title: Proteomics reveals major components of oogenesis in the reproductive tract of sugar-fed Anopheles aquasalis.
abstract: Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) aquasalis is a malaria vector mainly distributed along the coastal regions of South and Central America. In the absence of an effective vaccine against malaria, strategies for controlling the vector are the main tool for interrupting parasite transmission. Mechanisms of oogenesis and embryogenesis in anautogenous mosquitoes are mainly modulated by blood feeding. However, the expression, at the protein level, of genes involved in such mechanisms in sugar-fed females is unknown. In this work, total protein extracts of the reproductive tract of female An. aquasalis that were fed sugar were analyzed using liquid chromatography followed by mass spectrometry for protein identification and bioinformatic tools for data mining. We identified 922 proteins expressed in the organ, and using several databases, we attributed biological meaning for several of them. Remarkably, nine proteins involved in oogenesis were identified in females fed sugar. Putative vitellogenins, vitellogenin receptor, lipid storage droplet, transferrin, ferritin, and apolipoprotein, identified here, are proteins involved in egg development. Proteins involved in embryonic development, such as paxillin, exuperantia, several growth factors, and dorsal switch protein, were identified. Interestingly, in this study, we identified 15 peptidases of various classes such as aminopeptidases, carboxypeptidases, serine protease, cathepsin, and metalloprotease that could potentially interact with male seminal components. Here, we demonstrated that the reproductive tract of female An. aquasalis fed on sugar expresses proteins involved in oogenesis and embryonic development. These findings reveal unknown aspects of the physiology of this organ under the given nutritional conditions.
authors: Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Geovane
authors: G
authors: Dias-Lopes
authors: Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Andre
authors: A
authors: Borges-Veloso
authors: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Leonardo
authors: L
authors: Saboia-Vahia
authors: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Padrón
authors: Departamento de Medicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São João del Rei, Campus Dom Bosco, Praça Dom Helvécio, 74, Fabricas, CEP: 36301-160, São João del Rei, MG, Brazil.
authors: Cássia Luana
authors: CL
authors: de Faria Castro
authors: Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Ana Carolina Ramos
authors: AC
authors: Guimarães
authors: Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Constança
authors: C
authors: Britto
authors: Laboratório de Pesquisa em Leishmaniose, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Cuervo
authors: Departamento de Medicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São João del Rei, Campus Dom Bosco, Praça Dom Helvécio, 74, Fabricas, CEP: 36301-160, São João del Rei, MG, Brazil. jbj@ufsj.edu.br.
authors: Jose Batista
authors: JB
authors: De Jesus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000502:physiology*; D002241:Carbohydrates; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D040901:Proteomics; D012098:Reproduction
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates
keywords: Anopheles aquasalis; Mass spectrometry; Oogenesis; Proteomics; Reproductive tract