Manipulation of pantothenate kinase in Anopheles stephensi suppresses pantothenate levels with minimal impacts on mosquito fitness.

Pantothenate (Pan) is an essential nutrient required by both the mosquito vector and malaria parasite. We previously demonstrated that increasing pantothenate kinase (PanK) activity and co-enzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis led to significantly decreased parasite infection prevalence and intensity in the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi. In this study, we demonstrate that Pan stores in A.

Feeding, Flight Behavior, and Infection With Malaria Parasites are Altered by Ingestion of Serotonin.

Approximately 3.4 billion people are at risk of malaria, a disease caused by infection with spp. parasites, which are transmitted by mosquitoes.

Activation of Pantothenate Kinase and Coenzyme A Biosynthesis Reduces Infection with Diverse Species in the Mosquito Host.

Malaria parasites require pantothenate from both human and mosquito hosts to synthesize coenzyme A (CoA). Specifically, mosquito-stage parasites cannot synthesize pantothenate de novo or take up preformed CoA from the mosquito host, making it essential for the parasite to obtain pantothenate from mosquito stores. This makes pantothenate utilization an attractive target for controlling sexual stage malaria parasites in the mosquito.

Histamine Ingestion by Alters Important Vector Transmission Behaviors and Infection Success with Diverse Species.

An estimated 229 million people worldwide were impacted by malaria in 2019. The vectors of malaria parasites ( spp.) are mosquitoes, making their behavior, infection success, and ultimately transmission of great importance.

Biosynthesis of heme O in intraerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum and potential inhibitors of this pathway.

A number of antimalarial drugs interfere with the electron transport chain and heme-related reactions; however, the biosynthesis of heme derivatives in Plasmodium parasites has not been fully elucidated. Here, we characterized the steps that lead to the farnesylation of heme. After the identification of a gene encoding heme O synthase, we identified heme O synthesis in blood stage parasites through the incorporation of radioactive precursors.

Humoral immune response to measles and varicella vaccination in former very low birth weight preterm infants.

Introduction: Immune response to vaccination in infants born prematurely may be lower than in infants born at full-term. Some clinical factors might be associated with humoral immune response.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to compare the immune response to measles and varicella vaccination in infants born prematurely with those born at full-term and to analyze factors associated with measles and varicella antibody levels.

Immune response to tetanus booster in infants aged 15 months born prematurely with very low birth weight.

Objectives: To compare humoral and cellular immune responses to tetanus booster vaccination in infants born prematurely with those born at full term and identify factors associated with the humoral response.

Methods: A prospective study was carried out on children born prematurely and with a birth weight <1500g and with infants born at full term. At 15 months (pre-vaccination) and 18 months (post-vaccination), anti-tetanus antibodies were measured by ELISA; the intracellular interferon-gamma percentages of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells after in vitro stimulation with tetanus toxoid were determined by flow cytometry.