title: Transcriptome sequencing and developmental regulation of gene expression in Anopheles aquasalis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anopheles aquasalis is a major malaria vector in coastal areas of South and Central America where it breeds preferentially in brackish water. This species is very susceptible to Plasmodium vivax and it has been already incriminated as responsible vector in malaria outbreaks. There has been no high-throughput investigation into the sequencing of An. aquasalis genes, transcripts and proteins despite its epidemiological relevance. Here we describe the sequencing, assembly and annotation of the An. aquasalis transcriptome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 419 thousand cDNA sequence reads, encompassing 164 million nucleotides, were assembled in 7544 contigs of ≥ 2 sequences, and 1999 singletons. The majority of the An. aquasalis transcripts encode proteins with their closest counterparts in another neotropical malaria vector, An. darlingi. Several analyses in different protein databases were used to annotate and predict the putative functions of the deduced An. aquasalis proteins. Larval and adult-specific transcripts were represented by 121 and 424 contig sequences, respectively. Fifty-one transcripts were only detected in blood-fed females. The data also reveal a list of transcripts up- or down-regulated in adult females after a blood meal. Transcripts associated with immunity, signaling networks and blood feeding and digestion are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study represents the first large-scale effort to sequence the transcriptome of An. aquasalis. It provides valuable information that will facilitate studies on the biology of this species and may lead to novel strategies to reduce malaria transmission on the South American continent. The An. aquasalis transcriptome is accessible at http://exon.niaid.nih.gov/transcriptome/An_aquasalis/Anaquexcel.xlsx.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Mosquitos Geneticamente Modificados, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, INCT-EM, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: André L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Costa-da-Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Osvaldo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Marinotti
authors.affiliation: Section of Vector Biology, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: José M C
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Mosquitos Geneticamente Modificados, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria C P
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biofísica, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunologia Experimental, Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Michele S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, INCT-EM, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de Imunologia Experimental, Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anderson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sá-Nunes
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Bianca B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Kojin
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eneas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Mosquitos Geneticamente Modificados, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lincoln
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Suesdek
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, INCT-EM, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Laboratório de Sinalização Celular, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mário Alberto C
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Silva-Neto
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Mosquitos Geneticamente Modificados, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, INCT-EM, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Margareth L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Capurro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008288:Malaria / Q000635:transmission; D008297:Male; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics*