• Animal cells and systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.331-337
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• 2009

Twenty-eight Anopheles species has been so-far identified in Iran, while only 8 species was proved as malaria vector. In this study, we principally examined the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) potency in identification of Iranian vectors of malaria and then differentiation of vector and non-vector species of Anopheles. Seven species of malaria vectors and the non-vector species, Anopheles claviger were collected throughout Iran. Female extracts were made out of every five conspecific specimens by surface immersion in pure n-hexane. Each sample was injected into a FID-GC instrument along with the known concentrations of standards. CHC profiles of the eight Anopheles species indicated no qualitative difference. The average mass of each eluted CHC were compared using Repeated ANOVA and Mann-Whitney tests. Results confirmed a significant difference in mass of each single CHC at a specific retention time (RT). Statistical comparison of CHC mass in An. sacharovi, An. stephensi, An. culicifacies and An. fluviatilis at RT 39.6 indicated significant differences (P<0.05) among these species. Analysis of CHC mass of An. dthali, An. superpictus & An. sacharovi at RT 28.5, An. stephensi & An. sacharovi at RT 30.7 and An. sacharovi & An. claviger at RT 30.6 similarly indicated significant differences (P<0.05). An. sacharovi could be distinguished from other species, which showed only trace, by integratable peaks at retention times of 29.7, 31 and 32.6. Similarly, An. claviger could be distinguished from the other species with a trace peak at RT 30.6. In order to separate An. stephensi from the five other species, the integratable peak at RT 30.7 was used. An. dthali could be identified at RT 26.2 by an integratable peak v.s. the trace peaks of other species. An. superpictus had indicator peaks at RTs 27.4 & 28.5 v.s. trace peaks of other species. An. maculipennis with its trace peak at RT 39.6 could be easily differentiated from An. fluviatilis & An. culicifacies. This study proved that all of the examined species of Anopheles could be well identified based on their quantitative differences in CHCs, except for An. fluviatilis & An. culicifacies for which no CHC indicator peak was detected.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2004

Pax6, a member of the highly conserved homeobox gene family, is known to be expressed in spatially and temporally restricted pattern during embryogenesis. To examine the spatial expression pattern of Pax6 in malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephemi, in different molecular environment, the germ line transformation technique using piggyBac transposon combined with the use of Pax6 specific 3xp3-EGFP marker was utilized. Four transgenic lines with a transformation rate of 6.7% were established. Transgenes were stably expressed in subsequent several generations. The transgenic lines showed 3 different expression pattern with spatial specificity, possibly due to enhancing and/or silencing position effects. In two transgenic lines, noble expression pattern of Pax6 was observed in the region that has not been previously reported in any animal species. The results show that the tranposon piggyBac mediated germ line transformation system can be used as an efficient tool for the generation of diverse spatially restricted reporter gene expression.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Entomolohy Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.25-25
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• 2002