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Degrees: 1995 - PhD - Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Entomology Awards: Justin Morrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education, Virginia Tech, 2004 Maramorosch Lecturer, Distinguished Alumnus invited seminar, Rutgers University, 2001 Department and Center Affiliations: Center for Vectorborne Diseases Professional Societies: American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Sigma Xi Entomological Society of America American Association of Immunologists Grad Group Affiliations and Specialties: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Microbiology Non-DBS Grad Group(s) - Immunology Entomology Publications: Luckhart S, Lieber MJ, Singh N, Zamora R, Vodovotz Y. 2008. Low levels of mammalian TGF-beta1 are protective against malaria parasite infection, a paradox clarified in the mosquito host. Exp Parasitol. 118(2):290-6. Kang MA, Mott TM, Tapley EC, Lewis EE, Luckhart S. 2008. Insulin regulates aging and oxidative stress in Anopheles stephensi. J Exp Biol. 211(Pt 5):741-8. Peterson TM, Gow AJ, Luckhart S. 2007. Nitric oxide metabolites induced in Anopheles stephensi control malaria parasite infection.Free Radic Biol Med. 42(1):132-42. Luckhart S, Riehle MA. 2007. The insulin signaling cascade from nematodes to mammals: insights into innate immunity of Anopheles mosquitoes to malaria parasite infection.Dev Comp Immunol. 31(7):647-56. Akman-Anderson L, Olivier M, Luckhart S. 2007. Induction of nitric oxide synthase and activation of signaling proteins in Anopheles mosquitoes by the malaria pigment, hemozoin.Infect Immun. 75(8):4012-9. Zapata MA, Cienfuegos AV, Quirós OI, Quiñones ML, Luckhart S, Correa MM. 2007. Discrimination of seven Anopheles species from San Pedro de Uraba, Antioquia, Colombia, by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of its sequences.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 77(1):67-72. Peterson TM, Luckhart S. 2006. A mosquito 2-Cys peroxiredoxin protects against nitrosative and oxidative stresses associated with malaria parasite infection.Free Radic Biol Med. 40(6):1067-82. Ryan JR, Stoute JA, Amon J, Dunton RF, Mtalib R, Koros J, Owour B, Luckhart S, Wirtz RA, Barnwell JW, Rosenberg R. 2006. Evidence for transmission of Plasmodium vivax among a duffy antigen negative population in Western Kenya.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 75(4):575-81. Lim, J., D.C. Gowda, G. Krishnegowda, and S. Luckhart. 2005. Induction of nitric oxide synthase in Anopheles stephensi by Plasmodium falciparum: mechanism of signaling and the role of parasite glycosylphosphatidylinositols. Infect. Immun. 73:2778-2789. Vodovotz, Y., R. Zamora., M.J. Lieber, and S. Luckhart. 2004. Cross-talk between nitric oxide and transforming growth factor-beta1 in malaria. Curr. Molec. Med. 4:787-97. Lieber, M.J. and S. Luckhart. 2004. Transforming growth factor-betas and related gene products in mosquito vectors of human malaria parasites: signaling architecture for immunological crosstalk. Molec. Immunol. 41:965-77. Luckhart, S., A.L. Crampton, R. Zamora, M.J. Lieber, P.C. Dos Santos, T.M.L. Peterson, N. Emmith, J. Lim, D.A. Wink, and Y. Vodovotz. 2003. Mammalian transforming growth factor-beta1, activated after ingestion by Anopheles stephensi, modulates mosquito immunity. Infect. Immun. 71:3000-3009. Luckhart, S., K. Li, R. Dunton, E.E. Lewis, A.L. Crampton, J.R. Ryan, and R. Rosenberg. 2003. Anopheles gambiae immune gene variants associated with natural Plasmodium infection. Molec. Biochem. Parasitol. 128:83-86. Crampton, A.L. and S. Luckhart. 2001. The role of As60A, a TGF-beta homolog, in Anopheles stephensi innate immunity and defense against Plasmodium infection. Infect. Genet. Evol. 1:131-141. Crampton, A.L. and S. Luckhart. 2001. Isolation and characterization of As60A, a transforming growth factor-beta gene, from the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Cytokine 13:65-74. Luckhart, S. and K. Li. 2001. Transcriptional complexity of the Anopheles stephensi nitric oxide synthase gene. Insect Biochem. Molec. Biol. 31:249-256. Cui, L., S. Luckhart, and R. Rosenberg. 2000. Cloning and characterization of a prophenoloxidase cDNA from the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi. Insect Biochem. Molec. Biol. 9:127-137. Luckhart, S. and R. Rosenberg. 1999. Gene structure and polymorphism of an invertebrate nitric oxide synthase gene. Gene 232:25-34. Luckhart, S., Y. Vodovotz, L. Cui, and R. Rosenberg. 1998. The mosquito Anopheles stephensi limits malaria parasite development with inducible synthesis of nitric oxide. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:5700-5705. Research Interests: The mosquitoes Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles gambiae respond to malaria parasite infection with inducible expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Catalytic activity of mosquito NOS results in the synthesis of inflammatory levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) that limit parasite development in the insect. Induction and activity of mosquito NOS are dependent on ingested midgut blood components including mammalian growth factors/cytokines that crosstalk with mosquito cells and blood proteins that function as substrates for NOx chemistry. Plasmodium falciparum glycosylphosphatidylinositols (PfGPIs), the "malaria toxin" in mammals, also drive biphasic induction of NOS in the mosquito, indicating that PfGPIs are critical inflammatory mediators in both mosquitoes and mammals. In addition to understanding parasite inducers like PfGPIs, we are also interested in how NO synthesis is controlled in the mosquito. In mammals, other studies have demonstrated that transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 maintains immunological balance during malaria parasite infection, primarily through an effect on inducible NOS. We have demonstrated that ingested mammalian TGF-beta1 dose-dependently regulates malaria parasite development in A. stephensi. Our observations indicated for the first time that TGF-beta-dependent Smad signaling regulates an important anti-parasite defense in the insect host. In mammals, TGF-beta1 regulates a myriad of genes that are associated with cell growth and death, differentiation, morphology, extracellular matrix synthesis and immunity which, in turn, influence the development and physiology of nearly every major tissue and organ system. The success of cytokine therapy for management of infectious disease in humans suggests that a similar strategy may be feasible in mosquitoes. As such, we are using genomics and proteomics approaches as well as overexpression and knockout strategies to understand the global effects of TGF-beta1, parasite signals like PfGPIs and other immunomodulatory factors on mosquito cells and innate immunity. Field Sites: Mali, Kenya, Colombia Teaching Interests:Parasitology, Molecular Genetics, Protein structure/function, Entomology |