title: Prevention of insect-borne disease: an approach using transgenic symbiotic bacteria.
abstract: Expression of molecules with antiparasitic activity by genetically transformed symbiotic bacteria of disease-transmitting insects may serve as a powerful approach to control certain arthropod-borne diseases. The endosymbiont of the Chagas disease vector, Rhodnius prolixus, has been transformed to express cecropin A, a peptide lethal to the parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. In insects carrying the transformed bacteria, cecropin A expression results in elimination or reduction in number of T. cruzi. A method has been devised to spread the transgenic bacteria to populations of R. prolixus, in a manner that mimics their natural coprophagous route of symbiont acquisition.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Durvasula
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gumbs
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panackal
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kruglov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Merrifield
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Beard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D007303:Insect Vectors; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012239:Rhodnius / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D012240:Rhodococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis; D019076:Transgenes; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D010455:Peptides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C031161:cecropin A