Publications

dopamine receptor antagonists as new mode-of-action insecticide leads for control of aedes and culex mosquito vectors.	new mode-of-action insecticides are sought to provide continued control of pesticide resistant arthropod vectors of neglected tropical diseases (ntds). we previously identified antagonists of the aadop2 d1-like dopamine receptor (dar) from the yellow fever mosquito, aedes aegypti, with toxicity to ae. aegypti larvae as leads for novel insecticides. to extend dar-based insecticide discovery, we evaluated the molecular and pharmacological characteristics of an orthologous dar target, cqdop2, from ...	2015	25793586
immunogenicity and serological cross-reactivity of saliva proteins among different tsetse species.	tsetse are vectors of pathogenic trypanosomes, agents of human and animal trypanosomiasis in africa. components of tsetse saliva (sialome) are introduced into the mammalian host bite site during the blood feeding process and are important for tsetse's ability to feed efficiently, but can also influence disease transmission and serve as biomarkers for host exposure. we compared the sialome components from four tsetse species in two subgenera: subgenus morsitans: glossina morsitans morsitans (gmm) ...	2015	26313460
phenotypic characteristics and trypanosome prevalence of mursi cattle breed in the bodi and mursi districts of south omo zone, southwest ethiopia.	the study was conducted to characterize the morphological features of mursi cattle breed and to identify the species of trypanosome infecting the cattle and its prevalence in these traditionally managed cattle in the bodi and mursi pastoral communities. cattle body description and measurements were made on 201 matured animals. blood samples were collected from 409 animals into heparin-treated capillary tubes and were centrifuged to 12,000 rpm for 5 min to identify trypanosome species from the we ...	2015	25510298
microbiome frequency and their association with trypanosome infection in male glossina morsitans centralis of western zambia.	tsetse flies (diptera: glossinidae) are considered primary cyclical vectors that transmit pathogenic trypanosomes in africa. they harbour a variety of microbes including wolbachia, sodalis and the salivary gland hypertrophy virus (sghv) which are all vertically transmitted. knowledge on tsetse microbiome and their interactions may identify novel strategies for tsetse fly and trypanosomiasis control. area-wide application of such strategies requires an understanding of the natural microbiome freq ...	2015	25983231
repellency of tsetse-refractory waterbuck (kobus defassa) body odour to glossina pallidipes (diptera: glossinidae): assessment of relative contribution of different classes and individual constituents.	our earlier studies on the comparative behavioural responses of caged savanna tsetse (glossina morsitans morsitans and glossina pallidipes) on a preferred host (ox) and a non-host (waterbuck) suggested the presence of allomonal constituents on the latter. follow up comparison of the compositions of odours of waterbuck with those of ox and buffalo led to the identification of a series of compounds (15) specific to waterbuck, including straight chain carboxylic acid (c5-c10), phenols (guaiacol and ...	2015	25746973
development of real time pcr to study experimental mixed infections of t. congolense savannah and t. b. brucei in glossina morsitans morsitans.	tsetse flies are able to acquire mixed infections naturally or experimentally either simultaneously or sequentially. traditionally, natural infection rates in tsetse flies are estimated by microscopic examination of different parts of the fly after dissection, together with the isolation of the parasite in vivo. however, until the advent of molecular techniques it was difficult to speciate trypanosomes infections and to quantify trypanosome numbers within tsetse flies. although more expensive, q ...	2015	25738803
an immunoregulatory peptide from tsetse fly salivary glands of glossina morsitans morsitans.	tsetse fly glossina morsitans morsitans is an important insect vector of african trypanosomes, which cause human african trypanosomiasis (hat). as other hematophagous arthropods, tsetse fly relies heavily on the pharmacological propriety of their saliva to suppress host's immune reactions and get blood meal. however little information is available on immune regulators from testes fly. an immunoregulatory peptide named gloss 2 containing amino acid sequence of qkndtafschffeiyl sncfnkekyiknylqim h ...	2015	26342879
impact of habitat fragmentation on tsetse populations and trypanosomosis risk in eastern zambia.	fragmentation of tsetse habitat in eastern zambia is largely due to encroachments by subsistence farmers into new areas in search of new agricultural land. the impact of habitat fragmentation on tsetse populations is not clearly understood. this study was aimed at establishing the impact of habitat fragmentation on physiological and demographic parameters of tsetse flies in order to enhance the understanding of the relationship between fragmentation and african animal trypanosomosis (aat) risk.	2015	26238201
peptidomics of neuropeptidergic tissues of the tsetse fly glossina morsitans morsitans.	neuropeptides and peptide hormones are essential signaling molecules that regulate nearly all physiological processes. the recent release of the tsetse fly genome allowed the construction of a detailed in silico neuropeptide database (international glossina genome consortium, science 344, 380-386 (2014)), as well as an in-depth mass spectrometric analysis of the most important neuropeptidergic tissues of this medically and economically important insect species. mass spectrometric confirmation of ...	2015	26463237
an improved temporal formulation of pupal transpiration in glossina.	the temporal aspect of a model of pupal dehydration is improved upon. the observed dependence of pupal transpiration on time is attributed to an alternation between two, essential modes, for which the deposition of a thin, pupal skin inside the puparium and its subsequent demise are thought to be responsible. for each mode of transpiration, the results of the bursell investigation into pupal dehydration are used as a rudimentary data set. these data are generalised to all temperatures and humidi ...	2015	25676558
thermal effect of blood feeding in the telmophagous fly glossina morsitans morsitans.	during feeding on warm-blooded hosts, haematophagous insects are exposed to thermal stress due to the ingestion of a meal which temperature may highly exceed their own body temperature. in order to avoid overheating and its subsequent deleterious effects, these insects respond by setting up molecular protective mechanisms such as heat shock proteins synthesis or by using thermoregulative strategies. moreover, the duration of contact with the host depends on the way of feeding displayed by the di ...	2015	25660629
geographic range of vector-borne infections and their vectors: the role of african wildlife.	the role of african wildlife in the occurrence of vector-borne infections in domestic animals has gained renewed interest as emerging and re-emerging infections occur worldwide at an increasing rate. in africa, biodiversity conservation and the expansion of livestock production have increased the risk of transmitting vector-borne infections between wildlife and livestock. the indigenous african pathogens with transboundary potential, such as rift valley fever virus, african horse sickness virus, ...	2015	26470454
"wigglesworthia morsitans" folate (vitamin b9) biosynthesis contributes to tsetse host fitness.	closely related ancient endosymbionts may retain minor genomic distinctions through evolutionary time, yet the biological relevance of these small pockets of unique loci remains unknown. the tsetse fly (diptera: glossinidae), the sole vector of lethal african trypanosomes (trypanosoma spp.), maintains an ancient and obligate mutualism with species belonging to the gammaproteobacterium wigglesworthia. extensive concordant evolution with associated wigglesworthia species has occurred through tsets ...	2015	26025907
description of a nanobody-based competitive immunoassay to detect tsetse fly exposure.	tsetse flies are the main vectors of human and animal african trypanosomes. the tsal proteins in tsetse fly saliva were previously identified as suitable biomarkers of bite exposure. a new competitive assay was conceived based on nanobody (nb) technology to ameliorate the detection of anti-tsal antibodies in mammalian hosts.	2015	25658871
an atlas of tsetse and bovine trypanosomosis in sudan.	after a long period of neglect, initiatives are being implemented in sudan to control tsetse and trypanosomosis. their planning, execution and monitoring require reliable information on the geographic distribution of the disease and its vectors. however, geo-referenced and harmonized data at the national level are lacking, despite the fact that a number of epidemiological studies were conducted over the years. the atlas of tsetse and bovine trypanosomosis in sudan tries to fill this gap.	2016	27056678
characterization of a neuropeptide f receptor in the tsetse fly, glossina morsitans morsitans.	neuropeptides related to mammalian neuropeptide y (npy) and insect neuropeptide f (npf) are conserved throughout metazoa and intimately involved in a wide range of biological processes. in insects npf is involved in regulating feeding, learning, stress and reproductive behavior. here we identified and characterized an npf receptor of the tsetse fly, glossina morsitans morsitans, the sole transmitter of trypanosoma parasites causing sleeping sickness. we isolated cdna sequences encoding tsetse np ...	2016	27677695
molecular characterization of a short neuropeptide f signaling system in the tsetse fly, glossina morsitans morsitans.	neuropeptides of the short neuropeptide f (snpf) family are widespread among arthropods and found in every sequenced insect genome so far. functional studies have mainly focused on the regulatory role of snpf in feeding behavior, although this neuropeptide family has pleiotropic effects including in the control of locomotion, osmotic homeostasis, sleep, learning and memory. here, we set out to characterize and determine possible roles of snpf signaling in the haematophagous tsetse fly glossina m ...	2016	27288635
the cyclical development of trypanosoma vivax in the tsetse fly involves an asymmetric division.	trypanosoma vivax is the most prevalent trypanosome species in african cattle. it is thought to be transmitted by tsetse flies after cyclical development restricted to the vector mouthparts. here, we investigated the kinetics of t. vivax development in glossina morsitans morsitans by serial dissections over 1 week to reveal differentiation and proliferation stages. after 3 days, stable numbers of attached epimastigotes were seen proliferating by symmetric division in the cibarium and proboscis, ...	2016	27734008
comparative performance of traps in catching tsetse flies (diptera: glossinidae) in tanzania.	this study was conducted to determine the efficiency of different tsetse traps in 28 sites across tanzania. the traps used were biconical, h, ngu, nzi, pyramidal, s3, mobile, and sticky panels. stationary traps were deployed at a distance of 200 m apart and examined 72 h after deployment. the results showed that 117 (52.2%) out of the 224 traps deployed captured at least one glossina species. a total of five glossina species were captured, namely glossina brevipalpis, glossina pallidipes, glossi ...	2016	27380654
responses of glossina pallidipes and glossina morsitans morsitans tsetse flies to analogues of δ-octalactone and selected blends.	previous studies have shown that δ-octalactone is an important component of the tsetse-refractory waterbuck (kobus defassa) repellent odour blend. in the present study, structure-activity comparison was undertaken to determine the effects of the length of the side chain and ring size of the lactone on adult glossina pallidipes and glossina morsitans morsitans. the responses of the flies to each compound were studied in a two-choice wind tunnel. increasing the chain length from c3 (δ-octalactone) ...	2016	27143219
molecular identification of different trypanosome species and subspecies in tsetse flies of northern nigeria.	animal african trypanosomiasis (aat) is caused by several species of trypanosomes including trypanosoma congolense, t. vivax, t. godfreyi, t. simiae and t. brucei. two of the subspecies of t. brucei also cause human african trypanosomiasis. although some of them can be mechanically transmitted by biting flies; these trypanosomes are all transmitted by tsetse flies which are the cyclical vectors of trypanosoma congolense, t. godfreyi, t. simiae and t. brucei. we present here the first report asse ...	2016	27216812
characterization and pharmacological analysis of two adipokinetic hormone receptor variants of the tsetse fly, glossina morsitans morsitans.	adipokinetic hormones (akh) are well known regulators of energy metabolism in insects. these neuropeptides are produced in the corpora cardiaca and perform their hormonal function by interacting with specific g protein-coupled receptors (gpcrs) at the cell membranes of target tissues, mainly the fat body. here, we investigated the sequences, spatial and temporal distributions, and pharmacology of akh neuropeptides and receptors in the tsetse fly, glossina morsitans morsitans. the open reading fr ...	2016	26690928
transcriptome profiling of trypanosoma brucei development in the tsetse fly vector glossina morsitans.	african trypanosomes, the causative agents of sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals, have a complex digenetic life cycle between a mammalian host and an insect vector, the blood-feeding tsetse fly. although the importance of the insect vector to transmit the disease was first realized over a century ago, many aspects of trypanosome development in tsetse have not progressed beyond a morphological analysis, mainly due to considerable challenges to obtain sufficient material for molecul ...	2016	28002435
the dermis as a delivery site of trypanosoma brucei for tsetse flies.	tsetse flies are the sole vectors of trypanosoma brucei parasites that cause sleeping sickness. our knowledge on the early interface between the infective metacyclic forms and the mammalian host skin is currently highly limited. glossina morsitans flies infected with fluorescently tagged t. brucei parasites were used in this study to initiate natural infections in mice. metacyclic trypanosomes were found to be highly infectious through the intradermal route in sharp contrast with blood stream fo ...	2016	27441553
the spermatophore in glossina morsitans morsitans: insights into male contributions to reproduction.	male seminal fluid proteins (sfps) transferred during copulation modulate female reproductive physiology and behavior, impacting sperm storage/use, ovulation, oviposition, and remating receptivity. these capabilities make them ideal targets for developing novel methods of insect disease vector control. little is known about the nature of sfps in the viviparous tsetse flies (diptera: glossinidae), vectors of human and animal african trypanosomiasis. in tsetse, male ejaculate is assembled into a c ...	2016	26847001
horizontally transferred genetic elements in the tsetse fly genome: an alignment-free clustering approach using batch learning self-organising map (blsom).	tsetse flies (glossina spp.) are the primary vectors of trypanosomes, which can cause human and animal african trypanosomiasis in sub-saharan african countries. the objective of this study was to explore the genome of glossina morsitans morsitans for evidence of horizontal gene transfer (hgt) from microorganisms. we employed an alignment-free clustering method, that is, batch learning self-organising map (blsom), in which sequence fragments are clustered based on the similarity of oligonucleotid ...	2016	28074180
computational characterization of iron metabolism in the tsetse disease vector, glossina morsitans: ire stem-loops.	iron metabolism and regulation is an indispensable part of species survival, most importantly for blood feeding insects. iron regulatory proteins are central regulators of iron homeostasis, whose binding to iron response element (ire) stem-loop structures within the utrs of genes regulate expression at the post-transcriptional level. despite the extensive literature on the mechanism of iron regulation in human, less attention has been given to insect and more specifically the blood feeding insec ...	2016	27503259
duplication and diversification of dipteran argonaute genes, and the evolutionary divergence of piwi and aubergine.	genetic studies of drosophila melanogaster have provided a paradigm for rna interference (rnai) in arthropods, in which the microrna and antiviral pathways are each mediated by a single argonaute (ago1 and ago2) and germline suppression of transposable elements is mediated by a trio of piwi-subfamily argonaute proteins (ago3, aub, and piwi). without a suitable evolutionary context, deviations from this can be interpreted as derived or idiosyncratic. here we analyze the evolution of argonaute gen ...	2016	26868596
identification of a tsal152-75 salivary synthetic peptide to monitor cattle exposure to tsetse flies.	the saliva of tsetse flies contains a cocktail of bioactive molecules inducing specific antibody responses in hosts exposed to bites. we have previously shown that an indirect-elisa test using whole salivary extracts from glossina morsitans submorsitans was able to discriminate between (i) cattle from tsetse infested and tsetse free areas and (ii) animals experimentally exposed to low or high numbers of tsetse flies. in the present study, our aim was to identify specific salivary synthetic pepti ...	2016	26979518
tsetse fly tolerance to t. brucei infection: transcriptome analysis of trypanosome-associated changes in the tsetse fly salivary gland.	for their transmission, african trypanosomes rely on their blood feeding insect vector, the tsetse fly (glossina sp.). the ingested trypanosoma brucei parasites have to overcome a series of barriers in the tsetse fly alimentary tract to finally develop into the infective metacyclic forms in the salivary glands that are transmitted to a mammalian host by the tsetse bite. the parasite population in the salivary gland is dense with a significant number of trypanosomes tightly attached to the epithe ...	2016	27884110
remarkable richness of trypanosomes in tsetse flies (glossina morsitans morsitans and glossina pallidipes) from the gorongosa national park and niassa national reserve of mozambique revealed by fluorescent fragment length barcoding (fflb).	trypanosomes of african wild ungulates transmitted by tsetse flies can cause human and livestock diseases. however, trypanosome diversity in wild tsetse flies remains greatly underestimated. we employed fflb (fluorescent fragment length barcoding) for surveys of trypanosomes in tsetse flies (3086) from the gorongosa national park (gnp) and niassa national reserve (nnr) in mozambique (mz), identified as glossina morsitans morsitans (gnp/nnr=77.6%/90.5%) and glossina pallidipes (22.4%/9.5%). trypa ...	2017	28688979
tsetse fly (glossina pallidipes) midgut responses to trypanosoma brucei challenge.	tsetse flies (glossina spp.) are the prominent vector of african trypanosome parasites (trypanosoma spp.) in sub-saharan africa, and glossina pallidipes is the most widely distributed species in kenya. this species displays strong resistance to infection by parasites, which are typically eliminated in the midgut shortly after acquisition from the mammalian host. although extensive molecular information on immunity for the related species glossina morsitans morsitans exists, similar information i ...	2017	29258576
the wing venation patterns to identify single tsetse flies.	this is the first study to explore the potential of various geometric morphometrics methods to help the morphological diagnostic of tsetse species, vectors of human and animal trypanosomiases in sub-saharan africa. we compared landmarks, semilandmarks and outlines techniques on male and female samples of species, and suggested adapted strategies according to the countries and their own glossina fauna. we could compare up to 7 taxa belonging to the three main subgenera of the glossina genus: nemo ...	2017	27765637
a pilot study to delimit tsetse target populations in zimbabwe.	tsetse (glossina sensu stricto) are cyclical vectors of human and animal trypanosomoses, that are presently targeted by the pan african tsetse and trypanosomiasis eradication campaign (pattec) coordinated by the african union. in order to achieve effective control of tsetse, there is need to produce elaborate plans to guide intervention programmes. a model intended to aid in the planning of intervention programmes and assist a fuller understanding of tsetse distribution was applied, in a pilot s ...	2017	28467409
comparative genomics of glossina palpalis gambiensis and g. morsitans morsitans to reveal gene orthologs involved in infection by trypanosoma brucei gambiense.	blood-feeding glossina palpalis gambiense (gpg) fly transmits the single-celled eukaryotic parasite trypanosoma brucei gambiense (tbg), the second glossina fly african trypanosome pair being glossina morsitans/t.brucei rhodesiense. whatever the t. brucei subspecies, whereas the onset of their developmental program in the zoo-anthropophilic blood feeding flies does unfold in the fly midgut, its completion is taking place in the fly salivary gland where does emerge a low size metacyclic trypomasti ...	2017	28421044
host-seeking efficiency can explain population dynamics of the tsetse fly glossina morsitans morsitans in response to host density decline.	females of all blood-feeding arthropod vectors must find and feed on a host in order to produce offspring. for tsetse-vectors of the trypanosomes that cause human and animal african trypanosomiasis-the problem is more extreme, since both sexes feed solely on blood. host location is thus essential both for survival and reproduction. host population density should therefore be an important driver of population dynamics for haematophagous insects, and particularly for tsetse, but the role of host d ...	2017	28672001
hsp70/j-protein machinery from glossina morsitans morsitans, vector of african trypanosomiasis.	tsetse flies (glossina spp.) are the sole vectors of the protozoan parasites of the genus trypanosoma, the causative agents of african trypanosomiasis. species of glossina differ in vector competence and glossina morsitans morsitans is associated with transmission of trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, which causes an acute and often fatal form of african trypanosomiasis. heat shock proteins are evolutionarily conserved proteins that play critical roles in proteostasis. the activity of heat shock pr ...	2017	28902917
comparative genomics identifies male accessory gland proteins in five glossina species.	accessory gland proteins (acps) are important reproductive proteins produced by the male accessory glands (mags) of most insect species. these proteins are essential for male insect fertility, and are transferred alongside semen to females during copulation. acps are poorly characterized in glossina species (tsetse fly), the principal vector of the parasite that causes life-threatening human african trypanosomiasis and animal trypanosomiasis in endemic regions in africa. the tsetse fly has a pec ...	2017	29260004
polymerase chain reaction identification of trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in wild tsetse flies from nkhotakota wildlife reserve, malawi.	trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense is the causative agent of acute human african trypanosomiasis. identification of t. b. rhodesiense in tsetse populations is essential for understanding transmission dynamics, assessng human disease risk, and monitoring spatiotemporal trends and impact of control interventions. accurate detection and characterisation of trypanosomes in vectors relies on molecular techniques. for the first time in malawi, a molecular technique has been used to detect trypanosomes in ...	2017	28567189
uncovering genomic regions associated with trypanosoma infections in wild populations of the tsetse fly glossina fuscipes.	vector-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths every year but genomic resources for most species responsible for their transmission are limited. this is true for neglected diseases such as sleeping sickness (human african trypanosomiasis), a disease caused by trypanosoma parasites vectored by several species of tseste flies within the genus glossina we describe an integrative approach that identifies statistical associations between trypanosome infection status of glossin ...	2018	29343494