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Insect Biochemistry and Molecular... Jul 2022The D7 proteins are highly expressed in the saliva of hematophagous Nematocera and bind biogenic amines and eicosanoid compounds produced by the host during blood...
The D7 proteins are highly expressed in the saliva of hematophagous Nematocera and bind biogenic amines and eicosanoid compounds produced by the host during blood feeding. These proteins are encoded by gene clusters expressing forms having one or two odorant-binding protein-like domains. Here we examine functional diversity within the D7 group in the genus Anopheles and make structural comparisons with D7 proteins from culicine mosquitoes in order to understand aspects of D7 functional evolution. Two domain long form (D7L) and one domain short form (D7S) proteins from anopheline and culicine mosquitoes were characterized to determine their ligand selectivity and binding pocket structures. We previously showed that a D7L protein from Anopheles stephensi, of the subgenus Cellia, could bind eicosanoids at a site in its N-terminal domain but could not bind biogenic amines in its C-terminal domain as does a D7L1 ortholog from the culicine species Aedes aegypti, raising the question of whether anopheline D7L proteins had lost their ability to bind biogenic amines. Here we find that D7L from anopheline species belonging to two other subgenera, Nyssorhynchus and Anopheles, can bind biogenic amines and have a structure much like the Ae. aegypti ortholog. The unusual D7L, D7L3, can also bind serotonin in the Cellia species An. gambiae. We also show through structural comparisons with culicine forms that the biogenic amine binding function of single domain D7S proteins in the genus Anopheles may have evolved through gene conversion of structurally similar proteins, which did not have biogenic amine binding capability. Collectively, the data indicate that D7L proteins had a biogenic amine and eicosanoid binding function in the common ancestor of anopheline and culicine mosquitoes, and that the D7S proteins may have acquired a biogenic amine binding function in anophelines through a gene conversion process.
Topics: Aedes; Animals; Anopheles; Biogenic Amines; Eicosanoids; Salivary Proteins and Peptides
PubMed: 35568118
DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103785 -
Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences Apr 2022Malaria is a disease caused by protozoan species of the genus . It is widespread and becoming a challenge in several African countries in the tropical and subtropical... (Review)
Review
Malaria is a disease caused by protozoan species of the genus . It is widespread and becoming a challenge in several African countries in the tropical and subtropical regions. In 2010, a report was published showing that over 1.2 million death cases were occurred globally due to malaria in just one year. The transmission of the disease from one person to another occurs via the bite of the female. It is known that , , and are the highly infective malaria species. The problem of this disease is the absence of any effective medical treatment or vaccine, making the mosquito control is the only feasible way for disease prevention. Pesticides are currently the most widely used method for mosquito control, despite its well-known negative effects, including health hazards on human, the increasing insecticidal resistance, and the negative impact on the environment and beneficial organisms. Biological control (also called: biocontrol) of insects has been a promising method to overcome the negative effects of using chemical insecticides, as it depends on just using the natural enemies of pests to either minimize their populations or eradicate them. This article provides an overview of the recent and effective biological means to control malaria, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, larvivorous fish, larva and nematodes. In addition, the importance, advantages, and disadvantages of the biocontrol methods will be discussed in comparison with the traditionally used chemical methods of malaria control with special reference to nanotechnology as a novel method for insects' control.
PubMed: 35531139
DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.12.028 -
Microbial Genomics Apr 2022is a genus of obligate bacterial endosymbionts that infect a diverse range of arthropod species as well as filarial nematodes, with its single described species, ,...
is a genus of obligate bacterial endosymbionts that infect a diverse range of arthropod species as well as filarial nematodes, with its single described species, , divided into several ‘supergroups’ based on multilocus sequence typing. strains in mosquitoes have been shown to inhibit the transmission of human pathogens, including malaria parasites and arboviruses. Despite their large host range, strains within the major malaria vectors of the and complexes appear at low density, established solely on PCR-based methods. Questions have been raised as to whether this represents a true endosymbiotic relationship. However, recent definitive evidence for two distinct, high-density strains of supergroup B within and has opened exciting possibilities to explore naturally occurring endosymbionts in for biocontrol strategies to block transmission. Here, we utilize genomic analyses to demonstrate that both strains have retained all key metabolic and transport pathways despite their smaller genome size, with this reduction potentially attributable to degenerated prophage regions. Even with this reduction, we confirmed the presence of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) factor genes within both strains, with AnD maintaining intact copies of these genes while the gene was interrupted in AnM, so functional analysis is required to determine whether AnM can induce CI. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis indicates that these strains may have been introduced into these two species via horizontal transmission events, rather than by ancestral acquisition and subsequent loss events in the species complex. These are the first genomes, to our knowledge, that enable us to study the relationship between natural strain malaria parasites and their anopheline hosts.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Prophages; Symbiosis; Wolbachia
PubMed: 35446252
DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000805 -
Journal of Vector Borne Diseases 2021Malaria control strategies for a particular area largely depends on the correct identification of the mosquito species prevalent in that area. This study aimed to...
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES
Malaria control strategies for a particular area largely depends on the correct identification of the mosquito species prevalent in that area. This study aimed to develop an android mobile app named 'Pictorial Indian anophelines key', which can be used to identify the 58 species of Indian female adult anophelines based on morphological characteristics.
METHODS
The pre-requisite to use this app requires a minimum basic knowledge of mosquito morphological characteristics and features. The user needs to view the collected mosquito under a dissecting binocular microscope and has to select the observations on the app presented in the form of labelled picture format. The app uses a divide and conquer algorithm which narrows the selection from genus level to final identification of species.
RESULTS
The app is user-friendly, quick and it accurately identifies the mosquito species in a maximum of six consecutive clicks. The result displays a complete image of identified mosquito along with its quick identification features. It can be used for both subgenus Cellia and Anopheles.
INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION
This pictorial key-based mobile app could be helpful for entomologists, malariologists, researchers, public health workers as well as students in the quick and correct identification of anopheline mosquitoes prevalent in India which in turn could be helpful in devising appropriate approaches towards malaria control and prevention. The app can be modified as per future requirements.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Female; Humans; India; Malaria; Mobile Applications
PubMed: 35381818
DOI: 10.4103/0972-9062.325634 -
Infection, Genetics and Evolution :... Jun 2022Anopheles is a genus belonging to the Culicidae family, which has great medical importance due to its role as a vector of Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria.... (Review)
Review
Anopheles is a genus belonging to the Culicidae family, which has great medical importance due to its role as a vector of Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria. Great focus has been given to the salivary gland proteins (SGPs) group from Anopheles' functional genomics. This class of proteins is essential to blood-feeding behavior as they have attributes such as vasodilators and anti-clotting properties. Recently, a comprehensive review on Anopheles SGPs was performed; however, the authors did not deeply explore the adaptive molecular evolution of these genes. In this context, this work aimed to perform a more detailed analysis of the adaptive molecular evolution of SGPs in Anopheles, carrying out positive selection and gene family evolution analysis on 824 SGPs. Our results show that most SGPs have positively selected codon sites that can be used as targets in developing new strategies for vector control and that younger SGPs evolve at a faster rate than older SGPs. Notably, we could not find any evidence of an accelerated shift in SGPs' rates of gene gain and loss compared with other proteins, as suggested in previous works.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Evolution, Molecular; Insect Proteins; Malaria; Mosquito Vectors; Salivary Proteins and Peptides
PubMed: 35339698
DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105271 -
Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources 2022(Xu and Feng 1975) is the major vector of malaria in Eastern and Southern China. The species is considered a synonym of (Baisas & Hu, 1936), although they differ in...
(Xu and Feng 1975) is the major vector of malaria in Eastern and Southern China. The species is considered a synonym of (Baisas & Hu, 1936), although they differ in several key biological characteristics. Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of for the first time. The mitogenome of is a typical circular, double-stranded molecule with a total length of 15,413 base pairs, and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and an AT-rich control region. A phylogenetic analysis of the complete mitogenomes of 16 species of (Culicidae) revealed that is closely related to (Wiedemann 1828), in the family Culicidae. The mitogenome provides new data for further taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of the genus .
PubMed: 35311202
DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2021.1997117 -
Medical Archives (Sarajevo, Bosnia and... Dec 2021mosquitoes are vectors of malaria, which is a serious health issue in Indonesia. Thus, vector control is an important approach taken to overcome this disease. The first...
BACKGROUND
mosquitoes are vectors of malaria, which is a serious health issue in Indonesia. Thus, vector control is an important approach taken to overcome this disease. The first and most important step in vector control is vector identification. As some species share similar morphological features, molecular identification helps make the process more accurate by using specific DNA sequences as molecular markers such as Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2). Many of the available ITS2 primers are universally designed for insects and, as such, are typically less specific for identifying certain genera, such as sp. Therefore, redesigning a specific ITS2 primer is needed for specific identification.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to redesign a specific PCR primer for
METHODS
The redesigned primer, named , was then tested using mosquito samples from the genus and other genera. Each mosquito was identified morphologically and their genomes were extracted. DNA samples were then amplified using the redesigned primer.
RESULTS
The primer pair was capable of amplifying ITS2 sequences from all of the samples and unable to amplify any of the non- samples, suggesting that it is specific to only. ll samples were also able to be identified, only were not able to be separated from its complex species, .
CONCLUSION
The primer pair was able to identify intra-species of , but its efficiency in making differentiations within a species complex should be evaluated further.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; Humans; Malaria; Mosquito Vectors; Phylogeny
PubMed: 35169368
DOI: 10.5455/medarh.2021.75.418-423 -
Heliyon Jan 2022In Iran, the prospect of malaria control relies mainly on insecticides used against the genus (Diptera: Culicidae) as important vectors of malaria, arboviruses, and so... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In Iran, the prospect of malaria control relies mainly on insecticides used against the genus (Diptera: Culicidae) as important vectors of malaria, arboviruses, and so on. Only eight out of 30 malaria mosquito vectors ( species) have been examined for insecticide resistance in Iran. This study aimed to review articles related to the incremental trend in insecticide resistance and their mechanisms among anopheline malaria vectors in Iran.
METHODS
A literature review was conducted based on such search engines as Iran doc, Web of Science, SID, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar websites using the following keywords: "," "Malaria," "Resistance," "Vectors," "Insecticide Resistance," and "Iran" for data collection. Published papers in English or Persian covering 1980 to 2020 were reviewed.
RESULTS
A total of 1125 articles were screened, only 16 of which were filtered to be pertinent in this review. While most of the mosquito vectors of malaria, such as were resistant to DDT, dieldrin, malathion, and becoming less susceptible to deltamethrin and other synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, few like s. l. were susceptible to all insecticides. A disseminating trend in insecticide resistance among different anopheline mosquito vector species was evident. Metabolic and insecticide target-site resistance mechanisms were involved with organochlorines and pyrethroids, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Insecticide resistance is becoming a severe scourge to the effectiveness of vector-borne disease management measures. This event is especially critical in developing and marginalized communities that applied chemical-based vector elimination programs for malaria; therefore, it is crucial to monitor insecticide resistance in malaria vectors in Iran using biochemical and molecular tools.
PubMed: 35128113
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e08830 -
Parasites & Vectors Jan 2022Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a tool that has revolutionised clinical microbiology and has recently been...
BACKGROUND
Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a tool that has revolutionised clinical microbiology and has recently been described as an innovative and effective approach to arthropod identification.
METHODS
In this study, mosquitoes were captured in Vietnam using four different methods (human landing catch, CDC light traps, BG-Sentinel traps, animal-baited net traps). A total of 4215 mosquitoes were captured and morphologically identified as belonging to three genera: Aedes, Anopheles and Culex. We randomly selected 1253 mosquitoes, including 662 specimens of 14 Anopheles species, 200 specimens of two Aedes species and 391 morphologically unidentified Culex specimens, for molecular and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The DNA from 98 mosquitoes (69 Anopheles specimens, 23 Culex specimens and six Aedes sp. specimens) was subjected to molecular analysis, either to confirm our morphological identification or the MALDI-TOF MS results, as well as to identify the Culex species that were morphologically identified at the genus level and to resolve the discrepancies between the morphological identification and the MALDI-TOF MS identification.
RESULTS
High-quality MS spectra were obtained for 1058 of the 1253 specimens (84%), including 192/200 for Aedes, 589/662 for Anopheles and 277/391 for Culex. The blind test showed that 986/997 (99%) of the specimens were correctly identified by MALDI-TOF MS, with log score values ranging from 1.708 to 2.843. Eleven specimens of Culex could not be identified based on morphological features, MALDI-TOF MS or molecular analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
This study enabled us to identify several species of mosquitoes from Vietnam using MALDI-TOF MS, and to enrich our database of MALDI-TOF MS reference spectra.
Topics: Animals; Culicidae; DNA; Species Specificity; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
PubMed: 35090542
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05149-2 -
The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal May 2022Elizabethkingia anophelis, originally isolated from the midgut of Anopheles gambiae in 2011, is an important cause of sepsis in adults and children and meningitis in...
Elizabethkingia anophelis, originally isolated from the midgut of Anopheles gambiae in 2011, is an important cause of sepsis in adults and children and meningitis in newborns, with several reported outbreaks worldwide. Accumulating molecular biological and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) evidence suggests that E. anophelis is the major human pathogen belonging to the genus Elizabethkingia. The source of infection, routes of transmission and pathogenicity of E. anophelis are unclear and should be better understood as the bacterium is capable of causing sepsis and meningitis in newborns, with complications and high mortality rates. Here, we describe two healthy neonates who developed meningitis caused by Elizabethkingia infection. Initial conventional laboratory results revealed that the pathogen was E. meningoseptica; metagenomic findings later confirmed it as E. anophelis. We also summarize reported E. anophelis infections among newborns in China and elsewhere and describe the clinical, pathogenic and genetic characteristics of this bacillus.
Topics: Adult; Child; China; Flavobacteriaceae; Flavobacteriaceae Infections; Genome, Bacterial; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Meningitis; Neonatal Sepsis
PubMed: 35067644
DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000003464