Research project Mechanisms by which pathogens manipulate vector behaviour to enhance transmission

Pathogen renders host more attractive to vector, increasing the risk of its transmission.

Photo: Emami lab

The overall purpose and aim of this research proposal is to further analyse the effect of pathogen metabolites on manipulating the human and vector hosts. One specific aim is to clarify why mosquitoes are attracted to infected humans, by increasing our understanding of the volatile compounds induced by pathogen metabolites. Another aim is to assess the effect of the metabolites on the olfactory system of the vector by 1) mapping and modelling the antennal transcriptomes from infected and infective mosquitoes; and 2) evaluating the behavioural changes mosquitoes exposed to infectious host blood. This will add to my original study, in which a number of novel genes and neural signalling pathways changed expression after infection. The findings of this project may lead to novel ways to decrease mosquito biting, particularly on infective humans, and hence reduce disease transmission.

Publications

Plasmodium metabolite HMBPP stimulates feeding of main mosquito vectors on blood and artificial

toxic sources. Stromsky V.E., Hajkazemian M., Vaisbourd E., Mozūraitis R., Emami S.N.*. Communications Biology- Nature group (2021). DOI: 10.1111/boc.202000039 Q1.

A time-dependent statistical evaluation of the ceramic manufacturing process based on the

mineralogical chemical analysis. Emami, M. and Emami, S. N. ArcheoSciences (2020). 44-2(2): p. 145-159 10.4000/archeosciences.7685Q1.

Can Plasmodium’s tricks for enhancing its transmission be turned against the parasite? New hopes for

vector control. Emami S.N.*, Hajkazemian M., Mozūraitis R. Pathogens and global health (2020). DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2019.1703398 Q1.

Battleground midgut: the cost to the mosquito for hosting the malaria parasite.

Hajkazemian M., Bossé C., Mozūraitis R., Emami S.N.*. Biology of the Cell (2020). DOI: 10.1111/boc.202000039 Q1.

Male swarming aggregation pheromones increase female attraction and mating success among multiple

Mozūraitis R., Hajkazemian M., Zawada J. W., Szymczak J., Pålsson K., Sekar V., Biryukova I., Friedländer M. R., Koekemoer L. L., Baird J. K., Borg-Karlson A., Emami S. N.*. Nature Ecology and Evolution (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1264-9 Q1.

Hippophae rhamnoides berry related Pichia kudriavzevii yeast volatiles modify behaviour of

Rhagoletis batava flies. Mozūraitis R., Aleknavičius D., Vepštaitė-Monstavičė I., Stanevičienė R., Emami S. N., Apšegaitė V., Radžiutė S., Blažytė-Čereškienė L., Servienė E. and Būda V. Journal of Advanced Research, (2020), vol. 21, 71-77, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2019.08.001Q1.

Chemical composition and evaluation of native plant-based essential oils against Aedes aegypti.

Azeem M., Iqbal Z., Emami S.N., Nordlander G., Nordenham H., Nazir A., Mozūraitis R. El-Seedi H. R., Borg-Karlson A. K. Industrial Crops and Products, (2020). DOI: 10.1111/aab.12586 Q1.

Evaluation of genetic diversity in gerbera genotype revealed using SCOT and CDDP markers.

Saidi A., Hajkazemian M., Emami S. N. Polish Journal of Natural Sciences, (2020), vol 35(1), 21-34 Q3.

Vγ9Vδ2 T cells proliferate in response to phosphoantigens released from erythrocytes infected with

asexual and gametocyte stage Plasmodium falciparum. Liua C., Emami S. N., Pettersson J., Ranford-Cartwright L., Faye I., Parmryd I. Cellular Immunology (2018). PMID: 30177348(*) Q2.

Intersection of phosphate transport, oxidative stress and TOR signalling in Candida albicans

virulence. Liu N., Uppuluri P., Broggi A., Besold A., Ryman K., Kambara H., Solis N., Lorenz V., Qi W., Zaldivar MA., Emami S.N., Boa B., An D., Bonilla F., Sola-Visner M., Filler S., Luo HR., Engstrom Y., Ljungdahl PO., Culotta VC., Zanoni I., Lopez-Ribot JL., Koehler JR. PLOS Pathogens (2018). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/317933 (*) Q1.

Detection of malaria parasites after treatment in travelers: A 12-months longitudinal study and

statistical modelling analysis. Vafa Homann M., Emami S.N., Yaman V., Stenström C., Sonden K., Ramström H., Karlsson M., Asghar M., Färnert A., (2017). EBioMedicine, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2017.10.003: PMID: 29050948

A key malaria metabolite modulates vector blood seeking, feeding, and susceptibility to infection.

Emami S.N., Lindberg B.G., Hua S., Mozuraitis R., Lehmann P., Birgersson G., Hill S., Borg-Karlson A.K., Ignell R., Faye F., (2017). Science, 335: 1076-1080: PMID:28183997.

The transmission potential of malaria-infected mosquitoes (An.gambiae-Keele, An.arabiensis-Ifakara)

is altered by the vertebrate blood type they consume during parasite development. Emami, S. N., Ranford-Cartwright, L. C. & Ferguson, H. M., (2017). Nature Scientific reports,7, 40520: PMID:28094293.

MTH1, an 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine triphosphatase, and MYH, a DNA glycosylase, cooperate to inhibit

mutations induced by chronic exposure to oxidative stress of ionizing radiation. Shakeri Manesh S., Sangsuwan T., Pour Khavari, A., Fotouhi A., Emami S.N. & Haghdoost S. Mutagenesis, (2017), 1-8. DOI:10.1093/mutage/gex003: PMID: 28340109 Q1.

Antiplasmodial activity and phytochemical analysis of extracts from selected Ugandan

medicinal plants. Mohamed Adia M., Emami S.N., Byamukama R., Faye I., Borg-Karlson A.K., (2016). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 20;186:14-9: PMID:27019273.

The impact of low erythrocyte density in human blood on the fitness and energetic reserves of the

African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. Emami S.N., Ranford-Cartwright L., Ferguson H.M., (2013). Malaria Journal, 12: 1-11: PMID: 23374331.

Bionomics of Anopheles culicifacies in a malarious area, Sistan and Bluchestan province, southeast

Iran. Vatandoost H., Emami S.N., Oshaghi M.A., Abai M.R., Akbarzadeh K., Piazzak N., & Townson H. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, (2011), 17 (5): 439-445: PMID: 21796958 Q1.

Application of predictive degree day model for field development of sandfly vectors of visceral

leishmaniasis in northwest of Iran. Oshaghi MA, Ravasan NM, Javadian E, Rassi Y, Sadraei J, Enayati AA, Vatandoost H, Zare Z, Emami S.N. J Vector Borne Diseases, (2009), 01;46(4):247-55: PMID: 19959849 Q1.

Morphological method for sexing anopheline larvae.

Emami S.N., Vatandoost H., Oshaghi M.A., Mohtarami F., & Javadian, E., Raeisi A. J Vector Borne Diseases, (2007), 44: 245-249: PMID: 18092530 Q1.