Anopheles and Plasmodium: from laboratory models to natural systems in the field.
Parasites that cause malaria must complete a complex life cycle in Anopheles vector mosquitoes in order to be transmitted from human to human. Previous gene-silencing studies have shown the influence of mosquito immunity in controlling the development of Plasmodium. Thus, parasite survival to the oocyst stage increased when the parasite antagonist gene LRIM1 (leucine-rich repeat immune protein 1) of the mosquito was silenced, but decreased when the C-type lectin agonist gene CTL4 or CTLMA2 (CTL mannose binding 2) was silenced. However, such effects were shown for infections of the human mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae with the rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei. Here, we report the first results of A. gambiae gene silencing on infection by sympatric field isolates of the principal human pathogen P. falciparum. In contrast with the results obtained with the rodent parasite, silencing of the same three genes had no effect on human parasite development. These results highlight the importance of following up discoveries in laboratory model systems with studies on natural parasite-mosquito interactions.
Cohuet
Anna
A
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement-Laboratoire de Lutte contre les Insectes Nuisibles, UR 016, BP 64501, 911 Avenue Agropolis, 34394 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
Osta
Mike A
MA
Morlais
Isabelle
I
Awono-Ambene
Parfait H
PH
Michel
Kristin
K
Simard
Frederic
F
Christophides
George K
GK
Fontenille
Didier
D
Kafatos
Fotis C
FC
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D009033:Culicidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology
D037181:Lectins, C-Type