UC Davis One Shields Avenue Rm 3437 Tupper Hall Davis, CA 95616 Tel: (530) 754-6963 Lab: (530) 754-5133 FAX: (530) 752-8692 sluckhart@ucdavis.edu

University of Florida B.A. Natural Resource Conservation
Auburn University M.S. Entomology
Rutgers University Ph.D. Entomology

Member of the Graduate Groups of Microbiology, Immunology and Graduate Program in Entomology

Dr. Luckhart's Community of Science Page

General areas of research in the laboratory include: the molecular cell biology and biochemistry of the interaction between malaria parasites and their mosquito hosts, the functional characterization of primitive orthologs of mammalian innate immune molecules and cell signaling proteins using the mosquito as an invertebrate model. Specific research projects include: characterization of mosquito gene products that inhibit malaria parasite development and molecular/biochemical analysis of parasite damage; signal transduction pathways involved in parasite induction of mosquito innate immunity; analysis of expression, signaling, and regulation of anti-parasite genes in mosquitoes; molecular and functional analyses of immune factors that are conserved between mosquitoes and their mammalian hosts; immunological crosstalk between mosquitoes and mammals at the interface of bloodfeeding.

Kang MA, Mott TM, Tapley EC, Lewis EE, Luckhart S. Human insulin regulates oxidative stress and aging in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. In press, Journal of Experimental Biology, January 2008.

 

Son Y, Luckhart S, Zhang Y, Lieber MJ, Lewis EE. Effects and implications of antibiotic treatment on Wolbachia-infected black vine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). In press, Agricultural and Forest Entomology, December 2007.

 

Akman-Anderson L, Vodovotz Y, Zamora R, Luckhart S. Bloodfeeding as an interface of mammalian and arthropod immunity. In: Insect Immunology, Beckage N, ed., Elsevier Press, December 2007.

 

Luckhart S, Lieber MJ, Singh N, Zamora R, Vodovotz Y. Low levels of mammalian TGF-β1 are protective against malaria parasite infection, a paradox clarified in the mosquito host. Experimental Parasitology 118:290-6, September 2007.

 

Akman-Anderson L, Olivier M, Luckhart S. Induction of nitric oxide synthase and activation of signaling proteins in Anopheles mosquitoes by the malaria pigment, hemozoin. Infection and Immunity 75:4012-4019, August 2007.

 

Zapata, MA, Cienfuegos AV, Quiros OI, Quinones ML, Luckhart S., Correa MM. Discrimination of Anopheles species from San Pedro de Uraba-Antioquia, Colombia, by PCR-RFLP analysis of its sequences. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 77: 67-72, July 2007.

Luckhart S, Riehle MA. The insulin signaling cascade from nematodes to mammals: insights into innate immunity of Anopheles mosquitoes to malaria parasite infection. Developmental and Comparative Immunology 31:647-56, November 2006.

Luckhart S, Kato K, Giulivi C. Impact of nitrative/nitrosative stress in mitochondria: unraveling targets for malaria chemotherapy. Advances in Experimental Biology, 1:129-149, November 2006.

Peterson TML, Gow AJ, Luckhart S. Nitric oxide metabolites induced in Anopheles stephensi control malaria parasite infection. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 42:132-142, December 2006.

Ryan JR, Stoute JA, Amon J, Dunton RF, Mtalib R, Koros J, Owour B, Luckhart S, Wirtz RA, Barnwell JW, Rosenberg R. Evidence for transmission of Plasmodium vivax among a Duffy antigen negative population in western Kenya. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 75:575-581, October 2006.

Peterson TML, Luckhart S. A mosquito 2-Cys peroxiredoxin protects against nitrosative and oxidative stresses associate with malaria parasite infection. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 40:1067-82, March 2006.

Lim J, Gowda DC, Krishnegowda G, Luckhart S. Induction of nitric oxide synthase in Anopheles stephensi by Plasmodium falciparum: mechanism of signaling and the role of parasite glycosylphosphatidylinositols. Infection and Immunity 73:2778-89, May 2005.

Vodovotz Y, Zamora R, Lieber MJ, Luckhart S. Cross-talk between nitric oxide and transforming growth factor-beta1 in malaria. Current Molecular Medicine 4:787-797, November 2004.

Lieber MJ, Luckhart S. Transforming growth factor-betas and related gene products in mosquito vectors of human malaria parasites: signaling architecture for immunological crosstalk. Molecular Immunology 41:965-77, August 2004.

Luckhart S, Crampton AL, Zamora R, Lieber MJ, Dos Santos PC, Peterson TM, Emmith N, Lim J, Wink DA, Vodovotz Y. Mammalian transforming growth factor beta1 activated after ingestion by Anopheles stephensi modulates mosquito immunity. Infection and Immunity 71:3000-9, June 2003.

Luckhart S, Li K, Dunton R, Lewis EE, Crampton AL, Ryan JR, Rosenberg R. Anopheles gambiae immune gene variants associated with natural Plasmodium infection. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology 128:83-6, April 2003.