| a nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphism (snp) potentially useful for the separation of rhodnius prolixus from members of the rhodnius robustus cryptic species complex (hemiptera: reduviidae). | the design and application of rational strategies that rely on accurate species identification are pivotal for effective vector control. when morphological identification of the target vector species is impractical, the use of molecular markers is required. here we describe a non-coding, single-copy nuclear dna fragment that contains a single-nucleotide polymorphism (snp) with the potential to distinguish the important domestic chagas disease vector, rhodnius prolixus, from members of the four s ... | 2012 | 23219914 |
| acidocalcisomes as calcium- and polyphosphate-storage compartments during embryogenesis of the insect rhodnius prolixus stahl. | the yolk of insect eggs is a cellular domain specialized in the storage of reserve components for embryo development. the reserve macromolecules are stored in different organelles and their interactions with the embryo cells are mostly unknown. acidocalcisomes are lysosome-related organelles characterized by their acidic nature, high electron density and large content of polyphosphate bound to several cations. in this work, we report the presence of acidocalcisome-like organelles in eggs of the ... | 2011 | 22096545 |
| toll signals regulate dorsal-ventral patterning and anterior-posterior placement of the embryo in the hemipteran rhodnius prolixus. | insect embryonic dorso-ventral patterning depends greatly on two pathways: the toll pathway and the bone morphogenetic protein pathway. while the relative contribution of each pathway has been investigated in holometabolous insects, their role has not been explored in insects with a hemimetabolous type of development. the hemimetabolous insect rhodnius prolixus, an important vector of chagas disease in the americas, develops from an intermediate germ band and displays complex movements during ka ... | 2014 | 25908955 |
| biglutaminyl-biliverdin ix alpha as a heme degradation product in the dengue fever insect-vector aedes aegypti. | hemoglobin digestion in the midgut of hematophagous animals results in the release of its prosthetic group, heme, which is a pro-oxidant molecule. heme enzymatic degradation is a protective mechanism that has been described in several organisms, including plants, bacteria, and mammals. this reaction is catalyzed by heme oxygenase and results in formation of carbon monoxide, ferrous ion, and biliverdin ixalpha. during digestion, a large amount of a green pigment is produced and secreted into the ... | 2007 | 17508725 |
| transcriptome and gene expression profile of ovarian follicle tissue of the triatomine bug rhodnius prolixus. | insect oocytes grow in close association with the ovarian follicular epithelium (ofe), which escorts the oocyte during oogenesis and is responsible for synthesis and secretion of the eggshell. we describe a transcriptome of ofe of the triatomine bug rhodnius prolixus, a vector of chagas disease, to increase our knowledge of the role of fe in egg development. random clones were sequenced from a cdna library of different stages of follicle development. the transcriptome showed high commitment to t ... | 2011 | 21736942 |
| ovarian dual oxidase (duox) activity is essential for insect eggshell hardening and waterproofing. | in insects, eggshell hardening involves cross-linking of chorion proteins via their tyrosine residues. this process is catalyzed by peroxidases at the expense of h2o2 and confers physical and biological protection to the developing embryo. here, working with rhodnius prolixus, the insect vector of chagas disease, we show that an ovary dual oxidase (duox), a nadph oxidase, is the source of the h2o2 that supports dityrosine-mediated protein cross-linking and eggshell hardening. rnai silencing of d ... | 2013 | 24174530 |
| decoding the ubiquitin-mediated pathway of arthropod disease vectors. | protein regulation by ubiquitin has been extensively described in model organisms. however, characterization of the ubiquitin machinery in disease vectors remains mostly unknown. this fundamental gap in knowledge presents a concern because new therapeutics are needed to control vector-borne diseases, and targeting the ubiquitin machinery as a means for disease intervention has been already adopted in the clinic. in this study, we employed a bioinformatics approach to uncover the ubiquitin-mediat ... | 2013 | 24205097 |
| rhodnius prolixus and r. robustus (hemiptera: reduviidae) nymphs show different locomotor patterns on an automated recording system. | circadian rhythms of triatomines, vectors of the etiological agent trypanosoma cruzi responsible for chagas disease, have been extensively studied in adults of the two most epidemiologically relevant vector species, rhodnius prolixus and triatoma infestans. however, little attention has been dedicated to the activity patterns in earlier developmental stages, even though triatomine nymphs are equally capable of transmitting t. cruzi to humans. because circadian rhythms may differ even between clo ... | 2016 | 27121502 |
| amino acids trigger down-regulation of superoxide via torc pathway in the midgut of rhodnius prolixus. | sensing incoming nutrients is an important and critical event for intestinal cells to sustain life of the whole organism. the torc is a major protein complex involved in monitoring the nutritional status and is activated by elevated amino acid concentrations. an important feature of haematophagy is that huge amounts of blood are ingested in a single meal, which results in the release of large quantities of amino acids, together with the haemoglobin prosthetic group, haem, which decomposes hydrop ... | 2016 | 26945025 |
| allatotropin modulates myostimulatory and cardioacceleratory activities in rhodnius prolixus (stal). | haematophagous insects can ingest large quantities of blood in a single meal and eliminate high volumes of urine in the next few hours. this rise in diuresis is possible because the excretory activity of the malpighian tubules is facilitated by an increase in haemolymph circulation as a result of intensification of aorta contractions combined with an increase of the anterior midgut peristaltic waves. it has been previously described that haemolymph circulation during post-prandial diuresis is st ... | 2015 | 25897783 |
| ca2+ and camp signaling pathways interact to increase the diuretic effect of serotonin in malpighian tubules of the kissing bug. focus on "serotonin triggers camp- and pka-1-mediated intracellular calcium waves in malpighian tubules of rhodnius prolixus". | | 2014 | 25275012 |
| screening of fungi for biological control of a triatomine vector of chagas disease: temperature and trypanosome infection as factors. | entomopathogenic fungi have been investigated as an alternative tool for controlling various insects, including triatomine vectors of the protozoan trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of chagas disease. here we tested the pathogenicity and virulence of ten isolates of the fungi metarhizium spp. and beauveria bassiana against rhodnius prolixus and found all of the isolates to be virulent. we used two isolates (urpe-11 metarhizium anisopliae and ent-1 beauveria bassiana) for further screening ... | 2016 | 27855217 |
| genome of rhodnius prolixus, an insect vector of chagas disease, reveals unique adaptations to hematophagy and parasite infection. | rhodnius prolixus not only has served as a model organism for the study of insect physiology, but also is a major vector of chagas disease, an illness that affects approximately seven million people worldwide. we sequenced the genome of r. prolixus, generated assembled sequences covering 95% of the genome (∼ 702 mb), including 15,456 putative protein-coding genes, and completed comprehensive genomic analyses of this obligate blood-feeding insect. although immune-deficiency (imd)-mediated immune ... | 2015 | 26627243 |
| first report of y-linked genes in the kissing bug rhodnius prolixus. | due to an abundance of repetitive dna, the annotation of heterochromatic regions of the genome such as the y chromosome is problematic. the y chromosome is involved in key biological functions such as male-fertility and sex-determination and hence, accurate identification of its sequences is vital. the hemipteran insect rhodnius prolixus is an important vector of chagas disease, a trypanosomiasis affecting 6-7 million people worldwide. here we report the identification of the first y-linked gene ... | 2016 | 26861771 |
| genetic basis of triatomine behavior: lessons from available insect genomes. | triatomines have been important model organisms for behavioural research. diverse reports about triatomine host search, pheromone communication in the sexual, shelter and alarm contexts, daily cycles of activity, refuge choice and behavioural plasticity have been published in the last two decades. in recent times, a variety of molecular genetics techniques has allowed researchers to investigate elaborate and complex questions about the genetic bases of the physiology of insects. this, together w ... | 0 | 24473804 |
| isolation and functional characterization of calcitonin-like diuretic hormone receptors in rhodnius prolixus. | several families of diuretic hormones exist in insects, one of which is the calcitonin-like diuretic hormone (ct/dh) family. ct/dh mediates its effects by binding to family b g-protein coupled receptors (gpcrs). here we isolate and functionally characterize two r. prolixusct/dh receptor paralogs (rhopr-ct/dh-r1 and rhopr-ct/dh-r2) using a novel heterologous assay utilizing a modified human embryonic kidney 293 (hek293) cell line. rhopr-ct/dh-r1 is orthologous to the previously characterized d. m ... | 2013 | 24312424 |
| interaction of lipophorin with rhodnius prolixus oocytes: biochemical properties and the importance of blood feeding. | lipophorin (lp) is the main haemolymphatic lipoprotein in insects and transports lipids between different organs. in adult females, lipophorin delivers lipids to growing oocytes. in this study, the interaction of this lipoprotein with the ovaries of rhodnius prolixus was characterised using an oocyte membrane preparation and purified radiolabelled lp (125i-lp). lp-specific binding to the oocyte membrane reached equilibrium after 40-60 min and when 125i-lp was incubated with increasing amounts of ... | 0 | 24037104 |
| the origin and evolution of six miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements in bombyx mori and rhodnius prolixus. | miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (mites) are a specific group of nonautonomous dna transposons, and they are distributed in a wide range of hosts. however, the origin and evolutionary history of mites in eukaryotic genomes remain unclear. in this study, six mites were identified in the silkworm (bombyx mori). five elements are grouped into four known superfamilies of dna transposons, and one represents a novel class of mites. unexpectedly, six similar mites are also present in the ... | 0 | 24115603 |
| experimental infection of rhodnius prolixus (hemiptera, triatominae) with mycobacterium leprae indicates potential for leprosy transmission. | leprosy is a chronic dermato-neurological disease caused by infection with mycobacterium leprae. in 2013 almost 200,000 new cases of leprosy were detected around the world. since the first symptoms take from years to decades to appear, the total number of asymptomatic patients is impossible to predict. although leprosy is one of the oldest records of human disease, the mechanisms involved with its transmission and epidemiology are still not completely understood. in the present work, we experime ... | 2016 | 27203082 |
| neuropeptide action in insects and crustaceans. | physiological processes are regulated by a diverse array of neuropeptides that coordinate organ systems. the neuropeptides, many of which act through g protein-coupled receptors, affect the levels of cyclic nucleotides (camp and cgmp) and ca(2+) in target tissues. in this perspective, their roles in molting, osmoregulation, metabolite utilization, and cardiovascular function are highlighted. in decapod crustaceans, inhibitory neuropeptides (molt-inhibiting hormone and crustacean hyperglycemic ho ... | 0 | 20550437 |
| aedes aegypti mosquitoes exhibit decreased repellency by deet following previous exposure. | deet (n,n-diethyl-m-toluamide) is one of the most widely used mosquito repellents. although deet has been shown to be extremely effective, recent studies have revealed that certain individual insects are unaffected by its presence. a genetic basis for this has been shown in aedes aegypti mosquitoes and the fruit fly drosophila melanogaster, but, for the triatomine bug, rhodnius prolixus, a decrease in response to deet occurred shortly after previous exposure, indicating that non-genetic factors ... | 2013 | 23437043 |
| cytoplasmic travels of the ecdysteroid receptor in target cells: pathways for both genomic and non-genomic actions. | signal transduction of the insect steroid hormones, ecdysteroids, is mediated by the ecdysteroid receptor, ecr. in various cells of the insect rhodnius prolixus, ecr is present in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, where it undergoes daily cycling in abundance and cellular location at particular developmental times of the last larval instar that are specific to different cell types. ecr favors a cytoplasmic location in the day and a nuclear location in the night. this study is the first to exam ... | 2012 | 22654867 |
| the proctolin gene and biological effects of proctolin in the blood-feeding bug, rhodnius prolixus. | we have reinvestigated the possible presence or absence of the pentapeptide proctolin in rhodnius prolixus and report here the cloning of the proctolin cdna. the transcript is expressed in the central nervous system (cns) and some peripheral tissues. the proctolin prepropeptide encodes a single copy of proctolin along with a possible proctolin-precursor-associated peptide. we have biochemically identified proctolin in cns extracts and shown its distribution using proctolin-like immunoreactivity. ... | 2011 | 22654816 |
| identification and expression of the ccap receptor in the chagas' disease vector, rhodnius prolixus, and its involvement in cardiac control. | rhodnius prolixus is the vector of chagas' disease, by virtue of transmitting the parasite trypanosoma cruzi. there is no cure for chagas' disease and therefore controlling r. prolixus is currently the only method of prevention. understanding the physiology of the disease vector is an important step in developing control measures. crustacean cardioactive peptide (ccap) is an important neuropeptide in insects because it has multiple physiological roles such as controlling heart rate and modulatin ... | 2013 | 23874803 |
| mariner transposons are sailing in the genome of the blood-sucking bug rhodnius prolixus. | the triatomine bug rhodnius prolixus is a vector of trypanosoma cruzi, which causes the chagas disease in latin america. r. prolixus can also transfer transposable elements horizontally across a wide range of species. we have taken advantage of the availability of the 700 mbp complete genome sequence of r. prolixus to study the dynamics of invasion and persistence of transposable elements in this species. | 2015 | 26666222 |
