Relish-mediated immune deficiency in the transgenic mosquito Aedes aegypti.
The lack of genetic means has been a serious limitation in studying mosquito immunity. We generated Relish-mediated immune deficiency (RMID) by transforming Aedes aegypti with the Delta Rel transgene driven by the vitellogenin (Vg) promoter using the pBac[3xP3-EGFP, afm] vector. A stable transformed line had a single copy of the Vg-Delta Rel transgene. The Vg-Delta Rel transgene expression was highly activated by blood feeding, and transgenic mosquitoes were extremely susceptible to the infection by Gram-negative bacteria. This RMID phenotype was characterized by severely reduced postinfection levels of antimicrobial peptides genes, defensin and cecropin. Crossing the RMID line with the wild-type strain produced the same RMID phenotype, indicating its dominant nature, whereas crossing with the Vg-def transgenic line, in which Defensin A was activated by blood feeding, restored the immunity to Enterobacter cloacae.
Shin
Sang Woon
SW
Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
Kokoza
Vladimir
V
Lobkov
Iouri
I
Raikhel
Alexander S
AS
D000330:Aedes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D023082:Defensins / Q000494:pharmacology; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D016972:Enterobacter cloacae / Q000276:immunology; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000235:genetics*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019076:Transgenes
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023082:Defensins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C101626:Rel protein, Drosophila; D014157:Transcription Factors; C058181:insect defensin A; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins