Drug resistance compromises control of malaria. Here, we show that resistance to a commonly used antimalarial medication, atovaquone, is apparently unable to spread. Atovaquone pressure selects parasites with mutations in cytochrome b, a respiratory protein with low but essential activity in the mammalian blood phase of the parasite life cycle. Resistance mutations rescue parasites from the drug but later prove lethal in the mosquito phase, where parasites require full respiration. Unable to respire efficiently, resistant parasites fail to complete mosquito development, arresting their life cycle. Because cytochrome b is encoded by the maternally inherited parasite mitochondrion, even outcrossing with wild-type strains cannot facilitate spread of resistance. Lack of transmission suggests that resistance will be unable to spread in the field, greatly enhancing the utility of atovaquone in malaria control.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5149070 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aad9279 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Immunodeficiency-Related Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus (iVDPV) Infections: A Review of Epidemiology and Progress in Detection and Management.
Pathogens
December 2024
World Health Organization Headquarters, Av Appia 10, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Individuals with certain primary immunodeficiency disorders (PID) may be unable to clear poliovirus infection after exposure to oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Over time, vaccine-related strains can revert to immunodeficiency-associated vaccine-derived poliovirus (iVDPVs) that can cause paralysis in the patient and potentially spread in communities with low immunity. We reviewed the efforts for detection and management of PID patients with iVDPV infections and the epidemiology through an analysis of 184 cases reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) during 1962-2024 and a review of polio program and literature reports.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAerosol dynamics in dental clinics: Effects of ventilation mode on the mitigation of airborne diseases transmission.
Environ Pollut
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan province, China. Electronic address:
Dental operations inherently involve a high risk of airborne cross-infection among medical staff and patients due to the exposure of respiratory secretions, which contain pathogenic microorganisms and typically spread in the form of aerosols. In order to contribute to the understanding of aerosol dynamics during dental operation and efficiently mitigate their dispersion and deposition through appropriate ventilation, 3D numerical simulations and full-scale experimental measurements were performed in this study. The indoor airflow distribution and dynamic aerosol behaviors observed under three optimized ventilation schemes (Scenario I-III) were compared with those observed under the current ventilation system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStatus of coral, giant clam and sea cucumber communities including CITES listed species on a remote Australian coral reef atoll and the potential impact of illegal fishing.
Mar Environ Res
December 2024
Reef Life Survey Foundation, Hobart, 7000, Australia; Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7000, Australia.
Following a recent dramatic increase in illegal fishing by Indonesian fishing vessels in Australian waters in 2022, we conducted an extensive survey of coral reef communities covering 33,000 m at Mermaid Reef Marine Park in the Rowley Shoals off north-western Australia in July 2022. Species richness of sea cucumbers was 13 species (three CITES listed) and 6 species of giant clams (all CITES listed). The most abundant sea cucumber species were the low or intermediate value, asexually reproducing species Holothuria atra and H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVisible-Light-Absorbing Photosensitizer Nanostructures for Treatment of Pathogenic Bacteria and Induction of Systemic Acquired Resistance.
ACS Nano
December 2024
School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore.
Induction of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants to control bacterial diseases has become an effective solution to the problems of agrochemical resistance and ecological environment damage caused by long-term and large-scale use of traditional bactericides. However, current SAR-inducing compounds are often unable to rapidly eliminate pathogenic bacteria in infected plant tissues to prevent further spread of the disease, severely restraining the potential for extensive application in agriculture. Herein, we address the limitations by developing a series of visible-light-absorbing aggregation-induced emission photosensitizers suitable for agricultural use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent developments in isothermal amplification technology for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2.
Anal Methods
December 2024
School of Medical Laboratory, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang 261053, Shandong Province, China.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread globally, posing a significant threat to human health. Rapid and accurate detection of infectious disease pathogens is of crucial practical significance for early screening, timely intervention, and outbreak prevention. However, conventional diagnostic methods are increasingly unable to meet clinical demands.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!