A5030037974- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Malaria Research and Control
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Insects and Parasite Interactions
- Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Hemiptera Insect Studies
- Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research
- Drug Transport and Resistance Mechanisms
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Study of Mite Species
- Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Coleoptera Taxonomy and Distribution
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Plant Disease Resistance and Genetics
- Polar Research and Ecology
- Plant Pathogens and Resistance
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies
- Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
- Fungal and yeast genetics research
Mississippi State University
2016-2024
South Florida Water Management District
2023-2024
Boston Children's Hospital
2021
Johns Hopkins University
2014-2019
Agricultural Research Service
2017-2018
United States Department of Agriculture
2017
Vanderbilt University
2010-2013
University of Mississippi
2011
Vanderbilt Health
2010
Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands
2000
Over the last 20 years, ecological immunology has provided much insight into how environmental factors shape host immunity and host–parasite interactions. Currently, application of this thinking to study mosquito been limited. Mechanistic investigations are nearly always conducted under one set conditions, yet vectors parasites associate in a variable world. We highlight temperature shapes cellular humoral immune responses (melanization, phagocytosis transcription genes) malaria vector,...
Mosquitoes respond to infection by mounting immune responses. The primary regulators of these responses are cells called hemocytes, which kill pathogens via phagocytosis and the production soluble antimicrobial factors. Mosquito hemocytes circulated throughout hemocoel (body cavity) swift flow hemolymph (blood), data show that some also exist as sessile attached tissues. purpose this study was create a quantitative physical map hemocyte distribution in mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, describe...
Insects counter infection with innate immune responses that rely on cells called hemocytes. Hemocytes exist in association the insect's open circulatory system and this mode of existence has likely influenced organization control anti-pathogen responses. Previous studies reported pathogens mosquito body cavity (hemocoel) accumulate surface heart. Using novel cell staining, microdissection intravital imaging techniques, we investigated mechanism pathogen accumulation pericardium malaria...
Plant pathogens are constantly emerging and spreading into new areas there often limited postdiagnosis treatment options for infection, making surveillance key to their control. Here we present results from a study testing the efficacy of portable nanopore-based massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technology use in detection diverse plant selected samples. The Oxford MinION device was coupled with whole transcriptome amplification (WTA) sequence metatranscriptome insect tissues infected...
SUMMARY The insect circulatory system transports nutrients, signaling molecules, wastes and immune factors to all areas of the body. primary organ driving circulation is dorsal vessel, which consists an abdominal heart a thoracic aorta. Here, we present qualitative quantitative data characterizing mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Visual observation showed that resting mosquitoes contracts at rate 1.37 Hz (82 beats per minute) switches contraction direction, with 72% contractions occurring in...
One of the critical gaps in malaria transmission biology and surveillance is our lack knowledge about Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte biology, especially sexual dimorphic development how sex ratios that may influence from human to mosquito. Dissecting this process has been hampered by sex-specific protein markers for circulating, mature stage V gametocytes. The current evidence suggests a high degree conservation gene complement across Plasmodium, therefore presumably genes as well. To...
The innate immune response is highly conserved across all eukaryotes and has been studied in great detail several model organisms. Hemocytes, the primary cell population mosquitoes, are important components of mosquito response, yet critical aspects their biology have remained uncharacterized. Using a novel method enrichment, we isolated phagocytic granulocytes quantified proteomes by mass spectrometry. data demonstrate that phagocytosis, blood-feeding, Plasmodium falciparum infection...
Hemolymph circulation in mosquitoes is primarily controlled by the contractile action of a dorsal vessel that runs underneath midline and subdivided into thoracic aorta an abdominal heart. Wave-like peristaltic contractions heart alternate propelling hemolymph anterograde retrograde directions, where it empties hemocoel at terminal ends insect. During our analyses propulsion Anopheles gambiae, we observed periodic ventral hypothesized they promote extracardiac hemocoel.We devised methods to...
Mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium and certain arboviruses during blood feeding, when they are injected along with saliva. Mosquito saliva interferes the host's hemostasis inflammation response influences transmission success of some pathogens. One family mosquito salivary gland proteins, named SGS, is composed large bacterial-type proteins that in Aedes aegypti were implicated as receptors for on basal surface. Here, we characterize biology two SGSs malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae,...
BED BUGS: (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) are a globally distributed hematophagous pest that routinely feed on humans. Unlike many blood-sucking arthropods, they have never been linked to pathogen transmission in natural setting, and despite increasing interest their role as disease vectors, little is known about the viruses bed bugs naturally harbor. Here, we present global-scale survey of bug RNA virosphere. We sequenced metatranscriptomes 22 individual (Cimex lectularius Cimex hemipterus) from 8...
In vitro studies of liver stage (LS) development the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum are technically challenging; therefore, fundamental questions about hepatocyte receptors for invasion that can be targeted to prevent infection remain unanswered. To identify novel and further understand susceptibility P. sporozoite invasion, we created an optimized in system by mimicking vivo conditions using subcloned HC-04.J7 cell line supports mean rates 3-5% early exoerythrocytic forms—a 3-...
The routine study of human malaria liver-stage biology in vitro is hampered by low infection efficiency hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lines (<0.1%), poor understanding steady-state HCC biology, and lack appropriate tools for trace sample analysis. HC-04 the only that supports complete development parasites. We hypothesized HCCs are various intermediate stages epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) HC-04s retain epithelial characteristics permit infection. developed a facile analytical...
The evolution of drug resistance is a recurrent problem that has plagued efforts to treat and control malaria. Recent emergence artemisinin in Southeast Asia underscores the need develop novel antimalarials identify new targetable pathways Plasmodium parasites. Transmission-blocking approaches, which typically target gametocytes host bloodstream or parasite stages mosquito gut, are recognized collectively as strategy when used combination with erythrocytic will not only cure malaria but also...
Rathayibacter toxicus is a forage grass associated Gram-positive bacterium of major concern to food safety and agriculture. This species listed by USDA-APHIS as plant pathogen select agent because it produces tunicamycin-like toxin that lethal livestock may be vectored nematode native the U.S. The complete genomes two strains R. toxicus, including type strain FH-79, were sequenced analyzed in comparison with all available, genomes. Genome sizes ranged from 2,343,780 2,394,755 nucleotides,...
Although most authors have recognized five or fewer genera in the Heteroceridae, recent revision divided heterocerids into 19 genera. Under this system males can be identified to genus level based on genital morphology, but clearly females cannot by method. We conducted first phylogenetic analysis of family using separate and combined 28S EF‐1α sequence data, with specific aim testing generic limits determining whether former classifications are natural. found that Tropicus Pacheco forms a...
Abstract The redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a significant soybean pest in the Americas, which inflicts more physical damage on than other native bugs. Studies suggest that its heightened impact attributed to aggressive digestive properties of saliva. Despite agricultural importance, factors driving greater ability degrade plant tissues have remained unexplored genomic evolutionary context. In this study, we hypothesized lineage-specific...
Abstract In the 1930s, R. A. Cooley noted that Dermacentor occidentalis (Acarina: Ixodidae) and andersoni were closely related could hybridize. Decades later, James Oliver discovered crosses of variabilis, D. andersoni, could, on occasion, produce hybrids. A recent molecular analysis (both mtDNA nDNA) in our laboratory revealed certain specimens nested with parumapertus. Does this close relationship, along mito-nuclear discordance we have observed, mean parumapertus are a single species? By...
The effect of dalapon is described on pastures Agrostis/Festuca, Festuca ovinal Deschampsia flexuosa and related Nardus‐ or Molinia ‐rich hill grasslands. results are discussed in relation to the technique surface sowing choice vegetation types suitable for treatment.