Jesus G. Valenzuela, Ph.D.
Chief, Vector Molecular Biology Unit
Dr. Valenzuela received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Arizona in 1995. He joined the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases in 1996, became a research fellow in 1999, and became an investigator at the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research in October 2002.
Description of Research Program
The Vector Molecular Biology Unit focuses on the molecular aspects of salivary and midgut proteins of the sand fly with emphasis on improving understanding of vector/host and vector/parasite interactions (sand fly/Leishmania parasite interactions). Unit research combines basic approaches with veterinary and clinical research, broadening our understanding of the relationship between immune responses to vector proteins in animal reservoirs and humans and disease outcome, and between the Leishmania parasite and the sand fly midgut proteins, to ultimately develop a vector-based vaccine against the neglected disease leishmaniasis.
The unit has two main themes: The first encompasses studies on immune responses to sand fly salivary proteins with the objectives of identifying proteins that produce a protective immune response against Leishmania infection and of understanding the mechanism of protection. The second theme relates to the understanding of the molecular interactions between sand fly gut proteins and the Leishmania parasite with the objective of identifying midgut proteins that are essential for parasite development and survival inside the vector. The ultimate goal is to identify key midgut proteins that can function as transmission-blocking vaccines.
Major Areas of Research
- Transcriptomic approaches to characterize vector salivary and midgut proteins
- Impact of immune responses to sand fly salivary proteins in pathogen transmission
- Molecular interactions between sand fly gut proteins and Leishmania parasites
Research Group Members
Jesus G. Valenzuela, Fabiano Oliveira, Shaden Kamhawi, Clarissa Teixeira, Jennifer Anderson, Regis Gomes, Nicolas Collin, Ryan Jochim, Dia Elnaiem
Selected Recent Publications
To view a complete listing, visit PubMed.
Gomes R, Teixeira C, Teixeira MJ, Oliveira F, Menezes MJ, Silva C, de Oliveira CI, Miranda JC, Elnaiem D, Kamhawi S,Valenzuela JG, Brodskyn CI. Immunity to a salivary protein of a sand fly vector protects against the fatal outcome of visceral leishmaniasis in a hamster model. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008. In press.
Oliveira F, Lawyer PG, Kamhawi S, Valenzuela JG. Immunity to distinct sand fly salivary proteins primes the anti-Leishmania immune response towards protection or exacerbation of disease. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2008 Apr 16;2(4):e226.
Jochim, RC, Teixeira CR, Laughinghouse A, Mu J, Oliveira F, Gomes RB, Elnaiem D, Valenzuela JG. The midgut transcriptome of Lutzomyia longipalpis: comparative analysis of cDNA libraries from sugar-fed, blood-fed, post-digested and Leishmania infantum chagasi-infected sand flies. BMC Genomics. 2008 Jan 14;9(1):15.
Kato H, Anderson JM, Kamhawi S, Oliveira F, Lawyer PG, Pham VM, Sangare CS, Samake S, Sissoko I, Garfield M, Sigutova L, Volf P, Doumbia S, Valenzuela JG. High degree of conservancy among secreted salivary gland proteins from two geographically distant Phlebotomus duboscqi sandflies populations (Mali and Kenya). BMC Genomics. 2006 Sep 4;7:226.
Anderson JM, Oliveira F, Kamhawi S, Mans BJ, Reynoso D, Seitz AE, Lawyer P, Garfield M, Pham M, Valenzuela JG. Comparative salivary gland transcriptomics of sandfly vectors of visceral leishmaniasis. BMC Genomics. 2006 Mar 15;7:52.
Kamhawi S, Ramalho Ortigao M, Pham VM, Kumar S, Lawyer PG, Turco SJ, Barillas Mury C, Sacks DL, Valenzuela JG. A role of insect galectins in parasite survival. Cell. 2004 Oct 29;119(3):329-41.
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