Current bioRxiv preprints
Goldman, O.V., DeFoe, A.E., Qi, Y., Jiao, Y., Weng, S-C., Houri-Zeevi, L., Lakhiani, P., Morita, T., Razzauti, J., Rosas-Villegas, A., Tsitohay, Y.N., Walker, M., Hopkins, B.R., Ang, J.X.D., Antoshechkin, I., Cai, Y., Chen, F., Chen, Y-C., Devilliers, J. Dong, L., Feuda, R., Gabrieli, P., Kopp, A., Kwon, H., Li, H-H., Lu, T-C., Lucio, T., Marques, J.T., Oliveira, M.F., Olmo, R.P., Palatini, U., Pithawala, Z.M., Pompon, J., Reis, Y., Rodrigues, J., Smith, R.C., Akbari, O.S., Duvall, L.B., White-Cooper, H., Sorrells, T.R., Sharma, R., Li, H., Vosshall, L.B., Shai, N. Mosquito Cell Atlas: A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of the adult Aedes aegypti mosquito bioRxiv 2025.02.25.639765 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.25.639765v1
Haba, Y., Aardema, M.L., Afonso, M.O., Agramonte, N.M., Albright, J., Alho, A.M., Almeida, A.P.G., Alout, H., Alten, B., Altinli, M., Amara Korba, R., Andreadis, S.S., Anghel, V., Arich, S., Arsenault-Benoit, A., Atyame, C., Aubry, F., Avila, F.W., Ayala, D., Azrag, R.S., Babayan, L., Bear, A., Becker, N., Bega, A.G., Bejarano, S., Ben-Avi, I., Benoit, J.B., Boubidi, S.C., Bradshaw, W.E., Bravo-Barriga, D., Bueno-Marí, R., Bušić, N., Čabanová, V., Cabeje, B., Caputo, B., Cardo, M.V., Carpenter, S., Carreton, E., Chouaïbou, M.S., Christian, M., Coetzee, M., Conner, W.R., Cornel, A., Culverwell, C.L., Cupina, A.I., De Wolf, K., Deblauwe, I., Deegan, B., Delacour-Estrella, S., Torre, A.D., Diaz, D., Dool, S.E., Dos Anjos, V.L., Dugassa, S., Ebrahimi, B., Eisa, S.Y.M., Elissa, N., Fallatah, S.A.B., Faraji, A., Fedorova, M.V., Ferrill, E., Fonseca, D.M., Foss, K.A., Foxi, C., França, C.M., Fricker, S.R., Fritz, M.L., Frontera, E., Fuehrer, H.P., Futami, K., Ghallab, E.H.S., Girod, R., Gordeev, M.I., Greer, D., Gschwind, M., Guarido, M.M., Guat Ney, T., Gunay, F., Haklay, E., Hamad, A.A.E., Hang, J., Hardy, C.M., Hartle, J.W., Hesson, J.C., Higa, Y., Holzapfel, C.M., Honnen, A.C., Ionica, A.M., Jones, L., Kadriaj, P., Kamal, H.A., Kamdem, C., Karagodin, D.A., Kasai, S., Kavran, M., Khater, E.I.M., Kiene, F., Kim, H.C., Kioulos, I., Klein, A., Klemenčić, M., Klobučar, A., Knutson, E., Koenraadt, C.J.M., Kothera, L., Kreienbühl, P., Labbé, P., Lachmi, I., Lambrechts, L., Landeka, N., Lee, C.H., Lessard, B.D., Leycegui, I., Lundström, J.O., Lustigman, Y., MacIntyre, C., Mackay, A.J., Magori, K., Maia, C., Malcolm, C.A., Marquez, R.O., Martins, D., Masri, R.A., McDivitt, G., McMinn, R.J., Medina, J., Mellor, K.S., Mendoza, J., Merdić, E., Mesler, S., Mestre, C., Miranda, H., Miterpáková, M., Montarsi, F., Moskaev, A.V., Mu, T., Möhlmann, T.W.R., Namias, A., Ng'iru, I., Ngangué, M.F., Novo, M.T., Orshan, L., Oteo, J.A., Otsuka, Y., Panarese, R., Paredes-Esquivel, C., Paronyan, L., Peper, S.T., Petrić, D.V., Pilapil, K., Pou-Barreto, C., Puechmaille, S.J., Radespiel, U., Rahola, N., Raman, V.K., Redouane, H., Reiskind, M.H., Reissen, N.M., Rice, B.L., Robert, V., Ruiz-Arrondo, I., Salamat, R., Salamone, A., Sarih, M., Satta, G., Sawabe, K., Schaffner, F., Schultz, K.E., Shaikevich, E.V., Sharakhov, I.V., Sharakhova, M.V., Shatara, N., Sibataev, A.K., Sicard, M., Smith, E., Smith, R.C., Smitz, N., Soriano, N., Spanoudis, C.G., Stone, C.M., Studentsky, L., Sulesco, T., Tantely, L.M., Thao, K., Tietze, N., Tokarz, R.E., Tsai, K.H., Tsuda, Y., Turić, N., Uhran, M.R., Unlu, I., Van Bortel, W., Vardanyan, H., Vavassori, L., Velo, E., Venter, M., Vignjević, G., Vogels, C.B.F., Volkava, T., Vontas, J., Ward, H.M., Ahmad, N.W., Weill, M., West, J.D., Wheeler, S.S., White, G.S., Wipf, N.C., Wu, T.P., Yu, K.D., Zimmermann, E., Zittra, C., Korlević, P., McAlister, E., Lawniczak, M.K.N., Schumer, M., Rose, N.H., McBride, C.S. Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito. bioRxiv 2025.01.26.634793. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.01.26.634793v2
Samantsidis, G-R., Smith, R.C. Exploring new dimensions of immune cell biology in Anopheles gambiae through genetic immunophenotyping. bioRxiv 2024.10.22.619690.https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.22.619690v
Mameli, M.#, Samantsidis, G-R.#, Viswanatha, R., Kwon, H., Hall, D.R., Butnaru, M., Hu, Y., Mohr, S.E., Perrimon, N.*, Smith, R.C.* A genome-wide CRISPR screen in Anopheles mosquito cells identifies essential genes and required components of clodronate liposome function. bioRxiv 2024.09.24.614595. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.24.614595v1
2025
Samantsidis, G-R., Kwon, H., Wendland, M., Fonder, C, Smith, R.C. (2025) TNF signaling mediates cellular immune function and promotes malaria parasite killing in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. PLoS Pathogens 21(7): e1013329. https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1013329
Hall,D. R., Johnson, R.M., Kwon, H., Ferdous, Z., Laredo‑Tiscareño, S.V., Blitvich, B.J., Brackney, D.E., Smith, R.C. (2025) Mosquito immune cells enhance dengue and Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti. Nature Communications 16: 591. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-61139-9
Kwon, H., Smith, R.C. (2025) Protocol to chemically deplete phagocytic hemocytes in Anopheles gambiae using clodronate liposomes. STAR Protocols 6(2):103819. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666166725002254?via%3Dihub
Samantsidis, G-R., Karim, S., Smith, R.C. (2025) Influence of blood-feeding and infection on arthropod hemocytes. Current Opinions in Insect Science 10:101341. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214574525000112?via%3Dihub
2024
Lee, C#, Leonard, M#, Smith, R.C. (2024) Abundance, distribution, and dynamics of Anopheles species (Diptera: Culicidae) in Iowa, USA. Journal of Medical Entomology 61(6):1391-1398. https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/61/6/1391/7735777
Adegoke, A., Ribeiro, J.M.C., Smith, R.C., Karim, S. (2024) Tick innate immune responses to hematophagy and Ehrlichia infection at single-cell resolution. Frontiers in Immunology 14:1305976. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1305976/full
2023
Adegoke, A., Hanson, J., Smith, R.C., Karim, S. (2023) Ehrlichia chaffeensis co-opts phagocytic hemocytes for systemic dissemination in the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum. Journal of Innate Immunity 16 (1): 66-79. https://karger.com/jin/article/doi/10.1159/000535986/886450/Ehrlichia-chaffeensis-co-opts-phagocytic-hemocytes
Loghry, H.J., Kwon H., Smith, R.C., Sondjaja, N.A., Minkler, S., Young, S., Wheeler, N.J., Zamanian, M., Bartholomay, L., Kimber, M.J. (2023) Extracellular vesicles secreted by Brugia malayi microfilariae modulate the melanization pathway in the mosquito host. Scientific Reports 13: 8778. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-35940-9
Field, E.N., Smith, R.C. (2023) Seasonality influences key physiological components contributing to Culex pipiens vector competence. Frontiers in Insect Science 3:1144072. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/finsc.2023.1144072/full
Frederick, J.C., Sharma, P., Thompson, A., Dharmarajan, G., Ronai, I., Pesapane, R., Smith, R.C., Sundstrom, K., Tsao, J.I., Tuten, H., Yabsley, M.J., Glenn, T.C. (2023) Phylogeography of the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis identifies candidate loci for differences in vectorial capacity. Molecular Ecology 32(12):3133-3149. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mec.16921
Adegoke, A, Ribeiro, J.M.C., Brown, S., Smith, R.C., Karim, S. (2023) Rickettsia parkeri hijacks tick hemocytes to manipulate cellular and humoral transcriptional responses. Frontiers in Immunology 14:1094326. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1094326/full
2022
Hussain, T., Linera-Gonzalez, J., Beck, J.M., Fierro, M.A., Smith, R.C., Mair, G., Beck, J.R. (2022) The PTEX pore component EXP2 is important for intrahepatic development during the Plasmodium liver stage. mBio. e0309622. https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.03096-22
Field, E.N., Shepard, J. J., Clifton, M. E., Price, K. J., Witmier, B. J., Johnson, K., Boze, B., Abadam, C., Ebel, G. D., Armstrong, P.M., Barker, C. M., Smith, R. C. (2022) Semi-field and surveillance data define the natural diapause timeline for Culex pipiens across the United States. Communications Biology 5: 1300. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-04276-x
Kwon, H., Smith, R.C. (2022) Anopheles gambiae actively metabolizes uric acid following Plasmodium infection to limit malaria parasite survival. Front. Physiol. 12: 821869. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.821869/full
Tokarz, R.E., Field, E.N., Smith, R. C. (2022) Surveillance and genetic data support the introduction and establishment of Aedes albopictus in Iowa, USA. Scientific Reports 12: 2143.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-06294-5
Adelman, J.S., Tokarz, R.E., Euken, A.E., Field, E.N., Russell, M.C., Smith, R.C. (2022) Relative influence of land use, mosquito abundance, and bird communities in defining West Nile virus infection rates in Culex mosquito populations. Insects 13 (9): 758. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/9/758
Tangudu, C., Hargett, A.M., Laredo-Tiscareno, V., Blitvich, B. (2022) Isolation of a novel rhabdovirus and detection of multiple novel viral sequences in Culex species mosquitoes in the United States. Arch. Virol.167(12):2577-2590. https://trebuchet.public.springernature.app/get_content/9861abb0-53f3-467a-b562-491e4a1fa7a1
2021
Ramesh Kumar, J., Smith, J.P., Kwon, H., Smith, R.C. (2021) Use of clodronate liposomes to deplete phagocytic immune cells in Drosophila melanogaster and Aedes aegypti. Front Cell Dev Bio 9:627976. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2021.627976/full
Hodge, J.M., Yurchenko, A.A., Karagodin, D.A., Masri, R.A., Smith, R.C., Gordeev, M.I., Sharakova, M.V. (2021) The new Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 diagnostic tool clarifies the taxonomic position and geographic distribution of the North American malaria vector Anopheles punctipennis. Malar J. 20(1):141. https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-021-03676-4
Simões, M.L., Reynolds, R. A., Dimopoulos, G., Smith, R.C. (2021) Additional feeding reveals differences in immune recognition and growth of Plasmodium parasites in the mosquito host. mSphere 6 (2): e00136-21. https://msphere.asm.org/content/6/2/e00136-21/article-info
Brackney, D.E., LaReau, J.C. Smith, R.C. (2021) Frequency matters: How successive feeding episodes by blood-feeding insect vectors influences disease transmission. PloS Pathogens 17(6): e1009590. https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1009590
Kwon, H.*, Mohammed, M.*, Franzén, O., Ankarklev, J., Smith, R.C. (2021) Single-cell analysis of mosquito hemocytes identifies signatures of immune cell sub-types and cell differentiation. eLife 10: e66192. https://elifesciences.org/articles/66192
Kwon, H., Hall, D.R., Smith, R.C. (2021) Identification of a prostaglandin E2 receptor that regulates mosquito oenocytoid immune cell function in limiting bacteria and parasite infection. Front. Immunol. 12: 680020. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.680020/abstract
2020
Crossover dynamics of Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) vector populations determine WNV transmission intensity. Journal of Medical Entomology 57(1):289-296. https://academic.oup.com/jme/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jme/tjz122/5532732
Field, E.N., Gehrke, E.J., Ruden, R.M., Adelman, J.S., Smith, R.C. (2020) An improved multiplex PCR assay for the identification of mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) blood meals.Journal of Medical Entomology 57(2):557-562. https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/57/2/557/5601930?login=true
Reynolds, R. A., Kwon, H., Smith, R.C. (2020) mSphere 5(2):e00983-19. https://msphere.asm.org/content/5/2/e00983-19
Smith, R.C. (2020) Highlights in Medical Entomology, 2019: Familiar Foes and New Frontiers. Journal of Medical Entomology 57(5): 1349-1353. https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/57/5/1349/5868617
Reynolds, R. A., Kwon, H., Alves E Silva, T.L., Olivas, J., Vega-Rodriguez, J., Smith, R.C. (2020) The 20-hydroxyecdysone agonist, halofenozide, promotes anti-Plasmodium immunity in Anopheles gambiae via the ecdysone receptor. Scientific Reports 10(1):21084. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78280-8
2019
Tangudu CS, Charles J, Hurt SL, Dunphy BM, Smith RC, Bartholomay LC, Blitvich BJ. (2019) Skunk River virus, a novel orbivirus isolated from Aedes trivittatus in the United States. Journal of General Virology 100: 295-300. https://jgv.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/jgv.0.001219#tab2
Dunphy, B.M., Kovach, K.B., Gehrke, E.J., Field, E.N., Rowley, W.A., Bartholomay, L.C., Smith, R.C. (2019) Long-term surveillance defines spatial and temporal patterns implicating Culex tarsalis as the primary vector of West Nile virus. Scientific Reports 9(1):6637. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43246-y
Kwon, H., Smith, R.C. (2019) Chemical depletion of phagocytic immune cells reveals dual roles of mosquito hemocytes in Anopheles gambiae anti-Plasmodium immunity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(28): 14119-14128. https://www.pnas.org/content/116/28/14119.long
Field, E.N., Tokarz, R.E., Smith, R.C. (2019) Satellite imaging and long-term mosquito surveillance implicate the influence of rapid urbanization on Culex vector populations. Insects 10(9), 269. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/9/269
Hadfield, J., Brito, A.F., Swetnam, D.M., Vogels, C.B.F., Tokarz, R.E, Andersen, K.G., Smith, R.C., Bedford, T., Grubaugh, N.D. (2019) Twenty years of West Nile virus spread and evolution in the Americas visualized by Nextstrain. PLoS Pathogens 15(10): e1008042. https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1008042
2018
Kovach, K.B., Smith, R.C. (2018) Surveillance of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Southern Iowa, 2016. Journal of Medical Entomology 55:1341-1345. https://academic.oup.com/jme/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jme/tjy077/4999768
2017
Kwon, H., Arends, B.R., Smith, R.C. (2017) Late-phase immune responses limiting oocyst survival are independent of TEP1 function yet display strain specific differences in Anopheles gambiae. Parasites & Vectors 10:369. https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-017-2308-0
2016
Kwon, H., Agha, M.A., Smith, R.C., Nachman, R.J., Marion-Poll, F, Pietrantonio, P.V. (2016) A leucokinin mimetic elicits aversive behavior in mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) and inhibits the sugar taste neuron. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113(25): 6880-6885. http://www.pnas.org/content/113/25/6880
Orfano, A.S., Nacif-Pimenta, R., Duarte, A.P.M., Villegas, L.M., Rodrigues, N.B., Pinto, L.C., Campos, K.M.M., Pinilla, Y.T., Chaves, B., Barbosa Guerra, M.G.V., Monteiro, W.M., Smith, R.C., Molina-Cruz, A., Lacerda, M.V.G., Secundino, N.F.C., Jacobs-Lorena, M., Barillas-Mury, C., Pimenta, P.F.P. (2016) Species-specific escape of Plasmodium sporozoites from oocysts of avian, rodent, and human malarial parasites. Malaria Journal 15 (1), 394. https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-016-1451-y
