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Journal of Arthropod-borne Diseases Jun 2019Malaria is an important mosquito-borne disease considered as one of the public health concerns across many countries. mosquitoes are the main vectors of parasites,...
BACKGROUND
Malaria is an important mosquito-borne disease considered as one of the public health concerns across many countries. mosquitoes are the main vectors of parasites, which cause malaria. Some of these vectors such as s.l. and are considered as complex of sibling species distributed in north of Iran.
METHODS
This study was conducted in north and northwest of Iran including East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Golestan and North Khorasan provinces with emphasis on the northern borders of the country during 2015-2016. Adult specimens were collected and subjected to morphological identification as well as molecular analysis.
RESULTS
Overall, 10405 mosquitoes were collected comprising 21 species. and were found as the most frequent species in whole study area. Morphological identification showed that out of 1455 female specimens, 77% belonged to Group. Out of the identified species, ITS2 region and COI gene sequences of 8 s.s. and 31 representing all provinces were obtained and submitted to GenBank. The COI sequences for revealed the presence of 9 haplotypes with similarity of 98.17-100%.
CONCLUSION
Some investigations have reported as a member of sibling species of among Iranian genus; while based on our study, there was no evidence of the presence of this species in north and northwest of Iran.
PubMed: 31803774
DOI: No ID Found -
Phytotherapy Research : PTR Feb 2018Medicinal plants have always had great value for the human population due to their valuable constituents and potential bioactivities. The objective of this review is to... (Review)
Review
Medicinal plants have always had great value for the human population due to their valuable constituents and potential bioactivities. The objective of this review is to present an updated overview of an important medicinal plant genus Nepeta L., from the family Lamiaceae, revealing its traditional utilization, biological activity, phytoconstituents, and mechanisms of action. For this purpose, a literature survey was carried out by using SciFinder, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science followed by a revision of the bibliographies of the related articles. We have described and analyzed the role of plants in drug discovery and the importance of Nepeta species. Information on the utilization purposes of Nepeta species in folk medicine has been emphasized, and scientific studies on the biological effects and secondary metabolites are addressed. Nepeta species are characterized by terpenoid-type compounds and phenolic constituents, which exert several activities such as an antimicrobial, repellent against major pathogen vector mosquitoes, insecticide, larvicide against Anopheles stephensi, cytotoxic anticarcinogen, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory agent, and antidepressant, revealing its importance in medicinal and agricultural fields. On the basis of numerous studies, the Nepeta genus demonstrates remarkable therapeutic effects against various diseases. However, clinical studies are warranted to confirm preclinical findings.
Topics: Humans; Medicine, Traditional; Nepeta; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 29044858
DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5946 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2009Malaria is a disease that kills more than a million people each year in tropical and subtropical countries. The disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites and is...
Malaria is a disease that kills more than a million people each year in tropical and subtropical countries. The disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites and is transmitted to humans exclusively by mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. The lack of functional approaches has hampered study of the biological networks that determine parasite transmission by the insect vector. The recent discovery of RNA interference and its adaptation to mosquitoes is now providing crucial tools for the dissection of vector-parasite interactions and for the analysis of aspects of mosquito biology influencing the vectorial capacity. Two RNAi approaches have been established in mosquitoes: transient gene silencing by direct injection of double-stranded RNA, and stable expression of hairpin RNAs from transgenes integrated in the genome. Here we describe these methods in detail, providing information about their use and limitations.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Anopheles; Cloning, Molecular; Genes, Insect; Humans; Injections; Inverted Repeat Sequences; Malaria; Plasmids; Proteins; RNA Interference; RNA, Double-Stranded; Transcription, Genetic
PubMed: 19495688
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60327-295-7_5 -
Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health 2008Pregnant women are more likely than nonpregnant women to become infected with malaria and to have severe infection. The effects of malaria during pregnancy include... (Review)
Review
Pregnant women are more likely than nonpregnant women to become infected with malaria and to have severe infection. The effects of malaria during pregnancy include spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, low birth weight, stillbirth, congenital infection, and maternal death. Malaria is caused by the four species of the protozoa of the genus Plasmodium, which is transmitted by the bite of the female Anopheline mosquito, congenitally, or through exposure to infected blood products. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of malaria in pregnant women. Interventions to prevent malaria include intermittent preventive treatment, insecticide-treated nets, and case management of malaria infection and anemia.
Topics: Anemia; Animals; Anopheles; Antimalarials; Female; Humans; Insect Vectors; Malaria; Plasmodium; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; Pyrimethamine; Sulfadoxine
PubMed: 18455095
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmwh.2008.02.012 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jun 2023West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are two arthropod-borne viruses that circulate in mainland France. Assessing vector competence has only been conducted so...
