Projects & Grants
| Salivary proteins of Sergentomyia schwetzi sand flies | |
|---|---|
| Project Id | 17-10308S |
| Main solver | prof. MSc. Vjačeslav Jurčenko, Ph.D. |
| Period | 1/2017 - 12/2019 |
| Provider | Katedra biologie a ekologie, Standardní projekt GA ČR |
| State | finished |
| Anotation | Phlebotomine sand flies are tiny bloodsucking insects serving as vectors of diseases. Sand fly saliva contains a variety of anticlotting, anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory activities. Previous studies showed remarkable differences between salivary proteins of two sand fly genera, Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia, however, the third genus, Sergentomyia, remained not investigated. Our team harbors the only laboratory colony of this genus woldwide. The proposed project represents a complex study on salivary proteins of Sergentomyia schwetzi aimed to reveal differences between Sergentomyia and other sand fly species/genera. Moreover, we have a unique opportunity to compare composition of saliva of two colonies of S. schwetzi experimentally adopted to feed on different hosts (mice versus geckos) for more than 35 generations )six years). Results gained from the study would significantly increase the knowledge of the repertoire of salivary molecules and activities in sand flies and may also reveal specific mechanisms governing adaptation of bloodsucking insects to different hosts. |
