title: The salivary glands of two sand fly vectors of Leishmania: Lutzomyia migonei (França) and Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz)(Diptera: Psychodidae).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease transmitted by the intradermal inoculation of Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) promastigotes together with saliva during the bite of an infected sand fly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The salivary glands were compared from two vector species, Lutzomyia ovallesi (Ortiz,1952) and Lutzomyia migonei (França,1920) (Diptera: Psychodidae).
  
  
  METHODS
  Protein profiles by SDS PAGE of salivary glands were compared among species as well as their development at several times post feeding. First, mice were immunized to salivary proteins by exposure to biting by L. ovallesi and of L. migonei. Antibodies in these mice against salivary gland-specific proteins were evaluated by immunoblotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No apparent change was revealed in the kinetic expression of salivary proteins induced by the different physiological states post feeding. Qualitative and quantitative variations were detected in16-18 polypeptides with molecular weights ranging from 6 to 180 kDa. Species-specific proteins were demonstrated for L. migonei and L. ovallesi. In addition, antibodies against salivary gland specific proteins were found in mice immunized by the saliva of both species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Basic information was obtained concerning the nature of salivary gland proteins of L. migonei and L. ovallesi. This information helps to elucidate the role of salivary proteins and their potential as effective tools in screening risk factors in human and other vertebrate hosts.
authors.affiliation: LAPEX-Laboratorio de Parasitología Experimental, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela. nevelsa@ula.ve
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nieves
authors.forename: Neudo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Buelvas
authors.forename: Maritza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rondón
authors.forename: Néstor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: González
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000635:transmission; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000737:chemistry; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides