Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
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| construction of a medicinal leech transcriptome database and its application to the identification of leech homologs of neural and innate immune genes. | the medicinal leech, hirudo medicinalis, is an important model system for the study of nervous system structure, function, development, regeneration and repair. it is also a unique species in being presently approved for use in medical procedures, such as clearing of pooled blood following certain surgical procedures. it is a current, and potentially also future, source of medically useful molecular factors, such as anticoagulants and antibacterial peptides, which may have evolved as a result of ... | 2010 | 20579359 |
| effect of incentives on insecticide-treated bed net use in sub-saharan africa: a cluster randomized trial in madagascar. | insecticide-treated bed nets (itns) have been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality due to malaria in sub-saharan africa. strategies using incentives to increase itn use could be more efficient than traditional distribution campaigns. to date, behavioural incentives have been studied mostly in developed countries. no study has yet looked at the effect of incentives on the use of itns. reported here are the results of a cluster randomized controlled trial testing household-level incentives for ... | 2010 | 20579392 |
| impact of promoting longer-lasting insecticide treatment of bed nets upon malaria transmission in a rural tanzanian setting with pre-existing high coverage of untreated nets. | the communities of namawala and idete villages in southern tanzania experienced extremely high malaria transmission in the 1990s. by 2001-03, following high usage rates (75% of all age groups) of untreated bed nets, a 4.2-fold reduction in malaria transmission intensity was achieved. since 2006, a national-scale programme has promoted the use of longer-lasting insecticide treatment kits (consisting of an insecticide plus binder) co-packaged with all bed nets manufactured in the country. | 2010 | 20579399 |
| vasa genes: emerging roles in the germ line and in multipotent cells. | sexually reproducing metazoans establish a cell lineage during development that is ultimately dedicated to gamete production. work in a variety of animals suggests that a group of conserved molecular determinants act in this germ line maintenance and function. the most universal of these genes are vasa and vasa-like dead-box rna helicase genes. however, recent evidence indicates that vasa genes also function in other cell types, distinct from the germ line. here we evaluate our current understan ... | 0 | 20586054 |
| cytogenetic map for anopheles nili: application for population genetics and comparative physical mapping. | anopheles nili is one of the major malaria vectors in africa with a wide geographic distribution. however, the taxonomic and population genetic studies on this species are scarce. new research tools are urgently needed to genetically characterize this important malaria vector. in this study, a high-resolution cytogenetic map was developed for an. nili polytene chromosomes. chromosomes were straightened and subdivided into 46 numbered divisions according to the banding pattern. population analysi ... | 2010 | 20603229 |
| high-resolution cytogenetic map for the african malaria vector anopheles gambiae. | cytogenetic and physical maps are indispensible for precise assembly of genome sequences, functional characterization of chromosomal regions, and population genetic and taxonomic studies. we have created a new cytogenetic map for anopheles gambiae by using a high-pressure squash technique that increases overall band clarity. to link chromosomal regions to the genome sequence, we attached genome coordinates, based on 302 markers of bacterial artificial chromosome, cdna clones, and pcr-amplified g ... | 2010 | 20609021 |
| biochemical basis of permethrin resistance in anopheles arabiensis from lower moshi, north-eastern tanzania. | development of resistance to different classes of insecticides is a potential threat to malaria control. with the increasing coverage of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets in tanzania, the continued monitoring of resistance in vector populations is crucial. it may facilitate the development of novel strategies to prevent or minimize the spread of resistance. in this study, metabolic-based mechanisms conferring permethrin (pyrethroid) resistance were investigated in anopheles arabiensis of low ... | 2010 | 20609220 |
| relevant microclimate for determining the development rate of malaria mosquitoes and possible implications of climate change. | the relationship between mosquito development and temperature is one of the keys to understanding the current and future dynamics and distribution of vector-borne diseases such as malaria. many process-based models use mean air temperature to estimate larval development times, and hence adult vector densities and/or malaria risk. | 2010 | 20618930 |
| invasion of mosquito salivary glands by malaria parasites: prerequisites and defense strategies. | the interplay between vector and pathogen is essential for vector-borne disease transmission. dissecting the molecular basis of refractoriness of some vectors may pave the way to novel disease control mechanisms. a pathogen often needs to overcome several physical barriers, such as the peritrophic matrix, midgut epithelium and salivary glands. additionally, the arthropod vector elicites immune responses that can severely limit transmission success. one important step in the transmission of most ... | 2010 | 20621627 |
| principal component analysis of socioeconomic factors and their association with malaria in children from the ashanti region, ghana. | the socioeconomic and sociodemographic situation are important components for the design and assessment of malaria control measures. in malaria endemic areas, however, valid classification of socioeconomic factors is difficult due to the lack of standardized tax and income data. the objective of this study was to quantify household socioeconomic levels using principal component analyses (pca) to a set of indicator variables and to use a classification scheme for the multivariate analysis of chil ... | 2010 | 20626839 |
| chitosan/double-stranded rna nanoparticle-mediated rna interference to silence chitin synthase genes through larval feeding in the african malaria mosquito (anopheles gambiae). | the purpose of this study was to examine whether the expression of two chitin synthase genes, agchs1 and agchs2, can be repressed by chitosan/agchs dsrna-based nanoparticles through larval feeding in anopheles gambiae. the agchs1 transcript level and chitin content were reduced by 62.8 and 33.8%, respectively, in the larvae fed on chitosan/agchs1 dsrna nanoparticles compared with those of the control larvae fed on chitosan/gfp dsrna nanoparticles. our study suggested for the first time that rna ... | 2010 | 20629775 |
