The transcriptome of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) male reproductive organs.

Background: It has been suggested that genes involved in the reproductive biology of insect disease vectors are potential targets for future alternative methods of control. Little is known about the molecular biology of reproduction in phlebotomine sand flies and there is no information available concerning genes that are expressed in male reproductive organs of Lutzomyia longipalpis, the main vector of American visceral leishmaniasis and a species complex.

Methods/principal Findings: We generated 2678 high quality ESTs ("Expressed Sequence Tags") of L.