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Kaavya K, Tharakan J, Joshi CO, Aneesh EM. Role of vertically transmitted viral and bacterial endosymbionts of Aedes mosquitoes. Does Paratransgenesis influence vector-borne disease control? Symbiosis 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-022-00836-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Qasim M, Xiao H, He K, Omar MAA, Liu F, Ahmed S, Li F. Genetic engineering and bacterial pathogenesis against the vectorial capacity of mosquitoes. Microb Pathog 2020; 147:104391. [PMID: 32679245 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mosquitoes are the main vector of multiple diseases worldwide and transmit viral (malaria, chikungunya, encephalitis, yellow fever, as well as dengue fever), as well as bacterial diseases (tularemia). To manage the outbreak of mosquito populations, various management programs include the application of chemicals, followed by biological and genetic control. Here we aimed to focus on the role of bacterial pathogenesis and molecular tactics for the management of mosquitoes and their vectorial capacity. Bacterial pathogenesis and molecular manipulations have a substantial impact on the biology of mosquitoes, and both strategies change the gene expression and regulation of disease vectors. The strategy for genetic modification is also proved to be excellent for the management of mosquitoes, which halt the development of population via incompatibility of different sex. Therefore, the purpose of the present discussion is to illustrate the impact of both approaches against the vectorial capacity of mosquitoes. Moreover, it could be helpful to understand the relationship of insect-pathogen and to manage various insect vectors as well as diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Qasim
- Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Huamei Xiao
- Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; College of Life Sciences and Resource Environment, Key Laboratory of Crop Growth and Development Regulation of Jiangxi Province, Yichun University, Yichun, 336000, China
| | - Kang He
- Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Mohamed A A Omar
- Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Feiling Liu
- Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Sohail Ahmed
- Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
| | - Fei Li
- Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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Wyse AP, dos Santos AJB, Azevedo JDS, de Lima JS, de Faria JR. Modeling the spreading and interaction between wild and transgenic mosquitoes with a random dispersal. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205879. [PMID: 30379965 PMCID: PMC6209212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to recent advances in genetic manipulation, transgenic mosquitoes may be a viable alternative to reduce some diseases. Feasibility conditions are obtained by simulating and analyzing mathematical models that describe the behavior of wild and transgenic populations living in the same geographic area. In this paper, we present a reaction-diffusion model in which the reaction term is a nonlinear function that describes the interaction between wild and transgenic mosquitoes, considering the zygosity, and the diffusive term that represents a nonuniform spatial spreading characterized by a random diffusion parameter. The resulting nonlinear system of partial differential equations is numerically solved using the sequential operator splitting technique, combining the finite element method and Runge-Kutta method. This scheme is numerically implemented considering uncertainty in the diffusion parameters of the model. Several scenarios simulating spatial release strategies of transgenic mosquitoes are analyzed, demonstrating an intrinsic association between the transgene frequency in the total population and the strategy adopted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Wyse
- Department of Scientific Computing, Informatic Center, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Juarez dos Santos Azevedo
- Exact and Technology Sciences Center, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo of Bahia, Cruz das Almas, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Josenildo Silva de Lima
- Graduate Program in Mathematical and Computational Modeling, Informatic Center, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Jairo Rocha de Faria
- Department of Scientific Computing, Informatic Center, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
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Liao W, Atkinson CT, LaPointe DA, Samuel MD. Mitigating Future Avian Malaria Threats to Hawaiian Forest Birds from Climate Change. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168880. [PMID: 28060848 PMCID: PMC5218566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian malaria, transmitted by Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes in the Hawaiian Islands, has been a primary contributor to population range limitations, declines, and extinctions for many endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers. Avian malaria is strongly influenced by climate; therefore, predicted future changes are expected to expand transmission into higher elevations and intensify and lengthen existing transmission periods at lower elevations, leading to further population declines and potential extinction of highly susceptible honeycreepers in mid- and high-elevation forests. Based on future climate changes and resulting malaria risk, we evaluated the viability of alternative conservation strategies to preserve endemic Hawaiian birds at mid and high elevations through the 21st century. We linked an epidemiological model with three alternative climatic projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project to predict future malaria risk and bird population dynamics for the coming century. Based on climate change predictions, proposed strategies included mosquito population suppression using modified males, release of genetically modified refractory mosquitoes, competition from other introduced mosquitoes that are not competent vectors, evolved malaria-tolerance in native honeycreepers, feral pig control to reduce mosquito larval habitats, and predator control to improve bird demographics. Transmission rates of malaria are predicted to be higher than currently observed and are likely to have larger impacts in high-elevation forests where current low rates of transmission create a refuge for highly-susceptible birds. As a result, several current and proposed conservation strategies will be insufficient to maintain existing forest bird populations. We concluded that mitigating malaria transmission at high elevations should be a primary conservation goal. Conservation strategies that maintain highly susceptible species like Iiwi (Drepanis coccinea) will likely benefit other threatened and endangered Hawai’i species, especially in high-elevation forests. Our results showed that mosquito control strategies offer potential long-term benefits to high elevation Hawaiian honeycreepers. However, combined strategies will likely be needed to preserve endemic birds at mid elevations. Given the delay required to research, develop, evaluate, and improve several of these currently untested conservation strategies we suggest that planning should begin expeditiously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liao
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Carter T. Atkinson
- U. S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai’i National Park, Hawai’i, United States of America
| | - Dennis A. LaPointe
- U. S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai’i National Park, Hawai’i, United States of America
| | - Michael D. Samuel
- U. S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Severson DW, Behura SK. Genome Investigations of Vector Competence in Aedes aegypti to Inform Novel Arbovirus Disease Control Approaches. INSECTS 2016; 7:insects7040058. [PMID: 27809220 PMCID: PMC5198206 DOI: 10.3390/insects7040058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Dengue (DENV), yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus transmission to humans by a mosquito host is confounded by both intrinsic and extrinsic variables. Besides virulence factors of the individual arboviruses, likelihood of virus transmission is subject to variability in the genome of the primary mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti. The “vectorial capacity” of A. aegypti varies depending upon its density, biting rate, and survival rate, as well as its intrinsic ability to acquire, host and transmit a given arbovirus. This intrinsic ability is known as “vector competence”. Based on whole transcriptome analysis, several genes and pathways have been predicated to have an association with a susceptible or refractory response in A. aegypti to DENV infection. However, the functional genomics of vector competence of A. aegypti is not well understood, primarily due to lack of integrative approaches in genomic or transcriptomic studies. In this review, we focus on the present status of genomics studies of DENV vector competence in A. aegypti as limited information is available relative to the other arboviruses. We propose future areas of research needed to facilitate the integration of vector and virus genomics and environmental factors to work towards better understanding of vector competence and vectorial capacity in natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Severson
- Department of Biological Sciences and Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
| | - Susanta K Behura
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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Brenton AA, Souvannaseng L, Cheung K, Anishchenko M, Brault AC, Luckhart S. Engineered single nucleotide polymorphisms in the mosquito MEK docking site alter Plasmodium berghei development in Anopheles gambiae. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:287. [PMID: 24957684 PMCID: PMC4077580 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Susceptibility to Plasmodium infection in Anopheles gambiae has been proposed to result from naturally occurring polymorphisms that alter the strength of endogenous innate defenses. Despite the fact that some of these mutations are known to introduce non-synonymous substitutions in coding sequences, these mutations have largely been used to rationalize knockdown of associated target proteins to query the effects on parasite development in the mosquito host. Here, we assay the effects of engineered mutations on an immune signaling protein target that is known to control parasite sporogonic development. By this proof-of-principle work, we have established that naturally occurring mutations can be queried for their effects on mosquito protein function and on parasite development and that this important signaling pathway can be genetically manipulated to enhance mosquito resistance. METHODS We introduced SNPs into the A. gambiae MAPK kinase MEK to alter key residues in the N-terminal docking site (D-site), thus interfering with its ability to interact with the downstream kinase target ERK. ERK phosphorylation levels in vitro and in vivo were evaluated to confirm the effects of MEK D-site mutations. In addition, overexpression of various MEK D-site alleles was used to assess P. berghei infection in A. gambiae. RESULTS The MEK D-site contains conserved lysine residues predicted to mediate protein-protein interaction with ERK. As anticipated, each of the D-site mutations (K3M, K6M) suppressed ERK phosphorylation and this inhibition was significant when both mutations were present. Tissue-targeted overexpression of alleles encoding MEK D-site polymorphisms resulted in reduced ERK phosphorylation in the midgut of A. gambiae. Furthermore, as expected, inhibition of MEK-ERK signaling due to D-site mutations resulted in reduction in P. berghei development relative to infection in the presence of overexpressed catalytically active MEK. CONCLUSION MEK-ERK signaling in A. gambiae, as in model organisms and humans, depends on the integrity of conserved key residues within the MEK D-site. Disruption of signal transmission via engineered SNPs provides a purposeful proof-of-principle model for the study of naturally occurring mutations that may be associated with mosquito resistance to parasite infection as well as an alternative genetic basis for manipulation of this important immune signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Brenton
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, 95616 Davis, CA, USA
| | - Lattha Souvannaseng
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, 95616 Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kong Cheung
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, 95616 Davis, CA, USA
| | - Michael Anishchenko
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd, 80521 Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Aaron C Brault
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd, 80521 Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, 95616 Davis, CA, USA
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Silva AF, Bastos EL, Torres MDT, Costa-da-Silva AL, Ioshino RS, Capurro ML, Alves FL, Miranda A, de Freitas Fischer Vieira R, Oliveira VX. Antiplasmodial activity study of angiotensin II via Ala scan analogs. J Pept Sci 2014; 20:640-8. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.2641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2013] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Farias Silva
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas; Universidade Federal do ABC; Santo André SP Brazil
| | - Erick Leite Bastos
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | | | - André Luis Costa-da-Silva
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Rafaella Sayuri Ioshino
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Margareth Lara Capurro
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Flávio Lopes Alves
- Departamento de Biofísica; Universidade Federal de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Antonio Miranda
- Departamento de Biofísica; Universidade Federal de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | | | - Vani Xavier Oliveira
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas; Universidade Federal do ABC; Santo André SP Brazil
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Der Torossian Torres M, Silva AF, Alves FL, Capurro ML, Miranda A, Oliveira Junior VX. The Importance of Ring Size and Position for the Antiplasmodial Activity of Angiotensin II Restricted Analogs. Int J Pept Res Ther 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-014-9392-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Chamlian M, Bastos EL, Maciel C, Capurro ML, Miranda A, Silva AF, Torres MDT, Oliveira VX. A study of the anti-plasmodium activity of angiotensin II analogs. J Pept Sci 2013; 19:575-80. [DOI: 10.1002/psc.2534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Revised: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mayra Chamlian
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas; Universidade Federal do ABC; Santo André SP Brazil
| | - Erick L. Bastos
- Departamento de Química Fundamental; Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Química; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Ceres Maciel
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Margareth L. Capurro
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas; Universidade de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Antonio Miranda
- Departamento de Biofísica; Universidade Federal de São Paulo; São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Adriana F. Silva
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas; Universidade Federal do ABC; Santo André SP Brazil
| | - Marcelo Der T. Torres
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas; Universidade Federal do ABC; Santo André SP Brazil
| | - Vani X. Oliveira
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas; Universidade Federal do ABC; Santo André SP Brazil
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Overexpression of phosphatase and tensin homolog improves fitness and decreases Plasmodium falciparum development in Anopheles stephensi. Microbes Infect 2013; 15:775-87. [PMID: 23774695 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) cascade is highly conserved and regulates diverse physiological processes such as metabolism, lifespan, reproduction and immunity. Transgenic overexpression of Akt, a critical regulator of IIS, was previously shown to shorten mosquito lifespan and increase resistance to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. To further understand how IIS controls mosquito physiology and resistance to malaria parasite infection, we overexpressed an inhibitor of IIS, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), in the Anopheles stephensi midgut. PTEN overexpression inhibited phosphorylation of the IIS protein FOXO, an expected target for PTEN, in the midgut of A. stephensi. Further, PTEN overexpression extended mosquito lifespan and increased resistance to P. falciparum development. The reduction in parasite development did not appear to be due to alterations in an innate immune response, but rather was associated with increased expression of genes regulating autophagy and stem cell maintenance in the midgut and with enhanced midgut barrier integrity. In light of previous success in genetically targeting the IIS pathway to alter mosquito lifespan and malaria parasite transmission, these data confirm that multiple strategies to genetically manipulate IIS can be leveraged to generate fit, resistant mosquitoes for malaria control.
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12
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Wilke ABB, Marrelli MT. Genetic Control of Mosquitoes: population suppression strategies. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2012; 54:287-92. [DOI: 10.1590/s0036-46652012000500009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 05/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last two decades, morbidity and mortality from malaria and dengue fever among other pathogens are an increasing Public Health problem. The increase in the geographic distribution of vectors is accompanied by the emergence of viruses and diseases in new areas. There are insufficient specific therapeutic drugs available and there are no reliable vaccines for malaria or dengue, although some progress has been achieved, there is still a long way between its development and actual field use. Most mosquito control measures have failed to achieve their goals, mostly because of the mosquito's great reproductive capacity and genomic flexibility. Chemical control is increasingly restricted due to potential human toxicity, mortality in no target organisms, insecticide resistance, and other environmental impacts. Other strategies for mosquito control are desperately needed. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a species-specific and environmentally benign method for insect population suppression, it is based on mass rearing, radiation mediated sterilization, and release of a large number of male insects. Releasing of Insects carrying a dominant lethal gene (RIDL) offers a solution to many of the drawbacks of traditional SIT that have limited its application in mosquitoes while maintaining its environmentally friendly and species-specific utility. The self-limiting nature of sterile mosquitoes tends to make the issues related to field use of these somewhat less challenging than for self-spreading systems characteristic of population replacement strategies. They also are closer to field use, so might be appropriate to consider first. The prospect of genetic control methods against mosquito vectored human diseases is rapidly becoming a reality, many decisions will need to be made on a national, regional and international level regarding the biosafety, social, cultural and ethical aspects of the use and deployment of these vector control methods.
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Cheng G, Liu L, Wang P, Zhang Y, Zhao YO, Colpitts TM, Feitosa F, Anderson JF, Fikrig E. An in vivo transfection approach elucidates a role for Aedes aegypti thioester-containing proteins in flaviviral infection. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22786. [PMID: 21818390 PMCID: PMC3144946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2011] [Accepted: 07/04/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes transmit pathogens that cause infectious diseases of global importance. Techniques to easily introduce genes into mosquitoes, however, limit investigations of the interaction between microbes and their arthropod vectors. We now show that a cationic liposome significantly enhances delivery and expression of plasmid DNA in Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. We then introduced the genes for Ae. aegypti thioester-containing proteins (AeTEPs), which are involved in the control of flaviviral infection, into mosquitoes using this technique. In vivo transfection of AeTEP-1 into Ae. aegypti significantly reduced dengue virus infection, suggesting that the approach can further our understanding of pathogen-mosquito interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gong Cheng
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Lei Liu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Penghua Wang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Yue Zhang
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Yang O. Zhao
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Tonya M. Colpitts
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Fabiana Feitosa
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - John F. Anderson
- Department of Entomology, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Clemons A, Haugen M, Flannery E, Tomchaney M, Kast K, Jacowski C, Le C, Mori A, Simanton Holland W, Sarro J, Severson DW, Duman-Scheel M. Aedes aegypti: an emerging model for vector mosquito development. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2010; 2010:pdb.emo141. [PMID: 20889691 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.emo141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Blood-feeding mosquitoes, including the dengue and yellow fever vector Aedes aegypti, transmit many of the world's deadliest diseases. Such diseases have resurged in developing countries and pose clear threats for epidemic outbreaks in developed countries. Recent mosquito genome projects have stimulated interest in the potential for arthropod-borne disease control by genetic manipulation of vector insects. Targets of particular interest include genes that regulate development. However, although the Ae. aegypti genome project uncovered homologs of many known developmental regulatory genes, little is known of the genetic regulation of development in Ae. aegypti or other vector mosquitoes. This article provides an overview of the background, husbandry, and potential uses of Ae. aegypti as a model species. Methods for culturing, collecting and fixing developing tissues, analyzing gene and protein expression, and knocking down genes are permitting detailed analyses of the functions of developmental regulatory genes and the selective inhibition of such genes during Ae. aegypti development. This methodology, much of which is applicable to other mosquito species, is useful to both the comparative development and vector research communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Clemons
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, IN 46617, USA
