Malaria parasites in mosquitoes: laboratory models, evolutionary temptation and the real world.
A recent study describing the effect of Plasmodium berghei infection on some Anopheles gambiae immune genes demonstrates that P. berghei is responsible for the upregulation of several genes involved in the immune response that affect parasitic development differently during the ookinete-to-oocyst developmental transition. It is important to question the relevance of such results, which are based on a laboratory model system, when discussing host-parasite interactions and, especially, the development of novel control strategies for malaria.
Boëte
Christophe
C
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Laboratoire Génétique et Evolution des Maladies Infectieuses, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 64501 34394, Montpellier Cedex 05, France. christophe.boete@ird.fr
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D008288:Malaria / Q000635:transmission; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000254:growth & development*; D051381:Rats