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Ribeiro JM, Francischetti IM. Platelet-activating-factor-hydrolyzing phospholipase C in the salivary glands and saliva of the mosquitoCulex quinquefasciatus. J Exp Biol 2001; 204:3887-94. [PMID: 11807106 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.204.22.3887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYA phospholipase C activity specific for platelet-activating factor (PAF), named PAF phosphorylcholine hydrolase, was found in the salivary glands and saliva of the human-feeding mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. The enzymatic activity was demonstrated by inhibition of PAF-induced platelet aggregation, and by identification of substrate consumption and production of diacyl glyceride by electrospray-ionisation mass spectrometry. The activity has a neutral optimal pH and an apparent molecular mass of 40–50 kDa. Two anthropophilic mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, do not have this salivary activity. The results are interpreted within the evolutionary context of the genera Culex, Aedes and Anopheles.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Ribeiro
- Section of Medical Entomology, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Building 4, Room 126, 4 Center Drive, MSC 0425, Bethesda, MD 20892-0425, USA.
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