Efficacy of VectoBac (Bacillus thuringiensis variety israelensis) formulations for mosquito control in Australia.

Laboratory bioassays were conducted on the efficacy of a water-dispersible granule (WG) formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis variety israelensis (VectoBac WG; active ingredient [AI]: 3,000 Bti international toxic units [ITU]/mg) against third instars of six common Australian mosquito species, Aedes aegypti (L.), Ochlerotatus vigilax (Skuse), Ochlerotatus notoscriptus (Skuse), Culex sitiens Wiedemann, Culex annulirostris Skuse, and Culex quinquefasciatus Say. The normal model for log-linear mortality data was used to determine laboratory 48-h LC50 and LC95 values.

Cytokine expression in allergic inflammation: systematic review of in vivo challenge studies.

Background: Allergic inflammatory responses are driven by cells of the immune system that rely on cytokines to regulate the activity of other immune and structural cells.

Objective: To review published studies to (1) identify cytokines consistently increased after allergen challenge in atopic patients and (2) investigate temporal variation in cytokine expression.

Methods: A PUBMED systematic search was used to extract data from studies involving analysis of cytokine expression in fluids or biopsies following in vivo allergen challenge in atopic patients.

Dissecting the EphA3/Ephrin-A5 interactions using a novel functional mutagenesis screen.

The EphA3 receptor tyrosine kinase preferentially binds ephrin-A5, a member of the corresponding subfamily of membrane-associated ligands. Their interaction regulates critical cell communication functions in normal development and may play a role in neoplasia. Here we describe a random mutagenesis approach, which we employed to study the molecular determinants of the EphA3/ephrin-A5 recognition.

Ten families of variant genes encoded in subtelomeric regions of multiple chromosomes of Plasmodium chabaudi, a malaria species that undergoes antigenic variation in the laboratory mouse.

The chromosome ends of human malaria parasites harbour many genes encoding proteins that are exported to the surface of infected red cells, often being involved in host-parasite interactions and immune evasion. Unlike other murine malaria parasites Plasmodium chabaudi undergoes antigenic variation during passage in the laboratory mouse and hence is a model suitable for investigation of switching mechanisms. However, little is known about the subtelomeric regions of P.

Population structure and dispersal of the freshwater mosquitoes Culex annulirostris and Culex palpalis (Diptera: Culicidae) in Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.

In 1995 and 1998, outbreaks of Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus occurred for the first time in Australia. Virus isolation from pools of mosquitoes indicated Culex annulirostris Skuse was the most likely vector. It was hypothesized that wind-blown mosquitoes introduced JE from Papua New Guinea to the Torres Strait and Cape York, northern Australia.

A rapid method for determining recent sunscreen use in field studies.

The role of sunscreens in preventing skin cancer and melanoma is the focus of ongoing research. Currently, there is no objective measure which can be used in field studies to determine whether a person has applied sunscreen to their skin, and researchers must use indirect assessments such as questionnaires. We sought to develop a rapid, non-invasive method for identifying sunscreen on the skin for use in epidemiological studies.

The role of the Eph-ephrin signalling system in the regulation of developmental patterning.

The Eph and ephrin system, consisting of fourteen Eph receptor tyrosine kinase proteins and nine ephrin membrane proteins in vertebrates, has been implicated in the regulation of many critical events during development. Binding of cell surface Eph and ephrin proteins results in bi-directional signals, which regulate the cytoskeletal, adhesive and motile properties of the interacting cells. Through these signals Eph and ephrin proteins are involved in early embryonic cell movements, which establish the germ layers, cell movements involved in formation of tissue boundaries and the pathfinding of axons.

Functional link between BLM defective in Bloom's syndrome and the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated protein, ATM.

Chromosome aberrations, genomic instability, and cancer predisposition are hallmarks of a number of syndromes in which the defective genes recognize and/or repair DNA damage or are involved in some aspect of DNA processing. We report here direct interaction between BLM, mutated in Bloom's Syndrome (BS), and ATM, mutated is ataxia-telangiectasia, and we have mapped the sites of interaction. Full-length BLM cDNA corrected sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and radiosensitivity in BS cells.