| a progressive declining in the burden of malaria in north-eastern tanzania. | the planning and assessment of malaria interventions is complicated due to fluctuations in the burden of malaria over time. recently, it has been reported that the burden of malaria in some parts of africa has declined. however, community-based longitudinal data are sparse and the reasons for the apparent decline are not well understood. | 2010 | 20650014 |
| differential induction of proteins in anopheles gambiae sensu stricto (diptera: cullicidae) larvae in response to heavy metal selection. | investigations were conducted to establish the magnitude and pattern of differential expression of proteins due to generational selection of third instar an. gambiae s.s. larvae by cadmium, copper and lead heavy metals, three possible common urban pollutants.a susceptible strain of an. gambiae s.s. third instar larvae was separately placed under selection pressure with cadmium, copper and lead at lc(30) and controls through five generations. first, third and fifth generation selection survivors ... | 2006 | 20651951 |
| successful field trial of attractive toxic sugar bait (atsb) plant-spraying methods against malaria vectors in the anopheles gambiae complex in mali, west africa. | based on highly successful demonstrations in israel that attractive toxic sugar bait (atsb) methods can decimate local populations of mosquitoes, this study determined the effectiveness of atsb methods for malaria vector control in the semi-arid bandiagara district of mali, west africa. | 2010 | 20663142 |
| which family members use the best nets? an analysis of the condition of mosquito nets and their distribution within households in tanzania. | household ownership of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (itns) is increasing, and coverage targets have been revised to address universal coverage with itns. however, many households do not have enough nets to cover everyone, and the nets available vary in physical condition and insecticide treatment status. since 2004, the government of tanzania has been implementing the tanzania national voucher scheme (tnvs), which distributes vouchers for itns through antenatal clinics to target pregnant wo ... | 2010 | 20663143 |
| salivary polytene chromosome map of anopheles darlingi, the main vector of neotropical malaria. | new photomap of anopheles (nyssorhynchus) darlingi root, 1926, is described for a population from guajará-mirim, state of rondonia, brazil. the number of sections in the previous a. darlingi reference map was maintained and new subsections were added to the five chromosome arms. breakage points of paracentric inversions had been previously incorporated into the photomap of this species. an additional inversion is reported, called 3lc, totaling 14 inversions in the a. darlingi chromosome arms. th ... | 2010 | 20682862 |
| cuticle thickening associated with pyrethroid resistance in the major malaria vector anopheles funestus. | abstract: | 2010 | 20684757 |
| genome mapping and characterization of the anopheles gambiae heterochromatin. | heterochromatin plays an important role in chromosome function and gene regulation. despite the availability of polytene chromosomes and genome sequence, the heterochromatin of the major malaria vector anopheles gambiae has not been mapped and characterized. | 2010 | 20684766 |
| pyrethroid resistance in an anopheles funestus population from uganda. | the susceptibility status of anopheles funestus to insecticides remains largely unknown in most parts of africa because of the difficulty in rearing field-caught mosquitoes of this malaria vector. here we report the susceptibility status of the an. funestus population from tororo district in uganda and a preliminary characterisation of the putative resistance mechanisms involved. | 2010 | 20686697 |
| screening mosquito house entry points as a potential method for integrated control of endophagic filariasis, arbovirus and malaria vectors. | partial mosquito-proofing of houses with screens and ceilings has the potential to reduce indoor densities of malaria mosquitoes. we wish to measure whether it will also reduce indoor densities of vectors of neglected tropical diseases. | 2010 | 20689815 |
| anopheles larval abundance and diversity in three rice agro-village complexes mwea irrigation scheme, central kenya. | the diversity and abundance of anopheles larvae has significant influence on the resulting adult mosquito population and hence the dynamics of malaria transmission. studies were conducted to examine larval habitat dynamics and ecological factors affecting survivorship of aquatic stages of malaria vectors in three agro-ecological settings in mwea, kenya. | 2010 | 20691120 |
| temporal dynamics of malaria transmission in two rural areas of burkina faso with two ecological differences. | to determine the relationship between malaria transmission intensity, clinical malaria, immune response, plasmodic index, and to furthermore characterize a malaria vaccine trial site for potential malaria vaccines candidate testing, a study was conducted in tensobtenga and balonguen, two villages in burkina faso characterized by different malaria transmission levels. the study villages are located in a sudan savanna area. malaria transmission is seasonal and peaks in september in these villages. ... | 2010 | 20695277 |
| first attempt to validate the gsg6-p1 salivary peptide as an immuno-epidemiological tool for evaluating human exposure to anopheles funestus bites. | summary objective: the development of a biomarker of exposure based on the evaluation of the human antibody response specific to anopheles salivary proteins seems promising in improving malaria control. the igg response specific to the gsg6-p1 peptide has already been validated as a biomarker of an. gambiae exposure. this study represents a first attempt to validate the gsg6-p1 peptide as an epidemiological tool evaluating exposure to an. funestus bites, the second main malaria vector in sub-sah ... | 2010 | 20723184 |
| an insight into the sialome of blood-feeding nematocera. | within the diptera and outside the suborder brachycera, the blood-feeding habit occurred at least twice, producing the present day sand flies, and the culicomorpha, including the mosquitoes (culicidae), black flies (simulidae), biting midges (ceratopogonidae) and frog feeding flies (corethrellidae). alternatives to this scenario are also discussed. successful blood-feeding requires adaptations to antagonize the vertebrate's mechanisms of blood clotting, platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction, pa ... | 2010 | 20728537 |
| mode of action of methoprene in affecting female reproduction in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae. | one of the most studied actions of juvenile hormone (jh) is its ability to modulate ecdysteroid signaling during insect development and metamorphosis. previous studies in mosquitoes showed that 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e) regulates vitellogenin synthesis. however, the action of jh and its mimics, e.g. methoprene, on female reproduction of mosquitoes remains unknown. | 2010 | 20730984 |
| hydric stress-dependent effects of plasmodium falciparum infection on the survival of wild-caught anopheles gambiae female mosquitoes. | whether plasmodium falciparum, the agent of human malaria responsible for over a million deaths per year, causes fitness costs in its mosquito vectors is a burning question that has not yet been adequately resolved. understanding the evolutionary forces responsible for the maintenance of susceptibility and refractory alleles in natural mosquito populations is critical for understanding malaria transmission dynamics. | 2010 | 20796288 |
| investigating portable fluorescent microscopy (cyscope) as an alternative rapid diagnostic test for malaria in children and women of child-bearing age. | prompt and correct diagnosis of malaria is crucial for accurate epidemiological assessment and better case management, and while the gold standard of light microscopy is often available, it requires both expertise and time. portable fluorescent microscopy using the cyscope offers a potentially quicker, easier and more field-applicable alternative. this article reports on the strengths, limitations of this methodology and its diagnostic performance in cross-sectional surveys on young children and ... | 2010 | 20799940 |
| anthropophilic mosquitoes and malaria transmission in the eastern foothills of the central highlands of madagascar. | malaria remains a major public health problem in madagascar, as it is the first cause of morbidity in health care facilities. its transmission remains poorly documented. an entomological study was carried out over 1 year (october 2003-september 2004) in saharevo, a village located at an altitude of 900m on the eastern edge of the malagasy central highlands. mosquitoes were sampled weekly upon landing on human volunteers and in various resting-places. out of 5515 mosquitoes collected on humans, 3 ... | 2010 | 20804715 |
| aestivation of the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae in the sahel. | the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, inhabits diverse environments including dry savannas, where surface waters required for larval development are absent for 4-8 months per year. under such conditions, an. gambiae virtually disappears. whether populations survive the long dry season by aestivation (a dormant state promoting extended longevity during the summer) or are reestablished by migrants from distant locations where larval sites persist has remained an enigma for over 60 years ... | 2010 | 20810827 |
| a network population model of the dynamics and control of african malaria vectors. | a more robust assessment of malaria control through mosquito larval habitat destruction will come from a better understanding of the distribution, productivity and connectivity of breeding sites. the present study examines the significance of vector dispersal ability, larval habitat stability and productivity on the persistence and extinction of a mosquito population inhabiting a dynamic network of breeding sites. we use this novel method of vector modelling to show that when dispersal is limite ... | 0 | 20813387 |
| culicidae diversity, malaria transmission and insecticide resistance alleles in malaria vectors in ouidah-kpomasse-tori district from benin (west africa): a pre-intervention study. | abstract: | 2010 | 20819214 |
| chromosomal inversions, natural selection and adaptation in the malaria vector anopheles funestus. | chromosomal polymorphisms, such as inversions, are presumably involved in the rapid adaptation of populations to local environmental conditions. reduced recombination between alternative arrangements in heterozygotes may protect sets of locally adapted genes, promoting ecological divergence and potentially leading to reproductive isolation and speciation. through a comparative analysis of chromosomal inversions and microsatellite marker polymorphisms, we hereby present biological evidence that s ... | 2011 | 20837604 |
| field experiments of anopheles gambiae attraction to local fruits/seedpods and flowering plants in mali to optimize strategies for malaria vector control in africa using attractive toxic sugar bait methods. | based on recent studies in israel demonstrating that attractive toxic sugar bait (atsb) methods can be used to decimate local anopheline and culicine mosquito populations, an important consideration is whether the same methods can be adapted and improved to attract and kill malaria vectors in africa. the atsb approach uses fruit or flower scent as an attractant, sugar solution as a feeding stimulant, and an oral toxin. the atsb solutions are either sprayed on vegetation or suspended in simple ba ... | 2010 | 20854666 |
| prag01, a novel deltamethrin-resistance-associated gene from culex pipiens pallens. | the prag01 gene (genbank accession no. eu073017) was cloned from culex pipiens pallens. an open reading frame of 270 bp was found to encode a putative 89-amino-acid protein which has the highest homology with culex quinquefasciatus and anopheles funestus. real-time quantitative pcr analysis demonstrated that the transcription level of prag01 gene in deltamethrin-resistant strain was 1.65-fold higher than in deltamethrin-susceptible strain of c. pipiens pallens. overexpression of prag01 gene in t ... | 2010 | 20922424 |
| plasmodium ovale infection in malaysia: first imported case. | plasmodium ovale infection is rarely reported in malaysia. this is the first imported case of p. ovale infection in malaysia which was initially misdiagnosed as plasmodium vivax. | 2010 | 20929588 |
| reproduction-longevity trade-off in anopheles gambiae (diptera: culicidae). | reduced survival and future reproduction due to of current reproduction is a trade-off known as the cost of reproduction. surprisingly, only a few studies have assessed the cost of reproduction in arthropod disease vectors, despite its effect on longevity, and thus on vectorial capacity. we evaluated the cost of reproduction on survival of anopheles gambiae giles by comparing mosquitoes that were denied exposure to the other sex, hereafter named virgins, and those that were allowed exposure to t ... | 2010 | 20939369 |
| predators of anopheles gambiae sensu lato (diptera: culicidae) larvae in wetlands, western kenya: confirmation by polymerase chain reaction method. | polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to determine whether mosquito predators in wetland habitats feed on anopheles gambiae sensu lato (s.l.) larvae. aquatic mosquito predators were collected from six wetlands near lake victoria in mbita, western kenya. this study revealed that the whole positive rate of an. gambiae s.l. from 330 predators was 54.2%. the order of positive rate was the highest in odonata (70.2%), followed by hemiptera (62.8%), amphibia (41.7%), and coleoptera (18%). th ... | 2010 | 20939371 |
| sugar-fermenting yeast as an organic source of carbon dioxide to attract the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae. | carbon dioxide (co2) plays an important role in the host-seeking process of opportunistic, zoophilic and anthropophilic mosquito species and is, therefore, commonly added to mosquito sampling tools. the african malaria vector anopheles gambiae sensu stricto is attracted to human volatiles augmented by co2. this study investigated whether co2, usually supplied from gas cylinders acquired from commercial industry, could be replaced by co2 derived from fermenting yeast (yeast-produced co2). | 2010 | 20973963 |
| the effect of repeated washing of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (llins) on the feeding success and survival rates of anopheles gambiae. | insecticide-treated nets protect users from mosquito bites, thereby preventing transmissions of mosquito borne pathogens. repeated washing of nets removes insecticide on the netting rendering them ineffective within a short period. long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (llins) offer longer time protection against such bites because they are more wash resistant, and are preferred to conventionally treated nets. however, there is limited information on the effect of repeated washing of llins on th ... | 2010 | 21029477 |
| longitudinal studies of plasmodium falciparum malaria in pregnant women living in a rural cameroonian village with high perennial transmission. | a prospective longitudinal study of plasmodium falciparum in pregnant women was conducted in the rural village of ngali ii, where malaria is hyperendemic and individuals receive ~0.7 infectious mosquito bites/person/day throughout the year. pregnant women (n = 60; 19 primigravidae, 41 multigravidae) were enrolled early in pregnancy (median 14 wk) and were followed monthly, with 38 women followed through term (5.7 ± 1.1 prenatal visits and delivery). the total number of times primigravidae were s ... | 2010 | 21036826 |
| a physical map for an asian malaria mosquito, anopheles stephensi. | physical mapping is a useful approach for studying genome organization and evolution as well as for genome sequence assembly. the availability of polytene chromosomes in malaria mosquitoes provides a unique opportunity to develop high-resolution physical maps. we report a 0.6-mb-resolution physical map consisting of 422 dna markers hybridized to 379 chromosomal sites of the anopheles stephensi polytene chromosomes. this makes an. stephensi second only to anopheles gambiae in density of a physica ... | 2010 | 21036831 |
| odorant-binding proteins of the malaria mosquito anopheles funestus sensu stricto. | the mosquito anopheles funestus is one of the major malaria vector species in sub-saharan africa. olfaction is essential in guiding mosquito behaviors. odorant-binding proteins (obps) are highly expressed in insect olfactory tissues and involved in the first step of odorant reception. an improved understanding of the function of malaria mosquito obps may contribute to identifying new attractants/repellents and assist in the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly mosquito cont ... | 2010 | 21042539 |
| identifying malaria vector breeding habitats with remote sensing data and terrain-based landscape indices in zambia. | malaria, caused by the parasite plasmodium falciparum, is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in southern zambia. in the mapanza chiefdom, where transmission is seasonal, anopheles arabiensis is the dominant malaria vector. the ability to predict larval habitats can help focus control measures. | 2010 | 21050496 |
| patterns and seasonality of malaria transmission in the forest-savannah transitional zones of ghana. | knowledge of the local pattern of malaria transmission and the effect of season on transmission is essential for the planning and evaluation of malaria interventions. therefore, entomological surveys were carried out in the forest-savannah transitional belt of ghana (kintampo) from november 2003 to november 2005 in preparation for drug and vaccine trials. | 2010 | 21054895 |
| detection of 1014f kdr mutation in four major anopheline malaria vectors in indonesia. | malaria is a serious public health problem in indonesia, particularly in areas outside java and bali. the spread of resistance to the currently available anti-malarial drugs or insecticides used for mosquito control would cause an increase in malaria transmission. to better understand patterns of transmission and resistance in indonesia, an integrated mosquito survey was conducted in three areas with different malaria endemicities, purworejo in central java, south lampung district in sumatera an ... | 2010 | 21054903 |
| simultaneous identification of the anopheles funestus group and anopheles longipalpis type c by pcr-rflp. | anopheles longipalpis is morphologically similar to the major african malaria vector anopheles funestus at the adult stage although it is very different at the larval stage. despite the development of the species-specific multiplex pcr assay for the an. funestus group, the genomic dna of anopheles longipalpis type c specimens can be amplified with the anopheles vaneedeni and anopheles parensis primers from this assay. the standard, species-specific an. funestus group pcr, results in the amplific ... | 2010 | 21054905 |
| insight into the salivary transcriptome and proteome of dipetalogaster maxima. | dipetalogaster maxima is a blood-sucking hemiptera that inhabits sylvatic areas in mexico. it usually takes its blood meal from lizards, but following human population growth, it invaded suburban areas, feeding also on humans and domestic animals. hematophagous insect salivary glands produce potent pharmacologic compounds that counteract host hemostasis, including anticlotting, antiplatelet, and vasodilatory molecules. to obtain further insight into the salivary biochemical and pharmacologic com ... | 2011 | 21058630 |
| tissue-specific transcriptomics of the exotic invasive insect pest emerald ash borer (agrilus planipennis). | the insect midgut and fat body represent major tissue interfaces that deal with several important physiological functions including digestion, detoxification and immune response. the emerald ash borer (agrilus planipennis), is an exotic invasive insect pest that has killed millions of ash trees (fraxinus spp.) primarily in the midwestern united states and ontario, canada. however, despite its high impact status little knowledge exists for a. planipennis at the molecular level. | 2010 | 21060843 |
| malaria transmission and insecticide resistance of anopheles gambiae in libreville and port-gentil, gabon. | urban malaria is a major health priority for civilian and militaries populations. a preliminary entomologic study has been conducted in 2006-2007, in the french military camps of the two mains towns of gabon: libreville and port-gentil. the aim was to assess the malaria transmission risk for troops. | 2010 | 21070655 |
| does moonlight influence the biting behaviour of anopheles funestus? | the possible effect of moonlight on the biting behaviour of mosquitoes in southern mozambique, in particular that of anopheles funestus (diptera: culicidae), a primary vector of malaria, was investigated by comparing catches indoors and outdoors using cdc light traps and 'furvela' tent traps, respectively, for 35 consecutive nights, from 9 september to 15 october 2008. collections were separated into three 4-hourly samples each night. a total of 17 591 mosquitoes belonging to nine species were c ... | 2010 | 21073491 |
| multilocus haplotypes reveal variable levels of diversity and population structure of plasmodium falciparum in papua new guinea, a region of intense perennial transmission. | the south west pacific nation of papua new guinea has intense year round transmission of plasmodium falciparum on the coast and in the low-lying inland areas. local heterogeneity in the epidemiology of malaria suggests that parasites from multiple locations will need to be surveyed to define the population biology of p. falciparum in the region. this study describes the population genetics of p. falciparum in thirteen villages spread over four distinct catchment areas of papua new guinea. | 2010 | 21092231 |
| reactive oxygen species-dependent cell signaling regulates the mosquito immune response to plasmodium falciparum. | reactive oxygen species (ros) have been implicated in direct killing of pathogens, increased tissue damage, and regulation of immune signaling pathways in mammalian cells. available research suggests that analogous phenomena affect the establishment of plasmodium infection in anopheles mosquitoes. we have previously shown that provision of human insulin in a blood meal leads to increased ros levels in anopheles stephensi. here, we demonstrate that provision of human insulin significantly increas ... | 2011 | 21126166 |
| the dominant anopheles vectors of human malaria in africa, europe and the middle east: occurrence data, distribution maps and bionomic précis. | abstract: | 2010 | 21129198 |
| unexpected anthropophily in the potential secondary malaria vectors anopheles coustani s.l. and anopheles squamosus in macha, zambia. | abstract anopheles coustani s.l. and anopheles squamosus are sub-saharan mosquito species that have been implicated in malaria transmission. although generally believed to be of negligible importance due to their overwhelmingly zoophilic behavior, an. coustani s.l. and an. squamosus made up a large proportion of the anophelines collected by human landing catches during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 rainy seasons in macha, zambia. further, polymerase chain reaction-based blood meal identification s ... | 2010 | 21142969 |
| de novo transcriptome sequencing in anopheles funestus using illumina rna-seq technology. | anopheles funestus is one of the primary vectors of human malaria, which causes a million deaths each year in sub-saharan africa. few scientific resources are available to facilitate studies of this mosquito species and relatively little is known about its basic biology and evolution, making development and implementation of novel disease control efforts more difficult. the an. funestus genome has not been sequenced, so in order to facilitate genome-scale experimental biology, we have sequenced ... | 2010 | 21151993 |
| malaria transmission in two rural communities in the forest zone of ghana. | malaria transmission was assessed in two rural communities, kona and afamanaso in sekyere south district, ashanti region, in the forest zone of ghana to provide baseline data for ongoing clinical studies and the evaluation of the effect of interventions. altogether, 3,479 anopheles gambiae and 1,157 anopheles funestus were caught by human landing catches. sporozoite rates determined by either microscopy of salivary glands or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for plasmodium falciparum in ... | 2010 | 21153839 |
| staggered larval time-to-hatch and insecticide resistance in the major malaria vector anopheles gambiae s form. | anopheles gambiae is a major vector of malaria in the west african region. resistance to multiple insecticides has been recorded in an. gambiae s form in the ahafo region of ghana. a laboratory population (gah) established using wild material from this locality has enabled a mechanistic characterization of each resistance phenotype as well as an analysis of another adaptive characteristic - staggered larval time-to-hatch. | 2010 | 21156042 |
| the structure of the catalytic domain of tannerella forsythia karilysin reveals it is a bacterial xenologue of animal matrix metalloproteinases. | metallopeptidases (mps) are among virulence factors secreted by pathogenic bacteria at the site of infection. one such pathogen is tannerella forsythia, a member of the microbial consortium that causes peridontitis, arguably the most prevalent infective chronic inflammatory disease known to mankind. the only reported mp secreted by t. forsythia is karilysin, a 52 kda multidomain protein comprising a central 18 kda catalytic domain (cd), termed kly18, flanked by domains unrelated to any known pro ... | 2010 | 21166898 |
| natural history and intragenomic dynamics of the transib transposon hztransib in the cotton bollworm helicoverpa zea. | hztransib, recently identified from helicoverpa zea, represents the first intact and transcriptionally active transib element. its open reading frame was detected in helicoverpa armigera, from which h. zea evolved, and in helicoverpa assulta, the common ancestor of h. zea and h. armigera, but its remaining parts were found only in h. armigera. thirty-nine hztransib insertion sites, all of which are polymorphic, were detected from eight populations of h. zea. out of the 39 insertion sites, 35 wer ... | 2010 | 21166910 |
| mass drug administration of ivermectin in south-eastern senegal reduces the survivorship of wild-caught, blood fed malaria vectors. | in south-eastern senegal, malaria and onchocerciasis are co-endemic. onchocerciasis in this region has been controlled by once or twice yearly mass drug administration (mda) with ivermectin (ivm) for over fifteen years. since laboratory-raised anopheles gambiae s.s. are susceptible to ivermectin at concentrations found in human blood post-ingestion of ivm, it is plausible that a similar effect could be quantified in the field, and that ivm might have benefits as a malaria control tool. | 2010 | 21171970 |
| adaptive divergence between incipient species of anopheles gambiae increases resistance to plasmodium. | the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae is diversifying into ecotypes known as m and s forms. this process is thought to be promoted by adaptation to different larval habitats, but its genetic underpinnings remain elusive. to identify candidate targets of divergent natural selection in m and s, we performed genomewide scanning in paired population samples from mali, followed by resequencing and genotyping from five locations in west, central, and east africa. genome scans revealed a signi ... | 2010 | 21173248 |
| pyrethroid resistance in southern african anopheles funestus extends to likoma island in lake malawi. | abstract: | 2010 | 21192834 |
| malaria infection and disease in an area with pyrethroid-resistant vectors in southern benin. | this study aimed to investigate baseline data on malaria before the evaluation of new vector control strategies in an area of pyrethroid-resistance of vectors. the burden of malaria was estimated in terms of infection (prevalence and parasite density) and of clinical episodes. | 2010 | 21194470 |
| impact of malaria at the end of pregnancy on infant mortality and morbidity. | there is some consensus that malaria in pregnancy may negatively affect infant's mortality and malaria morbidity, but there is less evidence concerning the factors involved. | 2011 | 21199881 |
| differential attraction of malaria mosquitoes to volatile blends produced by human skin bacteria. | the malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae sensu stricto is mainly guided by human odour components to find its blood host. skin bacteria play an important role in the production of human body odour and when grown in vitro, skin bacteria produce volatiles that are attractive to a. gambiae. the role of single skin bacterial species in the production of volatiles that mediate the host-seeking behaviour of mosquitoes has remained largely unknown and is the subject of the present study. headspace sample ... | 2010 | 21209854 |
| genetic and phenotypic variation of the malaria vector anopheles atroparvus in southern europe. | there is a growing concern that global climate change will affect the potential for pathogen transmission by insect species that are vectors of human diseases. one of these species is the former european malaria vector, anopheles atroparvus. levels of population differentiation of an. atroparvus from southern europe were characterized as a first attempt to elucidate patterns of population structure of this former malaria vector. results are discussed in light of a hypothetical situation of re-es ... | 2011 | 21223582 |
| spatial and temporal variation in the kdr allele l1014s in anopheles gambiae s.s. and phenotypic variability in susceptibility to insecticides in western kenya. | malaria vector control in africa depends upon effective insecticides in bed nets and indoor residual sprays. this study investigated the extent of insecticide resistance in anopheles gambiae s.l., anopheles gambiae s.s. and anopheles arabiensis in western kenya where ownership of insecticide-treated bed nets has risen steadily from the late 1990s to 2010. temporal and spatial variation in the frequency of a knock down resistance (kdr) allele in a. gambiae s.s. was quantified, as was variation in ... | 2011 | 21235783 |
| analysis of the evolutionary forces shaping mitochondrial genomes of a neotropical malaria vector complex. | many vectors of human malaria belong to complexes of morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species. here we report the analysis of the newly sequenced complete mitochondrial dna molecules from six recognized or putative species of one such group, the neotropical anopheles albitarsis complex. the molecular evolution of these genomes had been driven by purifying selection, particularly strongly acting on the rna genes. directional mutation pressure associated with the strand-asynchronous asymm ... | 2011 | 21241811 |
| organization and evolution of heterochromatin in malaria mosquitoes. | the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae was the first disease vector chosen for genome sequencing. although its genome assembly has been facilitated by physical mapping, large gaps still pose a serious problem for accurate annotation and genome analysis. the majority of the gaps are located in regions of pericentromeric and intercalary heterochromatin. genomic analysis has identified protein-coding genes and various classes of repetitive elements in the anopheles heterochromatin. molecula ... | 2010 | 21250544 |
| chlorfenapyr: a new insecticide with novel mode of action can control pyrethroid resistant malaria vectors. | malaria vectors have acquired widespread resistance to many of the currently used insecticides, including synthetic pyrethroids. hence, there is an urgent need to develop alternative insecticides for effective management of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors. in the present study, chlorfenapyr was evaluated against anopheles culicifacies and anopheles stephensi for its possible use in vector control. | 2011 | 21266037 |
| molecular analysis of nutritional and hormonal regulation of female reproduction in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum. | female reproduction includes maturation of oocytes and the synthesis of yolk proteins (vitellogenin, vg) in the fat body and their deposition into the oocytes. our recent studies showed that juvenile hormone (jh) regulates vg synthesis and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e) regulates oocyte maturation in the red flour beetle (tribolium castaneum). here, we report on the role of nutritional signaling on vitellogenesis and oogenesis. comparison of gene expression between fed and starved beetles by microarra ... | 2011 | 21288489 |
| a cryptic subgroup of anopheles gambiae is highly susceptible to human malaria parasites. | population subgroups of the african malaria vector anopheles gambiae have not been comprehensively characterized owing to the lack of unbiased sampling methods. in the arid savanna zone of west africa, where potential oviposition sites are scarce, widespread collection from larval pools in the peridomestic human habitat yielded a comprehensive genetic survey of local a. gambiae population subgroups, independent of adult resting behavior and ecological preference. a previously unknown subgroup of ... | 2011 | 21292978 |
| contribution of anopheles funestus, an. gambiae and an. nili (diptera: culicidae) to the perennial malaria transmission in the southern and western forest areas of côte d'ivoire. | the involvement of members of the anopheles gambiae complex giles and an. funestus giles and an. nili theobald groups in the transmission of plasmodium falciparum was recently investigated in the villages of gbatta and kpéhiri, which lie, respectively, in forest areas in the west and south of côte d'ivoire. adult female mosquitoes were collected, using human landing catches, inside and outside dwellings. after identification and dissection, the heads and thoraces of all the anopheline mosquitoes ... | 2011 | 21294945 |
| why are anopheline mosquitoes not present in the seychelles? | species of anopheline mosquitoes are largely distributed over emerged lands around the world and, within the tropics, few areas are without these insects, which are vectors of malaria parasites. among the exceptions is the seychelles archipelago in the western indian ocean. however, in the aldabra island group, located in the extreme western portion of the archipelago, anopheles gambiae s.l. was introduced, leading to massive proliferation and then elimination, with the most recent autochthonous ... | 2011 | 21303530 |
| vectorial status and insecticide resistance of anopheles funestus from a sugar estate in southern mozambique. | the dual problems of rising insecticide resistance in the malaria vectors and increasing human malaria cases since 2001 in southern mozambique are cause for serious concern. the selection of insecticides for use in indoor residual spraying (irs) programmes is highly dependent on the extent to which local mosquitoes are susceptible to the approved classes of insecticides. the insecticide resistance status and role in malaria transmission of anopheles funestus was evaluated at the maragra sugar es ... | 2011 | 21306631 |
| development of a new version of the liverpool malaria model. i. refining the parameter settings and mathematical formulation of basic processes based on a literature review. | a warm and humid climate triggers several water-associated diseases such as malaria. climate- or weather-driven malaria models, therefore, allow for a better understanding of malaria transmission dynamics. the liverpool malaria model (lmm) is a mathematical-biological model of malaria parasite dynamics using daily temperature and precipitation data. in this study, the parameter settings of the lmm are refined and a new mathematical formulation of key processes related to the growth and size of t ... | 2011 | 21314922 |
| dry season ecology of anopheles gambiae complex mosquitoes at larval habitats in two traditionally semi-arid villages in baringo, kenya. | pre-adult stages of malaria vectors in semi-arid areas are confronted with highly variable and challenging climatic conditions. the objective of this study was to determine which larval habitat types are most productive in terms of larval densities in the dry and wet seasons within semi-arid environments, and how vector species productivity is partitioned over time. | 2011 | 21352608 |
| a de novo expression profiling of anopheles funestus, malaria vector in africa, using 454 pyrosequencing. | anopheles funestus is one of the major malaria vectors in africa and yet there are few genomic tools available for this species compared to an. gambiae. to start to close this knowledge gap, we sequenced the an. funestus transcriptome using cdna libraries developed from a pyrethroid resistant laboratory strain and a pyrethroid susceptible field strain from mali. | 2011 | 21364769 |
| chromosomal and environmental determinants of morphometric variation in natural populations of the malaria vector anopheles funestus in cameroon. | anopheles funestus is one of the most proficient malaria vectors in the world, mainly because of its remarkable ability to populate a wide range of ecological settings across africa. its formidable environmental plasticity has been primarily associated to high amounts of genetic and inversion polymorphisms. however, very little is known about the morphological changes that this ecological adaptation entails. here, we report on wing morphometric variations in karyotyped specimens of this species ... | 2011 | 21414420 |
| monitoring mosquitoes in urban dar es salaam: evaluation of resting boxes, window exit traps, cdc light traps, ifakara tent traps and human landing catches. | ifakara tent traps (itt) are currently the only sufficiently sensitive, safe, affordable and practical method for routine monitoring host-seeking mosquito densities in dar es salaam. however, it is not clear whether itt catches represent indoors or outdoors biting densities. itt do not yield samples of resting, fed mosquitoes for blood meal analysis. | 2011 | 21418622 |
| identification and characterization of a novel chitinase-like gene cluster (agcht5) possibly derived from tandem duplications in the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae. | insect chitinase 5 (cht5), a well-characterized enzyme found in the molting fluid and/or integument, is classified as a group i chitinase and is usually encoded by a single gene. in this study, a cht5 gene cluster consisting of five different chitinase-like genes (agcht5-1, agcht5-2, agcht5-3, agcht5-4 and agcht5-5) was identified by a bioinformatics search of the genome of anopheles gambiae. the gene models were confirmed by cloning and sequencing of the corresponding cdnas and gene expression ... | 2011 | 21419847 |
| 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 |
| crystal structure of native anopheles gambiae serpin-2, a negative regulator of melanization in mosquitoes. | 2011 | 21465556 | |
| arm-specific dynamics of chromosome evolution in malaria mosquitoes. | abstract: | 2011 | 21473772 |
| increased proportions of outdoor feeding among residual malaria vector populations following increased use of insecticide-treated nets in rural tanzania. | abstract: | 2011 | 21477321 |
| a longitudinal study on anopheles mosquito larval abundance in distinct geographical and environmental settings in western kenya. | abstract: | 2011 | 21477340 |
| identification and distribution of a gaba receptor mutation conferring dieldrin resistance in the malaria vector anopheles funestus in africa. | growing problems of pyrethroid resistance in anopheles funestus have intensified efforts to identify alternative insecticides. many agrochemicals target the gaba receptors, but cross-resistance from dieldrin resistance may preclude their introduction. dieldrin resistance was detected in an. funestus populations from west (burkina faso) and central (cameroon) africa, but populations from east (uganda) and southern africa (mozambique and malawi) were fully susceptible to this insecticide. partial ... | 2011 | 21501685 |
