Article
Microbiology
Anne-Marie Lowe, Karl Forest-Berard, Richard Trudel, Ernest Lo, Philippe Gamache, Matthieu Tandonnet, Serge-Olivier Kotchi, Patrick Leighton, Antonia Dibernardo, Robbin Lindsay, Antoinette Ludwig
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the presence of Ae. Albopictus in southern Quebec, but no specimens were found, though one Ae. Aegypti specimen was detected. The research suggests that ongoing monitoring and utilizing multiple capture techniques targeting a wide range of species may provide valuable information to public health authorities regarding the growing risk of emerging mosquito-borne diseases in southern Canada.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alaa Mahmoud Ali Almalik, R. Guy Reeves, Rasha Siddig Azrag
Summary: The study evaluated the temporal efficacy of Aquatain mosquito formulation (AMF) against aquatic mosquito larvae and found significant differences in median lethal times between different species. Results showed 100% mortality rate can be achieved with sufficient time, suggesting potential significance in controlling malaria and arbovirus diseases.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Parasitology
Tsukushi Kamiya, Douglas G. Paton, Flaminia Catteruccia, Sarah E. Reece
Summary: This article investigates the possibility of using antimalarial drugs designed for human treatment in mosquitoes to interrupt malaria transmission. The study suggests that targeting parasites inside mosquitoes can help minimize the risk of resistance evolution and extend the lifespan and clinical benefit of these drugs.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Max Scott
Summary: A new study reveals that the femaleless gene plays a crucial role in sexual development and repression of X-chromosome dosage compensation in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, potentially offering a new genetic approach for pest control.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Agata Izabela Kalita, Eric Marois, Magdalena Kozielska, Franz J. Weissing, Etienne Jaouen, Martin M. Moeckel, Frank Ruehle, Falk Butter, M. Felicia Basilicata, Claudia Isabelle Keller Valsecchi
Summary: The discovery of the sex chromosome activation (SOA) gene as a master regulator of dosage compensation (DC) in Anopheles mosquitoes sheds light on the evolutionary steps leading to the establishment of a chromosome-specific fine-tuning mechanism. The male isoform of the SOA gene encodes a DNA-binding protein that binds the promoters of active X chromosomal genes and expressing it induces DC in female cells. Male mosquitoes lacking SOA or female mosquitoes expressing the male isoform exhibit X chromosome misregulation and developmental delay.
Article
Microbiology
Natalia Ramirez, M. Auour Sigurbjornsdottir, Cecile Monteil, Odile Berge, Starri Heidmarsson, Robert W. Jackson, Cindy Morris, Oddur Vilhelmsson
Summary: A recent study found that P. syringae can be found in lichens, specifically in the genus Peltigera, in addition to being associated with vascular plants. Phylogenetic analyses showed significant differences in P. syringae between sampling points, but not between different plants and lichens from the same point. The density of P. syringae in Peltigera was lower compared to moss and vascular plant samples.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yuman Gan, Meng Bai, Xiao Lin, Kai Liu, Bingyao Huang, Xiaodong Jiang, Yonghong Liu, Chenghai Gao
Summary: In this study, we successfully engineered a mutant strain with enhanced macrolactins production using a self-made device and adaptive laboratory evolution technology. The mutant strain showed saline resistance and increased macrolactins production within 60 days. Amino acid metabolism was found to be involved in the production of macrolactins in the evolved strain. The identified hisD mutation played a crucial role in the improvement of macrolactins production. This research provides insights for future metabolic engineering strategies to improve the production of other antibiotics and toxic compounds.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
David Mejia Zuniga, Jorge Cime-Castillo, Laura Moncada Hernandez, Francisco Flores Mendoza, Janeth Tapia Bueno, Angel Reyes Moya, Julia Rodriguez Aguirre, Juan Andrew Avitia, Cassandra Gonzalez-Acosta, Fabian Correa-Morales, Vargas Valeria, Humberto Lanz-Mendoza
Summary: West Nile virus (WNV) has been found in human and mosquito samples near the US-Mexico border, while no infected mosquitoes have been documented on the Mexican side. A study tested 367 mosquitoes of four species and found a high rate of WNV-positivity, including the first record of Ae. (Ochlerotatus) epactius infection. These findings highlight the need for enhanced WNV surveillance, vector control, and species monitoring in the border area.
TROPICAL MEDICINE & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carole S. Griffiths, Neil L. Aaronson
Summary: Vocal learning occurs in hummingbirds, parrots, and songbirds. By examining vocal communication in the Falconiformes, we can gain insights into the evolution of vocal learning. In this study, we measured syringes and collected audio recordings from seven species of falcons. We found strong correlations between size and vocal characteristics, and the possibility of using bird sounds for real-time species identification.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
C. A. Day, R. T. Trout Fryxell
Summary: The study demonstrates the potential for educators and students to collect high-quality mosquito surveillance data and reduce mosquito populations through volunteer cleanup events. While schools lacked sufficient surveillance data in the second year of the program, they achieved good results in the third year.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Berger, Baris Yapici, Henrike Scholz
Summary: Drosophila melanogaster larvae show different behavioral responses to ethanol concentrations in their environment. The presence of ethanol in the substrate reduces attraction to odorant cues. Short exposures to ethanol can lead to positive or negative associations with paired odorants, depending on the order of training, genotype, and presence of ethanol during testing. Canton S and w(1118) larvae do not form associations with odorants in the absence of ethanol, but w(1118) larvae show aversion to an odorant paired with a natural ethanol concentration in the test. These findings provide insights into olfactory associative behaviors in Drosophila larvae and suggest that short exposures to ethanol may not reveal its positive rewarding properties.
Article
Entomology
De-Hong Chen, Shu-Lin He, Wen-Bo Fu, Zhen-Tian Yan, Yun-Jian Hu, Huan Yuan, Ming-Bin Wang, Bin Chen
Summary: This study surveyed the mitogenomes of 149 Culicidae species and found that their gene composition and order are consistent with an ancestral insect. The phylogenetic analysis based on the DNA sequences supports the monophyly of certain subfamilies and tribes within Culicidae. Additionally, the study estimated the divergence times of mosquitoes, indicating that they diverged during the Early Jurassic and experienced radiation during the Cretaceous.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yunpeng Liu, Weibing Xun, Lin Chen, Zhihui Xu, Nan Zhang, Haichao Feng, Qiang Zhang, Ruifu Zhang
Summary: This review compares representative fungal and bacterial taxa that enhance plant growth in saline soil and reviews the mechanisms by which rhizosphere microbes enhance plant salt stress tolerance, including re-establishing ion and osmotic homeostasis, preventing damage to plant cells, and resuming plant growth under salt stress. Future research efforts to explore the role of rhizosphere microbiome in agricultural sustainability are proposed.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lizanne Janssens, Marlies Van de Maele, Vienna Delnat, Charlotte Theys, Shinjini Mukherjee, Luc De Meester, Robby Stoks
Summary: This translated passage discusses the detrimental effects of pesticide exposure on aquatic communities and the evolution of tolerance to pesticides. It suggests that shifts in the microbiota community composition towards pesticide-degrading bacteria in hosts can contribute to the development of tolerance to pesticides in water fleas.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Haoming Wang, Rong Huang, Jingyi Ren, Lihua Tang, Suiping Huang, Xiaolin Chen, Jun Fan, Bintao Li, Qinhu Wang, Tom Hsiang, Huiquan Liu, Qili Li
Summary: Anthracnose diseases caused by Colletotrichum species are common fungal diseases that seriously affect fruit yield and quality. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of 17 Colletotrichum strains and identified mini-chromosomes. Through comparative genomics analysis, we found extensive chromosomal rearrangements events. Our findings revealed the evolution and potential relationships between mini-chromosomes and virulence in Colletotrichum.