Single-chain antibodies produced by phage display against the C-terminal 19 kDa region of merozoite surface protein-1 of Plasmodium yoelii reduce parasite growth following challenge.

Antibodies have the potential to be therapeutic reagents for malaria. Here we describe the production of a novel phage antibody display library against the C-terminal 19kDa region of the Plasmodium yoelii YM merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP1(19)). In vivo studies against homologous lethal malaria challenge show an anti-parasite effect in a dose dependent manner, and analysis by plasmon resonance indicates binding to the antigen is comparable to the binding of a protective monoclonal antibody.

Parenteral and mucosal delivery of a novel multi-epitope M protein-based group A streptococcal vaccine construct: investigation of immunogenicity in mice.

Primary vaccine strategies against group A streptococci (GAS) have focused on the M protein--the target of opsonic antibodies important for protective immunity. We have previously reported protection of mice against GAS infection following parenteral delivery of a multi-epitope vaccine construct, referred to as a heteropolymer. This current report has assessed mucosal (intranasal (i.

Adapting immunity with subunit vaccines: case studies with group A Streptococcus and malaria.

Although vaccines have widely been regarded as the most cost-effective way to improve public health, for some organisms new technological advances in vaccine design and delivery, incurring additional developmental costs, will be essential. These organisms are typically those for which natural immunity is either slow to develop or does not develop at all. Clearly, such organisms have evolved strategies to evade immune responses and innovative approaches will be required to induce a type of immune response which is both different to that which develops naturally and is effective.

Mutations in exon 3 of the beta-catenin gene are rare in melanoma cell lines.

Mutations in exon 3 of the CTNNB1 gene encoding beta-catenin have been reported in colorectal cancer cell lines and tumours. Although one study reported mutations or deletions affecting beta-catenin in 20% of melanoma cell lines, subsequent reports detected a much lower frequency of aberrations in uncultured melanomas. To determine whether this difference in mutation frequency reflected an in vitro culturing artefact, exon 3 of CTNNB1 was screened in a panel of 62 melanoma cell lines.

Genetic diversity of the DBLalpha region in Plasmodium falciparum var genes among Asia-Pacific isolates.

In Plasmodium falciparum a highly polymorphic multi-copy gene family, var, encodes the variant surface antigen P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), which has an important role in cytoadherence and immune evasion. Using previously described universal PCR primers for the first Duffy binding-like domain (DBLalpha) of var we analysed the DBLalpha repertoires of Dd2 (originally from Thailand) and eight isolates from the Solomon Islands (n=4), Philippines (n=2), Papua New Guinea (n=1) and Africa (n=1).

Signals from Eph and ephrin proteins: a developmental tool kit.

Interactions between Eph receptors and their ligands the ephrin proteins are critically important in many key developmental processes. Emerging evidence also supports a role for these molecules in postembryonic tissues, particularly in pathological processes, including tissue injury and tumor metastasis. We review the signaling mechanisms that allow the 14 Eph and nine ephrin proteins to deliver intracellular signals that regulate cell shape and movement.

Further studies on an intermediate host murine model showing that a primary Echinococcus granulosus infection is protective against subsequent oncospheral challenge.

We describe the use of a murine model to evaluate resistance against subsequent challenge following a primary infection with oncospheres of Echinococcus granulosus. Mice (Kunming strain) were infected with hatched oncospheres of Echinococcus granulosus; 21 days later a second challenge was given by a different route of infection. A primary infection by intraperitoneal (i.

Mutation analysis of the CDKN2A promoter in Australian melanoma families.

Approximately 50% of all melanoma families worldwide show linkage to 9p21-22, but only about half of these have been shown to contain germ line CDKN2A mutations. It has been hypothesized that a proportion of these families carry mutations in the noncoding regions of CDKN2A. Several Canadian families have been reported to carry a mutation in the 5' UTR, at position -34 relative to the start site, which gives rise to a novel AUG translation initiation codon that markedly decreases translation from the wild-type AUG (Liu et al.

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase and ATM and Rad3 related kinase mediate phosphorylation of Brca1 at distinct and overlapping sites. In vivo assessment using phospho-specific antibodies.

