title: Comparative susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum of the molecular forms M and S of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles arabiensis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The different taxa belonging to Anopheles gambiae complex display phenotypic differences that may impact their contribution to malaria transmission. More specifically, their susceptibility to infection, resulting from a co-evolution between parasite and vector, might be different. The aim of this study was to compare the susceptibility of M and S molecular forms of Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles arabiensis to infection by Plasmodium falciparum.
  
  
  METHODS
  F3 progenies of Anopheles gambiae s.l. collected in Senegal were infected, using direct membrane feeding, with P. falciparum gametocyte-containing blood sampled on volunteer patients. The presence of oocysts was determined by light microscopy after 7 days, and the presence of sporozoite by ELISA after 14 days. Mosquito species and molecular forms were identified by PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The oocyst rate was significantly higher in the molecular S form (79.07%) than in the M form (57.81%, Fisher's exact test p<0.001) and in Anopheles arabiensis (55.38%, Fisher's exact test vs. S group p<0.001). Mean±s.e.m. number of oocyst was greater in the An. gambiae S form (1.72±0.26) than in the An. gambiae M form (0.64±0.04, p<0.0001) and in the An. arabiensis group (0.58±0.04, vs. S group, p<0.0001). Sporozoite rate was also higher in the molecular form S (83.52%) than in form M (50.98%, Fisher's exact test p<0.001) and Anopheles arabiensis 50.85%, Fisher's exact test vs. S group p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infected in the same experimental conditions, the molecular form S of An. gambiae is more susceptible to infection by P. falciparum than the molecular form M of An. gambiae and An. arabiensis.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes (URMITE), IRD, BP 1386 Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Mamadou O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Ndiath
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cohuet
authors.forename: Ablaye
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaye
authors.forename: Lassana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Konate
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazenot
authors.forename: Ousmane
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Faye
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boudin
authors.forename: Cheikh
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sokhna
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Trape
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000469:parasitology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011817:Rabbits; D012675:Senegal