West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are two arthropod-borne viruses that circulate in mainland France. Assessing vector competence has only been conducted so far with mosquitoes from southern France while an increasingly active circulation of WNV and USUV has been reported in the last years. The main vectors are mosquitoes of the Culex genus and the common mosquito Culex pipiens. Here, we measure the vector competence of five mosquito species (Aedes rusticus, Aedes albopictus, Anopheles plumbeus, Culex pipiens and Culiseta longiareolata) present in northeastern France. Field-collected populations were exposed to artificial infectious blood meal containing WNV or USUV and examined at different days post-infection. We show that (i) Cx. pipiens transmitted WNV and USUV, (ii) Ae. rusticus only WNV, and (iii) unexpectedly, Ae. albopictus transmitted both WNV and USUV. Less surprising, An. plumbeus was not competent for both viruses. Combined with data on distribution and population dynamics, these assessments of vector competence will help in developing a risk map and implementing appropriate prevention and control measures.
Topics: Animals; West Nile virus; Flavivirus; Culex; Aedes; France; Mosquito Vectors; West Nile Fever
PubMed: 37276229
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011144 -
BMC Microbiology Jan 2012In recent years, acetic acid bacteria have been shown to be frequently associated with insects, but knowledge on their biological role in the arthropod host is limited....
BACKGROUND
In recent years, acetic acid bacteria have been shown to be frequently associated with insects, but knowledge on their biological role in the arthropod host is limited. The discovery that acetic acid bacteria of the genus Asaia are a main component of the microbiota of Anopheles stephensi makes this mosquito a useful model for studies on this novel group of symbionts. Here we present experimental results that provide a first evidence for a beneficial role of Asaia in An. stephensi.
RESULTS
Larvae of An. stephensi at different stages were treated with rifampicin, an antibiotic effective on wild-type Asaia spp., and the effects on the larval development were evaluated. Larvae treated with the antibiotic showed a delay in the development and an asynchrony in the appearance of later instars. In larvae treated with rifampicin, but supplemented with a rifampicin-resistant mutant strain of Asaia, larval development was comparable to that of control larvae not exposed to the antibiotic. Analysis of the bacterial diversity of the three mosquito populations confirmed that the level of Asaia was strongly decreased in the antibiotic-treated larvae, since the symbiont was not detectable by PCR-DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), while Asaia was consistently found in insects supplemented with rifampicin plus the antibiotic-resistant mutant in the diet, and in those not exposed to the antibiotic.
CONCLUSIONS
The results here reported indicate that Asaia symbionts play a beneficial role in the normal development of An. stephensi larvae.
Topics: Acetobacteraceae; Animals; Anopheles; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Larva; Rifampin; Symbiosis
PubMed: 22375964
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-12-S1-S2 -
Parasites & Vectors Sep 2013Malaria around the China-Myanmar border is a serious health problem in the countries of South-East Asia. An. minimus is a principle malaria vector with a wide geographic...
BACKGROUND
Malaria around the China-Myanmar border is a serious health problem in the countries of South-East Asia. An. minimus is a principle malaria vector with a wide geographic distribution in this area. Malaria is endemic along the boundary between Yunnan province in China and the Kachin State of Myanmar where the local Anopheles community (species composition) and the malaria transmission vectors have never been clarified.
METHODS
Adult Anopheles specimens were collected using CDC light traps in four villages along the border of China and Myanmar from May 2012 to April 2013. Morphological and molecular identification of mosquito adults confirmed the species of Anopheles. Blood-meal identification using the female abdomens was conducted using multiplex PCR. For sporozoite detection in An. minimus, sets of 10 female salivary glands were pooled and identified with SSU rDNA using nested PCR. Monthly abundance of An. minimus populations during the year was documented. The diversity of Anopheles and the role of An. minimus on malaria transmission in this border area were analyzed.
RESULTS
4,833 adult mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles were collected and morphologically identified to species or species complex. The Anopheles community is comprised of 13 species, and 78.83% of our total specimens belonged to An. minimus s.l., followed by An. maculatus (5.55%) and the An. culicifacies complex (4.03%). The quantity of trapped An. minimus in the rainy season of malaria transmission was greater than during the non-malarial dry season, and a peak was found in May 2012. An. minimus fed on the blood of four animals: humans (79.8%), cattle (10.6%), pigs (5.8%) and dogs (3.8%). 1,500 females of An. minimus were pooled into 150 samples and tested for sporozoites: only 1 pooled sample was found to have sporozoites of Plasmodium vivax.
CONCLUSION
Anopheles is abundant with An. minimus being the dominant species and having a high human blood index along the China-Myanmar border. The sporozoites in An. minimus were determined to be Plasmodium vivax with a 0.07-0.7% infection rate.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Blood; Cattle; China; DNA Fingerprinting; Dogs; Endemic Diseases; Feeding Behavior; Female; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Malaria, Vivax; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Myanmar; Plasmodium vivax; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Swine
PubMed: 24034528
DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-264 -
Infection, Genetics and Evolution :... Dec 2014The genus Anopheles includes mosquito vectors of human malaria and arboviruses. In sub-Saharan Africa, the anopheline fauna is rich of nearly 150 species, few of which...
The genus Anopheles includes mosquito vectors of human malaria and arboviruses. In sub-Saharan Africa, the anopheline fauna is rich of nearly 150 species, few of which are anthropophilic and capable of transmitting pathogens to humans. Some of the remaining species are found in forests far from human environments and are vectors of wildlife pathogens. The diversity and the biology of these species have yet to be fully described. As a contribution to furthering knowledge of sylvan Anophelinae, using morphological and molecular tools we describe a new Anopheles species collected in Gabon (Central Africa), which we have named Anopheles gabonensis n. sp. We also molecularly screened this species to detect infections by Plasmodium parasites. The results showed the species to have been infected by Plasmodium vinckei, a rodent parasite. We discuss the role of An. gabonensis n. sp. in the transmission of P. vinckei in the rainforest areas of Central Africa and its potential to transfer pathogens to humans.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; DNA, Mitochondrial; Female; Gabon; Humans; Insect Vectors; Malaria; Male; Phylogeny; Plasmodium
PubMed: 24840150
DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.05.012 -
Journal of Biomolecular Structure &... Oct 2021Malaria is a protozoan infection transmitted by the bite of the infected female mosquito belonging to the genus ., which causes more than 445 million annual deaths...
Malaria is a protozoan infection transmitted by the bite of the infected female mosquito belonging to the genus ., which causes more than 445 million annual deaths worldwide. Available drugs have serious adverse effects ( blurred vision, hypotension and headache) and species-dependent efficacy. An alternative to overcome these problems involve the use of molecules with affinity to the mosquito odor receptors, minimizing the reinfection process as well as reducing the problems related to pharmacological therapy. The vector control can interrupt the epidemiological cycle and, therefore, control the malaria incidence. In the olfactory pathway, odorant binding protein 1 acts on the first level of odor recognition on malarial vector and thus can be used to modulate mosquito behavior and development of new attracts or repellents. Thus, this study applied ligand-based (2D-chemical similarity) and structure-based (docking and molecular dynamics) computational approaches to prioritize potential olfactory modulators on natural products catalogs at ZINC database ( = 98,379). Hierarchical virtual screening prioritized a potential olfactory modulator (Z8217) against odorant binding protein 1 (AgOBP1). Next, it was submitted to molecular dynamics routine to identify structural requirements and the interactions profile required for binding-site affinity. This promising natural compound can interact like experimental ligand and will be used in repellency assay to confirm its sensorial behavior.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Carrier Proteins; Female; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Mosquito Vectors; Odorants; Receptors, Odorant
PubMed: 32696721
DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1796807 -
Genome Research Sep 2017Understanding how phenotypic differences between males and females arise from the sex-biased expression of nearly identical genomes can reveal important insights into...
Understanding how phenotypic differences between males and females arise from the sex-biased expression of nearly identical genomes can reveal important insights into the biology and evolution of a species. Among mosquito species, these phenotypic differences include vectorial capacity, as it is only females that blood feed and thus transmit human malaria. Here, we use RNA-seq data from multiple tissues of four vector species spanning the phylogeny to explore the genomic and evolutionary properties of sex-biased genes. We find that, in these mosquitoes, in contrast to what has been found in many other organisms, female-biased genes are more rapidly evolving in sequence, expression, and genic turnover than male-biased genes. Our results suggest that this atypical pattern may be due to the combination of sex-specific life history challenges encountered by females, such as blood feeding. Furthermore, female propensity to mate only once in nature in male swarms likely diminishes sexual selection of post-reproductive traits related to sperm competition among males. We also develop a comparative framework to systematically explore tissue- and sex-specific splicing to document its conservation throughout the genus and identify a set of candidate genes for future functional analyses of sex-specific isoform usage. Finally, our data reveal that the deficit of male-biased genes on the X Chromosomes in is a conserved feature in this genus and can be directly attributed to chromosome-wide transcriptional regulation that de-masculinizes the X in male reproductive tissues.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes, X-Linked; Genetic Speciation; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Insect Proteins; Malaria; Male; Organ Specificity; Phylogeny; Sex Characteristics; X Chromosome
PubMed: 28747381
DOI: 10.1101/gr.217216.116