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Schinkel M, Bousema T, van Rij RP. Tripartite interactions between viruses, parasites, and mosquitoes. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 64:101222. [PMID: 38908822 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases have a major impact on global human health. Biological agents that colonize the mosquito vector are increasingly explored as an intervention strategy to prevent vector-borne disease transmission. For instance, the release of mosquitoes carrying the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia effectively reduced dengue virus incidence and disease. Insect-specific viruses are likewise considered as biocontrol agents against vector-borne diseases. While most studies focused on insect-specific viruses as an intervention against arthropod-borne viruses, we here consider whether mosquito-specific viruses may affect the transmission of the malaria-causing Plasmodium parasite by Anopheles mosquitoes. Although there is no direct experimental evidence addressing this question, we found that viral infections in dipteran insects activate some of the immune pathways that are antiparasitic in Anopheles. These findings suggest that indirect virus-parasite interactions could occur and that insect-specific viruses may modulate malaria transmission. Tripartite interactions between viruses, parasites, and Anopheles mosquitoes thus merit further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Schinkel
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Teun Bousema
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ronald P van Rij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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Wu D, Yang Y, Yang Y, Li L, Fu S, Wang L, Tan L, Lu X, Zhang W, Di W. An insulin-like signalling pathway model for Fasciola gigantica. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:252. [PMID: 38851737 PMCID: PMC11162077 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04107-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The insulin/insulin-like signalling (IIS) pathway is common in mammals and invertebrates, and the IIS pathway is unknown in Fasciola gigantica. In the present study, the IIS pathway was reconstructed in F. gigantica. We defined the components involved in the IIS pathway and investigated the transcription profiles of these genes for all developmental stages of F. gigantica. In addition, the presence of these components in excretory and secretory products (ESPs) was predicted via signal peptide annotation. RESULTS The core components of the IIS pathway were detected in F. gigantica. Among these proteins, one ligand (FgILP) and one insulin-like molecule binding protein (FgIGFBP) were analysed. Interestingly, three receptors (FgIR-1/FgIR-2/FgIR-3) were detected, and a novel receptor, FgIR-3, was screened, suggesting novel functions. Fg14-3-3ζ, Fgirs, and Fgpp2a exhibited increased transcription in 42-day-old juveniles and 70-day-old juveniles, while Fgilp, Fgigfb, Fgsgk-1, Fgakt-1, Fgir-3, Fgpten, and Fgaap-1 exhibited increased transcription in metacercariae. FgILP, FgIGFBP, FgIR-2, FgIR-3, and two transcription factors (FgHSF-1 and FgSKN-1) were predicted to be present in FgESPs, indicating their exogenous roles. CONCLUSIONS This study helps to elucidate the signal transduction pathway of IIS in F. gigantica, which will aid in understanding the interaction between flukes and hosts, as well as in understanding fluke developmental regulation, and will also lay a foundation for further characterisation of the IIS pathways of trematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongqi Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yuqing Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yankun Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Liang Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Shishi Fu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Li Tan
- Wuhan Keqian Biology Limited Company, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiuhong Lu
- Nanning Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Weiyu Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Wenda Di
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
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Dai Y, Li X, Ding J, Liang Z, Guo R, Yi T, Zhu Y, Chen S, Liang S, Liu W. Molecular and expression characterization of insulin-like signaling in development and metabolism of Aedes albopictus. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:134. [PMID: 37072796 PMCID: PMC10111782 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05747-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insulin-like signaling (IS) in insects is a conserved pathway that regulates development, reproduction and longevity. Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) activate the IS pathway by binding to the insulin receptor (InR) and trigger the ERK and AKT cascades. A varying number of ILPs were identified in Aedes aegypti mosquito and other insects. Aedes albopictus is an invasive mosquito which transmits dengue and Zika viruses worldwide. Until now, the molecular and expression characteristics of IS pathway in Ae. albopictus have not been investigated. METHODS The orthologues of ILP in Ae. albopictus genome assembly was analyzed by using sequence blast. Phylogenetic analysis and molecular characterization were performed to identify the functional domains of ILPs. Quantitative analysis was performed to determine the expression characteristics of ILPs, InR as well as ERK and AKT in mosquito development and different tissues of female adults after blood-feeding. In addition, the knockdown of InR was achieved by feeding larvae with Escherichia coli-producing dsRNA to investigate the impact of IS pathway on mosquito development. RESULTS We identified seven putative ILP genes in Ae. albopictus genome assembly, based on nucleotide similarity to the ILPs of Ae. aegypti and other insects. Bioinformatics and molecular analyses suggested that the ILPs contain the structural motif which is conserved in the insulin superfamily. Expression levels of ILPs, InR as well as ERK and AKT varied in Ae. albopictus development stages and between male and female adults. Quantitative analyses revealed that expression of ILP6, the putative orthologue of the insulin growth factor peptides, was highest in the midgut of female adults after blood-feeding. Knockdown of Ae. albopictus InR induces a significant decrease in the phosphorylation levels of ERK and AKT proteins and results in developmental delays and smaller body sizes. CONCLUSIONS The IS pathway of Ae. albopictus mosquito contains ILP1-7, InR and ERK/AKT cascades, which exhibited different developmental and tissue expression characteristics. Feeding Ae. albopictus larvae with E. coli-producing InR dsRNA blocks the ERK and AKT cascades and interferes with the development of mosquito. Our data suggest that IS pathway plays an important role in the metabolism and developmental process and could represent a potential target for controlling mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Dai
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinying Ding
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zihan Liang
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Renxian Guo
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tangwei Yi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yihan Zhu
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Siqi Chen
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shaohui Liang
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Wenquan Liu
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang, China.
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Kuniyori M, Sato N, Yokoyama N, Kawazu SI, Xuan X, Suzuki H, Fujisaki K, Umemiya-Shirafuji R. Vitellogenin-2 Accumulation in the Fat Body and Hemolymph of Babesia-Infected Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:908142. [PMID: 35800383 PMCID: PMC9253295 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.908142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Babesia spp. invades into tick oocytes and remains in the offspring. The transovarial transmission phenomenon of Babesia in ticks has been demonstrated experimentally, but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Babesia invasion into oocytes occurs along with the progression of oogenesis. In the present study, to find the key tick factor(s) for Babesia transmission, we focused on molecules involved in yolk protein precursor (vitellogenin, Vg) synthesis and Vg uptake, which are crucial events in tick oogenesis. With a Haemaphysalis longicornis tick–Babesia ovata experimental model, the expression profiles of Akt, target of rapamycin, S6K, GATA, and Vg, Vg synthesis-related genes, and Vg receptor (VgR) and autophagy-related gene 6 (ATG6), Vg uptake-related genes, were analyzed using real-time PCR using tissues collected during the preovipositional period in Babesia-infected ticks. The expression levels of H. longicornis Vg-2 (HlVg-2) and HlVg-3 decreased in the fat body of Babesia-infected ticks 1 day after engorgement. In the ovary, HlVg-2 mRNA expression was significantly higher in Babesia-infected ticks than in uninfected ticks 1 and 2 days after engorgement and decreased 3 days after engorgement. HlVgR expression was significantly lower in Babesia-infected ticks than in uninfected ticks 2 and 4 days after engorgement. HlATG6 had a lower gene expression in Babesia-infected ticks compared to uninfected ticks 2 days after engorgement. Additionally, western blot analysis using protein extracts from each collected tissue revealed that H. longicornis Vg-2 (HlVg-2) accumulate in the fat body and hemolymph of Babesia-infected ticks. These results suggest that Vg uptake from the hemolymph to the ovary was suppressed in the presence of B. ovata. Moreover, HlVg-2 knockdown ticks had a lower detection rate of B. ovata DNA in the ovary and a significant reduction of B. ovata DNA in the hemolymph compared with control ticks. Taken together, our results suggest that accumulated HlVg-2 is associated with Babesia infection or transmission in the tick body. These findings, besides previous reports on VgR, provide important information to elucidate the transovarial transmission mechanisms of pathogens in tick vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maki Kuniyori
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Nariko Sato
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Naoaki Yokoyama
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Shin-ichiro Kawazu
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Suzuki
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Kozo Fujisaki
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
- National Agricultural and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
- *Correspondence: Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji,
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Viglietta M, Bellone R, Blisnick AA, Failloux AB. Vector Specificity of Arbovirus Transmission. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:773211. [PMID: 34956136 PMCID: PMC8696169 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.773211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 25% of human infectious diseases are vector-borne diseases (VBDs). These diseases, caused by pathogens shared between animals and humans, are a growing threat to global health with more than 2.5 million annual deaths. Mosquitoes and ticks are the main vectors of arboviruses including flaviviruses, which greatly affect humans. However, all tick or mosquito species are not able to transmit all viruses, suggesting important molecular mechanisms regulating viral infection, dissemination, and transmission by vectors. Despite the large distribution of arthropods (mosquitoes and ticks) and arboviruses, only a few pairings of arthropods (family, genus, and population) and viruses (family, genus, and genotype) successfully transmit. Here, we review the factors that might limit pathogen transmission: internal (vector genetics, immune responses, microbiome including insect-specific viruses, and coinfections) and external, either biotic (adult and larvae nutrition) or abiotic (temperature, chemicals, and altitude). This review will demonstrate the dynamic nature and complexity of virus–vector interactions to help in designing appropriate practices in surveillance and prevention to reduce VBD threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Viglietta
- Unit of Arboviruses and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Bellone
- Unit of Arboviruses and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Adrien Albert Blisnick
- Unit of Arboviruses and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Anna-Bella Failloux
- Unit of Arboviruses and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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Sugar feeding protects against arboviral infection by enhancing gut immunity in the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009870. [PMID: 34473801 PMCID: PMC8412342 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As mosquito females require a blood meal to reproduce, they can act as vectors of numerous pathogens, such as arboviruses (e.g. Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses), which constitute a substantial worldwide public health burden. In addition to blood meals, mosquito females can also take sugar meals to get carbohydrates for their energy reserves. It is now recognised that diet is a key regulator of health and disease outcome through interactions with the immune system. However, this has been mostly studied in humans and model organisms. So far, the impact of sugar feeding on mosquito immunity and in turn, how this could affect vector competence for arboviruses has not been explored. Here, we show that sugar feeding increases and maintains antiviral immunity in the digestive tract of the main arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti. Our data demonstrate that the gut microbiota does not mediate the sugar-induced immunity but partly inhibits it. Importantly, sugar intake prior to an arbovirus-infected blood meal further protects females against infection with arboviruses from different families. Sugar feeding blocks arbovirus initial infection and dissemination from the gut and lowers infection prevalence and intensity, thereby decreasing the transmission potential of female mosquitoes. Finally, we show that the antiviral role of sugar is mediated by sugar-induced immunity. Overall, our findings uncover a crucial role of sugar feeding in mosquito antiviral immunity which in turn decreases vector competence for arboviruses. Since Ae. aegypti almost exclusively feed on blood in some natural settings, our findings suggest that this lack of sugar intake could increase the spread of mosquito-borne arboviral diseases.
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Kozelková T, Doležel D, Grunclová L, Kučera M, Perner J, Kopáček P. Functional characterization of the insulin signaling pathway in the hard tick Ixodes ricinus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101694. [PMID: 33706210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are blood-feeding arachnids transmitting a variety of pathogens to humans and animals. A unique trait in tick physiology is their ability to engorge and digest large amounts of host blood, ensuring their high reproductive potential. Activation of the blood digestive machinery in the tick gut, as well as processes controlling maturation of ovaries, are triggered upon blood meal uptake by still largely unknown mechanisms. Sensing of the nutritional status in metazoan organisms is facilitated by the evolutionarily conserved Insulin Signaling Pathway (ISP) and the interlinked Target of Rapamycin (TOR) pathway. Recently, we have identified three components of these pathways in the hard tick Ixodes ricinus midgut transcriptome, namely a putative insulin receptor (InR), and the downstream intracellular serine/threonine kinases AKT and TOR. In this study, we primarily focus on the molecular and functional characterization of the I. ricinus insulin receptor (IrInR), the first InR characterized in Chelicerates. A phylogenetic analysis across the major Arthropod lineages demonstrated that ticks possess only one gene encoding an InR-related molecule. Tissue expression profiling by quantitative PCR in semi-engorged I. ricinus females revealed that the IrInR, as well as AKT (IrAKT) and TOR (IrTOR) are expressed in various organs, with the highest expression being detected in ovaries. We have further evaluated the impact of RNAi-mediated knock-down (KD) of IrInR, IrAKT, and IrTOR on tick blood-feeding and reproductive capacity. Weights of engorged IrInR KD females and laid egg clutches were reduced compared to the control group, and these quantitative parameters clearly correlated with the efficiency of RNAi-KD achieved in individual ticks. The most striking phenotype was observed for IrAKT KD that impaired tick feeding and completely aborted egg production. A recombinant extracellular fragment of the IrInR α-subunit was used to produce antibodies in experimental rabbits to assess its potential as a protective antigen against tick feeding and reproduction. Our data clearly indicate the functionality of the ISP in ticks and demonstrate the need for further investigation of specific roles played by the endogenous insulin-like peptides in tick physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Kozelková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - David Doležel
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Grunclová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Matěj Kučera
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Perner
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kopáček
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Plasmodium's journey through the Anopheles mosquito: A comprehensive review. Biochimie 2020; 181:176-190. [PMID: 33346039 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2020.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The malaria parasite has an extraordinary ability to evade the immune system due to which the development of a malaria vaccine is a challenging task. Extensive research on malarial infection in the human host particularly during the liver stage has resulted in the discovery of potential candidate vaccines including RTS,S/AS01 and R21. However, complete elimination of malaria would require a holistic multi-component approach. In line with this, under the World Health Organization's PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), the research focus has shifted towards the sexual stages of malaria in the mosquito host. Last two decades of scientific research obtained seminal information regarding the sexual/mosquito stages of the malaria. This updated and comprehensive review would provide the basis for consolidated understanding of cellular, biochemical, molecular and immunological aspects of parasite transmission right from the sexual stage commitment in the human host to the sporozoite delivery back into subsequent vertebrate host by the female Anopheles mosquito.
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Transcriptomic profiling of the digestive tract of the rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, following blood feeding and infection with Yersinia pestis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008688. [PMID: 32946437 PMCID: PMC7526888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a highly lethal pathogen transmitted by the bite of infected fleas. Once ingested by a flea, Y. pestis establish a replicative niche in the gut and produce a biofilm that promotes foregut colonization and transmission. The rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis is an important vector to several zoonotic bacterial pathogens including Y. pestis. Some fleas naturally clear themselves of infection; however, the physiological and immunological mechanisms by which this occurs are largely uncharacterized. To address this, RNA was extracted, sequenced, and distinct transcript profiles were assembled de novo from X. cheopis digestive tracts isolated from fleas that were either: 1) not fed for 5 days; 2) fed sterile blood; or 3) fed blood containing ~5x108 CFU/ml Y. pestis KIM6+. Analysis and comparison of the transcript profiles resulted in identification of 23 annotated (and 11 unknown or uncharacterized) digestive tract transcripts that comprise the early transcriptional response of the rat flea gut to infection with Y. pestis. The data indicate that production of antimicrobial peptides regulated by the immune-deficiency pathway (IMD) is the primary flea immune response to infection with Y. pestis. The remaining infection-responsive transcripts, not obviously associated with the immune response, were involved in at least one of 3 physiological themes: 1) alterations to chemosensation and gut peristalsis; 2) modification of digestion and metabolism; and 3) production of chitin-binding proteins (peritrophins). Despite producing several peritrophin transcripts shortly after feeding, including a subset that were infection-responsive, no thick peritrophic membrane was detectable by histochemistry or electron microscopy of rat flea guts for the first 24 hours following blood-feeding. Here we discuss the physiological implications of rat flea infection-responsive transcripts, the function of X. cheopis peritrophins, and the mechanisms by which Y. pestis may be cleared from the flea gut. The goal of this study was to characterize the transcriptional response of the digestive tract of the rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, to infection with Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. This flea is generally considered the most prevalent and efficient vector of Y. pestis. Because most pathogens transmitted by fleas, including Y. pestis, reside in the insect digestive tract prior to transmission, the transcriptional program induced in the gut epithelium likely influences bacterial colonization of the flea. To determine the specific response to infection, RNA profiles were generated from fleas that were either unfed, fed sterile blood, or fed blood containing Y. pestis. Comparative analyses of the transcriptomes resulted in identification of 34 infection-responsive transcripts. The functions of these differentially regulated genes indicate that infection of fleas with Y. pestis induces a limited immune response and potentially alters the insect’s behavior, metabolism, and other aspects of its physiology. Based on these data, we describe potential mechanisms fleas use to eliminate bacteria and the corresponding strategies Y. pestis uses to resist elimination. These findings may be helpful for developing targeted strategies to make fleas resistant to microbial infection and thereby reduce the incidence of diseases they spread.
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Insulin Potentiates JAK/STAT Signaling to Broadly Inhibit Flavivirus Replication in Insect Vectors. Cell Rep 2020; 29:1946-1960.e5. [PMID: 31722209 PMCID: PMC6871768 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization estimates that more than half of the world’s population is at risk for vector-borne diseases, including arboviruses. Because many arboviruses are mosquito borne, investigation of the insect immune response will help identify targets to reduce the spread of arboviruses. Here, we use a genetic screening approach to identify an insulin-like receptor as a component of the immune response to arboviral infection. We determine that vertebrate insulin reduces West Nile virus (WNV) replication in Drosophila melanogaster as well as WNV, Zika, and dengue virus titers in mosquito cells. Mechanistically, we show that insulin signaling activates the JAK/STAT, but not RNAi, pathway via ERK to control infection in Drosophila cells and Culex mosquitoes through an integrated immune response. Finally, we validate that insulin priming of adult female Culex mosquitoes through a blood meal reduces WNV infection, demonstrating an essential role for insulin signaling in insect antiviral responses to human pathogens. The world’s population is at risk for infection with several flaviviruses. Ahlers et al. use a living library of insects to determine that an insulin-like receptor controls West Nile virus infection. Insulin signaling is antiviral via the JAK/STAT pathway in both fly and mosquito models and against a range of flaviviruses.
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Herren JK, Mbaisi L, Mararo E, Makhulu EE, Mobegi VA, Butungi H, Mancini MV, Oundo JW, Teal ET, Pinaud S, Lawniczak MKN, Jabara J, Nattoh G, Sinkins SP. A microsporidian impairs Plasmodium falciparum transmission in Anopheles arabiensis mosquitoes. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2187. [PMID: 32366903 PMCID: PMC7198529 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16121-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A possible malaria control approach involves the dissemination in mosquitoes of inherited symbiotic microbes to block Plasmodium transmission. However, in the Anopheles gambiae complex, the primary African vectors of malaria, there are limited reports of inherited symbionts that impair transmission. We show that a vertically transmitted microsporidian symbiont (Microsporidia MB) in the An. gambiae complex can impair Plasmodium transmission. Microsporidia MB is present at moderate prevalence in geographically dispersed populations of An. arabiensis in Kenya, localized to the mosquito midgut and ovaries, and is not associated with significant reductions in adult host fecundity or survival. Field-collected Microsporidia MB infected An. arabiensis tested negative for P. falciparum gametocytes and, on experimental infection with P. falciparum, sporozoites aren't detected in Microsporidia MB infected mosquitoes. As a microbe that impairs Plasmodium transmission that is non-virulent and vertically transmitted, Microsporidia MB could be investigated as a strategy to limit malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy K Herren
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya.
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - Lilian Mbaisi
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (CEBIB), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Enock Mararo
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Edward E Makhulu
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Victor A Mobegi
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (CEBIB), University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Hellen Butungi
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya
- University of the Witwaterstrand, Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Maria Vittoria Mancini
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Joseph W Oundo
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Evan T Teal
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Silvain Pinaud
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Mara K N Lawniczak
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Jordan Jabara
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Godfrey Nattoh
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya
- Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences Technology & Innovation, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Steven P Sinkins
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
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12
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Emami SN, Hajkazemian M, Mozūraitis R. Can Plasmodium's tricks for enhancing its transmission be turned against the parasite? New hopes for vector control. Pathog Glob Health 2020; 113:325-335. [PMID: 31910740 PMCID: PMC7008238 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2019.1703398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 120 years ago the link between mosquito and the malaria transmission was discovered. However, even today it remains an open question whether the parasite is able to direct the blood-seeking and feeding behavior of its mosquito vector to maximize the probability of transmission. If the parasite has this ability, could it occur only through the alteration of the vertebrate host's volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and/or the parasite alteration of the behavior of the infected vector in a manner that favors its transmission? Although some recent empirical evidence supports the hypothesis regarding the parasite ability in alteration of the vertebrate host's VOCs, the role of parasite alteration and behavioral differences between infected and uninfected female mosquitoes toward infected and uninfected hosts has not yet been considered in the implementation of control measures. This review will discuss the current evidence, which shows 1. Plasmodium can direct uninfected mosquito blood-seeking and feeding behavior via alteration of vertebrate-host odor profiles and production of phagostimulants and 2. Plasmodium also manipulates its vector during the sporogony cycle to increase transmission. Briefly, we also consider the next generation of methods for moving the empirical laboratory evidence to potential application in future integrated malaria control programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Noushin Emami
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Melika Hajkazemian
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Raimondas Mozūraitis
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.,Laboratory of Chemical and Behavioral Ecology, Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania
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13
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Muñoz-Soriano V, Belacortu Y, Sanz FJ, Solana-Manrique C, Dillon L, Suay-Corredera C, Ruiz-Romero M, Corominas M, Paricio N. Cbt modulates Foxo activation by positively regulating insulin signaling in Drosophila embryos. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2018; 1861:S1874-9399(18)30034-8. [PMID: 30055320 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In late Drosophila embryos, the epidermis exhibits a dorsal hole as a consequence of germ band retraction. It is sealed during dorsal closure (DC), a morphogenetic process in which the two lateral epidermal layers converge towards the dorsal midline and fuse. We previously demonstrated the involvement of the Cbt transcription factor in Drosophila DC. However its molecular role in the process remained obscure. In this study, we used genomic approaches to identify genes regulated by Cbt as well as its direct targets during late embryogenesis. Our results reveal a complex transcriptional circuit downstream of Cbt and evidence that it is functionally related with the Insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway. In this context, Cbt may act as a positive regulator of the pathway, leading to the repression of Foxo activity. Our results also suggest that the DC defects observed in cbt embryos could be partially due to Foxo overactivation and that a regulatory feedback loop between Foxo and Cbt may be operating in the DC context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Muñoz-Soriano
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad CC Biológicas, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjasot, Spain; Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Yaiza Belacortu
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad CC Biológicas, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjasot, Spain
| | - Francisco José Sanz
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad CC Biológicas, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjasot, Spain; Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Cristina Solana-Manrique
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad CC Biológicas, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjasot, Spain; Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Luke Dillon
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad CC Biológicas, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjasot, Spain
| | - Carmen Suay-Corredera
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad CC Biológicas, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjasot, Spain
| | - Marina Ruiz-Romero
- Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB) de la Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Montserrat Corominas
- Departament de Genètica, Facultat de Biologia, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB) de la Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nuria Paricio
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad CC Biológicas, Universitat de València, 46100 Burjasot, Spain; Estructura de Recerca Interdisciplinar en Biotecnologia i Biomedicina (ERI BIOTECMED), Universitat de València, Dr Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Spain.
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14
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Ferreira CM, Oliveira MP, Paes MC, Oliveira MF. Modulation of mitochondrial metabolism as a biochemical trait in blood feeding organisms: the redox vampire hypothesis redux. Cell Biol Int 2018; 42:683-700. [PMID: 29384241 DOI: 10.1002/cbin.10945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Hematophagous organisms undergo remarkable metabolic changes during the blood digestion process, increasing fermentative glucose metabolism, and reducing respiratory rates, both consequence of functional mitochondrial remodeling. Here, we review the pathways involved in energy metabolism and mitochondrial functionality in a comparative framework across different hematophagous species, and consider how these processes regulate redox homeostasis during blood digestion. The trend across distinct species indicate that a switch in energy metabolism might represent an important defensive mechanism to avoid the potential harmful interaction of oxidants generated from aerobic energy metabolism with products derived from blood digestion. Indeed, in insect vectors, blood feeding transiently reduces respiratory rates and oxidant production, irrespective of tissue and insect model. On the other hand, a different scenario is observed in several unrelated parasite species when exposed to blood digestion products, as respiratory rates reduce and mitochondrial oxidant production increase. The emerging picture indicates that re-wiring of energy metabolism, through reduced mitochondrial function, culminates in improved tolerance to redox insults and seems to represent a key step for hematophagous organisms to cope with the overwhelming and potentially toxic blood meal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Ferreira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil
| | - Matheus P Oliveira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil.,Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Marcia C Paes
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil.,Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20551-030, Brazil
| | - Marcus F Oliveira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brazil
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15
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Zhang J, Huang J, Zhu F, Zhang J. Differential gene expression in Anopheles stephensi following infection with drug-resistant Plasmodium yoelii. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:401. [PMID: 28851458 PMCID: PMC5576267 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2326-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transmission of drug-resistant parasites by the mosquito may be influenced by the altered biological fitness of drug-resistant parasites and different immune reactions or metabolic change in the mosquito. At this point, little is known about the variations in mosquito immunity and metabolism when mosquitoes are infected with drug-resistant parasites. To understand the differential gene expression in Anopheles following infection with drug-resistant Plasmodium, we conducted a genome-wide transcriptomic profiling analysis of Anopheles stephensi following feeding on mice with drug-resistant or drug-sensitive P. yoelii, observed changes in gene expression profiles and identified transcripts affected by the drug-resistant parasite. RESULTS To study the impact of drug-resistant Plasmodium infections on An. stephensi gene transcription, we analyzed the three major transition stages of Plasmodium infections: at 24 h and 13 and 19 days after blood-feeding. Six cDNA libraries (R-As24h, R-As13d, R-As19d,S-As24h, S-As13dand S-As19d) were constructed, and RNA sequencing was subsequently performed. In total, approximately 50.1 million raw reads, 47.9 million clean reads and 7.18G clean bases were obtained. Following differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis, GO enrichment analysis of DEGs, and functional classification by KEGG, we showed that the variations in gene expression in An. stephensi infected by the drug-resistant P. yoelii NSM occurred mainly at 13 days after blood meal during sporozoite migration through the hemolymph. The differentially expressed genes included those functioning in some important immune reaction and iron metabolism pathways, such as pattern recognition receptors, regulators of the JNK pathway, components of the phagosome pathway, regulators of the melanization response, activators of complement reactions, insulin signaling cascade members, oxidative stress and detoxification proteins. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that drug-resistant P. yoelii NSM has an impact on the transcript abundance levels of An.stephensi mostly at 13 days after blood meal during sporozoite migration through the hemolymph and that most differentially expressed genes were downregulated. Our results highlight the need for a better understanding of selective pressures from these differentially expressed genes of the drug-resistant Plasmodium in the mosquito and the different transmission patterns of drug-resistant Plasmodium by Anopheles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingru Zhang
- Department of Pathobiology, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiacheng Huang
- Students brigade 5, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Department of Pathobiology, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Pathobiology, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Oliver SV, Brooke BD. The effects of ingestion of hormonal host factors on the longevity and insecticide resistance phenotype of the major malaria vector Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180909. [PMID: 28700639 PMCID: PMC5507448 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exogenous vertebrate-derived factors circulating in the blood have the capacity to modulate the biology of haematophagous insects. These include insulin, insulin growth factor 1 (IGF) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ). The effects of the consumption of these three proteins were examined on laboratory strains of Anopheles arabiensis. SENN, an insecticide susceptible strain and SENN DDT, a resistant strain selected from SENN, were fed with host factor-supplemented sucrose. Adult longevity was measured and insecticide resistance phenotype over time was assessed by WHO bioassay. Detoxification and oxidative stress defence enzyme activity was assessed calorimetrically. Insulin supplementation augmented insecticide resistance in young adult mosquitoes. This effect was due to the hormonal nature of the protein, as heat-denatured insulin did not elicit the same response. In contrast, IGF and TGFβ consumption generally reduced the expression of insecticide resistance. Insulin ingestion significantly reduced longevity in the insecticide susceptible strain. IGF elicited the same response in the susceptible strain, while TGF consumption had no effect on either strain. Consumption of all factors significantly decreased Glutathione S-transferase activity and increased cytochrome P450 and superoxide dismutase activity. This suggests that the altered detoxification phenotype is mediated primarily by cytochrome P450 activity, which would result in an increase in oxidative stress. The increased superoxide dismutase activity suggests that this enzyme class alleviates the oxidative stress as opposed to glutathione-based redox systems. Oxidative stress responses play a crucial role in insecticide resistance and longevity. These data show that ingested hormonal factors can affect mosquito longevity and insecticide susceptibility, both of which are important characteristics in terms of malaria transmission and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shüné V. Oliver
- Centre for Emerging, Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Basil D. Brooke
- Centre for Emerging, Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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17
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Two insulin-like peptides differentially regulate malaria parasite infection in the mosquito through effects on intermediary metabolism. Biochem J 2016; 473:3487-3503. [PMID: 27496548 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20160271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) play important roles in growth and metabolic homeostasis, but have also emerged as key regulators of stress responses and immunity in a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates. Furthermore, a growing literature suggests that insulin signaling-dependent metabolic provisioning can influence host responses to infection and affect infection outcomes. In line with these studies, we previously showed that knockdown of either of two closely related, infection-induced ILPs, ILP3 and ILP4, in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi decreased infection with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum through kinetically distinct effects on parasite death. However, the precise mechanisms by which ILP3 and ILP4 control the response to infection remained unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we used a complementary approach of direct ILP supplementation into the blood meal to further define ILP-specific effects on mosquito biology and parasite infection. Notably, we observed that feeding resulted in differential effects of ILP3 and ILP4 on blood-feeding behavior and P. falciparum development. These effects depended on ILP-specific regulation of intermediary metabolism in the mosquito midgut, suggesting a major contribution of ILP-dependent metabolic shifts to the regulation of infection resistance and parasite transmission. Accordingly, our data implicate endogenous ILP signaling in balancing intermediary metabolism for the host response to infection, affirming this emerging tenet in host-pathogen interactions with novel insights from a system of significant public health importance.
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18
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Musashe DT, Purice MD, Speese SD, Doherty J, Logan MA. Insulin-like Signaling Promotes Glial Phagocytic Clearance of Degenerating Axons through Regulation of Draper. Cell Rep 2016; 16:1838-50. [PMID: 27498858 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal injury triggers robust responses from glial cells, including altered gene expression and enhanced phagocytic activity to ensure prompt removal of damaged neurons. The molecular underpinnings of glial responses to trauma remain unclear. Here, we find that the evolutionarily conserved insulin-like signaling (ILS) pathway promotes glial phagocytic clearance of degenerating axons in adult Drosophila. We find that the insulin-like receptor (InR) and downstream effector Akt1 are acutely activated in local ensheathing glia after axotomy and are required for proper clearance of axonal debris. InR/Akt1 activity, it is also essential for injury-induced activation of STAT92E and its transcriptional target draper, which encodes a conserved receptor essential for glial engulfment of degenerating axons. Increasing Draper levels in adult glia partially rescues delayed clearance of severed axons in glial InR-inhibited flies. We propose that ILS functions as a key post-injury communication relay to activate glial responses, including phagocytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek T Musashe
- Department of Neurology, Jungers Center for Neurosciences Research, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Maria D Purice
- Department of Neurology, Jungers Center for Neurosciences Research, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Sean D Speese
- Department of Neurology, Jungers Center for Neurosciences Research, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Johnna Doherty
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 North Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Mary A Logan
- Department of Neurology, Jungers Center for Neurosciences Research, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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19
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Carvalho TG, Morahan B, John von Freyend S, Boeuf P, Grau G, Garcia-Bustos J, Doerig C. The ins and outs of phosphosignalling in Plasmodium: Parasite regulation and host cell manipulation. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2016; 208:2-15. [PMID: 27211241 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2016.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Signal transduction and kinomics have been rapidly expanding areas of investigation within the malaria research field. Here, we provide an overview of phosphosignalling pathways that operate in all stages of the Plasmodium life cycle. We review signalling pathways in the parasite itself, in the cells it invades, and in other cells of the vertebrate host with which it interacts. We also discuss the potential of these pathways as novel targets for antimalarial intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Gil Carvalho
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Belinda Morahan
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Simona John von Freyend
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Philippe Boeuf
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia; The University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia; Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Georges Grau
- Vascular Immunology Unit, Department of Pathology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2050, Australia
| | - Jose Garcia-Bustos
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Christian Doerig
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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20
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Niu D, Wang F, Zhao H, Wang Z, Xie S, Li J. Identification, expression, and innate immune responses of two insulin-like peptide genes in the razor clam Sinonovacula constricta. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 51:401-404. [PMID: 26980611 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2016.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Insulin-like peptide (ILP) has emerged as a cell regulatory factor with multiple functions in vertebrates and invertebrates. In the present study, we identified and characterized two ILP genes, ILP1 and ILP2, in the razor clam Sinonovacula constricta. Both ILPs have a signal peptide and a mature domain consisting of six strictly conserved cysteines. The tertiary structure is divided into three main α-helices with a C-domain loop that separates helix 1 from helix 2. Both of ILPs were found to be regulated according to tissue type and developmental stage. After challenge with Vibrio anguillarum, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Micrococcus lysodeikticus, the expression of two ILP genes was significantly up-regulated in the liver, hemocytes and mantle tissues, suggesting that the ILPs may play roles in the innate immunity in the razor clam Sinonovacula constricta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghong Niu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture and College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture and College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Honggang Zhao
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture and College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Ze Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture and College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Shumei Xie
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture and College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Jiale Li
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Aquaculture and College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
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21
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Pietri JE, Pietri EJ, Potts R, Riehle MA, Luckhart S. Plasmodium falciparum suppresses the host immune response by inducing the synthesis of insulin-like peptides (ILPs) in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 53:134-44. [PMID: 26165161 PMCID: PMC4536081 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The insulin-like peptides (ILPs) and their respective signaling and regulatory pathways are highly conserved across phyla. In invertebrates, ILPs regulate diverse physiological processes, including metabolism, reproduction, behavior, and immunity. We previously reported that blood feeding alone induced minimal changes in ILP expression in Anopheles stephensi. However, ingestion of a blood meal containing human insulin or Plasmodium falciparum, which can mimic insulin signaling, leads to significant increases in ILP expression in the head and midgut, suggesting a potential role for AsILPs in the regulation of P. falciparum sporogonic development. Here, we show that soluble P. falciparum products, but not LPS or zymosan, directly induced AsILP expression in immortalized A. stephensi cells in vitro. Further, AsILP expression is dependent on signaling by the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)/Akt branches of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway. Inhibition of P. falciparum-induced ILPs in vivo decreased parasite development through kinetically distinct effects on mosquito innate immune responses. Specifically, knockdown of AsILP4 induced early expression of immune effector genes (1-6 h after infection), a pattern associated with significantly reduced parasite abundance prior to invasion of the midgut epithelium. In contrast, knockdown of AsILP3 increased later expression of the same genes (24 h after infection), a pattern that was associated with significantly reduced oocyst development. These data suggest that P. falciparum parasites alter the expression of mosquito AsILPs to dampen the immune response and facilitate their development in the mosquito vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose E Pietri
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Eduardo J Pietri
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Rashaun Potts
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Michael A Riehle
- Department of Entomology, 410 Forbes, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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22
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Luckhart S, Pakpour N, Giulivi C. Host-pathogen interactions in malaria: cross-kingdom signaling and mitochondrial regulation. Curr Opin Immunol 2015. [PMID: 26210301 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Malaria parasite-host interactions are complex and have confounded available drugs and the development of vaccines. Further, we now appreciate that interventions for malaria elimination and eradication must include therapeutics with intrinsic transmission blocking activity to treat the patient and prevent disease spread. Studies over the past 15 years have revealed significant conservation in the response to infection in mosquito and human hosts. More recently, we have recognized that conserved cell signaling cascades in mosquitoes and humans dictate infection outcome through the regulation of mitochondrial function and biogenesis, which feed back to host immunity, basic intermediary metabolism, and stress responses. These responses - reflected clearly in the primeval insect host - provide fertile ground for innovative strategies for both treatment and transmission blocking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis CA 95616, United States.
| | - Nazzy Pakpour
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis CA 95616, United States
| | - Cecilia Giulivi
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, and Medical Investigations of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis CA 95616, United States
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Geiger A, Ponton F, Simo G. Adult blood-feeding tsetse flies, trypanosomes, microbiota and the fluctuating environment in sub-Saharan Africa. ISME JOURNAL 2014; 9:1496-507. [PMID: 25500509 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2014.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2014] [Revised: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The tsetse fly vector transmits the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei, responsible for Human African Trypanosomiasis, one of the most neglected tropical diseases. Despite a recent decline in new cases, it is still crucial to develop alternative strategies to combat this disease. Here, we review the literature on the factors that influence trypanosome transmission from the fly vector to its vertebrate host (particularly humans). These factors include climate change effects to pathogen and vector development (in particular climate warming), as well as the distribution of host reservoirs. Finally, we present reports on the relationships between insect vector nutrition, immune function, microbiota and infection, to demonstrate how continuing research on the evolving ecology of these complex systems will help improve control strategies. In the future, such studies will be of increasing importance to understand how vector-borne diseases are spread in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Geiger
- UMR 177, IRD-CIRAD, CIRAD TA A-17/G, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Fleur Ponton
- 1] School of Biological Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [2] The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gustave Simo
- Molecular Parasitology and Entomology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
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Pakpour N, Riehle MA, Luckhart S. Effects of ingested vertebrate-derived factors on insect immune responses. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2014; 3:1-5. [PMID: 25401083 PMCID: PMC4228800 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
During the process of blood feeding insect vectors are exposed to an array of vertebrate-derived blood factors ranging from byproducts of blood meal digestion to naturally occurring products in the blood including growth hormones, cytokines and factors derived from blood-borne pathogens themselves. In this review, we examine the ability of these ingested vertebrate blood factors to alter the innate pathogen defenses of insect vectors. The ability of these factors to modify the immune responses of insect vectors offers new intriguing targets for blocking or reducing transmission of human disease-causing pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazzy Pakpour
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Michael A. Riehle
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
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25
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Hansen IA, Attardo GM, Rodriguez SD, Drake LL. Four-way regulation of mosquito yolk protein precursor genes by juvenile hormone-, ecdysone-, nutrient-, and insulin-like peptide signaling pathways. Front Physiol 2014; 5:103. [PMID: 24688471 PMCID: PMC3960487 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Anautogenous mosquito females require a meal of vertebrate blood in order to initiate the production of yolk protein precursors by the fat body. Yolk protein precursor gene expression is tightly repressed in a state-of-arrest before blood meal-related signals activate it and expression levels rise rapidly. The best understood example of yolk protein precursor gene regulation is the vitellogenin-A gene (vg) of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. Vg-A is regulated by (1) juvenile hormone signaling, (2) the ecdysone-signaling cascade, (3) the nutrient sensitive target-of-rapamycin signaling pathway, and (4) the insulin-like peptide (ILP) signaling pathway. A plethora of new studies have refined our understanding of the regulation of yolk protein precursor genes since the last review on this topic in 2005 (Attardo et al., 2005). This review summarizes the role of these four signaling pathways in the regulation of vg-A and focuses upon new findings regarding the interplay between them on an organismal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Immo A Hansen
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM, USA ; Institute for Applied Biosciences, New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM, USA ; Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Geoffrey M Attardo
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Disease, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stacy D Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Lisa L Drake
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM, USA
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26
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Pertseva MN, Kuznetsova LA, Shpakov AO. New conceptual approach for search for molecular causes of diabetus mellitus, based on study of functioning of hormonal signaling systems. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2013. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093013050010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Clayton AM, Dong Y, Dimopoulos G. The Anopheles innate immune system in the defense against malaria infection. J Innate Immun 2013; 6:169-81. [PMID: 23988482 DOI: 10.1159/000353602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The multifaceted innate immune system of insects is capable of fighting infection by a variety of pathogens including those causing human malaria. Malaria transmission by the Anopheles mosquito depends on the Plasmodium parasite's successful completion of its lifecycle in the insect vector, a process that involves interactions with several tissues and cell types as well as with the mosquito's innate immune system. This review will discuss our current understanding of the Anopheles mosquito's innate immune responses against the malaria parasite Plasmodium and the influence of the insect's intestinal microbiota on parasite infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- April M Clayton
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., USA
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28
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Sim C, Denlinger DL. Insulin signaling and the regulation of insect diapause. Front Physiol 2013; 4:189. [PMID: 23885240 PMCID: PMC3717507 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A rich chapter in the history of insect endocrinology has focused on hormonal control of diapause, especially the major roles played by juvenile hormones (JHs), ecdysteroids, and the neuropeptides that govern JH and ecdysteroid synthesis. More recently, experiments with adult diapause in Drosophila melanogaster and the mosquito Culex pipiens, and pupal diapause in the flesh fly Sarcophaga crassipalpis provide strong evidence that insulin signaling is also an important component of the regulatory pathway leading to the diapause phenotype. Insects produce many different insulin-like peptides (ILPs), and not all are involved in the diapause response; ILP-1 appears to be the one most closely linked to diapause in C. pipiens. Many steps in the pathway leading from perception of daylength (the primary environmental cue used to program diapause) to generation of the diapause phenotype remain unknown, but the role for insulin signaling in mosquito diapause appears to be upstream of JH, as evidenced by the fact that application of exogenous JH can rescue the effects of knocking down expression of ILP-1 or the Insulin Receptor. Fat accumulation, enhancement of stress tolerance, and other features of the diapause phenotype are likely linked to the insulin pathway through the action of a key transcription factor, FOXO. This review highlights many parallels for the role of insulin signaling as a regulator in insect diapause and dauer formation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheolho Sim
- Department of Biology, Baylor University Waco, TX, USA
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29
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Drexler A, Nuss A, Hauck E, Glennon E, Cheung K, Brown M, Luckhart S. Human IGF1 extends lifespan and enhances resistance to Plasmodium falciparum infection in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 216:208-17. [PMID: 23255191 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.078873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The highly conserved insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling (IIS) pathway regulates metabolism, development, lifespan and immunity across a wide range of organisms. Previous studies have shown that human insulin ingested in the blood meal can activate mosquito IIS, resulting in attenuated lifespan and increased malaria parasite infection. Because human IGF1 is present at higher concentrations in blood than insulin and is functionally linked with lifespan and immune processes, we predicted that human IGF1 ingested in a blood meal would affect lifespan and malaria parasite infection in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. Here we demonstrate that physiological levels of ingested IGF1, like insulin, can persist intact in the blood-filled midgut for up to 30 h and disseminate into the mosquito body, and that both peptides activate IIS in mosquito cells and midgut. At these same levels, ingested IGF1 alone extended average mosquito lifespan by 23% compared with controls and, more significantly, when ingested in infected blood meals, reduced the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum-infected mosquitoes by >20% and parasite load by 35-50% compared with controls. Thus, the effects of ingested IGF1 on mosquito lifespan and immunity are opposite to those of ingested insulin. These results offer the first evidence that insect cells can functionally discriminate between mammalian insulin and IGF1. Further, in light of previous success in genetically targeting IIS to alter mosquito lifespan and malaria parasite transmission, this study indicates that a more complete understanding of the IIS-activating ligands in blood can be used to optimize transgenic strategies for malaria control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Drexler
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Pakpour N, Akman-Anderson L, Vodovotz Y, Luckhart S. The effects of ingested mammalian blood factors on vector arthropod immunity and physiology. Microbes Infect 2013; 15:243-54. [PMID: 23370408 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Revised: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The blood feeding behavior of disease-transmitting arthropods creates a unique intersection between vertebrate and invertebrate physiology. Here, we review host blood-derived factors that persist through blood digestion to affect the lifespan, reproduction, and immune responses of some of the most common arthropod vectors of human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazzy Pakpour
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States.
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31
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Enhanced survival of Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes during starvation. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40556. [PMID: 22808193 PMCID: PMC3393683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium spp. are pathogenic to their vertebrate hosts and also apparently, impose a fitness cost on their insect vectors. We show here, however, that Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes survive starvation significantly better than uninfected mosquitoes. This survival advantage during starvation is associated with higher energy resource storage that infected mosquitoes accumulate during period of Plasmodium oocyst development. Microarray analysis revealed that the metabolism of sated mosquitoes is altered in the presence of rapidly growing oocysts, including the down-regulation of several enzymes involved in carbohydrate catabolism. In addition, enhanced expression of several insulin-like peptides was observed in Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes. Blocking insulin-like signaling pathway resulted in impaired Plasmodium development. We conclude that Plasmodium infection alters metabolic pathways in mosquitoes, epitomized by enhanced insulin-like signaling - thereby conferring a survival advantage to the insects during periods of starvation. Manipulation of this pathway might provide new strategies to influence the ability of mosquitoes to survive and transmit the protozoa that cause malaria.
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32
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Leitner WW, Costero-Saint Denis A, Wali T. Immunological consequences of arthropod vector-derived salivary factors. Eur J Immunol 2012; 41:3396-400. [PMID: 22125007 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201190075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Diseases, such as malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis and tick-borne encephalitis, affect a substantial percentage of the world's population and continue to result in significant morbidity and mortality. One common aspect of these diseases is that the pathogens that cause them are transmitted by the bite of an infected arthropod (e.g. mosquito, sand fly, tick). The pathogens are delivered into the skin of the mammalian host along with arthropod saliva, which contains a wide variety of bioactive molecules. These saliva components are capable of altering hemostasis and immune responses and may contribute to the ability of the pathogen to establish an infection. The biological and immunological events that occur during pathogen transmission are poorly understood but may hold the key to novel approaches to prevent transmission and/or infection. In May 2011, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the Department of Health and Human Services hosted a workshop entitled Immunological Consequences of Vector-Derived Factors which brought together experts in skin immunology, parasitology and vector biology to outline the gaps in our understanding of the process of pathogen transmission, to explore new approaches to control pathogen transmission, and to initiate and foster multidisciplinary collaborations among these investigators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang W Leitner
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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33
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Ingested human insulin inhibits the mosquito NF-κB-dependent immune response to Plasmodium falciparum. Infect Immun 2012; 80:2141-9. [PMID: 22473605 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00024-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We showed previously that ingested human insulin activates the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway in Anopheles stephensi and increases the susceptibility of these mosquitoes to Plasmodium falciparum. In other organisms, insulin can alter immune responsiveness through regulation of NF-κB transcription factors, critical elements for innate immunity that are also central to mosquito immunity. We show here that insulin signaling decreased expression of NF-κB-regulated immune genes in mosquito cells stimulated with either bacterial or malarial soluble products. Further, human insulin suppressed mosquito immunity through sustained phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation, since inhibition of this pathway led to decreased parasite development in the mosquito. Together, these data demonstrate that activation of the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway by ingested human insulin can alter NF-κB-dependent immunity, and ultimately the susceptibility, of mosquitoes to P. falciparum.
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34
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Marquez AG, Pietri JE, Smithers HM, Nuss A, Antonova Y, Drexler AL, Riehle MA, Brown MR, Luckhart S. Insulin-like peptides in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi: identification and expression in response to diet and infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 173:303-12. [PMID: 21703270 PMCID: PMC3153599 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2011] [Revised: 05/30/2011] [Accepted: 06/05/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) regulate a multitude of biological processes, including metabolism and immunity to infection, and share similar structural motifs across widely divergent taxa. Insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway elements are similarly conserved. We have shown that IIS regulates reproduction, innate immunity, and lifespan in female Anopheles stephensi, a major mosquito vector of human malaria. To further explore IIS regulation of these processes, we identified genes encoding five ILPs in this species and characterized their expression in tissues. Antisera to ILP homologs in Anopheles gambiae were used to identify cellular sources in An. stephensi females by immunocytochemistry. We analyzed tissue-specific ILP transcript expression in young and older females, in response to different feeding regimens, and in response to infection with Plasmodiumfalciparum with quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR assays. While some ILP transcript changes were evident in older females and in response to blood feeding, significant changes were particularly notable in response to hormonal concentrations of ingested human insulin and to P. falciparum infection. These changes suggest that ILP secretion and action may be similarly responsive in Plasmodium-infected females and potentially alter metabolism and innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G. Marquez
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Jose E. Pietri
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Hannah M. Smithers
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Andrew Nuss
- Department of Entomology, 413 Biological Sciences Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Yevgeniya Antonova
- Department of Entomology, 410 Forbes Building, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
| | - Anna L. Drexler
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Michael A. Riehle
- Department of Entomology, 410 Forbes Building, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
| | - Mark R. Brown
- Department of Entomology, 413 Biological Sciences Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3437 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
- Corresponding author: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, 1 Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, CA USA 95616, , Tel: (530) 754-6963, Fax: (530) 752-8692
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35
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Price DP, Nagarajan V, Churbanov A, Houde P, Milligan B, Drake LL, Gustafson JE, Hansen IA. The fat body transcriptomes of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, pre- and post- blood meal. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22573. [PMID: 21818341 PMCID: PMC3144915 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2011] [Accepted: 06/24/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The fat body is the main organ of intermediary metabolism in insects and the principal source of hemolymph proteins. As part of our ongoing efforts to understand mosquito fat body physiology and to identify novel targets for insect control, we have conducted a transcriptome analysis of the fat body of Aedes aegypti before and in response to blood feeding. RESULTS We created two fat body non-normalized EST libraries, one from mosquito fat bodies non-blood fed (NBF) and another from mosquitoes 24 hrs post-blood meal (PBM). 454 pyrosequencing of the non-normalized libraries resulted in 204,578 useable reads from the NBF sample and 323,474 useable reads from the PBM sample. Alignment of reads to the existing reference Ae. aegypti transcript libraries for analysis of differential expression between NBF and PBM samples revealed 116,912 and 115,051 matches, respectively. De novo assembly of the reads from the NBF sample resulted in 15,456 contigs, and assembly of the reads from the PBM sample resulted in 15,010 contigs. Collectively, 123 novel transcripts were identified within these contigs. Prominently expressed transcripts in the NBF fat body library were represented by transcripts encoding ribosomal proteins. Thirty-five point four percent of all reads in the PBM library were represented by transcripts that encode yolk proteins. The most highly expressed were transcripts encoding members of the cathepsin b, vitellogenin, vitellogenic carboxypeptidase, and vitelline membrane protein families. CONCLUSION The two fat body transcriptomes were considerably different from each other in terms of transcript expression in terms of abundances of transcripts and genes expressed. They reflect the physiological shift of the pre-feeding fat body from a resting state to vitellogenic gene expression after feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P. Price
- The Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Vijayaraj Nagarajan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biosciences Branch (BCBB), OCICB/OSMO/OD/NIAID/NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Alexander Churbanov
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
- The Roadrunner Sequencing Lab, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Peter Houde
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
- The Roadrunner Sequencing Lab, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Brook Milligan
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
- The Roadrunner Sequencing Lab, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Lisa L. Drake
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - John E. Gustafson
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
- The Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Immo A. Hansen
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
- The Institute of Applied Biosciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
- The Molecular Biology Program, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
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36
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Surachetpong W, Pakpour N, Cheung KW, Luckhart S. Reactive oxygen species-dependent cell signaling regulates the mosquito immune response to Plasmodium falciparum. Antioxid Redox Signal 2011; 14:943-55. [PMID: 21126166 PMCID: PMC3042311 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2010.3401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in direct killing of pathogens, increased tissue damage, and regulation of immune signaling pathways in mammalian cells. Available research suggests that analogous phenomena affect the establishment of Plasmodium infection in Anopheles mosquitoes. We have previously shown that provision of human insulin in a blood meal leads to increased ROS levels in Anopheles stephensi. Here, we demonstrate that provision of human insulin significantly increased parasite development in the same mosquito host in a manner that was not consistent with ROS-induced parasite killing or parasite escape through damaged tissue. Rather, our studies demonstrate that ROS are important mediators of both the mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling branches of the mosquito insulin signaling cascade. Further, ROS alone can directly activate these signaling pathways and this activation is growth factor specific. Our data, therefore, highlight a novel role for ROS as signaling mediators in the mosquito innate immune response to Plasmodium parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Win Surachetpong
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
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37