Smith, R.C., King, J.G., Tao, D., Tomescu, O., Brando, C., Thallinger, G.G., Dinglasan R.R. (2016) Molecular profiling of phagocytic immune cells in Anopheles gambiae reveals integral roles for hemocytes in mosquito innate immunity. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. 15: 3373-3387. http://www.mcponline.org/content/15/11/3373.abstract?sid=1f1b5387-e670-4255-989c-2d7d662c9765
Smith, R.C., Barillas-Mury, C. (2016) Plasmodium oocysts: overlooked targets of mosquito immunity. Trends in Parasitology 32 (12): 979-990. http://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/fulltext/S1471-4922(16)30142-8
2015
Smith, R.C., Jacobs-Lorena, M. (2015) Malaria parasite Pfs47 disrupts JNK signaling to escape mosquito immunity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(5): 1250-1. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/01/21/1424227112.long
Smith, R.C., Barillas-Mury, C., Jacobs-Lorena, M. (2015) Hemocyte differentiation mediates the mosquito late-phase immune response against Plasmodium in Anopheles gambiae. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(26): E3412-20. http://www.pnas.org/content/112/26/E3412
2014
Smith, R.C.*, Vega-Rodriguez, J.*, Jacobs-Lorena, M. (2014) The Plasmodium bottleneck: malaria parasite losses in the mosquito vector. Memorias do Instito Oswaldo Cruz 109(5): 644-661.
Smith, R.C., Colon-Lopez, D.D., Bosch, J. (2014) Immunization against a merozoite subtilisin protease attenuates Plasmodium infection in mice. Malaria Journal 13: 313. http://www.malariajournal.com/content/13/1/313
2013
Eappen, A.G.* Smith, R.C.*, Jacobs-Lorena, M. (2013) Enterobacter-activated mosquito immune responses to Plasmodium involve activation of SRPN6 in Anopheles stephensi. PLOS ONE 8(5): e62937. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0062937
Wright, J.A., Smith, R.C., Li, X., Craig, N.L., Atkinson, P.W. (2013) IPB7 transposase behavior in Drosophila melanogaster and Aedes aegypti. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 43(10):899-906. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096517481300115X
Smith, R.C., Kizito, C., Rasgon, J, Jacobs-Lorena, M. (2013) Transgenic mosquitoes expressing a phospholipase A2 gene have a fitness advantage when fed Plasmodium falciparum-infected blood. PLOS ONE 8(10): e76097. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0076097
2012
Smith, R.C., Eappen, A.G., Radtke, A.J., Jacobs-Lorena, M. (2012) Regulation of anti-Plasmodium immunity by a LITAF-like transcription factor in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. PLOS Pathogens 8(10): e1002965. http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.ppat.1002965
2011
Arensburger, P., Hice, R.H., Zhou, L., Smith, R.C., Tom, A.C., Wright, J.A., Knapp, J., O’Brochta, D.A., Craig, N.L., and Atkinson, P.W. (2011) Phylogenetic and functional characterization of the hAT transposon superfamily. Genetics 88(1): 45-57. http://www.genetics.org/content/188/1/45.long
Smith, R.C. and Atkinson, P.W. (2011) Mobility properties of the Hermes transposable element in transgenic lines of Aedes aegypti. Genetica 139(1): 7-22. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10709-010-9459-7
2010
Smith, R.C. and Jacobs-Lorena, M. Plasmodium-mosquito interactions: A tale of roadblocks and detours, In: Stephen J. Simpson, Editor(s), Advances in Insect Physiology, Academic Press, 2010, Volume 39, 119-149. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012381387900004X
2007
Smith, R.C., Walter, M.F., Hice, R.H., O’Brochta, D.A., Atkinson, P.W. (2007) Testis-specific expression of the ß2 tubulin promoter of Aedes aegypti and its application as a genetic sex-separation marker. Insect Molecular Biology 16(1): 61-71. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2583.2006.00701.x/abstract