Effect of chloroquine on the expression of genes involved in the mosquito immune response to Plasmodium infection.
Chloroquine has been described to increase Plasmodium infectivity to the mosquito vector and is known to affect the vertebrate host immune response including during malarial infection. Although knowledge of the mosquito immune response has recently improved, nothing is known about the impact of chloroquine on mosquito immunity. In order to characterize the influence of chloroquine on the mosquito immune system, we have analyzed the effect of chloroquine on Anopheles gambiae (i) serine proteases and (ii) antimicrobial peptide gene expression, in uninfected and Plasmodium berghei infected mosquitoes, using real-time PCR. We have demonstrated for the first time that mosquitoes fed on chloroquine-treated mice showed a significant down regulation of some immune-related genes. This effect was independent of midgut bacterial burden. These results suggest that chloroquine might act on the Anopheles serine proteases cascade, interfering with signal transduction pathways and at a transcriptional activation level.
Abrantes
P
P
Centro de Malária e Outras Doenças Tropicais/ UEI de Malária, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 96, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal. patriciaabrantes@ihmt.unl.pt
Lopes
L F
LF
do Rosário
V E
VE
Silveira
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000276:immunology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004064:Digestive System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000494:pharmacology
D000962:Antimalarials; D017931:DNA Primers; D004338:Drug Combinations; D002738:Chloroquine; D014295:Trimethoprim; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases