Hatisaburo Masuda

TL;DR: The first genome sequence of a nondipteran insect vector of an important human parasitic disease is described, which provides critical information on the physiology and evolution of this important vector species and should be instrumental for the development of innovative disease control methods.

TL;DR: It is shown that haem polymerization into haemozoin is not exclusive to Plasmodium: it also occurs in the midgut of the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus(Hemiptera), an important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas’ disease.

TL;DR: To the first report of an animal that does not synthesize its own heme and relies solely on the recovery of heme present in the diet, the cattle tick Boophilus microplus is proposed as a good model for studying heme transport and reutilization in animal cells.

TL;DR: The capacity of the Boophilus Yolk pro-Cathepsin (BYC) to induce a protective immune response in cattle againstBoophilus microplus infestation was tested by vaccination experiments and by inoculation of monoclonal antibody against BYC into fully engorged tick females.