 18:00h and 06:00h, in the municipality of chapadinha, northeast maranhão. for insect sampling, cdc light traps were set up in peridomicile and domicile areas of urban and rural zones as well as in cerrado and gallery forests. the total of 1,401 specimens belonging to 17 spec ... | 2010 | 21271075 |
| [distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis in the argentine mesopotamia, 2010]. | the first case of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in argentina was reported in 2006 in posadas, misiones. during the summer 2008-2009 lutzomyia longipalpis, the vl vector, and canine vl cases were already spread along the province of corrientes. in order to know the distribution of vl risk, systematic captures of the vector were performed between february and march 2010, in 18 areas of the provinces of entre ríos and corrientes, and the city of puerto iguazú, misiones, with a total of 313 traps/nigh ... | 2011 | 21296716 |
| functional genomics of the horn fly, haematobia irritans (linnaeus, 1758). | the horn fly, haematobia irritans (linnaeus, 1758) (diptera: muscidae) is one of the most important ectoparasites of pastured cattle. horn flies infestations reduce cattle weight gain and milk production. additionally, horn flies are mechanical vectors of different pathogens that cause disease in cattle. the aim of this study was to conduct a functional genomics study in female horn flies using expressed sequence tags (est) analysis and rna interference (rnai). | 2011 | 21310032 |
| in vitro effect of aloe vera, coriandrum sativum and ricinus communis fractions on leishmania infantum and on murine monocytic cells. | in south america, visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis caused by the protozoan species leishmania infantum (syn. l. chagasi) and is primarily transmitted through the bite of the female lutzomyia longipalpis. its main reservoir in urban areas is the dog. the application of control measures recommended by health agencies have not achieved significant results in reducing the incidence of human cases, and the lack of effective drugs to treat dogs resulted in the prohibition of this course of action ... | 2011 | 21320755 |
| [natural infection with leishmania infantum chagasi in lutzomyia (lutzomyia) longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae) sandflies captured in the municipality of janaúba, state of minas gerais, brazil]. | visceral leishmaniasis has been notified in nearly all states of brazil, and particularly in the north of minas gerais, where the disease is endemic. the aim of this study was to detect natural infection of lutzomyia longipalpis and, through the pcr/rflp technique, identify leishmania species found in sandflies in the municipality of janaúba. | 2011 | 21340410 |
| [evidence of transmission of visceral leishmaniasis by lutzomyia cruzi in the municipality of jaciara, state of mato grosso, brazil]. | the municipality of jaciara was classified in 2003 as a transmission area for visceral leishmaniasis in outbreak situations. this study aimed to establish evidence of transmission of leishmania (leishmania) infantum chagasi by lutzomyia cruzi in the municipality of jaciara, state of mato grosso, brazil. | 2011 | 21340413 |
| sub-additive effect of conspecific eggs and frass on oviposition rate of lutzomyia longipalpis and phlebotomus papatasi. | oviposition behavior is a fairly neglected aspect in our understanding of the biology of sand flies. in this study, we used a comparative approach using both new- and old-world species (lutzomyia longipalpis and phlebotomus papatasi) in choice and no-choice oviposition chambers to evaluate the effect of old sand fly colony remains (frass), conspecific eggs, and their combination on oviposition rates of these sand flies. we also tested the effect of egg washing with de-ionized water on ovipositio ... | 2011 | 21366766 |
| imidacloprid as a potential agent for the systemic control of sand flies. | our goal was to study the effectiveness of the insecticide imidacloprid as a systemic control agent. first, to evaluate the blood-feeding effect, we fed adult female phlebotomus papatasi with imidacloprid-treated rabbit blood and monitored blood-feeding success and survival. second, to evaluate the feed-through effectiveness of this insecticide, we fed laboratory rats and sand rats with insecticide-treated food and evaluated the survival of sand fly larvae feeding on rodents' feces. in the blood ... | 2011 | 21366768 |
| reactive oxygen species scavenging by catalase is important for female lutzomyia longipalpis fecundity and mortality. | the phlebotomine sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis is the most important vector of american visceral leishmaniasis (avl), the disseminated and most serious form of the disease in central and south america. in the natural environment, most female l. longipalpis are thought to survive for less than 10 days and will feed on blood only once or twice during their lifetime. successful transmission of parasites occurs when a leishmania-infected female sand fly feeds on a new host. knowledge of factors aff ... | 2011 | 21408075 |
| plant extracts, isolated phytochemicals, and plant-derived agents which are lethal to arthropod vectors of human tropical diseases--a review. | the recent scientific literature on plant-derived agents with potential or effective use in the control of the arthropod vectors of human tropical diseases is reviewed. arthropod-borne tropical diseases include: amebiasis, chagas disease (american trypanosomiasis), cholera, cryptosporidiosis, dengue (hemorrhagic fever), epidemic typhus (brill-zinsser disease), filariasis (elephantiasis), giardia (giardiasis), human african trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), isosporiasis, leishmaniasis, lyme di ... | 2011 | 21432748 |
| detection of leishmania (leishmania) infantum rna in fleas and ticks collected from naturally infected dogs. | the occurrence of the insect vector (sand flies) with low rates of leishmania infection, as well as autochthonous transmission in the absence of the natural vector in dogs, have been reported. these unexpected data suggest a hypothesis of other arthropods as a possible way of leishmania transmission. the prevalence of leishmania (leishmania) infantum in fleas and ticks collected from dogs with canine visceral leishmaniasis (cvl), as well as parasite viability, were evaluated herein. the presence ... | 2011 | 21221638 |
| mechanisms of ph control in the midgut of lutzomyia longipalpis: roles for ingested molecules and hormones. | control of the midgut ph in lutzomyia longipalpis enables the insect's digestive system to deal with different types of diet. phlebotomines must be able to suddenly change from a condition adequate to process a sugar diet to one required to digest blood. prior to blood ingestion, the ph in the midgut is maintained at ∼6 via an efficient mechanism. in the abdominal midgut, alkalization to a ph of ∼8 occurs as a consequence of the loss of co(2) from blood (co(2) volatilization) and by a second mec ... | 2011 | 21490249 |
| leishmania infection in humans, dogs and sandflies in a visceral leishmaniasis endemic area in maranhão, brazil. | leishmania infection in humans, dogs and sandflies was examined in the endemic visceral leishmaniasis (vl) municipality of raposa, state of maranhão, brazil. in this study, we examined leishmania chagasi infection in the blood serum of both humans and canis familiaris and the natural leishmania sp. infection rate in the sandfly vector, lutzomyia longipalpis. enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, indirect immunofluorescence reaction and polymerase chain reaction were performed to detect leishmania i ... | 2011 | 21537682 |
| characterization of the antibody response to the saliva of phlebotomus papatasi in people living in endemic areas of cutaneous leishmaniasis. | abstract. important data obtained in mice raise the possibility that immunization against the saliva of sand flies could protect from leishmaniasis. sand fly saliva stimulates the production of specific antibodies in individuals living in endemic areas of parasite transmission. to characterize the humoral immune response against the saliva of phlebotomus papatasi in humans, we carried out a prospective study on 200 children living in areas of leishmania major transmission. we showed that 83% of ... | 2011 | 21540371 |
| leishmania (viannia) infection in the domestic dog in chaparral, colombia. | abstract. peridomestic transmission of american cutaneous leishmaniasis is increasingly reported and dogs may be a reservoir of leishmania (viannia) in this setting. we investigated the prevalence of infection in dogs in chaparral county, colombia, the focus of an epidemic of human cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by leishmania (viannia) guyanensis. two (0.72%) of 279 dogs had lesions typical of cutaneous leishmaniasis that were biopsy positive by kinetoplast dna polymerase chain reaction-southern ... | 2011 | 21540374 |
| the midgut transcriptome of phlebotomus (larroussius) perniciosus, a vector of leishmania infantum: comparison of sugar fed and blood fed sand flies. | abstract: | 2011 | 21569254 |
| comparative genomic analysis of chitinase and chitinase-like genes in the african malaria mosquito (anopheles gambiae). | chitinase is an important enzyme responsible for chitin metabolism in a wide range of organisms including bacteria, yeasts and other fungi, nematodes and arthropods. however, current knowledge on chitinolytic enzymes, especially their structures, functions and regulation is very limited. in this study we have identified 20 chitinase and chitinase-like genes in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, through genome-wide searching and transcript profiling. we assigned these genes into eig ... | 2011 | 21611131 |
| visualisation of leishmania donovani fluorescent hybrids during early stage development in the sand fly vector. | the leishmania protozoan parasites cause devastating human diseases. leishmania have been considered to replicate clonally, without genetic exchange. however, an accumulation of evidence indicates that there are inter-specific and intra-specific hybrids among natural populations. the first and so far only experimental proof of genetic exchange was obtained in 2009 when double drug resistant leishmania major hybrids were produced by co-infecting sand flies with two strains carrying different drug ... | 2011 | 21637755 |
| lutzomyia longipalpis saliva or salivary protein ljm19 protects against leishmania braziliensis and the saliva of its vector, lutzomyia intermedia. | leishmania transmission occurs in the presence of insect saliva. immunity to phlebotomus papatasi or lutzomyia longipalpis saliva or salivary components confers protection against an infection by leishmania in the presence of the homologous saliva. however, immunization with lutzomyia intermedia saliva did not protect mice against leishmania braziliensis plus lu. intermedia saliva. in the present study, we have studied whether the immunization with lu. longipalpis saliva or a dna plasmid coding ... | 2011 | 21655303 |
| lutzomyia longipalpis in uruguay: the first report and the potential of visceral leishmaniasis transmission. | phlebotomine captures were performed in february 2010 in salto (salto department) and bella unión-cuarein (artigas department), uruguay. bella unión is located across the paraná river from monte caseros, argentina, where a focus of canine visceral leishmaniasis (vl) was reported in 2009. no vl cases have ever been recorded in uruguay and the last reported capture of phlebotominae was in 1932 (lutzomyia cortelezzii and lutzomyia gaminarai). light traps were placed in peridomestic environments, an ... | 2011 | 21655832 |
| behavioral evidence for the presence of a sex pheromone in male phlebotomus papatasi scopoli (diptera: psychodidae). | phlebotomus papatasi (diptera: psychodidae) is the old world sand fly vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by leishmania major (trypanosomatidae: kinetoplastida), a debilitating and disfiguring protist parasitic disease prevalent throughout southern mediterranean countries, the middle east, as well as southern and eastern european countries, where it is regarded as a serious public health problem. little is known of the mating ecology of p. papatasi, and, in particular, the role (if ... | 2011 | 21661311 |
| comparative microsatellite typing of new world leishmania infantum reveals low heterogeneity among populations and its recent old world origin. | leishmania infantum (syn. l. chagasi) is the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) in the new world (nw) with endemic regions extending from southern usa to northern argentina. the two hypotheses about the origin of vl in the nw suggest (1) recent importation of l. infantum from the old world (ow), or (2) an indigenous origin and a distinct taxonomic rank for the nw parasite. multilocus microsatellite typing was applied in a survey of 98 l. infantum isolates from different nw foci. the ... | 2011 | 21666787 |
| sand fly captures with disney traps in area of occurrence of leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis in the state of mato grosso do sul, mid-western brazil. | the work was conducted to study phlebotomine fauna (diptera: psychodidae) and aspects of american cutaneous leishmaniasis transmission in a forested area where leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis occurs, situated in the municipality of bela vista, state of mato grosso do sul, brazil. | 2010 | 21085855 |
| infectivity to phlebotomus perniciosus of dogs naturally parasitized with leishmania infantum after different treatments. | abstract: | 2011 | 21489241 |
| humoral response to the anopheles gambiae salivary protein gsg6: a serological indicator of exposure to afrotropical malaria vectors. | salivary proteins injected by blood feeding arthropods into their hosts evoke a saliva-specific humoral response which can be useful to evaluate exposure to bites of disease vectors. however, saliva of hematophagous arthropods is a complex cocktail of bioactive factors and its use in immunoassays can be misleading because of potential cross-reactivity to other antigens. toward the development of a serological marker of exposure to afrotropical malaria vectors we expressed the anopheles gambiae g ... | 2011 | 21437289 |
| Cytokine and Phenotypic Cell Profiles of Leishmania infantum Infection in the Dog. | Leishmaniasis has reemerged in recent years showing a wider geographic distribution and increased global incidence of human and canine disease than previously known. Dogs are the main domestic/peridomestic reservoir hosts of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum. Since the evolution of leishmaniasis and clinical appearance is a consequence of complex interactions between the parasite and host immune response, a profound knowledge about the immune profile developed in dog' ... | 2012 | 21845197 |
| experimental transmission of leishmania infantum by two major vectors: a comparison between a viscerotropic and a dermotropic strain. | we quantified leishmania infantum parasites transmitted by natural vectors for the first time. both l. infantum strains studied, dermotropic cuk3 and viscerotropic imt373, developed well in phlebotomus perniciosus and lutzomyia longipalpis. they produced heavy late-stage infection and colonized the stomodeal valve, which is a prerequisite for successful transmission. infected sand fly females, and especially those that transmit parasites, feed significantly longer on the host (1.5-1.8 times) tha ... | 2011 | 21695108 |
| lutzomyia longipalpis saliva drives apoptosis and enhances parasite burden in neutrophils. | neutrophils are considered the host's first line of defense against infections and have been implicated in the immunopathogenesis of leishmaniasis. leishmania parasites are inoculated alongside vectors' saliva, which is a rich source of pharmacologically active substances that interfere with host immune response. in the present study, we tested the hypothesis that salivary components from lutzomyia longipalpis, an important vector of visceral leishmaniasis, enhance neutrophil apoptosis. murine i ... | 2011 | 21685247 |
| colonization of phlebotomus papatasi changes the effect of pre-immunization with saliva from lack of protection towards protection against experimental challenge with leishmania major and saliva. | sand fly saliva has been postulated as a potential vaccine or as a vaccine component within multi component vaccine against leishmaniasis. it is important to note that these studies were performed using long-term colonized phlebotomus papatasi. the effect of sand flies colonization on the outcome of leishmania infection is reported. | 2011 | 21726438 |
| lutzomyia longipalpis behavior and control at an urban visceral leishmaniasis focus in argentina. | during the earlier stages of visceral leishmaniasis transmission in posadas city, misiones, both the night activity and attraction to humans of lutzomyia longipalpis were assessed, in order to provide preliminary recommendations. the impact of peridomestic deltamethrin spraying performed by local officials was also evaluated. although lu. longipalpis were found in traps located over a dog the entire night, 90% of the females were captured from 20.30h to 1.30h, and only landed on a human when he ... | 2010 | 21748225 |
| Real-time PCR to assess the Leishmania load in Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies: screening of target genes and assessment of quantitative methods. | Visceral Leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in Brazil caused by Leishmania infantum chagasi and its main vector species is the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. Epidemiological studies have used conventional PCR techniques to measure the rate of infection of sand flies collected in the field. However, real-time PCR can detect lower parasite burdens, reducing the number of false negatives and improving the quantification of Leishmania parasites in the sand fly. This study compared genes with vario ... | 2011 | 21864530 |
