Abstract

The objective of this project is to study the biology of human pathogenic Leishmania in their phlebotomine sandfly vectors. The project involves the disciplines of parasitology, medical entomology, genetics, virology, biochemistry and immunology. Laboratory-reared sandflies will be experimentally infected, with a number of different Leishmania types and the following aspects of the parasites biology in the insects will be studied: the role of sugars in the enhancement or inhibition of leishmanial infection in sandflies, the effect of avian blood on the parasite infection in the vector, the genetic basis of vector competence in sandflies, biochemical and morphological studies of the sandfly hind gut and its role in the transmission of Le. braziliensis group parasites, and the possibility that genetic recombination might occur among related Leishmania types in the insect vector. A newly discovered sandfly cytoplasmic polyhydrosis virus will also be characterized and evaluated as a possible biological control agent for leishmaniasis.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI021049-05
Application #
3130957
Study Section
Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Study Section (TMP)
Project Start
1984-07-01
Project End
1990-06-30
Budget Start
1988-07-01
Budget End
1989-06-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1988
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Yale University
Department
Type
DUNS #
082359691
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520

  Publications

Mukhopadhyay, J; Ghosh, K (1999) Vector potential of Phlebotomus duboscqi and P. papatasi: a comparison of feeding behaviour, reproductive capacity and experimental infection with Leishmania major. Ann Trop Med Parasitol 93:309-18
Ghosh, K N; Mukhopadhyay, J M; Guzman, H et al. (1999) Interspecific hybridization and genetic variability of Phlebotomus sandflies. Med Vet Entomol 13:78-88
Mukhopadhyay, J; Ghosh, K; Rangel, E F et al. (1998) Genetic variability in biochemical characters of Brazilian field populations of the Leishmania vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae). Am J Trop Med Hyg 59:893-901
Ghosh, K N; Mukhopadhyay, J (1998) The effect of anti-sandfly saliva antibodies on Phlebotomus argentipes and Leishmania donovani. Int J Parasitol 28:275-81
Munstermann, L E; Morrison, A C; Ferro, C et al. (1998) Genetic structure of local populations of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) in central Colombia. J Med Entomol 35:82-9
Mukhopadhyay, J; Rangel, E F; Ghosh, K et al. (1997) Patterns of genetic variability in colonized strains of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) and its consequences. Am J Trop Med Hyg 57:216-21
Ferro, C; Pardo, R; Torres, M et al. (1997) Larval microhabitats of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) in an endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis in Colombia. J Med Entomol 34:719-28
Franco, A M; Tesh, R B; Guzman, H et al. (1997) Development of Endotrypanum (Kinetoplastida:Trypanosomatidae) in experimentally infected phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera:Psychodidae). J Med Entomol 34:189-92
Ferro, C; Morrison, A C; Torres, M et al. (1995) Age structure, blood-feeding behavior, and Leishmania chagasi infection in Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) at an endemic focus of visceral leishmaniasis in Colombia. J Med Entomol 32:618-29
Walters, L L; Irons, K P; Guzman, H et al. (1995) Peritrophic envelopes of Lutzomyia spinicrassa (Diptera: Psychodidae). J Med Entomol 32:711-25

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