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Corby-Harris V, Drexler A, Watkins de Jong L, Antonova Y, Pakpour N, Ziegler R, Ramberg F, Lewis EE, Brown JM, Luckhart S, Riehle MA. Activation of Akt signaling reduces the prevalence and intensity of malaria parasite infection and lifespan in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. PLoS Pathog 2010; 6:e1001003. [PMID: 20664791 PMCID: PMC2904800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria (Plasmodium spp.) kills nearly one million people annually and this number will likely increase as drug and insecticide resistance reduces the effectiveness of current control strategies. The most important human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, undergoes a complex developmental cycle in the mosquito that takes approximately two weeks and begins with the invasion of the mosquito midgut. Here, we demonstrate that increased Akt signaling in the mosquito midgut disrupts parasite development and concurrently reduces the duration that mosquitoes are infective to humans. Specifically, we found that increased Akt signaling in the midgut of heterozygous Anopheles stephensi reduced the number of infected mosquitoes by 60-99%. Of those mosquitoes that were infected, we observed a 75-99% reduction in parasite load. In homozygous mosquitoes with increased Akt signaling parasite infection was completely blocked. The increase in midgut-specific Akt signaling also led to an 18-20% reduction in the average mosquito lifespan. Thus, activation of Akt signaling reduced the number of infected mosquitoes, the number of malaria parasites per infected mosquito, and the duration of mosquito infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Corby-Harris
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Anna Drexler
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Laurel Watkins de Jong
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Yevgeniya Antonova
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Nazzy Pakpour
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Rolf Ziegler
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Frank Ramberg
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Edwin E. Lewis
- Department of Entomology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Nematology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jessica M. Brown
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Riehle
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
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Impact of Technological Improvements on Traditional Control Strategies. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2008; 627:84-92. [DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-78225-6_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Rafikov M, Bevilacqua L, Wyse APP. Optimal control strategy of malaria vector using genetically modified mosquitoes. J Theor Biol 2008; 258:418-25. [PMID: 18761018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2008.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2008] [Revised: 07/19/2008] [Accepted: 08/07/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The development of transgenic mosquitoes that are resistant to diseases may provide a new and effective weapon of diseases control. Such an approach relies on transgenic mosquitoes being able to survive and compete with wild-type populations. These transgenic mosquitoes carry a specific code that inhibits the plasmodium evolution in its organism. It is said that this characteristic is hereditary and consequently the disease fades away after some time. Once transgenic mosquitoes are released, interactions between the two populations and inter-specific mating between the two types of mosquitoes take place. We present a mathematical model that considers the generation overlapping and variable environment factors. Based on this continuous model, the malaria vector control is formulated and solved as an optimal control problem, indicating how genetically modified mosquitoes should be introduced in the environment. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed control.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Rafikov
- UFABC and UNIJUI, Rua Santa Adélia, 166, Bairo Bangu, 09210-170 Santo André, SP, Brazil.
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Abraham EG, Cha SJ, Jacobs-Lorena M. Towards the genetic control of insect vectors: An overview. ENTOMOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2007; 37:213-220. [PMID: 25530773 PMCID: PMC4268783 DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-5967.2007.00117.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Insects are responsible for the transmission of major infectious diseases. Recent advances in insect genomics and transformation technology provide new strategies for the control of insect borne pathogen transmission and insect pest management. One such strategy is the genetic modification of insects with genes that block pathogen development. Another is to suppress insect populations by releasing either sterile males or males carrying female-specific dominant lethal genes into the environment. Although significant progress has been made in the laboratory, further research is needed to extend these approaches to the field. These insect control strategies offer several advantages over conventional insecticide-based strategies. However, the release of genetically modified insects into the environment should proceed with great caution, after ensuring its safety, and acceptance by the target populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eappen G Abraham
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sung-Jae Cha
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Grech K, Maung LA, Read AF. The effect of parental rearing conditions on offspring life history in Anopheles stephensi. Malar J 2007; 6:130. [PMID: 17892562 PMCID: PMC2034587 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-6-130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2007] [Accepted: 09/24/2007] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The environmental conditions experienced by parents are increasingly recognized to impact the success of offspring. Little is known on the presence of such parental effects in Anopheles. If present, parental effects could influence mosquito breeding programmes, some malaria control measures and have epidemiological and evolutionary consequences. Methods The presence of parental effects on offspring emergence time, size, survival, blood meal size and fecundity in laboratory reared An. stephensi were tested. Results Parental rearing conditions did not influence the time taken for offspring to emerge, or their size or survival as adults. However, parental effects were influential in determining the fecundity of daughters. Counter-intuitively, daughters of parents reared in low food conditions produced larger egg clutches than daughters of parents reared in high food conditions. Offspring reared in low food conditions took larger blood meals if their parents had also experienced a low food environment. Conclusion So far as we are aware, this is the first evidence of parental effects on progeny in Anopheles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Grech
- Institutes of Evolution, Immunology and Infection Research School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
