Tropical Disease Vector Genome
Authors: Jasny Barbara R. 
Published: July 2007

The mosquito
Aedes aegypti
is responsible for the transmission of dengue and yellow fever, which together affect more than 50 million people each year. Nene
et al
. (see the cover and see the Perspective by Chadee
et al
.) present the genome sequence for
Ae. aegypti
, which reveals extensive gene conservation with the malaria vector mosquito,
Anopheles gambiae
. As representatives of the two major mosquito subfamilies, the differences observed should underlie inherent biological traits, including blood-feeding preferences, host-seeking behavior, and the ability to transmit specific pathogens. Waterhouse
et al
. examined the evolution of innate immunity by comparing the genome of
Ae. aegypti
with that of the malaria mosquito,
An. gambiae
, and the fruit fly,
Drosophila melanogaster
, which represents a genetic outgroup. Different phases of immune signaling (recognition, modulation, signal transduction, transcriptional activation, and effector production) revealed different evolutionary dynamics.

V. Nene, J. R. Wortman, D. Lawson, B. Haas, C. Kodira, Z. (J.) Tu, B. Loftus, Z. Xi, K. Megy, M. Grabherr, Q. Ren, E. M. Zdobnov, N. F. Lobo, K. S. Campbell, S. E. Brown, M. F. Bonaldo, J. Zhu, S. P. Sinkins, D. G. Hogenkamp, P. Amedeo, P. Arensburger, P. W. Atkinson, S. Bidwell, J. Biedler, E. Birney, R. V. Bruggner, J. Costas, M. R. Coy, J. Crabtree, M. Crawford, B. deBruyn, D. DeCaprio, K. Eiglmeier, E. Eisenstadt, H. El-Dorry, W. M. Gelbart, S. L. Gomes, M. Hammond, L. I. Hannick, J. R. Hogan, M. H. Holmes, D. Jaffe, J. S. Johnston, R. C. Kennedy, H. Koo, S. Kravitz, E. V. Kriventseva, D. Kulp, K. LaButti, E. Lee, S. Li, D. D. Lovin, C. Mao, E. Mauceli, C. F. M. Menck, J. R. Miller, P. Montgomery, A. Mori, A. L. Nascimento, H. F. Naveira, C. Nusbaum, S. O'Leary, J. Orvis, M. Pertea, H. Quesneville, K. R. Reidenbach, Y.-H. Rogers, C. W. Roth, J. R. Schneider, M. Schatz, M. Shumway, M. Stanke, E. O. Stinson, J. M. C. Tubio, J. P. VanZee, S. Verjovski-Almeida, D. Werner, O. White, S. Wyder, Q. Zeng, Q. Zhao, Y. Zhao, C. A. Hill, A. S. Raikhel, M. B. Soares, D. L. Knudson, N. H. Lee, J. Galagan, S. L. Salzberg, I. T. Paulsen, G. Dimopoulos, F. H. Collins, B. Birren, C. M. Fraser-Liggett, D. W. Severson, Genome sequence of
Aedes aegypti
, a major arbovirus vector.
Science
316
, 1718-1723 (2007).
[Abstract]
[Full Text]

D. D. Chadee, P. Kittayapong, A. C. Morrison, W. J. Tabachnick, A breakthrough for global public health.
Science
316
, 1703-1704 (2007).
[Summary]
[Full Text]

R. M. Waterhouse, E. V. Kriventseva, S. Meister, Z. Xi, K. S. Alvarez, L. C. Bartholomay, C. Barillas-Mury, G. Bian, S. Blandin, B. M. Christensen, Y. Dong, H. Jiang, M. R. Kanost, A. C. Koutsos, E. A. Levashina, J. Li, P. Ligoxygakis, R. M. MacCallum, G. F. Mayhew, A. Mendes, K. Michel, M. A. Osta, S. Paskewitz, S. W. Shin, D. Vlachou, L. Wang, W. Wei, L. Zheng, Z. Zou, D. W. Severson, A. S. Raikhel, F. C. Kafatos, G. Dimopoulos, E. M. Zdobnov, G. K. Christophides, Evolutionary dynamics of immune-related genes and pathways in disease-vector mosquitoes.
Science
316
, 1738-1743 (2007).
[Abstract]
[Full Text]