BACKGROUND: Several inhalant allergens are newly identified from arthropods including insects or arachnids recently. Aphids (Heteroptera: Aphididae) are widespread sucking insects, which are parasitic on numerous host plants such as various crops, trees and weeds. Among aphids, Aphis gossypii is a particularly polyphagous species that has been described on almost 300 host plants from various botanical families. Thus A. gossypii is found throughout the country and is a species anyone can easily contact. It is unknown whether aphids have a role in the pathogenesis of respiratory allergy. OBJECTIVE: We assumed that aphids can act as an inhalant allergen on the hypothesis that numerous allergenic materials are released from aphids and become airborne. Using a representative species, A. gossypii, this study was performed to evaluate the antigenicity of an aphid allergen in patients with respiratory allergic diseases. METHODS: Skin prick test with crude extracts of A. gossypii and 50 common inhalant allergens was performed for 225 subjects with respiratory allergic diseases (bronchial asthma and/or rhinitis). A. gossypii-specific IgE (sIgE) were detected by means of ELISA, and IgE- binding components were identified by SDS-PAGE with immunoblot analysis. RESULTS: Of the 225 enrolled subjects, 37 (16.4%) subjects showed positive skin reactivity to A. gossypii. Of them, 17 (7.6%) subjects had A. gossypii-sIgE by ELISA. The SDS-PAGE of A. gossypii extracts showed various protein bands ranging from 9 to 200 kd. Of them, diverse IgE-binding pattern was noted for individual subject by immunoblot analysis. The inhibitory ELISA results indicated that IgE binding to A. gossypii was partially inhibited by the allergenic extracts of house dust mite (HDM), cockroach, or other aphid (Acyrthosiphon kondoi). Finally, A. gossypii-bronchial challenge test was conducted for one asthmatic farmer with skin reactivity to A. gossypii and strong job-related symptoms, but showed no significant response. CONCLUSION: A. gossypii can elicit IgE response in some patients with respiratory allergic diseases. A. gossypii may have a cross-reactivity with HDM and cockroach. Further study will be needed to evaluate its clinical significance in respiratory allergy patients.
Allergens ; Aphids* ; Arachnida ; Arthropods ; Asthma ; Cockroaches ; Complex Mixtures ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Immunoglobulin E ; Insects ; Pyroglyphidae ; Skin ; Trees

This paper is the result of adult female mosquito and larval collection in U.S. Army Installations in Korea from 1979 to 1983. New Jersey light traps ere operated for ault collection from May to October. The primary concern of this surveillance is to determine when to recommend insecticide spraying for mosquito control in the Army areas. The 5th Preventive Medicine Unit have developed an "index" level of female mosquitoes in a light trap similar to other U.S.Army Agencies in other parts of the world. When 10 female mosquitoes are reached on two consecutive trap-night, or 5 known vector females are collected, fogging is recommended in the trap areas. Mosquito collections were conducted in 12 U.S. Army areas by operating 39 New Jersey light traps. Mosquitoes collected from the areas were identified to be 17 species comprising 3 genera. Anopheles sinensis(40%). Culex tritaeniorhyncus(31%), Aedes vexans nipponii(19%), and Culex pipiens pallens(10%) appeared to be the most common species in the area. The species, population density and monthly appearance of adult mosquitoes were found to be almost the same in the all provinces involved. And Japanese encephalitis vector mosquitoes, Culex tritaeniorhyncus, showed their seasonal fluctuation from July to September with a peak in August each year. 3. Larval habitats confirmed in the Army areas were categorized into 16 types as shown in Table The mosquito larvae collected in those habitats were identified to be 15 species representign 4 genera. Most breeding sites in the Army areas were those which are activated during the wet season. More mosquitoes were collected from the Kyungki province than from the other provinces. The reason for more collection of mosquitoes from military installations in the Kyungki provinces appears to be the geographic characteritics surrounded by rice fields, marshes and other stagnant water areas.
parasitology-arthropoda-mosquito ; taxonomy ; epidemiology ; Anopheles sinensis ; Culex tritaeniorhyncus ; Aedes vexans nipponii ; Culex pipiens pallens

Thirty-six females and 1 male of Aedes bekkui were captured at human bait in Kyungki Province, Korea Republic, in June 1987. This is the 1st time the species has been recorded from that country. Notes on the taxonomic diagnosis of adults and larvae are given.
parasitology-arthropoda ; Aedes bekkui ; taxonomy

One of the distinct characters of Latrodectus tredecimguttatus is that its toxic components exist not only in the venomous glands, but also in the tissues outside the venomous glands and even in the eggs. Investigation on the toxins outside the venomous glands can deepen our understanding of spider toxins and discover new lead molecules with important application prospects. In order to explore the low-abundance proteinaceous toxins in the L. tredecimguttatus eggs, we used bioinformatic strategies to mine a gene sequence encoding a peptide toxin from the transcriptome of L. tredecimguttatus eggs, and then heterologously expressed the gene successfully with a 3'-RACE combined with nest PCR strategy. Biological activity analyses indicated that the expressed peptide toxin, named latroeggtoxin-Ⅵ (LETX-Ⅵ), could inhibit Na⁺ channel currents in ND7/23 cells and promote dopamine release from PC12 cells, without obvious toxicity against Periplaneta americana and bacteria as well as fungi including Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans, demonstrating that LETX-Ⅵ is a mammal-specific neurotoxin with a potential application prospect in development of the tool reagents for neurobiological study and the drugs for treating related diseases.
Animals ; Arthropod Proteins/genetics* ; Black Widow Spider/genetics* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Rats ; Spider Venoms/genetics* ; Transcriptome

Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (commonly known as black widow spiders) have toxins not only in their venom glands, but also in other parts of their body, in their eggs and even in the newborn spiderlings. The study on the toxins in venom and materials outside the venom glands of the spiders to elucidate their differences and similarities, evolutional relationship and biological functions is of important theoretical and applicable significance. The development of modern protein chemistry and proteomics techniques has provided efficient means for the study of protein and peptide toxins of L. tredecimguttatus. By using such techniques, the molecular base and action mechanism of the toxins can be revealed at the levels of both single purified proteins and omics. Up to now, although protein chemistry and proteomics study on L. tredecimguttatus toxins have achieved a certain progress, the relevant work particularly that on the toxins in the materials outside the venom glands has to be further deepened.
Animals ; Arthropod Proteins ; chemistry ; Black Widow Spider ; chemistry ; Proteomics ; Venoms ; chemistry

Aedes alboscutellatus was recorded first in Korea. This mosquito was collected near Demilitarized Zone of Korea Penninsula from 1979-1980. Its morphology and taxonomical position was described(abstracted from English content).
parasitology-arthropoda ; mosquito ; Aedes alboscutellatus ; morphology ; taxonomy

About 6,950 feather mites were isolated from filed collections and examination of bird study skins at the zoological specimen room of Kon-Kuk University in Seoul. Among them, 3 species of Kramerellidae, Dermonoton longiventer (Megnin & Trouessart, 1884), Kramerella bubonis (Lonnfors, 1937), Neopetitota bubonis Atyeo & Philips, 1984, and 1 species of Pterolichidae, Epopolichus atelus Gaud, 1981, were newly recorded from Korea. They were redescribed with their new hosts.
parasitoloyg-arthropoda ; Acari ; Pterolichoidea ; Kramerellidae ; Dermonoton longiventer ; Kramerella bubonis ; Neopetitota bubnis ; Pterolichidae ; Epopolichus atelus

The species composition, population density, and seasonal prevalence of vector mosquitoes in an inland area of Kyungpook province were studied, based on light trap and human bait trap collections, and the recent patterns of infestation for infective larvae of Brugia malayi in these vector hosts were investigated from May to November in 1985. Nine species in four genera of mosquitoes were collected by light trap, human bait trap, and/or by nets. Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann was the most abundant species collected by light traps during this year. Culex tritaeniorhychus Giles was the second abundant species, and Aedes vexans nipponii(Theobald) ranked third in total abundance. The earlist time when A. sinensis were found was the middle of May. At that time the temperature ranged from 14.3 C to 22.8 C and the humidity 53-90 per cent. The month of highest average nightly catch was July, when the temperature was betweeen 21.5 C and 30.6 C and the humidity 72-91 per cent. The peak time of biting activity of mosquitoes was different in each month, i.e. between 22:00-23:00 in July, and 20:00-21:00 hours in September, when the temperature was between 24.3 C and 26.5 C and the humidity 73-88 per cent in the field. While infective larvae of B. malayi were reported to have been found in one species of mosquito in 1975, no larvae were found in any species collected in this survey.
parasitology-helminth-nematoda ; arthropoda ; Brugia malayi ; Anopheles sinensis ; epidemiology

A study on the Aedes togoi to find out important biological and ecological factors as an efficient vector of filariasis, was carried out on Che-Ju Island for two years from 1968 though 1969. Results obtained are as followings: Geographical distribution of the mosquito breeding habitat was found to be extensive covering circular areas of about three km distance along the shore line. The main breeding sites were rockpools and smaller holes on rocks retaining tide and/or rain water with high larval density; water tanks, pots, and other artificial containers retaining only rain water around the houses located within the area with relatively low larval density. Species constitution of adult mosquitos collected in the study villages consisted largely of Aedes togoi with a range of 70-90 per cent by village. The pH of the breeding sites ranged from 5.0 to l0.0, and the chloride content from 0.01 to 28.75 (gm/l). More than fifty per cent of examined sites, however, had pH 5.6-6.5 and chloride content of less than 1.0 gm/1. The natural infection rate of A. togoi by filaria showed proportional relationships with microfilaria rates among the human population by area. Experimental infection of A. togoi by human and dog filaria demonstrated that this species is an efficient vector for both filaria species proved by natural infection as well as experimental infection. Susceptibility of both larva and adult of A. togoi to insecticide, DDT and dieldrin, showed considerable sensitivity in all villages tested.
parasitology-arthropoda ; vector ; Aedes togoi ; epidemiology ; filariasis ; Brugia malayi ; chloride

The effects of salt on the development of Aedes togoi and the infecton of Brugia pahangi were studied. Salt concentrations over 7.2% completely got rid of pupae and adults. The salt concentrations 0% to 3.6% reduced pupal development from 86.6% to 72.8% and adult from 70.3% to 53.3%. B. pahangi infestations and infection rates were also reduced in the mosquitoes reared at salt concentrations of 1.8% and 3.6%. Trends of retardation in the filarial development were observed when the salt concentrations were increased.
parasitology-arthropoda ; Aedes togoi ; nematoda-Brugia pahangi ; salt ; development