A role for insect galectins in parasite survival.
Insect galectins are associated with embryonic development or immunity against pathogens. Here, we show that they can be exploited by parasites for survival in their insect hosts. PpGalec, a tandem repeat galectin expressed in the midgut of the sandfly Phlebotomus papatasi, is used by Leishmania major as a receptor for mediating specific binding to the insect midgut, an event crucial for parasite survival, and accounts for species-specific vector competence for the most widely distributed form of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World. In addition, these studies demonstrate the feasibility of using midgut receptors for parasite ligands as target antigens for transmission-blocking vaccines.
Kamhawi
Shaden
S
Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Ramalho-Ortigao
Marcelo
M
Pham
Van M
VM
Kumar
Sanjeev
S
Lawyer
Phillip G
PG
Turco
Salvatore J
SJ
Barillas-Mury
Carolina
C
Sacks
David L
DL
Valenzuela
Jesus G
JG
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D037161:Galectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000469:parasitology; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology*; D013045:Species Specificity
D037161:Galectins; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; C008290:lipophosphonoglycan