RONA PITALUGA LAB
The Rona Pitaluga laboratory is based on Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil. Our research focuses on molecular biology of parasites and tropical diseases vectors. To do so we use a complete suite of tools including population genomics and genetics, bioinformatics and molecular biology.
OUR TEAM
ANDRÉ NÓBREGA PITALUGA, PH.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. André Nóbrega Pitaluga is a Full Researcher of Public Health at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ). Dr. Pitaluga received training in vector-pathogen interaction and immunity, molecular biology, gene silencing and confocal microscopy at Fiocruz (Brazil), Charles University (Czech Rep.), University of Texas Medical Branch - UTMB (USA) and Imperial College London (UK). Since 2008 Dr. Pitaluga has an independent research group in Brazil with focus on vector-borne diseases control.
LUÍSA DAMAZIO RONA PITALUGA, PH.D.
Principal Investigator
I am a biologist and received my PhD in Molecular Biology at FIOCRUZ (IOC), Brazil. I also received training in and population genomics, and bioinformatics at Imperial College London (UK), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (UK), and in the University of York (UK) as a Newton International Fellow (Royal Society).
Currently, I am an associate professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil, specializing in cryptic speciation of malaria vectors. My research includes genetics, molecular biology, and population genomics, employing various bioinformatic tools for NGS genome sequencing (Illumina and Nanopore). My research also involves fieldwork activities, collecting mosquitoes for population studies throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I led a project developing a point-of-care molecular diagnostic kit for SARS-CoV-2, and now focus on expanding this technology to identify arboviruses (e.g.: yellow fever virus), parasites that cause malaria and leishmaniose in insects/hosts, and environmental hallmark species.
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MSC. KAMILA VOGES
PhD Student
Graduated in Biology at UFSC, Kamila has a master's degree in Genetics from UNESP-Botucatu. Currently she is a PhD student in Cell Biology and Development at UFSC. Kamila's project is about the population genomics of Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii, the main vector of human and simian malaria in the Atlantic Forest region. She is sequencing the genome of males and females from different populations of An. cruzii throughout its distribution in the Atlantic Forest and carry out population studies looking for regions of high divergence between the genomes of different populations, in order to confirm the differentiation and estimate the introgression between different genomic regions.
MSC. SABRINA FERNANDES CARDOSO
PhD Student
Sabrina is a biologist and has a master's degree in Cell Biology and Development at Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Currently she is a PhD student in Cell Biology and Development at UFSC. She works with the development and standardization of a kit for molecular diagnosis of yellow fever virus using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification. In addition, she is developing a project to Identify mosquitoes that transmit the yellow fever virus in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.
ANDRÉ AKIRA
PhD Student
André is a biologist, has a master's degree in Cellular Biology and Development, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the same program at UFSC. He has experience in field research, entomology, and molecular biology. His Ph.D. project focuses on developing Point-of-Care molecular diagnosis of toxic algae and viral pathogens.
IARA CAROLINE PINHEIRO
Master's Degree Student
Graduated in Biology at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Currently a master's student in Cell and Developmental Biology at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Iara is using the genome of mosquitoes of the species Anopheles (Kerteszia) bellator, one of the vectors of malaria in Brazil, for population analysis. One of the main objectives is to analyse the genetic differentiation of An. bellator populations as well as to find out if it is part of a complex of cryptic species, using regions of high divergence between the genomes of different populations.
NATÁLIA VALÉRIO DE SOUZA
Master's Degree Student
Currently, she is a biology student at UFSC. Natália is analysing An. cruzii populations from Florianópolis in order to verify if these mosquitoes are infected with Plasmodium.
JOÃO VICTOR COSTA GUESSER
Undergraduate student
João is a Biological Sciences Student at UFSC. He is developing a project to identify sand flies species and leishmania infection in Florianópolis.
LARISSA AKEMI OLIVEIRA KIKUT
Undergraduate student
Larissa is a Biological Sciences Student at Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). She participates on a project to Identify mosquitoes that transmit the yellow fever virus in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.
ALUMINI
FRANCIELLE CARLA MOREIRA DA COSTA
PAULO CÉSAR LEMES PÓVOA
GABRIELA PINTO GUIMARÃES
PROJECTS
CRYPTIC DIVERSITY IN ATLANTIC FOREST MALARIA VECTORS FROM BRAZIL
This research focuses mainly on the cryptic diversity in the Atlantic Forest malaria vectors from Brazil, specifically using mosquitoes from Kerteszia subgenus that are the primary vectors of human and simian malaria parasites in southern/southeastern Brazil. To do so we use a complete suite of tools including population genomics and genetics, bioinformatics and molecular biology.
POPULATION GENOMICS OF PLASMODIUM VIVAX FROM BRAZIL AND PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM FROM AFRICA
In this project, we intend to perform haplotype association analysis in large-scale genomic data using a number of genomes from the main malaria parasites in the world in order to identify key genes that are under selective pressure through molecular evolution analysis.
NATURAL INFECTION IN INSECT VECTORS
This study aims to identify insects naturally infected in the field by: (i) Plasmodium spp. in Anopheles, (ii) Leishmania spp. in sandflies, and (iii) viruses, such as yellow fever, in wild mosquitoes.
ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI
This study aims to establish an isolation protocol for species-specific entomopathogenic fungi for population control of insect vectors of tropical diseases.
DEVELOPMENT OF A MOLECULAR DIAGNOSES FOR COVID-19 USING ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION.
Development of a simpler, faster, cheaper and more reliable point-of-care molecular diagnostic kit for SARSCov-2 compared to currently used diagnostic techniques.
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DEVELOPMENT OF A MOLECULAR DIAGNOSES FOR YELLOW FEVER VIRUS USING ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF MOSQUITOES THAT TRANSMIT THE YELLOW FEVER VIRUS.
Development of a kit for molecular diagnosis of yellow fever virus using Isothermal Loop-Mediated Amplification. This method is faster, cheaper and more reliable compared to current diagnostic tests for said virus. The project also identifies mosquitoes that transmit the yellow fever virus in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Phlebotomine sandfly (Diptera: Psychodidae) fauna survey and infection by Leishmania spp. in Florianópolis (UCAD), Santa Catarina, Brazil.
INTERVIEWS
May 12, 2021
July 6, 2021
July 7, 2021
July 7, 2021
July 8, 2021
PUBLICATIONS
Campos M, RONA LDP, Willis K, Christophides GK, Maccallum RM. Unravelling population structure heterogeneity within the genome of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. BMC Genomics. 2021, 22:422.
de Oliveira TC, Rodrigues PT, Duarte AMRC, RONA LDP, Ferreira MU. Ongoing host-shift speciation in Plasmodium simium. Trends in Parasitology. 2021, 37(11):940-942.
de Oliveira TC , Rodrigues PT , Early AM , Duarte AMRC , Buery JC, Bueno MG , Catão-Dias JL, Cerutti JR CR, RONA LDP , Neafsey DE, Ferreira MU . Plasmodium simium: population genomics reveals the origin of a reverse zoonosis. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2021, 19:1-32
Telleria EL, Tinoco-Nunes B, Leštinová T, de Avellar LM, Tempone AJ, PITALUGA AN, Volf P, Traub-Csekö YM. Lutzomyia longipalpis Antimicrobial Peptides: Differential Expression during Development and Potential Involvement in Vector Interaction with Microbiota and Leishmania. Microorganisms. 2021; 9(6):1271.
Ukegbu CV, Giorgalli M, Tapanelli S, RONA LDP, Jaye A, Wyer C, Angrisano F, Blagborough A, Christophides GK, Vlachou D. PIMMS43 is required for malaria parasite immune evasion and sporogonic development in the mosquito vector. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020, 117(13):7363-7373.
Rodgers, FH, Cai JA, PITALUGA AN, Mengin-Lecreulx D, Gendrin M, Christophides GK. Functional analysis of the three major PGRPLC isoforms in the midgut of the malaria mosquito Anopheles Coluzzii. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2020, 118:103288.
Voges K, da Rosa MPC, Westphal-Ferreira B, Navarro-Silva MA, Pontes CLM, PITALUGA AN, Carvalho-Pinto CJ, RONA LDP. Novel molecular evidence of population structure in Anopheles (Kerteszia) bellator from Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2019, 114:e180598
Carlos BC, RONA LDP, Christophides GK, Souza-Neto JA. A comprehensive analysis of malaria transmission in Brazil. Pathog Glob Health. 2019, 113(1):1-13.
Ennes-Eidal V, Vitorio BS, Menna-Barreto RFS, PITALUGA AN, Da-Silva SAG, Branquinha MH, Santos ALS, d'Ávila-Levy CM. Calpains of Leishmania braziliensis: genome analysis, differential expression in metacyclogenesis and effects of MDL28170. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2019, 114:e190147.
de Rezende Dias G, Fujii TTS, Fogel BF, Lourenço-de-Oliveira R, Silva-do-Nascimento TF, PITALUGA AN, Carvalho-Pinto CJ, Carvalho AB, Peixoto AA, RONA LDP. Cryptic diversity in an Atlantic Forest malaria vector from the mountains of South-East Brazil. Parasit Vectors. 2018, 11(1):36.
Vivan L, Girotto C, Fracasso M, PITALUGA AN, Wagner G, Battiston FG. Influence of the fish oil in the gut microbiota of wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) treated with dexamethasone and amoxicillin. Microb Pathog. 2017, 113:45-50.
Collet ML, Frizzo C, Orlandin E, RONA LD, Nascimento JC, Montano MA, Müller GA, Wagner G. Frequency of the Val1016Ile mutation on the kdr gene in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in south Brazil. Genet Mol Res. 2016, 15(4).
Tinoco-Nunes B, Telleria EL, da Silva-Neves M, Marques C, Azevedo-Brito DA, PITALUGA AN, Traub-Csekö YM. The sandfly Lutzomyia longipalpis LL5 embryonic cell line has active Toll and Imd pathways and shows immune responses to bacteria, yeast and Leishmania. Parasit Vectors. 2016, 9:222.
PITALUGA AN, Moreira ME, Traub-Csekö YM. A putative role for inosine 5' monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) in Leishmania amazonensis programmed cell death. Exp Parasitol. 2015, 149:32-8.
Tschoeke D, Guedes H, de Miranda AB, PITALUGA AN, Grisard E, Probst C, Davila AMR. The comparative genomics and phylogenomics of Leishmania amazonensis parasite. Evol Bioinform Online. 2014, 10:131-153.
Wagner G, Jardim R, Tschoeke DA, Loureiro DR, Ocaña KA, Ribeiro AC, Emmel VE, Probst CM, PITALUGA AN, Grisard EC, Cavalcanti MC, Campos ML, Mattoso M, Dávila AM. STINGRAY: system for integrated genomic resources and analysis. BMC Res Notes. 2014, 7:132.
RONA LDP, Carvalho-Pinto CJ, Peixoto AA. Evidence for the occurrence of two sympatric sibling species within the Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii complex in southeast Brazil and the detection of asymmetric introgression between them using a multilocus analysis. BMC Evol Biol. 2013, 13:207.
Telleria EL, Sant'Anna MR, Alkurbi MO, PITALUGA AN, Dillon RJ, Traub-Csekö YM. Bacterial feeding, Leishmania infection and distinct infection routes induce differential defensin expression in Lutzomyia longipalpis. Parasit Vectors. 2013, 6:12.
Zauli RC, Yokoyama-Yasunaka JK, Miguel DC, Moura AS, Pereira LIa, da Silva IA Jr, Lemes LG, Dorta ML, de Oliveira MA, PITALUGA AN, Ishikawa EA, Rodrigues JC, Traub-Cseko YM, Bijovsky AT, Ribeiro-Dias F, Uliana SR. A dysflagellar mutant of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis isolated from a cutaneous leishmaniasis patient. Parasit Vectors. 2012, 5:11.
Telleria EL, Sant'Anna MR, Ortigão-Farias JR, PITALUGA AN, Dillon VM, Bates PA, Traub-Csekö YM, Dillon RJ. Caspar-like gene depletion reduces Leishmania infection in sand fly host Lutzomyia longipalpis. J Biol Chem. 2012, 287(16):12985-93.
Silva-do-Nascimento TF, PITALUGA LDR, Peixoto AA, Lourenço-de-Oliveira R. Molecular divergence in the timeless and cpr genes among three sympatric cryptic species of the Anopheles triannulatus complex. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2011, 106 Suppl 1:218-22.
RONA LDP, Carvalho-Pinto CJ, Mazzoni CJ, Peixoto AA. Estimation of divergence time between two sibling species of the Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii complex using a multilocus approach. BMC Evol Biol. 2010, 10:91.
RONA LDP, Carvalho-Pinto CJ, Peixoto AA. Molecular evidence for the occurrence of a new sibling species within the Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii complex in south-east Brazil. Malar J. 2010, 9:33.
RONA LDP, Carvalho-Pinto CJ, Gentile C, Grisard EC, Peixoto AA. Assessing the molecular divergence between Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii populations from Brazil using the timeless gene: further evidence of a species complex. Malar J. 2009, 8:60.
PITALUGA AN, Beteille V, Lobo AR, Ortigão-Farias JR, Dávila AM, Souza AA, Ramalho-Ortigão JM, Traub-Cseko YM. EST sequencing of blood-fed and Leishmania-infected midgut of Lutzomyia longipalpis, the principal visceral leishmaniasis vector in the Americas. Mol Genet Genomics. 2009, 282(3):307-17.
PITALUGA AN, Mason PW, Traub-Cseko YM. Non-specific antiviral response detected in RNA-treated cultured cells of the sandfly, Lutzomyia longipalpis. Dev Comp Immunol. 2008, 32(3):191-7.
Telleria EL, PITALUGA AN, Ortigão-Farias JR, de Araújo AP, Ramalho-Ortigão JM, Traub-Cseko YM. Constitutive and blood meal-induced trypsin genes in Lutzomyia longipalpis. Arch Insect Biochem Physiol. 2007, 66(2):53-63.
Ramalho-Ortigão JM, PITALUGA AN, Telleria EL, Marques C, Souza AA, Traub-Cseko YM. Cloning and characterization of a V-ATPase subunit C from the American visceral leishmaniasis vector Lutzomyia longipalpis modulated during development and blood ingestion. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2007, 102(4):509-15.
FIELD WORK
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WET LAB
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