| do developing malaria parasites manipulate their mosquito host? evidence from infected anopheles funestus (giles) from mozambique. | mosquito survival is linked to the activities performed in each oviposition cycle, whilst development of malaria parasites in them is largely temperature dependent. extending the oviposition cycle of the mosquito, even as a side effect of normal development of the parasite, may enhance malaria transmission. a study was therefore undertaken to compare the time spent before returning to feed among infected and uninfected host seeking anopheles funestus from a village in southern mozambique. the st ... | 2011 | 21511315 |
| scanranker: quality assessment of tandem mass spectra via sequence tagging. | in shotgun proteomics, protein identification by tandem mass spectrometry relies on bioinformatics tools. despite recent improvements in identification algorithms, a significant number of high quality spectra remain unidentified for various reasons. here we present scanranker, an open-source tool that evaluates the quality of tandem mass spectra via sequence tagging with reliable performance in data from different instruments. the superior performance of scanranker enables it not only to find un ... | 2011 | 21520941 |
| divergent transcriptional response to thermal stress by anopheles gambiae larvae carrying alternative arrangements of inversion 2la. | the african malaria mosquito anopheles gambiae is polymorphic for chromosomal inversion 2la, whose frequency strongly correlates with degree of aridity across environmental gradients. recent physiological studies have associated 2la with resistance to desiccation in adults and thermal stress in larvae, consistent with its proposed role in aridity tolerance. however, the genetic basis of these traits remains unknown. to identify genes that could be involved in the differential response to thermal ... | 2011 | 21535279 |
| the emergence of insecticide resistance in central mozambique and potential threat to the successful indoor residual spraying malaria control programme. | abstract: | 2011 | 21535872 |
| continuing intense malaria transmission in northern uganda. | abstract. recent reports of reductions in malaria transmission in several african countries have resulted in optimism that malaria can be eliminated in parts of africa where it is currently endemic. it is not known whether these trends are global or whether they are also present in areas where political instability has hindered effective malaria control. we determined malaria parasite carriage and age-dependent antibody responses to plasmodium falciparum antigens in cross-sectional surveys in ap ... | 2011 | 21540398 |
| productivity of malaria vectors from different habitat types in the western kenya highlands. | mosquito larval source management (lsm) could be a valuable additional tool for integrated malaria vector control especially in areas with focal transmission like the highlands of western kenya if it were not for the need to target all potential habitats at frequent intervals. the ability to determine the productivity of malaria vectors from identified habitats might be used to target lsm only at productive ones. | 2011 | 21559301 |
| plasmodium falciparum transmission and aridity: a kenyan experience from the dry lands of baringo and its implications for anopheles arabiensis control. | abstract: background: the ecology of malaria vectors particularly in semi-arid areas of africa is poorly understood. accurate knowledge on this subject will boost current efforts to reduce the burden of malaria in sub-saharan africa. the objective of this study was to describe the dynamics of malaria transmission in two model semi-arid sites (kamarimar and tirion) in baringo in kenya. methods: adult mosquitoes were collected indoors by pyrethrum spray collections (psc) and outdoors by centers fo ... | 2011 | 21569546 |
| 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 |
| mosquito species abundance and diversity in malindi, kenya and their potential implication in pathogen transmission. | mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) are important vectors of human disease-causing pathogens. mosquitoes are found both in rural and urban areas. deteriorating infrastructure, poor access to health, water and sanitation services, increasing population density, and widespread poverty contribute to conditions that modify the environment, which directly influences the risk of disease within the urban and peri-urban ecosystem. the objective of this study was to evaluate the mosquito vector abundance and ... | 2011 | 21626425 |
| changing patterns of malaria epidemiology between 2002 and 2010 in western kenya: the fall and rise of malaria. | the impact of insecticide treated nets (itns) on reducing malaria incidence is shown mainly through data collection from health facilities. routine evaluation of long-term epidemiological and entomological dynamics is currently unavailable. in kenya, new policies supporting the provision of free itns were implemented nationwide in june 2006. to evaluate the impacts of itns on malaria transmission, we conducted monthly surveys in three sentinel sites with different transmission intensities in wes ... | 2011 | 21629783 |
| the contribution of aestivating mosquitoes to the persistence of anopheles gambiae in the sahel. | abstract: background: persistence of african anophelines throughout the long dry season (4-8 months) when no surface waters are available remains one of the enduring mysteries of medical entomology. recent studies demonstrated that aestivation (summer diapause) is one mechanism that allows the african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, to persist in the sahel. however, migration from distant localities - where reproduction continues year-round - might also be involved. methods: to assess the c ... | 2011 | 21645385 |
| calpain chronicle--an enzyme family under multidisciplinary characterization. | calpain is an intracellular ca2+-dependent cysteine protease (ec 3.4.22.17; clan ca, family c02) discovered in 1964. it was also called canp (ca2+-activated neutral protease) as well as casf, cdp, kaf, etc. until 1990. calpains are found in almost all eukaryotes and a few bacteria, but not in archaebacteria. calpains have a limited proteolytic activity, and function to transform or modulate their substrates' structures and activities; they are therefore called, "modulator proteases." in the huma ... | 2011 | 21670566 |
| anopheles gambiae odorant binding protein crystal complex with the synthetic repellent deet: implications for structure-based design of novel mosquito repellents. | insect odorant binding proteins (obps) are the first components of the olfactory system to encounter and bind attractant and repellent odors emanating from various sources for presentation to olfactory receptors, which trigger relevant signal transduction cascades culminating in specific physiological and behavioral responses. for disease vectors, particularly hematophagous mosquitoes, repellents represent important defenses against parasitic diseases because they effect a reduction in the rate ... | 2011 | 21671117 |