Jose Luis Ramirez
|
I am a 5th year PhD. student currently working on the mosquito
Aedes aegypti innate immune responses to dengue virus. My research focuses on the tripartite interactions between the mosquito, its native microflora and dengue virus and the effects of dengue virus infection on hemocytes and fat body tissues.
My research interest are on vector-pathogen interactions aimed at a better understanding
of the factors that influence pathogen infection and transmission, and the elucidation of novel mechanism to halt pathogen transmission.
VIDEO PRESENTATION / Contact:
jramirez@jhsph.edu
|
|
Bio - current research - cv - links
|
Bio:
I am a 5th year PhD. student currently working on the mosquito Aedes aegypti  innate immune responses to dengue virus. My research focuses on the tripartite interactions between the mosquito, its native microflora and dengue virus and the effects of dengue virus infection on hemocytes and fat body tissues.
My research interest are on vector-pathogen interactions aimed at better understanding the factors that influence pathogen infection and transmission; and the elucidation of novel mechanism to halt pathogen transmission.Current research: 1. A. aegypti–bacteria-dengue virus tripartite interactions defining dengue virus infection. During their lifecycle, mosquitoes are exposed to a range of microbial flora, some of which are needed for the successful growth into adulthood. We have analyzed the microbial flora of field mosquitoes collected from dengue endemic areas in Panama and assessed their effect on mosquito virus infection and the mosquito immune system. Re-colonization of aseptic mosquito midgut by bacteria led to a marked decrease in viral titers at 7d PBM with at least three species (Paenibacillus sp., Pantoea sp. and Proteus mirabilis) (Fig.1A) as well as an increase in the expression of antimicrobial peptides (Fig.1B)  2. A. aegypti hemocytes and fat body responses to dengue virus. Hemocytes are important immune effector cells that participate in pattern recognition, mediate fat body production of immune peptides and is the main immune factor influencing systemic and cellular immune responses in the mosquito. To assess the effect of DENV infection on hemocytes and fat body we have conducted a microarray analyses at 7days post infection. Preliminary analyses show the regulation of important immune genes involved in melanization, pathogen recognition, as well as several antimicrobial peptides.  Fig2. A. Heatmap cluster analyses indicating the degree of regulation in fat body (FB), hemocytes (HC), midgut (MG). B. Venn-diagram showing common and unique regulated genes among infected tissues. C. Functional classification of genes regulated upon dengue infection in fat body, hemocytes and migut at 7d PBM. |