Recent studies have provided evidence that breast cancer susceptibility gene products (Brca1 and Brca2) suppress cancer, at least in part, by participating in DNA damage signaling and DNA repair. Brca1 is hyperphosphorylated in response to DNA damage and co-localizes with Rad51, a protein involved in homologous-recombination, and Nbs1.Mre11.

The importance of subterranean mosquito habitat to arbovirus vector control strategies in north Queensland, Australia.

In north Queensland, 14 localities were surveyed for mosquito larvae (third and fourth instar) during summer/autumn and winter from 1996 to 1999. Absolute population numbers in subterranean habitats, mainly service manholes and pits (97%) but also some wells, septic tanks, storm drains, and sumps, were expressed as a proportion of total numbers in these sites plus surface sites within a 100-m radius. When correction factors were applied to subterranean samples, the 472,477 larvae mainly of Aedes tremulus (Theobald) group, Aedes notoscriptus (Skuse), and Aedes aegypti (L.

Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) dispersal: implications for the epidemiology of Japanese and Murray Valley encephalitis viruses in Australia.

One hypothesis to explain the southern extension of Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus from Papua New Guinea into the Torres Strait islands in 1995 and to mainland Australia in 1998 is the dispersal of infected mosquitoes, particularly Culex annulirostris Skuse from which JE virus has been isolated repeatedly. To investigate whether this species disperses in this manner, mosquitoes were identified from 368 aerial kite trap collections operated at 50-310 m (altitude) at inland New South Wales between November 1979 to December 1984. Forty samples (9 during daylight and 31 at night) contained mosquitoes, of which 221 could be identified as Culex australicus Dobrotworsky & Drummond (58.

Genetic analysis of the age at menopause by using estimating equations and Bayesian random effects models.

Multi-wave self-report data on age at menopause in 2182 female twin pairs (1355 monozygotic and 827 dizygotic pairs), were analysed to estimate the genetic, common and unique environmental contribution to variation in age at menopause. Two complementary approaches for analysing correlated time-to-onset twin data are considered: the generalized estimating equations (GEE) method in which one can estimate zygosity-specific dependence simultaneously with regression coefficients that describe the average population response to changing covariates; and a subject-specific Bayesian mixed model in which heterogeneity in regression parameters is explicitly modelled and the different components of variation may be estimated directly. The proportional hazards and Weibull models were utilized, as both produce natural frameworks for estimating relative risks while adjusting for simultaneous effects of other covariates.

Effects of temperature and larval diet on development rates and survival of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti in north Queensland, Australia.

Immature development times, survival rates and adult size (wing-lengths) of the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) were studied in the laboratory at temperatures of 10-40 degrees C. The duration of development from egg eclosion (hatching of the first instar) to adult was inversely related to temperature, ranging from 7.

Critical targets of protein kinase C in differentiation of tumour cells.

The ultimate target of pharmacological research is to find new drugs for treating human diseases such as cancer. Agents causing differentiation and thus growth arrest should be particularly useful in this regard. A potential target for such anticancer therapy is the enzyme family protein kinase C (PKC), which is involved in the transduction of signals for cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.

Involvement of p16CDKN2A in cell cycle delays after low dose UV irradiation.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation contributes to the aetiology of melanoma, but the precise mechanistic details are still unclear. The CDKN2A gene which is associated with familial and sporadic melanoma, encodes a tumour suppressor, p16. We have previously shown that in response to low doses of UV radiation the level of p16 increases, and that this correlates with a G2 delay.

A cDNA encoding a pepsinogen-like, aspartic protease from the human roundworm parasite Strongyloides stercoralis.

Using degenerate oligonucleotide primers based on conserved active site residues, we have isolated a cDNA encoding an aspartic protease from the nematode parasite Strongyloides stercoralis, an important, enteric pathogen of humans. cDNAs encoding the aspartic protease were isolated from the infective, third stage larvae of the parasite as well as from free-living, rhabditiform larvae. Based on comparisons of other aspartic proteases, the cDNA encoded a short signal peptide, an enzyme pro-segment of 35 amino acid residues, and mature enzyme of 337 residues.