Intravital microscopy demonstrating antibody-mediated immobilisation of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites injected into skin by mosquitoes.
Previous studies have shown that mosquitoes inject Plasmodium sporozoites into avascular portions of the skin of their rodent host rather than directly into the blood circulation. Then, over time, these sporozoites move into the circulation, from where they reach the liver to initiate a malaria infection. By use of intravital microscopy of the skin, we present direct morphological evidence of mosquito probing that introduces sporozoites into avascular tissue, of the migration of these sporozoites through the dermis and into blood vessels, and of the role of anti-sporozoite antibodies in blocking sporozoite invasion of these dermal blood vessels.
Department of Medical and Molecular Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, 341 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA. jerome.vanderberg@med.nyu.edu
Jerome P
JP
Vanderberg
Ute
U
Frevert
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D051379:Mice; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000469:parasitology*; D034101:Sporozoites / Q000502:physiology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan