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      Plant-feeding phlebotomine sand flies, vectors of leishmaniasis, prefer Cannabis sativa

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          Abstract

          Blood-sucking phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) transmit leishmaniasis as well as arboviral diseases and bartonellosis. Sand fly females become infected with Leishmania parasites and transmit them while imbibing vertebrates' blood, required as a source of protein for maturation of eggs. In addition, both females and males consume plant-derived sugar meals as a source of energy. Plant meals may comprise sugary solutions such as nectar or honeydew (secreted by plant-sucking homopteran insects), as well as phloem sap that sand flies obtain by piercing leaves and stems with their needle-like mouthparts. Hence, the structure of plant communities can influence the distribution and epidemiology of leishmaniasis. We designed a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based assay for determining the source of sand fly plant meals, based upon the chloroplast DNA gene ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase large chain (rbcL). Here, we report on the predilection of several sand fly species, vectors of leishmaniasis in different parts of the world, for feeding on Cannabis sativa We infer this preference based on the substantial percentage of sand flies that had fed on C. sativa plants despite the apparent "absence" of these plants from most of the field sites. We discuss the conceivable implications of the affinity of sand flies for C. sativa on their vectorial capacity for Leishmania and the putative exploitation of their attraction to C. sativa for the control of sand fly-borne diseases.

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          S Altschul (1990)
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            A DNA barcode for land plants.

            DNA barcoding involves sequencing a standard region of DNA as a tool for species identification. However, there has been no agreement on which region(s) should be used for barcoding land plants. To provide a community recommendation on a standard plant barcode, we have compared the performance of 7 leading candidate plastid DNA regions (atpF-atpH spacer, matK gene, rbcL gene, rpoB gene, rpoC1 gene, psbK-psbI spacer, and trnH-psbA spacer). Based on assessments of recoverability, sequence quality, and levels of species discrimination, we recommend the 2-locus combination of rbcL+matK as the plant barcode. This core 2-locus barcode will provide a universal framework for the routine use of DNA sequence data to identify specimens and contribute toward the discovery of overlooked species of land plants.
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              Mosquito sugar feeding and reproductive energetics.

              Sugar feeding is a fundamental characteristic of mosquito life. Most evidence indicates frequent ingestion by both sexes and all ages of mosquitoes of plant sugar, usually as floral and extrafloral nectar and honeydew. Energetically, sugar and blood are interchangeable; females of some species have evolved independence from one or the other, but most need blood to develop eggs and sugar to survive, to fly, and to enhance reproduction. Mosquitoes' commitment to sugar is further illustrated by a wealth of behavioral, structural, and physiological specializations for finding, feeding on, and processing it. Blood and sugar feeding activities are antagonistic and mutually exclusive, owing to conflicting demands, yet they support the same goals and often share the same activity period. The rules by which females make food-choice decisions have been inadequately explored, and we still lack convincing evidence that sugar availability in nature varies sufficiently to affect mosquito populations.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
                Proc Natl Acad Sci USA
                Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
                0027-8424
                1091-6490
                October 29 2018
                : 201810435
                Article
                10.1073/pnas.1810435115
                6243281
                30373823
                8e6ef9aa-ce4e-445b-b41d-96603b11f1ce
                © 2018

                Free to read

                http://www.pnas.org/site/misc/userlicense.xhtml

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