| toll receptors type-2 and cr3 expression of canine monocytes and its correlation with immunohistochemistry and xenodiagnosis in visceral leishmaniasis. | the aim of the present study was to investigate tlr2 expression in peripheral blood monocytes from dogs naturally infected with leishmania (leishmania) infantum to determine whether it correlates with cd11b/cd18 (cr3) expression, and to evaluate the potential of dogs as sources of infection using phlebotomine xenodiagnosis. forty eight dogs were serologically diagnosed with l. infantum infection by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (ifat) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (elisa). pa ... | 2011 | 22140456 |
| Canine antibody response to Phlebotomus perniciosus bites negatively correlates with the risk of Leishmania infantum transmission. | Phlebotomine sand flies are blood-sucking insects that can transmit Leishmania parasites. Hosts bitten by sand flies develop an immune response against sand fly salivary antigens. Specific anti-saliva IgG indicate the exposure to the vector and may also help to estimate the risk of Leishmania spp. transmission. In this study, we examined the canine antibody response against the saliva of Phlebotomus perniciosus, the main vector of Leishmania infantum in the Mediterranean Basin, and characterized ... | 2011 | 22022626 |
| An insight into the sialome of Simulium guianense (DIPTERA:SIMULIIDAE), the main vector of River Blindness Disease in Brazil. | ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Little is known about the composition and function of the saliva in black flies such as Simulium guianense, the main vector of river blindness disease in Brazil. The complex salivary potion of hematophagous arthropods counteracts their host's hemostasis, inflammation, and immunity. RESULTS: Transcriptome analysis revealed ubiquitous salivary protein families - such as the Antigen-5, Yellow, Kunitz domain, and serine proteases--in the S. guianense sialotranscriptome. Insec ... | 2011 | 22182526 |
| Genetic differentiation in natural populations of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva) (Diptera: Psychodidae) with different phenotypic spot patterns on tergites in males. | Entomological surveys in the state of Maranhão have recorded morphologically distinct populations of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva). Some populations have one pair of spots (1S) on the fourth tergite, while others have two pairs (2S) on the third and fourth tergites of males. In the present study we investigated the degree of genetic polymorphism among four populations in the municipalities of Caxias, Codó and Raposa, in the state of Maranhão, Brazil, by using RAPD (Random Amplified Polymo ... | 2011 | 21952969 |
| One Health: the global challenge of epidemic and endemic leishmaniasis. | 'One Health' proposes the unification of medical and veterinary sciences with the establishment of collaborative ventures in clinical care, surveillance and control of cross-species disease, education, and research into disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, therapy and vaccination. The concept encompasses the human population, domestic animals and wildlife, and the impact that environmental changes ('environmental health') such as global warming will have on these populations. Visceral leishmaniasis ... | 2011 | 21985335 |
| phlebotomine sand flies and canine infection in areas of human visceral leishmaniasis, cuiabá, mato grosso. | visceral leishmaniasis is a systemic infectious disease that can cause to a severe, potentially life-threatening chronic condition in humans. risk factors for infection in urban areas have been associated with poor living conditions, the presence of sand fly vectors and infected pets. this study aimed to describe sand fly and canine infection in the neighborhoods of human visceral leishmaniasis occurrence in the city of cuiabá, mato grosso state, central-western brazil, reported between january ... | 2011 | 21961754 |
| metagenomic analysis of taxa associated with lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of visceral leishmaniasis, using an unbiased high-throughput approach. | leishmaniasis is one of the most diverse and complex of all vector-borne diseases worldwide. it is caused by parasites of the genus leishmania, obligate intramacrophage protists characterised by diversity and complexity. its most severe form is visceral leishmaniasis (vl), a systemic disease that is fatal if left untreated. in latin america vl is caused by leishmania infantum chagasi and transmitted by lutzomyia longipalpis. this phlebotomine sandfly is only found in the new world, from mexico t ... | 2011 | 21909446 |
| maxadilan, the lutzomyia longipalpis vasodilator, drives plasma leakage via pac1-cxcr1/2-pathway. | experiments were designed to determine if the vasodilatory peptides maxadilan and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (pacap-38) may cause plasma leakage through activation of leukocytes and to what extent these effects could be due to pac1 and cxcr1/2 receptor stimulation. intravital microscopy of hamster cheek pouches utilizing fitc-dextran and rhodamine, respectively, as plasma and leukocyte markers was used to measure arteriolar diameter, plasma leakage and leukocyte accumulation ... | 2011 | 22036674 |
| The Enhancer of split complex arose prior to the diversification of schizophoran flies and is strongly conserved between Drosophila and stalk-eyed flies (Diopsidae). | ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In Drosophila, the Enhancer of Split complex (E(spl)-C) comprises 11 bHLH and Bearded genes that function during Notch signaling to repress proneural identity in the developing peripheral nervous system. Comparison with other insects indicates that the basal state for Diptera is a single bHLH and Bearded homolog and that the expansion of the gene complex occurred in the lineage leading to Drosophila. However, comparative genomic data from other fly species that would eluci ... | 2011 | 22151427 |
