A Functional Transcriptomic Approach to Understanding the Sand Fly Vector Relationships to the Host and Leshmania Parasites
Abstract
Phlebotomine sand flies are the only known biological vectors of Leishmania. The maintenance of Leishmania can be represented by the epidemiological triad; the relationship between the vertebrate host, the parasite and the insect vector. This research focuses on the relationships between the sand fly and the host and also between the sand fly and Leishmania. The feeding success of the sand fly and the transmission of Leishmania are linked to the pharmacological cocktail of molecules in the sand fly saliva the host-sand fly relationship. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) was identified as a salivary constituent of Lutzomyia longipalpis and is not present in the saliva of Phlebotomus papatasi, P. argentipes, P. perniciosus and P. ariasi, leading to the false presumption that ADA is a Lutzomyia-specific enzyme. Two transcripts encoding for ADA were identified by the analysis of cDNA libraries produced from salivary glands of P. duboscqi. Our research revealed the presence of ADA activity in the saliva of P. duboscqi and demonstrated that this activity was attributable to the identified transcripts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 07, 2008
- Accession Number
- AD1013523
Entities
People
- Ryan C. Jochim
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences