title: Variation in susceptibility of African Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites to TEP1 mediated killing in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes.
abstract: Anopheles gambiae s.s. mosquitoes are efficient vectors for Plasmodium falciparum, although variation exists in their susceptibility to infection. This variation depends partly on the thioester-containing protein 1 (TEP1) and TEP depletion results in significantly elevated numbers of oocysts in susceptible and resistant mosquitoes. Polymorphism in the Plasmodium gene coding for the surface protein Pfs47 modulates resistance of some parasite laboratory strains to TEP1-mediated killing. Here, we examined resistance of P. falciparum isolates of African origin (NF54, NF165 and NF166) to TEP1-mediated killing in a susceptible Ngousso and a refractory L3-5 strain of A. gambiae. All parasite clones successfully developed in susceptible mosquitoes with limited evidence for an impact of TEP1 on transmission efficiency. In contrast, NF166 and NF165 oocyst densities were strongly reduced in refractory mosquitoes and TEP1 silencing significantly increased oocyst densities. Our results reveal differences between African P. falciparum strains in their capacity to evade TEP1-mediated killing in resistant mosquitoes. There was no significant correlation between Pfs47 genotype and resistance of a given P. falciparum isolate for TEP1 killing. These data suggest that polymorphisms in this locus are not the sole mediators of immune evasion of African malaria parasites.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Vector Biology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Maarten
authors: M
authors: Eldering
authors: UMR MIVEGEC UM1-CNRS 5290-IRD 224, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier cedex, France.
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Morlais
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Geert-Jan
authors: GJ
authors: van Gemert
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Marga
authors: M
authors: van de Vegte-Bolmer
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Wouter
authors: W
authors: Graumans
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Rianne
authors: R
authors: Siebelink-Stoter
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Martijn
authors: M
authors: Vos
authors: UMR MIVEGEC UM1-CNRS 5290-IRD 224, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier cedex, France.
authors: Luc
authors: L
authors: Abate
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Will
authors: W
authors: Roeffen
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
authors: Teun
authors: T
authors: Bousema
authors: Vector Biology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Elena A
authors: EA
authors: Levashina
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors: Robert W
authors: RW
authors: Sauerwein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D020868:Gene Silencing; D015151:Immunoblotting; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D033661:Oocysts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000502:physiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C526772:Pfs47 protein, Plasmodium falciparum; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C544265:TEP1 protein, Anopheles gambiae