Iran
Dr. Amir Ahmad Akhavan is a professor in the department of Department of Medical Entomology & Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, located in Iran.
Research Article
Dynamics and Fitness Cost of Genetically Engineered Entrobacter cloacae Expressing Defensin for Paratransgenesis in Phlebotomus papatasi
Author(s): Rangin Abassi, Maryam Akhlaghi, Mohammad Ali Oshaghi*, Amir Ahmad Akhavan, Mohammad Reza Yaghoobi-Ershadi, Rounak Bakhtiary and Fatemeh Mohtarami
Background: Enterobacter cloacae subsp. dissolvens bacterium is a known commensal of the gut microflora of Phlebotomus papatasi, the main vector for zoonotic cutaneous Leishmaniasis, and nominated for paratransgenesis in sand flies. In this study, we evaluated dynamics and fitness costs of engineered E. cloacae for its potential to serve as a 'Trojan Horse' in P. papatasi.
Methods: The engineered strain of E. cloacae transformed with a constantly active expressed red fluorescent protein plus defensin (EC-DR) plasmid and was fed to sand fly colonies via larval food to larvae. A wild type the bacterium (EC-WT) and intact food were used as controls. Fitness characters as well as dynamics of the EC-DR at various development stages of sand fly larvae were tested by plating homogenized specimens.. View more»