Showing papers in "Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2004"

TL;DR: This paper reviews what is currently known about insecticide resistance conferred by metabolic or target site changes in mosquitoes.

TL;DR: Significant advances in behavioral, physiological and molecular investigations into mosquito host preference are reviewed, with a particular emphasis on studies that have emerged in the post-genomic era that seek to combine these approaches.

TL;DR: The identity of the Drosophila gene phantom (phm), located at 17D1 of the X chromosome, as encoding the microsomal 25-hydroxylase (Cyp306a1) is reported, and in situ developmental gene analysis, in addition to northern, western and RT-PCR techniques, are consistent with this identification.

TL;DR: Cloned two cDNAs for laccases from the tobacco hornworm, MsLac1 and 2, and one from the malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae are cloned to facilitate studies of the structure, function and regulation of insect laccase.

TL;DR: It is concluded that the main tick families adapted independently to a blood-feeding environment and this has several implications for future tick research in terms of tick genome projects and vaccine development.

TL;DR: There are much more comprehensive estimates of the parameters that can affect the spread of Wolbachia through natural populations from low starting frequencies, and for waves of spread to be maintained in the face of partial barriers to gene flow.

TL;DR: It is proposed that the two isoforms of the TcCHS1 enzyme are used predominantly for the formation of chitin in embryonic and pupal cuticles, whereas Tc CHS2 is utilized primarily for the synthesis of peritrophic membrane-associated chit in the midgut.

TL;DR: The transcriptome revealed messages coding for several proteins of known families previously reported in the salivary glands of other blood-feeding insects as well as immune-related products such as C-type lectin, gambicin, and members of the prophenol oxidase cascade.

TL;DR: This study provides the first evidence that cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are a major metabolic mechanism responsible for pyrethroid resistance in H. armigera from Asia.

TL;DR: Results indicate a remarkable expansion of the lipocalin family in Rhodnius salivary glands, among other protein sequences described, including several new members of the nitrophorin, triabin, and pallidipin families.

TL;DR: Results indicate that a complex system of protein sensors is an integral component of the insect immune system and that different recognition molecules have overlapping binding specificity and functions.

TL;DR: Phylogenetic analysis showed that insect acetylcholinesterases fall into two subgroups, of which Ace1 is the paralogous gene whereas Ace2 is the orthologous gene of Drosophila AChE.

TL;DR: Cytogenetic and molecular studies of populations from West, Central, East and southern Africa indicate considerable genetic structuring within An.

TL;DR: The generation of an auto-annotated index of genes that are expressed in the salivary glands of four-day fed female adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks will be a useful resource for construction of microarrays to probe vector biology, vector-host and vector-pathogen interactions and to underpin gene identification via proteomics approaches.

TL;DR: Reduced protoxin processing due to decreased activities of Bt protoxin activation proteinases may be associated with resistance to Bt toxin in this resistant strain of O. nubilalis.

TL;DR: The cloning of the first octopamine receptor from Periplaneta americana is reported and the cDNA encoding a putative 7 transmembrane receptor contains 628 amino acids and has sequence similarity to other biogenic amine receptors.

TL;DR: The development of transgenic technology in pest insect species is reviewed and the challenges that remain in this applied area of insect genetics and entomology are discussed.

TL;DR: Phenoloxidase (monophenol, l-dopa: oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.14.1) is a multicopper oxidase, which plays an important role in melanin synthesis, necessary for defense against intruding microorganisms and parasites, wound healing and cuticle pigmentation.

TL;DR: Analysis of the binding activity using deletion mutants of BMCPs revealed that this type of conserved region also functions as the chitin-binding domain, similarly to the RR-2 region previously shown to confer chitIn binding, and the extended R&R consensus is the general chit in-bindingdomain of cuticle proteins in Arthropoda.

TL;DR: This review focuses on the mosquito response to midgut invasion of the malaria parasite and examines the role of mosquito digestive enzymes, peritrophic matrix and microvillar proteins as barriers to parasite development.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that recombinant Vn50 bound P. rapae hemolymph components that were recognized by antisera to Tenebrio molitor prophenoloxidase (proPO) and Manduca sexta proPO-activating proteinase (PAP), and it significantly reduced the proteolysis of proPO.

TL;DR: Juvenile hormone titers must be modulated to permit the normal progress of development and reproduction in mosquitoes and are an important part of a transduction mechanism that connects changes in the nutritional status with activation of specific physiological events during reproduction.

TL;DR: It is found that in CBP1 and CBP2, potential trypsin and chymotrypsin cleavage sites reside primarily within the chitin binding domain sequences, limiting exposure of the potential cleavage Sites to the digestive proteinases.

TL;DR: Serpin-6 strongly inhibited PAP-3 but not PAP of Manduca sexta pharate pupae, suggesting that the proPO activation by PAPs is differentially regulated by multiple serpins.

TL;DR: If successful, this strategy has the advantage of harnessing a naturally occurring vector response to block DENV infection in a mosquito vector and profoundly affect virus transmission.

TL;DR: The results support the conclusion that the sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) is the target of diflubenzuron in inhibition of chitin synthesis in these two insect species.

TL;DR: The evolutionary and biochemical implications of the dual use of salivary proteins for immune functions in insects are discussed and molecular characterization of such shared proteins may enable a better understanding of the properties of proteins involved in containment and elimination of microbes, as well as hemostasis and wound repair.

TL;DR: Results of this study indicated that up-regulation of the esterase gene appeared to be related to the development of resistance in the tarnished plant bug.

TL;DR: The random sequence analysis has provided a rapid means of determining the primary structure of the majority of Pimpla hypochondriaca venom proteins, and discovered a further nine cDNAs encoding proteins with predicted signal sequences.

TL;DR: Gel filtration experiments suggested that proPO, PAP-3, and the cofactor formed a ternary complex, which is an integral part of the insect immune system against pathogen and parasite infection.