title: A role for insect galectins in parasite survival.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Shaden
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamhawi
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramalho-Ortigao
authors.forename: Van M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Phillip G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Lawyer
authors.forename: Salvatore J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Turco
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barillas-Mury
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Sacks
authors.forename: Jesus G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D037161:Galectins; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; C008290:lipophosphonoglycan