- Epidemiology and Population Biology, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Moredun Research Institute, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Liam Aye Maung
- Institutes of Evolution, Immunology and Infection Research School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
| | - Andrew F Read
- Institutes of Evolution, Immunology and Infection Research School of Biological Sciences, Ashworth Laboratories, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, UK
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Cha SJ, Lobo N, Debruyn B, Severson DW. Isolation and characterization of the RanGAP gene in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007; 17:223-30. [PMID: 17286051 DOI: 10.1080/10425170600805540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
A duplicated 3'-truncated version of RanGAP was previously identified as Segregation distorter (Sd), the meiotic drive gene in Drosophila melanogaster. Here we report the cloning and characterization of the complete gene sequence for the RanGAP homolog from the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The 1995 bp cDNA sequence consists of a 113 bp 5' UTR and 130 bp 3' UTR, and encodes a 583 amino acid protein with high sequence identity with RanGAP homologues of several species. A 20,125 bp genomic DNA sequence contains the complete RanGAP gene, consisting of three exons and two introns. Intron 2 comprises 18,082 bp and contains multiple repetitive elements as well as putative coding regions. The RanGAP locus was mapped to the q-arm of chromosome 2. Because the meiotic drive gene (M(D)) in A. aegypti was previously shown to be tightly linked with the sex determining locus on chromosome 1, RanGAP is likely not the M(D) gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Jae Cha
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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21
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Isoe J, Kunz S, Manhart C, Wells MA, Miesfeld RL. Regulated expression of microinjected DNA in adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2007; 16:83-92. [PMID: 17257211 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2006.00704.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a novel molecular genetic approach to investigating gene regulation in adult mosquitoes called whole body transfection (WBT). This DNA microinjection method allows for both constitutive and regulated expression of plasmid vectors in the fat body and midgut of adult mosquitoes within 24 h of injection. Using a luciferase reporter gene containing the Aedes aegypti heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) promoter, we optimized the WBT protocol at various times post-injection and used these parameters to measure the expression of a vitellogenin-luciferase reporter gene in response to blood meal feeding. These studies showed that a 843 bp fragment of the Ae. aegypti vitellogenin-C (VgC) promoter caused a greater than 200-fold induction of luciferase activity in a strict tissue-specific manner, and only in response to feeding. Functional mapping of the VgC promoter by WBT identified essential upstream regulatory elements in the region spanning -780 to -182 bp from the transcriptional start site. We also constructed a lipopolysaccharide-regulated expression vector using a 1096 bp genomic fragment of the Ae. aegypti cecropin B (CecB) promoter. Our data show that four days after WBT injection, the CecB-luciferase reporter gene could be induced more than 100-fold in the fat body following lipopolysaccharide injection. Moreover, we found that lipopolysaccharide-induction of the CecB reporter gene occurred up to 28 days post-WBT injection. These data suggest that WBT could provide a novel strategy to express recombinant proteins and RNAi constructs in adult mosquitoes using conventional microinjection methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Isoe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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22
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Spatial and sex-specific dissection of the Anopheles gambiae midgut transcriptome. BMC Genomics 2007; 8:37. [PMID: 17261194 PMCID: PMC1804276 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-8-37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2006] [Accepted: 01/29/2007] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The midgut of hematophagous insects, such as disease transmitting mosquitoes, carries out a variety of essential functions that mostly relate to blood feeding. The midgut of the female malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae is a major site of interactions between the parasite and the vector. Distinct compartments and cell types of the midgut tissue carry out specific functions and vector borne pathogens interact and infect different parts of the midgut. Results A microarray based global gene expression approach was used to compare transcript abundance in the four major female midgut compartments (cardia, anterior, anterior part of posterior and posterior part of posterior midgut) and between the male and female Anopheles gambiae midgut. Major differences between the female and male midgut gene expression relate to digestive processes and immunity. Each compartment has a distinct gene function profile with the posterior midgut expressing digestive enzyme genes and the cardia and anterior midgut expressing high levels of antimicrobial peptide and other immune gene transcripts. Interestingly, the cardia expressed several known anti-Plasmodium factors. A parallel peptidomic analysis of the cardia identified known mosquito antimicrobial peptides as well as several putative short secreted peptides that are likely to represent novel antimicrobial factors. Conclusion The A. gambiae sex specific midgut and female midgut compartment specific transcriptomes correlates with their known functions. The significantly greater functional diversity of the female midgut relate to hematophagy that is associated with digestion and nutrition uptake as well as exposes it to a variety of pathogens, and promotes growth of its endogenous microbial flora. The strikingly high proportion of immunity related factors in the cardia tissue most likely serves the function to increase sterility of ingested sugar and blood. A detailed characterization of the functional specificities of the female mosquito midgut and its various compartments can greatly contribute to our understanding of its role in disease transmission and generate the necessary tools for the development of malaria control strategies.
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Allen ML, Christensen BM. Flight muscle-specific expression of act88F: GFP in transgenic Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae). Parasitol Int 2004; 53:307-14. [PMID: 15464440 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2004.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2003] [Accepted: 04/14/2004] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A strategy to engineer a strain of Culex mosquitoes refractory to filarial transmission is described. A requirement for success of the strategy is identification of a flight muscle-specific promoter that functions in the mosquito. A GFP marker gene under the control of the promoter region of the Drosophila melanogaster act88F gene was inserted into the genome of Culex quinquefasciatus. Transformation was confirmed by Mendelian genetics. Hybridization of a genomic Southern blot to a radiolabeled probe verified that the entire donor plasmid integrated into the mosquito genome. GFP expression in the transgenic mosquitoes was restricted to the flight muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret L Allen
- Entomology Department, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
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Mori A, Chadee DD, Graham DH, Severson DW. Reinvestigation of an endogenous meiotic drive system in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2004; 41:1027-1033. [PMID: 15605641 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-41.6.1027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We have initiated efforts to determine the molecular basis for the M(D) meiotic drive system in the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The effect of the M(D) gene is a highly male-biased sex ratio, but varies depending on the frequency and sensitivity of a susceptible responder m(s) allele. The M(D) system has potential as a mechanism for driving trangenes for pathogen resistance into natural Ae. aegypti populations. Because all previously existing laboratory strains carrying the M(D) gene have been lost, we have selected for a new strain, T37, that carries a strong driver. Matings between T37 males and drive-susceptible m(s) females result in progeny with highly biased sex ratios, wherein only approximately 14.7% females are produced. We discuss the potential for identifying M(D) candidate genes based on comparisons with the well-described Drosophila melanogaster segregation distorter (SD) meiotic drive system and considerations for release of transgenic Ae. aegypti into natural populations where M(D) and insensitive m3 alleles are likely segregating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akio Mori
- Center for Tropical Disease Research and Training, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5645, USA
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25
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Jiménez LV, Kang BK, deBruyn B, Lovin DD, Severson DW. Characterization of an Aedes aegypti bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library and chromosomal assignment of BAC clones for physical mapping quantitative trait loci that influence Plasmodium susceptibility. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2004; 13:37-44. [PMID: 14728665 DOI: 10.1046/j.0962-1075.2004.00456.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have confirmed a genetic basis for susceptibility of mosquitoes to Plasmodium parasites. Here we describe our efforts to characterize a bacterial artificial chromosome genomic library for the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, and to identify BAC clones containing genetic markers that define quantitative trait loci (QTL) for Plasmodium gallinaceum susceptibility. This library (NDL) was prepared from the Ae. aegypti Liverpool strain and consists of 50 304 clones arrayed in 384-well microplates. We used PCR analysis with oligonucleotide primer pairs specific to 106 genetic markers (as sequence-tagged sites or STS) to screen the NDL library. Each STS identified between one and thirteen independent clones with an average of 3.3 clones. The average insert size was 122 kb and therefore the NDL library provides approximately 7.87-fold genome coverage. The availability of the NDL library should greatly facilitate physical mapping efforts, including positional cloning of QTL for traits of interest such as Plasmodium susceptibility and for whole genome sequence determination and assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- L V Jiménez
- Center for Tropical Disease Research and Training, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5645, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent P Alibu
- Zentrum für Moleculare Biologie at the University of Heidelberg in Germany
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