BIOLOGY OF LEISHMANIA IN PHLEBOTOMINE SANDFLIES

这个项目的目的是研究人类致病的生物学。 利什曼原虫在它们的鬼针草沙蝇媒介中。该项目涉及 寄生虫学、医学昆虫学、遗传学、 生物化学和免疫学。实验室饲养的沙蝇将被 实验感染了许多不同类型的利什曼原虫和 寄生虫在昆虫中生物学的以下方面将是 研究内容：(1)研究区域内寄生虫的生长速度和发育情况 沙蝇肠道，(2)利什曼原虫间遗传交流的可能性 昆虫媒介；(3)沙蝇的易感机制和 对利什曼病感染的抵抗力，以及(4)寄生虫如何附着和 在沙蝇的内脏里维持自己。新近开发的品系 沙蝇Phlebotomus Papatasi，高度敏感和 这项工作将利用对主要乳杆菌感染不耐药的菌株。 与哈佛大学和 阿拉斯加大学将继续研究生物的其他方面 这种病媒和寄生虫的相互作用。

The objective of this project is to study the biology of human pathogenic Leishmania in their phlebolomine sand fly vectors. The project involves the disciplines of parasitology, medical entomology, genetics, biochemistry and immunology. Laboratory-reared sand flies 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: (1) the growth rate and development of the parasites within the sand fly gut, (2) the possibility of genetic exchange among Leishmania in the insect vector, (3) the mechanisms of sand fly susceptibility and resistance to leishmania infection, and (4) how the parasites attach and maintain themselves within the sand fly gut. Recently developed lines of the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi, which are highly susceptible and refractory to L. major infection, will be utilized in this work. Collaborative research with scientists at Harvard University and the University of Alaska will be continued on other aspects of the biology of this vector-parasite interaction.