A5018120842- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Calpain Protease Function and Regulation
- Oral health in cancer treatment
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Studies on Chitinases and Chitosanases
- Head and Neck Cancer Studies
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Polyamine Metabolism and Applications
- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- Signaling Pathways in Disease
- Polyomavirus and related diseases
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
2015-2024
Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular
2017-2024
Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese
2010
University of Siena
2007
Rhodnius prolixus not only has served as a model organism for the study of insect physiology, but also is major vector Chagas disease, an illness that affects approximately seven million people worldwide. We sequenced genome R. prolixus, generated assembled sequences covering 95% (∼ 702 Mb), including 15,456 putative protein-coding genes, and completed comprehensive genomic analyses this obligate blood-feeding insect. Although immune-deficiency (IMD)-mediated immune responses were observed,...
Abstract Gene-drive systems developed in several organisms result super-Mendelian inheritance of transgenic insertions. Here, we generalize this “active genetic” approach to preferentially transmit allelic variants (allelic-drive) resulting from only a single or few nucleotide alterations. We test two configurations for allelic-drive: one, copy-cutting, which non-preferred allele is selectively targeted Cas9/guide RNA (gRNA) cleavage, and more general approach, copy-grafting, that permits...
is currently the model vector of choice for studying Chagas disease transmission, a debilitating caused by
Insect embryonic dorso-ventral patterning depends greatly on two pathways: the Toll pathway and Bone Morphogenetic Protein pathway. While relative contribution of each has been investigated in holometabolous insects, their role not explored insects with a hemimetabolous type development. The insect Rhodnius prolixus, an important vector Chagas disease Americas, develops from intermediate germ band displays complex movements during katatrepsis that are observed other orders. However, little...
Abstract Rhodnius prolixus is a Triatominae insect species and primary vector of Chagas disease. The genome R. has been recently sequenced partially assembled, but few transcriptome analyses have performed to date. In this study, we describe the stage-specific transcriptomes obtained from previtellogenic stages oogenesis mature eggs. By analyzing ~ 228 million paired-end RNA-Seq reads, significantly improved current annotations for 9206 genes. We provide extended 5′ 3′ UTRs, complete Open...
The piRNA pathway is a surveillance system that guarantees oogenesis and adult fertility in range of animal species. centered on PIWI clade Argonaute proteins the associated small non-coding RNAs termed piRNAs. In this study, we set to investigate evolutionary conservation hemimetabolous insect Rhodnius prolixus. Our transcriptome profiling reveals core components are expressed during previtellogenic stages oogenesis. Rhodnius' genome harbors four putative piwi orthologs. We show Rp-piwi2,...
Pigmentation in insects has been linked to mate selection and predator evasion, thus representing an important aspect for natural selection. Insect body color is classically associated the activity of tyrosine pathway enzymes, eye pigment synthesis through tryptophan guanine pathways, their transport by ATP-binding cassette proteins. Among hemiptera, genetic basis pigmentation kissing bugs such as Rhodnius prolixus, that transmit Chagas disease humans, not addressed. Here, we report...
Triatomine assassin bugs comprise hematophagous insect vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent Chagas disease. Although microbiome these species has been investigated to some extent, only one virus infecting Triatoma infestans identified date. Here, we describe for first time seven (+) single-strand RNA viruses (RpV1-7) Rhodnius prolixus, a primary vector disease in Central and South America. We show that RpVs belong Iflaviridae, Permutotetraviridae Solemoviridae are vertically...
SUMMARY Rhodnius prolixus is a blood-feeding insect that transmits Trypanosoma cruzi and rangeli to vertebrate hosts. also classical model in physiology, the recent availability of R. genome has opened new avenues on triatomine research. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) classically described as key enzyme involved glycogen metabolism, acting downstream component Wnt pathway during embryogenesis. GSK-3 been shown be highly conserved among several organisms, mainly catalytic domain region....
Dorsal–ventral (DV) patterning is regulated by the bone morphogenetic pathway (BMP) in Bilateria. In insect DV patterning, Toll also plays a role, addition to BMPs. Variations relative importance of each for have been reported using single species coleopteran, hymenopteran, hemipteran and orthopteran insects. To investigate if molecular control conserved inside an order, emergent model hemiptera Rhodnius prolixus was studied. We found that R. BMP controls entire axis, with broader effect...
Genes encoding small open-reading frames (smORFs) have been characterized as essential players of developmental processes. The smORF tarsaless/mille-pattes/polished-rice has thoroughly investigated in holometabolous insects, such the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, while its function hemimetabolous insects was only recently investigated. Thus, we analyzed tal/pri/mlpt ortholog a insect, kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus (Rp). Sequence analysis shows...
Abstract The kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus is a major vector for Chagas disease in the Americas, and also considered as primary model functional studies. Prospective transgenic approaches genome editing strategies hold great promise controlling insect populations well propagation. In this context, identifying visible genetic markers methodologies of paramount importance to advance field. Here we have identified analyzed function putative cuticle eye color genes by investigating effect gene...
Abstract Rhodnius prolixus is currently the model vector of choice for studying Chagas disease transmission, a debilitating caused by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites. Despite broad use double-stranded RNA interference knockdown gene function in R. , transgenesis and editing protocols are still lacking. Here we tested Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction Cargo (ReMOT Control) direct parental injection CRISPR (DIPA-CRISPR) maternal delivery CRISPR/Cas9 elements to developing oocytes, strategies...
The Triatominae subfamily (Reduviidae) harbors some hematophagous insect species that have been firmly connected to the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi , causative agent Chagas disease. Triatomines not only host and transmit trypanosomatids, but also coexist with a variety symbiotic microorganisms generally reside in insect’s intestinal flora. microbiome has profound effects on physiology, immunity, fitness survival animals plants. interaction between triatomines bacteria investigated...
The calcium dependent Calpain proteases are modulatory enzymes with important roles in cell cycle control, development and immunity. In the fly model Drosophila melanogaster A cleaves Cactus/IkappaB consequently modifies Toll signals during embryonic dorsal-ventral (DV) patterning. Here we explore role of Calpains hemiptera Rhodnius prolixus, an intermediate germband insect where Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) instead pathway plays a major DV Phylogenetic analysis species ranging from...
The calcium dependent Calpain proteases are modulatory enzymes with important roles in cell cycle control, development and immunity. In the fly model
Abstract Genes encoding small open-reading frames (smORFs) have been characterized as essential players of developmental processes. The smORF tarsaless/mille-pattes/polished-rice has thoroughly investigated in holometabolous insects, such the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum , while its function hemimetabolous insects remains unknown. Thus, we analyzed tal/pri/mlpt ortholog a insect, kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus (Rp) . First, sequence analysis shows...
Abstract Rhodnius prolixus is a Triatominae insect species and primary vector of Chagas disease. The genome R. has been recently sequenced partially assembled, but few transcriptome analyses have performed to date. In this study, we describe the stage-specific transcriptomes obtained from previtellogenic stages oogenesis mature eggs. By analyzing ~228 million paired-end RNA-Seq reads, significantly improved current annotations for 9,206 genes. We provide extended 5’ 3’ UTRs, complete Open...