Towards Improved Peptidic α-Ketoamide Inhibitors of the Plasmodial Subtilisin-Like SUB1: Exploration of N-Terminal Extensions and Cyclic Constraints.

After more than 15 years of decline, the Malaria epidemy has increased again since 2017, reinforcing the need to identify drug candidates active on new targets involved in at least two biological stages of the Plasmodium life cycle. The SUB1 protease, which is essential for parasite egress in both hepatic and blood stages, would meet these criteria. We previously reported the structure-activity relationship analysis of α-ketoamide-containing inhibitors encompassing positions P4-P2'.

The southernmost member of the Simulium venustum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Old World: a new species from the Rif Mountains of Morocco.

The polytene chromosomes, larva, pupa, and male are described for the black fly Simulium chaouikaidi n. sp., a member of the Simulium venustum group from Morocco.

Pseudoendemism in Mediterranean black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae): a new record for Africa.

The first record of a European black fly, Simulium ichnusae Rivosecchi & Contini, is documented for Africa, where it was found at elevations above 1000 m in the Djurdjura Mountains of Algeria. Considered an endemic species of Sardinia for 60 years, S. ichnusae must now be regarded as pseudoendemic.

Biomechanical drivers of the evolution of butterflies and moths with a coilable proboscis.

Current biomechanical models suggest that butterflies and moths use their proboscis as a drinking straw pulling nectar as a continuous liquid column. Our analyses revealed an alternative mode for fluid uptake: drinking bubble trains that help defeat drag. We combined X-ray phase-contrast imaging, optical video microscopy, micro-computed tomography, phylogenetic models of evolution and fluid mechanics models of bubble-train formation to understand the biomechanics of butterfly and moth feeding.

Diversity and prevalence of Leucocytozoon in black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) of Thailand.

Background: Leucocytozoonosis, a parasitic disease of birds, is caused by haemosporidian protozoan parasites of the genus Leucocytozoon, which infect diverse avian species, including poultry. These parasites are transmitted by several black fly species, but knowledge of the factors determining the diversity and prevalence in these vectors, which is crucial for fully understanding disease epidemiology, is largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated factors associated with the prevalence and diversity of Leucocytozoon species in black flies from Thailand.