| prevalence and factors associated with leishmania infantum infection of dogs from an urban area of brazil as identified by molecular methods. | various factors contribute to the urbanization of the visceral leishmaniasis (vl), including the difficulties of implementing control measures relating to the domestic reservoir. the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in an urban endemic area in brazil and the factors associated with leishmania infantum infection among seronegative and pcr-positive dogs. | 2011 | 21858243 |
| current knowledge of leishmania vectors in mexico: how geographic distributions of species relate to transmission areas. | leishmaniases are a group of vector-borne diseases with different clinical manifestations caused by parasites transmitted by sand fly vectors. in mexico, the sand fly lutzomyia olmeca olmeca is the only vector proven to transmit the parasite leishmania mexicana to humans, which causes leishmaniasis. other vector species with potential medical importance have been obtained, but their geographic distributions and relation to transmission areas have never been assessed. we modeled the ecological ni ... | 2011 | 22049037 |
| structure and function of a "yellow" protein from saliva of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis that confers protective immunity against leishmania major infection. | ljm11, an abundant salivary protein from the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis, belongs to the insect yellow family of proteins. in this study, we immunized mice with 17 plasmids encoding lu. longiplapis salivary proteins and demonstrated that ljm11 confers protective immunity against leishmania major infection. this protection correlates with a strong induction of a delayed-type hypersensitivity (dth) response following exposure to lu. longipalpis saliva. additionally, splenocytes of exposed mice ... | 2011 | 21795673 |
| Human cellular immune response to the saliva of Phlebotomus papatasi is mediated by IL-10-producing CD8+ T cells and Th1-polarized CD4+ lymphocytes. | The saliva of sand flies strongly enhances the infectivity of Leishmania in mice. Additionally, pre-exposure to saliva can protect mice from disease progression probably through the induction of a cellular immune response. | 2011 | 21991402 |
| lulo cell line derived from lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera: psychodidae): a novel model to assay leishmania spp. and vector interaction. | leishmania (vianna) braziliensis, leishmania (leishmania) amazonensis and leishmania (leishmania) chagasi are important parasites in the scenario of leishmaniasis in brazil. during the life cycle of these parasites, the promastigote forms adhere to the midgut epithelial microvillii of phlebotomine insects to avoid being secreted along with digestive products. lulo cells are a potential model that will help to understand the features of this adhesion phenomenon. here, we analyze the interaction b ... | 2011 | 22082050 |
| Histopathological and parasitological study of the gastrointestinal tract of dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. | ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to provide a systematic pathological and parasitological overview of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum and colon, of dogs naturally infected with Leishmania. METHODS: Twenty mongrel dogs naturally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum and obtained from the Control Zoonosis Center of the Municipality of Ribeirao das Neves, Belo Horizonte Metropolitan area, Minas Gerais (MG) state, Br ... | 2011 | 22166041 |
| restriction of rift valley fever virus virulence in mosquito cells. | arboviruses are maintained in a natural cycle that requires blood-sucking arthropod and vertebrate hosts. arboviruses are believed to persistently infect their arthropod host without overt pathology and cause acute infection with viremia in their vertebrate host. we have focused on elucidating how a specific arbovirus, rift valley fever (rvf) virus, causes cytopathic effect in cells derived from vertebrates and non-cytopathic infection in cells derived from arthropods. we demonstrate that the ve ... | 2010 | 21994651 |
| american visceral leishmaniasis in chiapas, mexico. | abstract. we report the results of a study conducted during 1990-2006 with 89 cases of american visceral leishmaniasis in chiapas state in southeastern mexico and a seroprevalence study performed with 726 persons and 224 dogs that lived near cases of american visceral leishmaniasis. clinical aspects, epidemiologic profiles, and risk factors are described. most cases were in children ≤ 5 years of age, the prevalence of seropositive persons was 77%. the main risk factors associated with this disea ... | 2012 | 22232459 |
| distribution of phlebotomine fauna (diptera: psychodidae) across an urban-rural gradient in an area of endemic visceral leishmaniasis in northern brazil. | the number of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) cases has increased over the past 10 years in brazil, especially in the north and northeast regions of the country. the aim of this study was to evaluate the urbanisation of vl vectors in barcarena, pará, an area in northern brazil where vl is endemic. sandflies were captured using centers for disease control (cdc) light traps along an urban-rural gradient. the cdc traps were installed inside hen houses at a height of 150 cm. a total of 5,089 sandflies w ... | 2011 | 22241130 |
| leishmanicidal activity in vitro of musa paradisiaca l. and spondias mombin l. fractions. | visceral leishmaniasis (vl) is a zoonotic disease characterized by infection of mononuclear phagocytes by leishmania chagasi. the primary vector is lutzomyia longipalpis and the dog is the main domestic reservoir. the control and current treatment of dogs using synthetic drugs have not shown effectiveness in reducing the incidence of disease in man. in attempt to find new compounds with leishmanicidal action, plant secondary metabolites have been studied in search of treatments of vl. this study ... | 2011 | 22521971 |
| cautioning the use of degree-day models for climate change projections in the presence of parametric uncertainty. | developmental models, such as degree-day models, are commonly used to predict the impact of future climate change on the intensity, distribution, and timing of the transmission of infectious diseases, particularly those caused by pathogens carried by vectors or intermediate hosts. resulting projections can be useful in policy discussions concerning regional or national responses to future distributions of important infectious diseases. although the simplicity of degree-day models is appealing, l ... | 2012 | 23387122 |
| molecular detection of acinetobacter species in lice and keds of domestic animals in oromia regional state, ethiopia. | this study was conducted to determine the presence of acinetobacter and rickettsia species dna in lice and melophagus ovinus (sheep ked) of animals from oromia regional state in ethiopia. from september through november 2011, a total of 207 cattle, 85 sheep, 47 dogs and 16 cats were examined for ectoparasites. results of morphological identification revealed several species of ectoparasites: linognathus vituli (l. vituli), bovicola bovis (b. bovis) and solenopotes capillatus (s. capillatus) on c ... | 2012 | 23285015 |
| [distribution of lutzomyia longipalpis in the chaco region, argentina, 2010.] | the appearance of the vector of visceral leishmaniasis (vl) lutzomyia longipalpis in the province of formosa in 2004 was associated with urban epidemic risk for the first time in argentina. during 2006, vectors, canine and human cases of vl were reported in the province of misiones, and in summer 2008-2009, in the province of corrientes. in santiago del estero province in 2008, cases of human and canine vl were associated with secondary vectors. therefore, with the aim to know the current distri ... | 2011 | 21745770 |
| chemical analysis of the abdominal glands of two forms of lutzomyia longipalpis: site of a possible sex pheromone? | | 2014 | 4096569 |
| DNA vaccination with KMP11 and Lutzomyia longipalpis salivary protein protects hamsters against visceral leishmaniasis. | It was recently shown that immunization of hamsters with DNA plasmids coding LJM19, a sand fly salivary protein, partially protected against a challenge with Leishmania chagasi, whereas immunization with KMP11 DNA plasmid, a Leishmania antigen, induced protection against L. donovani infection. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effect of immunization with both LJM19 and KMP11 DNA plasmid together. Concerning the protection against an infection by L. chagasi, immunization with DNA ... | 2011 | 21875567 |
| subversion of complement by hematophagous parasites. | the complement system is a crucial part of innate and adaptive immunity which exerts a significant evolutionary pressure on pathogens. it has selected for those pathogens, mainly microorganisms but also parasites, that have evolved countermeasures. the characterization of how pathogens evade complement attack is a rapidly developing field of current research. in recent years, multiple complement evasion strategies have been characterized. in this review, we focus on complement escape mechanisms ... | 2009 | 18762211 |
| meeting the challenges of on-host and off-host water balance in blood-feeding arthropods. | in this review, we describe water balance requirements of blood-feeding arthropods, particularly contrasting dehydration tolerance during the unfed, off-host state and the challenges of excess water that accompany receipt of the bloodmeal. most basic water balance characteristics during the off-host stage are applicable to other terrestrial arthropods, as well. a well-coordinated suite of responses enable arthropods to conserve water resources, enhance their desiccation tolerance, and increase t ... | 2010 | 20206630 |
| implication of haematophagous arthropod salivary proteins in host-vector interactions. | the saliva of haematophagous arthropods contains an array of anti-haemostatic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory molecules that contribute to the success of the blood meal. the saliva of haematophagous arthropods is also involved in the transmission and the establishment of pathogens in the host and in allergic responses. this survey provides a comprehensive overview of the pharmacological activity and immunogenic properties of the main salivary proteins characterised in various haematophag ... | 2011 | 21951834 |
| a nod to disease vectors: mitigation of pathogen sensing by arthropod saliva. | arthropod saliva possesses anti-hemostatic, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory properties that facilitate feeding and, inadvertently, dissemination of pathogens. vector-borne diseases caused by these pathogens affect millions of people each year. many studies address the impact of arthropod salivary proteins on various immunological components. however, whether and how arthropod saliva counters nod-like (nlr) sensing remains elusive. nlrs are innate immune pattern recognition molecules involved i ... | 2013 | 24155744 |
| the 'ubiquitous' reality of vector immunology. | ubiquitination (ubiquitylation) is a common protein modification that regulates a multitude of processes within the cell. this modification is typically accomplished through the covalent binding of ubiquitin to a lysine residue onto a target protein and is catalysed by the presence of three enzymes: an activating enzyme (e1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (e2) and ubiquitin-protein ligase (e3). in recent years, ubiquitination has risen as a major signalling regulator of immunity and microbial pat ... | 2013 | 23433059 |
| transmission and epidemiology of zoonotic protozoal diseases of companion animals. | over 77 million dogs and 93 million cats share our households in the united states. multiple studies have demonstrated the importance of pets in their owners' physical and mental health. given the large number of companion animals in the united states and the proximity and bond of these animals with their owners, understanding and preventing the diseases that these companions bring with them are of paramount importance. zoonotic protozoal parasites, including toxoplasmosis, chagas' disease, babe ... | 2013 | 23297259 |
| transcriptional activation of antioxidants may compensate for selenoprotein deficiencies in amblyomma maculatum (acari: ixodidae) injected with selk- or selm-dsrna. | the gulf-coast tick, amblyomma maculatum, possesses an elaborate set of selenoproteins, which prevent the deleterious effects from oxidative stress that would otherwise occur during feeding. in the current work, we examined the role of selenoprotein k (selk) and selenoprotein m (selm) in feeding a. maculatum by bioinformatics, transcriptional gene expression, rna interference and antioxidant assays. the transcriptional expression of selk did not vary significantly in salivary glands or midguts t ... | 2014 | 24698418 |
| diagnostic metagenomics: potential applications to bacterial, viral and parasitic infections. | the term 'shotgun metagenomics' is applied to the direct sequencing of dna extracted from a sample without culture or target-specific amplification or capture. in diagnostic metagenomics, this approach is applied to clinical samples in the hope of detecting and characterizing pathogens. here, i provide a conceptual overview, before reviewing several recent promising proof-of-principle applications of metagenomics in virus discovery, analysis of outbreaks and detection of pathogens in contemporar ... | 2014 | 24576467 |
| pheromones in mate choice and sexual isolation between siblings of lutzomyia longipalpis (diptera:psychodidae). | pheromone-disc contact experiments are described in which different populations of the sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis from brazil were exposed to each others male pheromone extracts. the jacobina population reacted only to the conspecific pheromone. the sobral 2s population, however, would respond to the pheromone of jacobina males, but if given a choice showed a preference for conspecific extract. mate choice experiments are also described using sandflies of two pheromone types from sobral. one ... | 1967 | 1841255 |
| cellular function and molecular structure of ecto-nucleotidases. | ecto-nucleotidases play a pivotal role in purinergic signal transmission. they hydrolyze extracellular nucleotides and thus can control their availability at purinergic p2 receptors. they generate extracellular nucleosides for cellular reuptake and salvage via nucleoside transporters of the plasma membrane. the extracellular adenosine formed acts as an agonist of purinergic p1 receptors. they also can produce and hydrolyze extracellular inorganic pyrophosphate that is of major relevance in the c ... | 2012 | 22555564 |
| leishmania infantum infection in blood donors, northeastern brazil. | | 2016 | 26982482 |
| rapid and sensitive detection of bartonella bacilliformis in experimentally infected sand flies by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) of the pap31 gene. | carrion' disease, caused by bartonella bacilliformis, remains truly neglected due to its focal geographical nature. a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, including asymptomatic bacteremia, and lack of a sensitive diagnostic test can potentially lead to a spread of the disease into non-endemic regions where competent sand fly vectors may be present. a reliable test capable of detecting b. bacilliformis is urgently needed. our objective is to develop a loop-mediated isothermal amplification ... | 2014 | 25522230 |
| multiorganismal insects: diversity and function of resident microorganisms. | all insects are colonized by microorganisms on the insect exoskeleton, in the gut and hemocoel, and within insect cells. the insect microbiota is generally different from microorganisms in the external environment, including ingested food. specifically, certain microbial taxa are favored by the conditions and resources in the insect habitat, by their tolerance of insect immunity, and by specific mechanisms for their transmission. the resident microorganisms can promote insect fitness by contribu ... | 2014 | 25341109 |
| seroconversion of sentinel chickens as a biomarker for monitoring exposure to visceral leishmaniasis. | leishmania infantum chagasi causes visceral leishmaniasis (vl); it is transmitted by the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis that injects saliva and parasites into the host's skin during a blood meal. chickens represent an important blood source for sand flies and their presence in the endemic area is often cited as a risk factor for vl transmission. however, the role of chickens in vl epidemiology has not been well defined. here, we tested if chicken antibodies against lu. longipalpis salivary gland ... | 2013 | 23912591 |
| aircraft and risk of importing a new vector of visceral leishmaniasis. | to the editor: kala-azar, or visceral leishmaniasis, is a parasitic disease that leads to fever, anemia, and hepatosplenomegaly. death is the usual outcome when infection is not treated. the majority of infections are caused by the protozoan leishmania donovani, restricted to india and eastern africa, but the most widespread are caused by l. infantum, found from people's republic of china to the new world, where it infects humans, dogs, and wild canids. all mediterranean countries are affected b ... | 2011 | 21762613 |
| investigation of the bacterial communities associated with females of lutzomyia sand fly species from south america. | phlebotomine sand flies are vectors of leishmania that are acquired by the female sand fly during blood feeding on an infected mammal. leishmania parasites develop exclusively in the gut lumen during their residence in the insect before transmission to a suitable host during the next blood feed. female phlebotomine sand flies are blood feeding insects but their life style of visiting plants as well as animals, and the propensity for larvae to feed on detritus including animal faeces means that t ... | 2012 | 22880020 |
| aerobic bacterial flora of biotic and abiotic compartments of a hyperendemic zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) focus. | identification of the microflora of the sand fly gut and the environmental distribution of these bacteria are important components for paratransgenic control of leishmania transmission by sand flies. | 2015 | 25630498 |
| expression, purification, crystallization and crystallographic study of lutzomyia longipalpis ljl143. | leishmaniasis is a neglected vector-borne disease with a global prevalence of over 12 million cases and 59,000 annual deaths. transmission of the parasite requires salivary proteins, including ljl143 from the new world sandfly lutzomyia longipalpis. ljl143 is a known marker of sandfly exposure in zoonotic hosts. ljl143 was crystallized from soluble protein expressed using pichia pastoris. x-ray data were collected to 2.6 å resolution from orthorhombic crystals belonging to space group p2(1)2(1)2 ... | 2015 | 26144240 |
| diversity of the bacterial and fungal microflora from the midgut and cuticle of phlebotomine sand flies collected in north-western iran. | phlebotomine sand flies are the vectors of the leishmaniases, parasitic diseases caused by leishmania spp. little is known about the prevalence and diversity of sand fly microflora colonizing the midgut or the cuticle. particularly, there is little information on the fungal diversity. this information is important for development of vector control strategies. | 2012 | 23226255 |
| transmission of pathogens by stomoxys flies (diptera, muscidae): a review. | stomoxys flies are mechanical vectors of pathogens present in the blood and skin of their animal hosts, especially livestock, but occasionally humans. in livestock, their direct effects are disturbance, skin lesions, reduction of food intake, stress, blood loss, and a global immunosuppressive effect. they also induce the gathering of animals for mutual protection; meanwhile they favor development of pathogens in the hosts and their transmission. their indirect effect is the mechanical transmissi ... | 2013 | 23985165 |
| significance of bacteria in oviposition and larval development of the sand fly lutzomyia longipalpis. | microbial ecology of phlebotomine sand flies is not well understood although bacteria likely play an important role in the sand fly biology and vector capacity for leishmania parasites. in this study, we assessed the significance of the microbial community of rabbit feces in oviposition and larval development of lutzomyia longipalpis as well as bacterial colonization of the gut of freshly emerged flies. | 2012 | 22827861 |
| structural differences in gut bacteria communities in developmental stages of natural populations of lutzomyia evansi from colombia's caribbean coast. | lutzomyia evansi, a phlebotomine insect endemic to colombia's caribbean coast, is considered to be the main vector of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in the region. although insects of this species can harbor pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms in their intestinal microbiota, there is little information available about the diversity of gut bacteria present in lutzomyia evansi. in this study, conventional microbiological methods and molecular tools were used to assess the compositio ... | 2016 | 27618991 |
| identification and function analysis of enolase gene nleno1 from nilaparvata lugens (stål) (hemiptera:delphacidae). | the enolase [ec 4.2.1.11] is an essential enzyme in the glycolytic pathway catalyzing the conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate (2-pge) to phosphoenolpyruvate (pep). in this study, a full-length cdna encoding α-enolase was cloned from rice brown planthopper (nilaparvata lugens) and is provisionally designated as nleno1. the cdna sequence of nleno1 was 1,851 bp with an open reading frame (orf) of 1,305 bp and encoding 434 amino acids. the deduced protein shares high identity of 80-87% with eno1-like p ... | 2015 | 26056319 |
| sequence and structural analysis of the chitinase insertion domain reveals two conserved motifs involved in chitin-binding. | chitinases are prevalent in life and are found in species including archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. they break down chitin, which is the second most abundant carbohydrate in nature after cellulose. hence, they are important for maintaining a balance between carbon and nitrogen trapped as insoluble chitin in biomass. chitinases are classified into two families, 18 and 19 glycoside hydrolases. in addition to a catalytic domain, which is a triosephosphate isomerase barrel, many famil ... | 2010 | 20084296 |
| caspar-like gene depletion reduces leishmania infection in sand fly host lutzomyia longipalpis. | female phlebotomine sand flies lutzomyia longipalpis naturally harbor populations of the medically important leishmania infantum (syn. leishmania chagasi) parasite in the gut, but the extent to which the parasite interacts with the immune system of the insect vector is unknown. to investigate the sand fly immune response and its interaction with the leishmania parasite, we identified a homologue for caspar, a negative regulator of immune deficiency signaling pathway. we found that feeding antibi ... | 2012 | 22375009 |
| bacterial feeding, leishmania infection and distinct infection routes induce differential defensin expression in lutzomyia longipalpis. | phlebotomine insects harbor bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens that can cause diseases of public health importance. lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the new world. insects can mount a powerful innate immune response to pathogens. defensin peptides take part in this response and are known to be active against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and some parasites. we studied the expression of a defensin gene from lutzomyia longipalpis to understand ... | 2013 | 23311993 |
| arthropod vectors and disease transmission: translational aspects. | | 2015 | 26583380 |