Journal Article

Molecular immune responses of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae to bacteria and malaria parasites

Dimopoulos, G, Kafatos, F.C, Richman, A, Muller, H.M

1997

Overview

Immune responses of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae were monitored systematically by the induced expression of five RNA markers after infection challenge. One newly isolated marker encodes a homologue of the moth Gram-negative bacteria-binding protein (GNBP), and another corresponds to a serine protease-like molecule. Additional previously described markers that respond to immune challenge encode the antimicrobial peptide defensin, a putative galactose lectin, and a putative serine protease. Specificity of the immune responses was indicated by differing temporal patterns of induction of specific markers in bacteria-challenged larvae and adults, and by variations in the effectiveness of different microorganisms and their components for marker induction in an immune-responsive cell line. The markers exhibit spatially distinct patterns of expression in the adult female mosquito. Two of them are highly expressed in different regions of the midgut, one in the anterior and the other in the posterior midgut. Marker induction indicates a significant role of the midgut in insect innate immunity. Immune responses to the penetration of the midgut epithelium by a malaria parasite occur both within the midgut itself and elsewhere in the body, suggesting an immune-related signaling process.

• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,National Acad Sciences,National Academy of Sciences,The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
• Subject: Acute-Phase Proteins / Acute-Phase Proteins - biosynthesis / Acute-Phase Proteins - chemistry / ADN / adults / Amino Acid Sequence / AMINO ACID SEQUENCES / ANIMAL PROTEINS / Animals / Anopheles / Anopheles - immunology / Anopheles - microbiology / Anopheles - parasitology / ANOPHELES GAMBIAE / ANTERIOR MIDGUT / Anti-Bacterial Agents / Aquatic insects / ARN MENSAJERO / ARN MESSAGER / Bacteria / Base Sequence / beta-glucanase / BINDING PROTEINS / Biological Sciences / biosynthesis / Blood Proteins / Blood Proteins - biosynthesis / Blood Proteins - chemistry / Bombyx / Bombyx - immunology / Cell lines / CHEMICAL COMPOSITION / chemistry / COMPLEMENTARY DNA / COMPOSICION QUIMICA / COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE / Culicidae / Defensins / Digestive System / Digestive System - immunology / Digestive System - microbiology / Digestive System - parasitology / DNA / DNA Primers / ESCHERICHIA COLI / EXPERIMENTACION IN VIVO / EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION / EXPERIMENTATION IN VIVO / EXPRESION GENICA / EXPRESSION DES GENES / Female / Freshwater / GENBANK/AJ000675 / GENBANK/AJ001042 / GENE EXPRESSION / Gram-Negative Bacteria / Gram-Negative Bacteria - immunology / IMMUNE RESPONSE / Immunity (Disease) / immunology / IN VIVO EXPERIMENTATION / INFECCION EXPERIMENTAL / INFECTION EXPERIMENTALE / Infections / Insect larvae / Insect Proteins / Insect vectors / Insects / INTESTIN / INTESTINES / INTESTINOS / Larva / larvae / Malaria / MEMBRANA MUCOSA / MESSENGER RNA / microbiology / MICROCOCCUS / MICROCOCCUS LUTEUS / Midgut / MOLECULAR SEQUENCE DATA / Mosquitoes / Mosquitos / Moths / Moths - immunology / MUCOUS MEMBRANE / MUQUEUSE / NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE / nucleotide sequences / Parasites / parasitology / Plasmodium / PLASMODIUM BERGHEI / Plasmodium berghei - immunology / Polymerase Chain Reaction / POSTERIOR MIDGUT / PROTEASAS / PROTEASE / PROTEASES / PROTEINAS / PROTEINAS AGLUTINANTES / PROTEINE / PROTEINE DE LIAISON / PROTEINS / REPONSE IMMUNITAIRE / RESPUESTA INMUNOLOGICA / Ribonucleic acid / RNA / SECUENCIA NUCLEOTIDICA / Sequence Alignment / Sequence Homology, Amino Acid / SEQUENCE NUCLEOTIDIQUE / SERINE PROTEINASES / Thorax / Vector-borne diseases