DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Transmission biology and gametocyte gender ratio of a malaria parasite

论文研究：疟原虫的传播生物学和配子体性别比例

• 批准号: 1310743
• 负责人: Joseph Schall
• 金额: $ 1.98万
• 依托单位: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-06-15 至 2015-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1310743&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Transmission; biology; gametocyte

Malaria parasites produce male and female cells within the blood of their vertebrate host (e.g. humans, birds, or lizards) that infect the blood-feeding insects that transmit them. The proportion of male vs. female cells influences the number of new parasites produced following mating, and Sex Ratio Theory predicts the best ratio that will maximize parasite transmission success. The graduate student developed new predictions for the optimal sex ratio based on the parasite?s transmission, which is that proportionally fewer parasites surviving within-insect development should favor sex ratios nearer 1:1. Insects will be infected with multiple strains of a lizard malaria parasite. Parasite numbers and the abundance of different strains will be monitored throughout development using newly-developed techniques in molecular genetics.This study is important for understanding not only the sex ratio of malaria parasites, but also malaria transmission in general. This lizard parasite is of particular interest because it has the fastest known within-insect development. Monitoring proportions of strains may help understand patterns of genetic diversity, which relate to drug resistance and virulence. This project will provide opportunities for undergraduates and younger students to gain research experience, including directly funding one undergraduate field assistant. Data, animations, and research descriptions will be available online (www.uvm.edu/~aneal/homepage.html).

疟疾寄生虫在其脊椎动物宿主(如人类、鸟类或蜥蜴)的血液中产生雄性和雌性细胞，感染传播它们的食血昆虫。雄性和雌性细胞的比例影响交配后产生的新寄生虫的数量，性别比理论预测了使寄生虫传播成功最大化的最佳比例。这位研究生根据寄生虫--S传播--提出了最优性比的新预测，即在昆虫发育中存活的寄生虫的比例应该更接近1：1。昆虫将被多种蜥蜴疟疾寄生虫感染。利用新开发的分子遗传学技术，将在整个发育过程中监测不同菌株的寄生虫数量和丰度。这项研究不仅对于了解疟疾寄生虫的性别比例，而且对于了解疟疾传播的一般情况都很重要。这种蜥蜴寄生虫特别令人感兴趣，因为它是已知的昆虫内发育最快的。监测菌株的比例可能有助于了解遗传多样性的模式，这与耐药性和毒力有关。该项目将为本科生和年轻学生提供获得研究经验的机会，包括直接资助一名本科生现场助理。数据、动画和研究描述将在网上获得(www.uvm.edu/~anal/homepage.html)。