| evidence for a conserved ccap-signaling pathway controlling ecdysis in a hemimetabolous insect, rhodnius prolixus. | a vital feature in the success of ecdysozoa is their ability to shed their exoskeleton (a process called ecdysis) such that they can grow or change their morphology. in holometabolous insects, these behaviors are orchestrated by the sequential actions of neuropeptides, one of which is crustacean cardioactive peptide (ccap). little is known about the control of ecdysis in hemimetabolous insects. here, we report that ccap is essential for successful ecdysis in the hemimetabolous insect, rhodnius p ... | 2013 | 24204330 |
| genetically modifying the insect gut microbiota to control chagas disease vectors through systemic rnai. | technologies based on rna interference may be used for insect control. sustainable strategies are needed to control vectors of chagas disease such as rhodnius prolixus. the insect microbiota can be modified to deliver molecules to the gut. here, escherichia coli ht115(de3) expressing dsrna for the rhodnius heme-binding protein (rhbp) and for catalase (cat) were fed to nymphs and adult triatomine stages. rhbp is an egg protein and cat is an antioxidant enzyme expressed in all tissues by all devel ... | 2015 | 25675102 |
| under-expression of chemosensory genes in domiciliary bugs of the chagas disease vector triatoma brasiliensis. | in latin america, the bloodsucking bugs triatominae are vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes chagas disease. chemical elimination programs have been launched to control chagas disease vectors. however, the disease persists because native vectors from sylvatic habitats are able to (re)colonize houses-a process called domiciliation. triatoma brasiliensis is one example. because the chemosensory system allows insects to interact with their environment and plays a key role in insec ... | 2016 | 27792774 |
| identification and characterization of the corazonin receptor and possible physiological roles of the corazonin-signaling pathway in rhodnius prolixus. | neuropeptides control many physiological and endocrinological processes in animals, acting as neuroactive chemicals within the central and peripheral nervous systems. corazonin (crz) is one such neuropeptide that has a variety of physiological roles associated with control of heartbeat, ecdysis behavior initiation, and cuticle coloration. these physiological effects are mediated by the crz receptor (crzr). in order to understand the role of the crz-signaling pathway in rhodnius prolixus, the cdn ... | 2016 | 27536213 |
| oviposition in the blood-sucking insect rhodnius prolixus is modulated by host odors. | triatomine bugs are blood-sucking insects, vectors of chagas disease. despite their importance, their oviposition behavior has received relatively little attention. some triatomines including rhodnius prolixus stick their eggs to a substrate. it is known that mechanical cues stimulate oviposition in this species. however, it is not clear if chemical signals play a role in this behavior. we studied the role of host cues, including host odor, in the oviposition behavior of the triatomine r. prolix ... | 2015 | 25956818 |
| humoral responses in rhodnius prolixus: bacterial feeding induces differential patterns of antibacterial activity and enhances mrna levels of antimicrobial peptides in the midgut. | the triatomine, rhodnius prolixus, is a major vector of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas disease in latin america. it has a strictly blood-sucking habit in all life stages, ingesting large amounts of blood from vertebrate hosts from which it can acquire pathogenic microorganisms. in this context, the production of antimicrobial peptides (amps) in the midgut of the insect is vital to control possible infection, and to maintain the microbiota already present in the digestive tract. | 2014 | 24885969 |
| genotyping of trypanosoma cruzi in a hyper-endemic area of colombia reveals an overlap among domestic and sylvatic cycles of chagas disease. | chagas disease is a neglected illness caused by the trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which widely affects american communities. this study attempted to identify t. cruzi genotypes circulating in four indigenous communities of the sierra nevada of santa marta, colombia, to investigate parasite transmission dynamics in these communities. in addition, some epidemiological variables to determine the risk factors for infection with this parasite, such as the prevalence of t. cruzi infection, the triatomin ... | 2014 | 24656115 |
| eco-epidemiology of chagas disease in an endemic area of colombia: risk factor estimation, trypanosoma cruzi characterization and identification of blood-meal sources in bugs. | the sierra nevada de santa marta (snsm) is a mountainous area in colombia that is highly endemic to chagas disease. we explored some eco-epidemiological attributes involved in the chagas disease transmission scenario in three indigenous communities. an epidemiological survey was done, where parasite infection in reservoirs and insects, trypanosoma cruzi genotyping, identification of blood-meal sources in intradomiciliary insects using the high-resolution melting technique, and some risk factors ... | 2014 | 25331808 |
| eco-epidemiological study of an endemic chagas disease region in northern colombia reveals the importance of triatoma maculata (hemiptera: reduviidae), dogs and didelphis marsupialis in trypanosoma cruzi maintenance. | in colombia, rhodnius prolixus and triatoma dimidiata are the main domestic triatomine species known to transmit t. cruzi. however, there are multiple reports of t. cruzi transmission involving secondary vectors. in this work, we carried out an eco-epidemiological study on margarita island, located in the caribbean region of colombia, where chagas disease is associated with non-domiciliated vectors. | 2015 | 26394766 |
| characterization of burdock mottle virus, a novel member of the genus benyvirus, and the identification of benyvirus-related sequences in the plant and insect genomes. | the complete nucleotide sequence of the burdock mottle virus (bdmov) isolated from an edible burdock plant (arctium lappa) in japan has been determined. bdmov has a bipartite genome, whose organization is similar to rna1 and rna2 of benyviruses, beet necrotic yellow vein virus (bnyvv), beet soil-borne mosaic virus (bsbmv), and rice stripe necrosis virus (rsnv). bdmov rna1 (7038 nt) contains a single open reading frame (orf) encoding a 249-kda polypeptide that consists of methyl-transferase, heli ... | 2013 | 23911632 |
| the effects of aposymbiosis and of an infection with blastocrithidia triatomae (trypanosomatidae) on the tracheal system of the reduviid bugs rhodnius prolixus and triatoma infestans. | we have investigated the effects of the absence of symbionts and of infection with a trypanosome on the tracheal supply to different organs in larvae of the blood-sucking bugs, rhodnius prolixus and triatoma infestans. in bugs grown without symbionts there were extensive reductions in the tracheal supply to all the internal organs examined. these bugs also excreted less fluid after blood meals, perhaps because of a reduction in the oxygen supply to the malpighian tubules. inclusion of vitamin b ... | 1998 | 12769885 |
| developmental time and mortality in larvae of the reduviid bugs triatoma infestans and rhodnius prolixus after coprophagic infection with blastocrithidia triatomae (trypanosomatidae). | | 1988 | 3127477 |
| long-chain acyl-coa synthetase 2 knockdown leads to decreased fatty acid oxidation in fat body and reduced reproductive capacity in the insect rhodnius prolixus. | long-chain acyl-coa esters are important intermediates in lipid metabolism and are synthesized from fatty acids by long-chain acyl-coa synthetases (acsl). the hematophagous insect rhodnius prolixus, a vector of chagas' disease, produces glycerolipids in the midgut after a blood meal, which are stored as triacylglycerol in the fat body and eggs. we identified twenty acyl-coa synthetase genes in r. prolixus, two encoding acsl isoforms (rhopracsl1 and rhopracsl2). rhopracsl1 transcripts increased i ... | 2016 | 27091636 |
| preparation of nitrophorin 7(δ1-3) from rhodnius prolixus without start-methionine using recombinant expression in escherichia coli. | the heterologous recombinant expression of proteins in escherichia coli without start-methionine is a common problem. the nitrophorin 7 heme properties and function strongly depend on the accurate n-terminal amino acid sequence. leading protein expression into the periplasm by fusion with the leader peptide pelb yields functional protein; however, the folded protein sticks to the cell debris. therefore, the periplasmic fraction was dissolved in guanidinium chloride and folded by a drop-in method ... | 2014 | 24463016 |
| effect of the n-terminus on heme cavity structure, ligand equilibrium, rate constants, and reduction potentials of nitrophorin 2 from rhodnius prolixus. | the d1a mutant of recombinant np2 has been prepared and shown to have the expression-initiation methionine-0 cleaved during expression in e. coli, as is the case for recombinant np4, where ala is the first amino acid for the recombinant protein as well as for the mature native protein. the heme substituent 1h nmr chemical shifts of np2-d1a and those of its imidazole, n-methylimidazole, and cyanide complexes are rather different from those of np2-m0d1. this difference is likely due to the much sm ... | 2007 | 17506528 |
| draft genome sequence of rhodococcus rhodnii strain lmg5362, a symbiont of rhodnius prolixus (hemiptera, reduviidae, triatominae), the principle vector of trypanosoma cruzi. | we report the 4,385,577-bp high-quality draft assembly of the bacterial symbiont rhodococcus rhodnii strain lmg5362, isolated from the gut of rhodnius prolixus (hemiptera, reduviidae, triatominae), the principle vector of the protozoan trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of chagas disease. this sequence might provide useful information for subsequent studies of the symbiotic relationship between rd. prolixus and rc. rhodnii, while also providing a starting point for the development of biote ... | 2013 | 23788540 |
| the acbp gene family in rhodnius prolixus: expression, characterization and function of rpacbp-1. | the acyl-coa-binding proteins (acbp) constitute a family of conserved proteins that bind acyl-coa with high affinity and protect it from hydrolysis. thus, acbps may have essential roles in basal cellular lipid metabolism. the genome of the insect rhodnius prolixus encodes five acbp genes similar to those described for other insect species. the qpcr analysis revealed that these genes have characteristic expression profiles in insect organs, suggesting that they have specific roles in insect physi ... | 2016 | 27001070 |
| expression analysis and molecular characterization of aquaporins in rhodnius prolixus. | aquaporins (aqps) are water channels responsible for transport of water and, in some cases, transport of small solutes such as urea and glycerol across lipid bilayer membranes. hematophagous insects, such as rhodnius prolixus, ingest large volumes of fluid and must rapidly eliminate the excess of water and salts from the blood meal within the gut. in order to deal with this increase in body fluid volume, a hormone-controlled diuresis is activated, during which a high rate of water and salt absor ... | 2013 | 24035749 |
| effects of starvation on the olfactory responses of the blood-sucking bug rhodnius prolixus. | blood-sucking insects use olfactory cues in a variety of behavioral contexts, including host-seeking and aggregation. in triatomines, which are obligated blood-feeders, it has been shown that the response to co2, a host-associated olfactory cue used almost universally by blood-sucking insects, is modulated by hunger. host-finding is a particularly dangerous task for these insects, as their hosts are also their potential predators. here we investigated whether olfactory responses to host-derived ... | 2013 | 23619244 |
| rhodnius prolixus interaction with trypanosoma rangeli: modulation of the immune system and microbiota population. | trypanosoma rangeli is a protozoan that infects a variety of mammalian hosts, including humans. its main insect vector is rhodnius prolixus and is found in several latin american countries. the r. prolixus vector competence depends on the t. rangeli strain and the molecular interactions, as well as the insect's immune responses in the gut and haemocoel. this work focuses on the modulation of the humoral immune responses of the midgut of r. prolixus infected with t. rangeli macias strain, conside ... | 2015 | 25888720 |
| humoral and cellular immune responses induced by the urease-derived peptide jaburetox in the model organism rhodnius prolixus. | although the entomotoxicity of plant ureases has been reported almost 20 years ago, their insecticidal mechanism of action is still not well understood. jaburetox is a recombinant peptide derived from one of the isoforms of canavalia ensiformis (jack bean) urease that presents biotechnological interest since it is toxic to insects of different orders. previous studies of our group using the chagas disease vector and model insect rhodnius prolixus showed that the treatment with jack bean urease ( ... | 2016 | 27455853 |
| comparative and functional triatomine genomics reveals reductions and expansions in insecticide resistance-related gene families. | triatomine insects are vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite that is the causative agent of chagas' disease. this is a neglected disease affecting approximately 8 million people in latin america. the existence of diverse pyrethroid resistant populations of at least two species demonstrates the potential of triatomines to develop high levels of insecticide resistance. therefore, the incorporation of strategies for resistance management is a main concern for vector control programs. t ... | 2017 | 28199333 |
| ecology of trypanosoma cruzi i genotypes across rhodnius prolixus captured in attalea butyracea palms. | trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of chagas disease exhibits significant genetic diversity. this parasite is divided into six discrete typing units (dtus) where t. cruzi i (tci) is the most widespread in the americas. tci genotypes have been associated to domestic and sylvatic cycles of transmission (tcidom and sylvatic tci). due to the importance of the enzootic transmission, we determined the frequency of tci genotypes present in rhodnius prolixus captured in different regions of the palm a. butyra ... | 2017 | 28104454 |
| triatomine bugs, their microbiota and trypanosoma cruzi: asymmetric responses of bacteria to an infected blood meal. | triatomine bugs (hemiptera: reduviidae) are vectors of the flagellate trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas disease. the study of triatomine gut microbiota has gained relevance in the last years due to its possible role in vector competence and prospective use in control strategies. the objective of this study is to examine changes in the gut microbiota composition of triatomines in response to a t. cruzi-infected blood meal and identifying key factors determining those changes. | 2016 | 27938415 |
| untangling the transmission dynamics of primary and secondary vectors of trypanosoma cruzi in colombia: parasite infection, feeding sources and discrete typing units. | trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of chagas disease. due to its genetic diversity has been classified into six discrete typing units (dtus) in association with transmission cycles. in colombia, natural t. cruzi infection has been detected in 15 triatomine species. there is scarce information regarding the infection rates, dtus and feeding preferences of secondary vectors. therefore, the aim of this study was to determine t. cruzi infection rates, parasite dtu, ecotopes, insect stages, geo ... | 2016 | 27903288 |
| rhodnius prolixus: from physiology by wigglesworth to recent studies of immune system modulation by trypanosoma cruzi and trypanosoma rangeli. | this review is dedicated to the memory of professor sir vincent b. wigglesworth (vw) in recognition of his many pioneering contributions to insect physiology which, even today, form the basis of modern-day research in this field. insects not only make vital contributions to our everyday lives by their roles in pollination, balancing eco-systems and provision of honey and silk products, but they are also outstanding models for studying the pathogenicity of microorganisms and the functioning of in ... | 2017 | 27866813 |
| [strategy for determining a baseline in areas of vector interruption for chagas disease]. | objectives present a strategy to determine the baseline in endemic areas in the process of vector interruption for chagas disease (chd). methods a social and environmental questionnaire and an entomological survey evaluated the physical conditions of dwellings, the inhabitants' knowledge of chd, the entomological triatomine indicators and the statistical relationship among these variables. results colonization and natural infection with trypanosoma cruzi exist in rhodnius prolixus, the principal ... | 2016 | 27706434 |
| behavioral fever response in rhodnius prolixus (reduviidae: triatominae) to intracoelomic inoculation of trypanosoma cruzi. | behavioral fever is a response to infections with microorganisms observed in some poikilothermic animals. rhodnius prolixus is involved in the transmission of two parasites: trypanosoma cruzi (pathogenic for humans and transmitted in feces) and trypanosoma rangeli (non-pathogenic for humans, pathogenic for rhodnius and transmitted by the bite of an infected individual). only t. rangeli is found in the hemolymph of rhodnius as it travels to the salivary glands. | 2017 | 27598628 |
| glycogen synthase kinase-3 is involved in glycogen metabolism control and embryogenesis of rhodnius prolixus. | rhodnius prolixus is a blood-feeding insect that transmits trypanosoma cruzi and trypanosoma rangeli to vertebrate hosts. rhodnius prolixus is also a classical model in insect physiology, and the recent availability of r. prolixus genome has opened new avenues on triatomine research. glycogen synthase kinase 3 (gsk-3) is classically described as a key enzyme involved in glycogen metabolism, also acting as a downstream component of the wnt pathway during embryogenesis. gsk-3 has been shown to be ... | 2016 | 27574112 |
| functional evaluation of heat shock proteins 70 (hsp70/hsc70) on rhodnius prolixus (hemiptera, reduviidae) physiological responses associated with feeding and starvation. | blood-sucking vectors must overcome thermal stress caused by intake of proportionally large amounts of warm blood from their hosts. in response to this, heat shock proteins (hsps) such as the widely studied hsp70 family (the inducible hsp70 and the cognate form hsc70, known for their role in preserving essential cellular functions) are rapidly up-regulated in their tissues. the triatomine rhodnius prolixus is an important vector of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative pathogen of chagas' disease, an ... | 2016 | 27491440 |
| triatomine physiology in the context of trypanosome infection. | triatomines are hematophagous insects that feed on the blood of vertebrates from different taxa, but can occasionally also take fluids from invertebrate hosts, including other insects. during the blood ingestion process, these insects can acquire diverse parasites that can later be transmitted to susceptible vertebrates if they complete their development inside bugs. trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of chagas disease, and trypanosoma rangeli are protozoan parasites transmitted by triatom ... | 2017 | 27401496 |
| what is the 'true' effect of trypanosoma rangeli on its triatomine bug vector? | the phrase, "t. rangeli is pathogenic to its insect vector," is commonly found in peer-reviewed publications on the matter, such that it has become the orthodox view of this interaction. in a literature survey, we identified over 20 papers with almost the exact phrase and several others alluding to it. the idea is of particular importance in triatomine population dynamics and the study of vector-borne t. cruzi transmission, as it could mean that triatomines infected with t. rangeli have lower fi ... | 2016 | 27232121 |
| trypanosoma cruzi-trypanosoma rangeli co-infection ameliorates negative effects of single trypanosome infections in experimentally infected rhodnius prolixus. | trypanosoma cruzi, causative agent of chagas disease, co-infects its triatomine vector with its sister species trypanosoma rangeli, which shares 60% of its antigens with t. cruzi. additionally, t. rangeli has been observed to be pathogenic in some of its vector species. although t. cruzi-t. rangeli co-infections are common, their effect on the vector has rarely been investigated. therefore, we measured the fitness (survival and reproduction) of triatomine species rhodnius prolixus infected with ... | 2016 | 27174360 |
| comparative proteomic analysis of the saliva of the rhodnius prolixus, triatoma lecticularia and panstrongylus herreri triatomines reveals a high interespecific functional biodiversity. | triatomines are hematophagous arthropods that transmit trypanosoma cruzi and trypanosoma rangeli. feeding behavior and pathogen transmission is known to vary between the different species, and this characteristic is directly or indirectly dependent on the bioactive molecules of the saliva that facilitate the vector-host-parasite interaction. here, we identify, characterize and compare the sialoproteomic (from the greek sialo: saliva) repertoire of important species of the main triatomine genera ... | 2016 | 26940473 |
| here, there, and everywhere: the ubiquitous distribution of the immunosignaling molecule lysophosphatidylcholine and its role on chagas disease. | chagas disease is a severe illness, which can lead to death if the patients are not promptly treated. the disease is caused by the protozoan parasite trypanosoma cruzi, which is mostly transmitted by a triatomine insect vector. there are 8-10 million people infected with t. cruzi in the world, but the transmission of such disease by bugs occurs only in the americas, especially latin america. chronically infected patients will develop cardiac diseases (30%) and up digestive, neurological, or mixe ... | 2016 | 26925065 |
| colonization of rhodnius prolixus gut by trypanosoma cruzi involves an extensive parasite killing. | trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of chagas disease, is ingested by triatomines during their bloodmeal on an infected mammal. aiming to investigate the development and differentiation of t. cruzi inside the intestinal tract of rhodnius prolixus at the beginning of infection we fed insects with cultured epimastigotes and blood trypomastigotes from infected mice to determine the amount of recovered parasites after ingestion. approximately 20% of the ingested parasites was found in the insec ... | 2016 | 26818093 |
| genotyping of trypanosoma cruzi dtus and trypanosoma rangeli genetic groups in experimentally infected rhodnius prolixus by pcr-rflp. | the specific detection and genetic typing of trypanosomes that infect humans, mammalian reservoirs, and vectors is crucial for diagnosis and epidemiology. we utilized a pcr-rflp assay that targeted subunit ii of cytochrome oxidase and 24sα-rdna to simultaneously detect and discriminate six trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing units (dtus) and two genetic groups of trypanosoma rangeli (kp1+/kp1-) in intestinal contents of experimentally infected rhodnius prolixus. the pcr assays showed that in 23 of ... | 2016 | 26792202 |
| human trypanosomiasis in the eastern plains of colombia: new transmission scenario. | characteristics of trypanosoma cruzi infection were studied in a rural area of the eastern plains of colombia. using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and indirect fluorescent-antibody tests, the infection was determined in 11.6% of the inhabitants of 142 dwellings. during 6 months of community surveillance, in 42.3% dwellings, 609 triatomines were collected (597 rhodnius prolixus and seven, three, one, and one of panstrongylus geniculatus, psammolestes arturi, eratyrus mucronatus, and triatoma ... | 2016 | 26728765 |
| risks associated with dispersive nocturnal flights of sylvatic triatominae to artificial lights in a model house in the northeastern plains of colombia. | control initiatives and continuous surveillance of vector-borne transmission have proved to be effective measures for diminishing the incidence of chagas disease in endemic countries. however, the active dispersal of infected sylvatic adult triatomines by flight represents one of the main obstacles to eliminating domestic transmission. | 2015 | 26582012 |
| [entomological study of trypanosoma cruzi vectors in the rural communities of sucre state, venezuela]. | the ecological niche of reduvidae vectors has been modified due to environmental changes and human encroachment into the rural areas. | 2015 | 26535547 |
| monitoring of the parasite load in the digestive tract of rhodnius prolixus by combined qpcr analysis and imaging techniques provides new insights into the trypanosome life cycle. | here we report the monitoring of the digestive tract colonization of rhodnius prolixus by trypanosoma cruzi using an accurate determination of the parasite load by qpcr coupled with fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging (bli). these complementary methods revealed critical steps necessary for the parasite population to colonize the insect gut and establish vector infection. | 2015 | 26496442 |
| global climate change effects on venezuela's vulnerability to chagas disease is linked to the geographic distribution of five triatomine species. | we analyzed the possible effects of global climate change on the potential geographic distribution in venezuela of five species of triatomines (eratyrus mucronatus (stal, 1859), panstrongylus geniculatus (latreille, 1811), rhodnius prolixus (stål, 1859), rhodnius robustus (larrousse, 1927), and triatoma maculata (erichson, 1848)), vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of chagas disease. to obtain the future potential geographic distributions, expressed as climatic niche suitability ... | 2015 | 26336258 |
| protein 2de reference map of the anterior midgut of the blood-sucking bug rhodnius prolixus. | rhodnius prolixus is an important vector of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas' disease, an illness that affects 20% of latin america population. the obligatory course of the parasite in the vector digestive tract has made it an important target for investigation in order to control the parasite transmission and thus interrupt its biological cycle in the insect vector. therefore, an insight into the vector midgut physiology is valuable for insect control as well as to provide poten ... | 2015 | 26314381 |
| the impact of landscape transformation on the reinfestation rates of rhodnius prolixus in the orinoco region, colombia. | trypanosoma cruzi, the agent responsible for chagas disease, is widely distributed in the americas in association to insect vectors and animal reservoirs. triatomines are common vectors of chagas disease and they vary in their distribution and affinity to human or sylvatic environments. thus, control programs that include house spraying have been successful in regions were insects have a tendency to domiciliation. in the orinoco region of colombia, rhodnius prolixus is the main vector presenting ... | 2015 | 26254003 |
| detection of high percentage of trypanosoma cruzi infection, the etiologic agent of chagas disease, in wild populations of colombian caribbean triatomines. | in colombia it is estimated that about 900,000 persons are infected with t. cruzi. there are 25 triatomine species and 5 of them have been reported infected with t. cruzi in the colombian caribbean region. in order to obtain more information about the triatomine populations in this region, 89 wild triatomines were collected from four colombian departments. the most frequent specie collected was rhodnius pallescens (65%), followed by rhodnius prolixus (20%), panstrongylus geniculatus (10.1%) and ... | 2015 | 26204001 |
| rhodnius prolixus supergene families of enzymes potentially associated with insecticide resistance. | chagas disease or american trypanosomiasis, is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the protozoan parasite, trypanosoma cruzi. once known as an endemic health problem of poor rural populations in latin american countries, it has now spread worldwide. the parasite is transmitted by triatomine bugs, of which rhodnius prolixus (hemiptera, reduviidae, triatominae) is one of the vectors and a model organism. this species occurs mainly in central and south american countries where the dise ... | 2016 | 26079630 |
| insecticide resistance in vector chagas disease: evolution, mechanisms and management. | chagas disease is a chronic parasitic infection restricted to america. the disease is caused by the protozoa trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to human through the feces of infected triatomine insects. because no treatment is available for the chronic forms of the disease, vector chemical control represents the best way to reduce the incidence of the disease. chemical control has been based principally on spraying dwellings with insecticide formulations and led to the reduction of triatomi ... | 2015 | 26003952 |
| new scenarios of trypanosoma cruzi transmission in the orinoco region of colombia. | rhodnius prolixus, a blood-sucking triatomine with domiciliary anthropophilic habits, is the main vector of chagas disease. the current paradigm of trypanosoma cruzi transmission in columbia includes a sylvatic and domiciliary cycle co-existing with domestic and sylvatic populations of reservoirs. the aim of this study is to evaluate the population densities and relative abundance of triatomines and mammals that may be involved in the sylvatic cycle of chagas disease to clarify the epidemiologic ... | 2015 | 25830543 |
| trypanosoma cruzi, etiological agent of chagas disease, is virulent to its triatomine vector rhodnius prolixus in a temperature-dependent manner. | it is often assumed that parasites are not virulent to their vectors. nevertheless, parasites commonly exploit their vectors (nutritionally for example) so these can be considered a form of host. trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan found in mammals and triatomine bugs in the americas, is the etiological agent of chagas disease that affects man and domestic animals. while it has long been considered avirulent to its vectors, a few reports have indicated that it can affect triatomine fecundity. we test ... | 2015 | 25793495 |
| a kazal-type inhibitor is modulated by trypanosoma cruzi to control microbiota inside the anterior midgut of rhodnius prolixus. | the triatomine insect, rhodnius prolixus, is a vector of trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite that causes chagas disease. the parasite must overcome immune response and microbiota to develop inside the midgut of triatomines. in this study, we expressed, purified and characterized a kazal-type inhibitor from the midgut of r. prolixus, named rpti, which may be involved in microbiota - t. cruzi interactions. the qpcr showed that the rpti transcript was primarily expressed in tissues from the int ... | 2015 | 25731714 |
| the impact of climate change on the geographical distribution of two vectors of chagas disease: implications for the force of infection. | chagas disease, caused by the parasite trypanosoma cruzi, is the most important vector-borne disease in latin america. the vectors are insects belonging to the triatominae (hemiptera, reduviidae), and are widely distributed in the americas. here, we assess the implications of climatic projections for 2050 on the geographical footprint of two of the main chagas disease vectors: rhodnius prolixus (tropical species) and triatoma infestans (temperate species). we estimated the epidemiological implic ... | 2015 | 25688019 |
| panstrongylus geniculatus and four other species of triatomine bug involved in the trypanosoma cruzi enzootic cycle: high risk factors for chagas' disease transmission in the metropolitan district of caracas, venezuela. | chagas' disease is caused by the protozoan trypanosoma cruzi and is autochthonous to the americas. its distribution depends on triatomine bugs that are responsible for the transmission of the disease. in 2005, we reported the presence of panstrongylus geniculatus as a risk for chagas' disease transmission in caracas and neighboring areas. three massive oral outbreaks occurred in the following years. here we report the results of a 7-year study on triatomine species found in the metropolitan dist ... | 2014 | 25532708 |
| the main sceneries of chagas disease transmission. the vectors, blood and oral transmissions--a comprehensive review. | this review deals with transmission of trypanosoma cruzi by the most important domestic vectors, blood transfusion and oral intake. among the vectors, triatoma infestans, panstrongylus megistus, rhodnius prolixus, triatoma dimidiata, triatoma brasiliensis, triatoma pseudomaculata, triatoma sordida, triatoma maculata, panstrongylus geniculatus, rhodnius ecuadoriensis and rhodnius pallescens can be highlighted. transmission of chagas infection, which has been brought under control in some countrie ... | 2015 | 25466622 |
| decoding the anti-trypanosoma cruzi action of hiv peptidase inhibitors using epimastigotes as a model. | aspartic peptidase inhibitors have shown antimicrobial action against distinct microorganisms. due to an increase in the occurrence of chagas' disease/aids co-infection, we decided to explore the effects of hiv aspartic peptidase inhibitors (hiv-pis) on trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of chagas' disease. | 2014 | 25464510 |
| house-level risk factors for triatoma dimidiata infestation in colombia. | in colombia, the main vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas disease, are rhodnius prolixus and triatoma dimidiata. t. dimidiata is present in the east region of colombia as domestic, peridomestic, and sylvatic populations, resulting in difficulties for its control. a cost-effective way to prioritize houses for treatment is to stratify houses based on risk factors. in this study, risk factors were evaluated for potential associations with domicile infestation of t. dimidiata ... | 2015 | 25349372 |
| trypanosoma cruzi transmission in a colombian caribbean region suggests that secondary vectors play an important epidemiological role. | colombia, as part of the andean countries initiative has given priority to triatomine control programs to eliminate primary (domiciliated) vector species such as rhodnius prolixus and triatoma dimidiata. however, recent events of trypanosoma cruzi transmission in localities where r. prolixus and t. dimidiata are not present suggest that other species are involved in the t. cruzi transmission cycle. | 2014 | 25141852 |
| tci/tcii co-infection can enhance trypanosoma cruzi growth in rhodnius prolixus. | rhodnius prolixus is an obligate haematophagous insect and one of the most important vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas disease in the americas. t. cruzi is a highly variable parasite which is not transmitted in the same efficiency by the different triatomine vectors. because different t. cruzi genotypes are aetiopathologically divergent, further elucidation of the transmission abilities of different chagas disease vectors is extremely important. | 2014 | 24593987 |
| rhodnius barretti, a new species of triatominae (hemiptera: reduviidae) from western amazonia. | rhodnius barretti, a new triatomine species, is described based on adult specimens collected in rainforest environments within the napo ecoregion of western amazonia (colombia and ecuador). r. barretti resembles rhodnius robustus s.l., but mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences reveal that it is a strongly divergent member of the "robustus lineage", i.e., basal to the clade encompassing rhodnius nasutus, rhodnius neglectus, rhodnius prolixus and five members of the r. robustus species complex ... | 2013 | 24473808 |
| trypanosoma cruzi tcsmug l-surface mucins promote development and infectivity in the triatomine vector rhodnius prolixus. | tcsmug l products were recently identified as novel mucin-type glycoconjugates restricted to the surface of insect-dwelling epimastigote forms of trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of chagas disease. the remarkable conservation of their predicted mature n-terminal region, which is exposed to the extracellular milieu, suggests that tcsmug l products may be involved in structural and/or functional aspects of the interaction with the insect vector. | 2013 | 24244781 |
| metabolic signatures of triatomine vectors of trypanosoma cruzi unveiled by metabolomics. | chagas disease is a trypanosomiasis whose causative agent is the protozoan parasite trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to humans by hematophagous insects known as triatomines and affects a large proportion of south america. the digestive tract of the insect vectors in which t. cruzi develops constitutes a dynamic environment that affects the development of the parasite. thus, we set out to investigate the chemical composition of the triatomine intestinal tract through a metabolomics approac ... | 2013 | 24204787 |
| a novel hat element in bombyx mori and rhodnius prolixus: its relationship with miniature inverted repeat transposable elements (mites) and horizontal transfer. | comparative analysis of transposable elements (tes) from different species can make it possible to reconstruct their history over evolutionary time. in this study, we identified a novel hat element in bombyx mori and rhodnius prolixus with characteristic gggcggca repeats in its subterminal region. meanwhile, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the elements in these two species might represent a separate cluster of the hat superfamily. strikingly, a previously identified miniature inverted re ... | 2013 | 23889491 |
| intravital microscopy and image analysis of rhodnius prolixus (hemiptera: reduviidae) hematophagy: the challenge of blood intake from mouse skin. | hematophagous insects transmit many of the most dangerous parasitic diseases. the transmission usually occurs during hematophagy or just after as this is when the vector and the host are in contact. the contact time is determined by the feeding performance of the insect in each host. in triatomines, feeding performance interferes with both their life cycle and the vectorial competence to transmit the hemoflagellate trypanosoma cruzi. triatomine bugs are vessel feeders, obtaining their blood meal ... | 2014 | 23886517 |
| american trypanosomiasis. | american trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by the flagellate protozoan trypanosoma cruzi. chagas disease is endemic in latin america, where an estimated 10-14 million people are infected, and an emerging disease in europe and the usa. trypanosoma cruzi is transmitted by blood-sucking bugs of the family reduviidae. rhodnius prolixus, panstrongylus megistus, triatoma infestans, and t. dimidiata are the main vectors in the sylvatic cycle. non vector-borne transmission includes blood tra ... | 2013 | 23829903 |
| risk factors for domestic infestation by the chagas disease vector, triatoma dimidiata in chiquimula, guatemala. | in guatemala prior to control initiatives, the main vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas disease, were rhodnius prolixus and triatoma dimidiata. this study conducted in 2006 in the department of chiquimula recorded a high level of t. dimidiata infestation and an absence of r. prolixus in all surveyed communities. in guatemala, the presence of t. dimidiata as domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic populations results in control difficulties as houses are re-infested from the s ... | 2013 | 23597014 |
| [attalea butyracea palms adjacent to housing as a source of infestation by rhodnius prolixus (hemiptera: reduviidae)]. | the presence of rhodnius prolixus in palms on the eastern plains area of colombia provide a high risk for infection with trypanosoma cruzi. intensive surveillance of the palm tree habitat are necessary to confirm the presence of bugs and provide evidence that this habitat is a source of house infestations. | 2012 | 23242302 |
| validation of a poisson-distributed limiting dilution assay (lda) for a rapid and accurate resolution of multiclonal infections in natural trypanosoma cruzi populations. | trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of american trypanosomiasis, a complex zoonotic disease that affects more than 10million people in the americas. strains of this parasite possess a significant amount of genetic variability and hence can be divided into at least six discrete typing units (dtus). the life cycle of this protist suggests that multiclonal infections may emerge due to the likelihood of contact of triatomine insects with more than 100 mammal species. to date, there have been a ... | 2013 | 23159798 |
| novel adipokinetic hormones in the kissing bugs rhodnius prolixus, triatoma infestans, dipetalogaster maxima and panstrongylus megistus. | peptides of the adipokinetic hormone (akh)/red pigment-concentrating hormone (rpch) family were isolated and sequenced from the retrocerebral corpora cardiaca of four kissing bugs which are all vectors of the protozoan trypanosoma cruzi responsible for chagas' disease. the sequence of three novel akhs were deduced from the multiple ms(n) electrospray mass data: the octapeptide pglu-leu-thr-phe-ser-thr-asp-trp amide (denoted rhopr-akh) in rhodnius prolixus and panstrongylus megistus, the nonapept ... | 2013 | 23137850 |
| physalin b inhibits trypanosoma cruzi infection in the gut of rhodnius prolixus by affecting the immune system and microbiota. | physalin b is a natural secosteroidal, extracted from the solanaceae plant, physalis angulata, and it presents immune-modulator effects on the bloodsucking bug, rhodnius prolixus. in this work, r. prolixus was treated with physalin b at a concentration of 1 mg/ml of blood meal (oral application), or 20 ng/insect (applied topically) or 57 ng/cm(2) of filter paper (contact treatment), and infected with trypanosoma cruzi dm28c clone (2×10(6) epimastigotes/insect). the three types of applications si ... | 2012 | 23085484 |
| glycoinositolphospholipids from trypanosomatids subvert nitric oxide production in rhodnius prolixus salivary glands. | rhodnius prolixus is a blood-sucking bug vector of trypanosoma cruzi and t. rangeli. t. cruzi is transmitted by vector feces deposited close to the wound produced by insect mouthparts, whereas t. rangeli invades salivary glands and is inoculated into the host skin. bug saliva contains a set of nitric oxide-binding proteins, called nitrophorins, which deliver no to host vessels and ensure vasodilation and blood feeding. no is generated by nitric oxide synthases (nos) present in the epithelium of ... | 2012 | 23077586 |
| bioluminescent imaging of trypanosoma cruzi infection in rhodnius prolixus. | usually the analysis of the various developmental stages of trypanosoma cruzi in the experimentally infected vertebrate and invertebrate hosts is based on the morphological observations of tissue fragments from animals and insects. the development of techniques that allow the imaging of animals infected with parasites expressing luciferase open up possibilities to follow the fate of bioluminescent parasites in infected vectors. | 2012 | 23013827 |
| trypanosoma cruzi: effects of azadirachtin and ecdysone on the dynamic development in rhodnius prolixus larvae. | the effects of azadirachtin and ecdysone on the trypanosoma cruzi population in the rhodnius prolixus gut were investigated. t. cruzi were rarely found in the gut compartments of azadirachtin-treated larvae. high parasite numbers were observed in the stomach of the control and ecdysone groups until 10 days after treatment and in the small intestine and rectum until 25 days after treatment. high percentages of round forms developed in the stomachs of all groups, whereas azadirachtin blocked the d ... | 2012 | 22626520 |
| validation of reference genes for expression analysis in the salivary gland and the intestine of rhodnius prolixus (hemiptera, reduviidae) under different experimental conditions by quantitative real-time pcr. | rhodnius prolixus is a blood-feeding insect that can transmit trypanosoma cruzi and trypanosoma rangeli to vertebrate hosts. recently, genomic resources for invertebrate vectors of human pathogens have increased significantly, and r. prolixus has been one of the main species studied among the triatomines. however, the paucity of information on many of the fundamental molecular aspects of this species limits the use of the available genomic information. the present study aimed to facilitate gene ... | 2012 | 22395020 |
| elimination of rhodnius prolixus in central america. | rhodnius prolixus is one of the main vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, causative agent of chagas disease. in central america, it was first discovered in 1915 in el salvador, from where it spread northwest to guatemala and mexico, and southeast to nicaragua and costa rica, arriving also in honduras in the late 1950s. indoor residual spraying (irs) by the antimalaria services of costa rica prevented its spread southwards, and similar irs programmes appear to have eliminated it from el salvador by the ... | 2012 | 22357219 |
| trypanosoma cruzi heparin-binding proteins mediate the adherence of epimastigotes to the midgut epithelial cells of rhodnius prolixus. | heparin-binding proteins (hbps) have been demonstrated in both infective forms of trypanosoma cruzi and are involved in the recognition and invasion of mammalian cells. in this study, we evaluated the potential biological function of these proteins during the parasite-vector interaction. hbps, with molecular masses of 65·8 kda and 59 kda, were isolated from epimastigotes by heparin affinity chromatography and identified by biotin-conjugated sulfated glycosaminoglycans (gags). surface plasmon res ... | 2012 | 22310218 |
| temperature and parasite life-history are important modulators of the outcome of trypanosoma rangeli-rhodnius prolixus interactions. | trypanosoma rangeli is a protozoan parasite, which does not cause disease in humans, although it can produce different levels of pathogenicity to triatomines, their invertebrate hosts. we tested whether infection imposed a temperature-dependent cost on triatomine fitness using t. rangeli with different life histories. parasites cultured only in liver infusion tryptose medium (cultured) and parasites exposed to cyclical passages through mice and triatomines (passaged) were used. we held infected ... | 2016 | 27460893 |