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Wen Z, Gulia M, Clark KD, Dhara A, Crim JW, Strand MR, Brown MR. Two insulin-like peptide family members from the mosquito Aedes aegypti exhibit differential biological and receptor binding activities. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2010; 328:47-55. [PMID: 20643184 PMCID: PMC2957182 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2010.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2010] [Revised: 05/21/2010] [Accepted: 07/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Insects encode multiple ILPs but only one homolog of the vertebrate IR that activates the insulin-signaling pathway. However, it remains unclear whether all insect ILPs are high affinity ligands for the IR or have similar biological functions. The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, encodes eight ILPs with prior studies strongly implicating ILPs from the brain in regulating metabolism and the maturation of eggs following blood feeding. Here we addressed whether two ILP family members expressed in the brain, ILP4 and ILP3, have overlapping functional and receptor binding activities. Our results indicated that ILP3 exhibits strong insulin-like activity by elevating carbohydrate and lipid storage in sugar-fed adult females, whereas ILP4 does not. In contrast, both ILPs exhibited dose-dependent gonadotropic activity in blood-fed females as measured by the stimulation of ovaries to produce ecdysteroids and the uptake of yolk by primary oocytes. Binding studies using ovary membranes indicated that ILP4 and ILP3 do not cross compete; a finding further corroborated by cross-linking and immunoblotting experiments showing that ILP3 binds the MIR while ILP4 binds an unknown 55kDa membrane protein. In contrast, each ILP activated the insulin-signaling pathway in ovaries as measured by enhanced phosphorylation of Akt. RNAi and inhibitor studies further indicated that the gonadotropic activity of ILP4 and ILP3 requires the MIR and a functional insulin-signaling pathway. Taken together, our results indicate that two members of the Ae. aegypti ILP family exhibit partially overlapping biological activity and different binding interactions with the MIR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimou Wen
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, USA
| | - Monika Gulia
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, USA
| | | | - Animesh Dhara
- Neuroscience Division of the Biomedical Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, USA
| | - Joe W. Crim
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, USA
| | - Michael R. Strand
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, USA
- Corresponding authors at: University of Georgia, Department of Entomology, 413 Biological Sciences Building, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Tel 706-542-2371; fax: 706-542-2271, (M. R. Brown), (M. R. Strand)
| | - Mark R. Brown
- Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, USA
- Corresponding authors at: University of Georgia, Department of Entomology, 413 Biological Sciences Building, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Tel 706-542-2371; fax: 706-542-2271, (M. R. Brown), (M. R. Strand)
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38
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Wang MH, Marinotti O, James AA, Walker E, Githure J, Yan G. Genome-wide patterns of gene expression during aging in the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. PLoS One 2010; 5:e13359. [PMID: 20967211 PMCID: PMC2954169 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2010] [Accepted: 09/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The primary means of reducing malaria transmission is through reduction in longevity in days of the adult female stage of the Anopheles vector. However, assessing chronological age is limited to crude physiologic methods which categorize the females binomially as either very young (nulliparous) or not very young (parous). Yet the epidemiologically relevant reduction in life span falls within the latter category. Age-grading methods that delineate chronological age, using accurate molecular surrogates based upon gene expression profiles, will allow quantification of the longevity-reducing effects of vector control tools aimed at the adult, female mosquito. In this study, microarray analyses of gene expression profiles in the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae were conducted during natural senescence of females in laboratory conditions. Results showed that detoxification-related and stress-responsive genes were up-regulated as mosquitoes aged. A total of 276 transcripts had age-dependent expression, independently of blood feeding and egg laying events. Expression of 112 (40.6%) of these transcripts increased or decreased monotonically with increasing chronologic age. Seven candidate genes for practical age assessment were tested by quantitative gene amplification in the An. gambiae G3 strain in a laboratory experiment and the Mbita strain in field enclosures set up in western Kenya under conditions closely resembling natural ones. Results were similar between experiments, indicating that senescence is marked by changes in gene expression and that chronological age can be gauged accurately and repeatedly with this method. These results indicate that the method may be suitable for accurate gauging of the age in days of field-caught, female An. gambiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Hui Wang
- Program in Public Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Osvaldo Marinotti
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony A. James
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Edward Walker
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - John Githure
- Division of Human Health, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Pertseva MN, Shpakov AO. Hypothesis of evolutionary origin of several human and animal diseases. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2010. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093010030130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Corby-Harris V, Drexler A, Watkins de Jong L, Antonova Y, Pakpour N, Ziegler R, Ramberg F, Lewis EE, Brown JM, Luckhart S, Riehle MA. Activation of Akt signaling reduces the prevalence and intensity of malaria parasite infection and lifespan in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. PLoS Pathog 2010; 6:e1001003. [PMID: 20664791 PMCID: PMC2904800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria (Plasmodium spp.) kills nearly one million people annually and this number will likely increase as drug and insecticide resistance reduces the effectiveness of current control strategies. The most important human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, undergoes a complex developmental cycle in the mosquito that takes approximately two weeks and begins with the invasion of the mosquito midgut. Here, we demonstrate that increased Akt signaling in the mosquito midgut disrupts parasite development and concurrently reduces the duration that mosquitoes are infective to humans. Specifically, we found that increased Akt signaling in the midgut of heterozygous Anopheles stephensi reduced the number of infected mosquitoes by 60-99%. Of those mosquitoes that were infected, we observed a 75-99% reduction in parasite load. In homozygous mosquitoes with increased Akt signaling parasite infection was completely blocked. The increase in midgut-specific Akt signaling also led to an 18-20% reduction in the average mosquito lifespan. Thus, activation of Akt signaling reduced the number of infected mosquitoes, the number of malaria parasites per infected mosquito, and the duration of mosquito infectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Corby-Harris
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Anna Drexler
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Laurel Watkins de Jong
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Yevgeniya Antonova
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Nazzy Pakpour
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Rolf Ziegler
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Frank Ramberg
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Edwin E. Lewis
- Department of Entomology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Nematology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jessica M. Brown
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California – Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Riehle
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
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Horton AA, Lee Y, Coulibaly CA, Rashbrook VK, Cornel AJ, Lanzaro GC, Luckhart S. Identification of three single nucleotide polymorphisms in Anopheles gambiae immune signaling genes that are associated with natural Plasmodium falciparum infection. Malar J 2010; 9:160. [PMID: 20540770 PMCID: PMC2896950 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-9-160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2010] [Accepted: 06/11/2010] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Laboratory studies have demonstrated that a variety of immune signaling pathways regulate malaria parasite infection in Anopheles gambiae, the primary vector species in Africa. Methods To begin to understand the importance of these associations under natural conditions, an association mapping approach was adopted to determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in selected immune signaling genes in A. gambiae collected in Mali were associated with the phenotype of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Results Three SNPs were identified in field-collected mosquitoes that were associated with parasite infection in molecular form-dependent patterns: two were detected in the Toll5B gene and one was detected in the gene encoding insulin-like peptide 3 precursor. In addition, one infection-associated Toll5B SNP was in linkage disequilibrium with a SNP in sequence encoding a mitogen-activated protein kinase that has been associated with Toll signaling in mammalian cells. Both Toll5B SNPs showed divergence from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, suggesting that selection pressure(s) are acting on these loci. Conclusions Seven of these eight infection-associated and linked SNPs alter codon frequency or introduce non-synonymous changes that would be predicted to alter protein structure and, hence, function, suggesting that these SNPs could alter immune signaling and responsiveness to parasite infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Horton
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Arrighi RB, Faye I. Plasmodium falciparum GPI toxin: a common foe for man and mosquito. Acta Trop 2010; 114:162-5. [PMID: 19539593 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2009.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2008] [Revised: 06/06/2009] [Accepted: 06/09/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which can be regarded as an endotoxin, plays a role in the induced pathology associated with severe malaria in humans. However, it is unclear whether the main mosquito vector, Anopheles gambiae, can specifically recognize, and respond to GPI from the malaria parasite. Recent data suggests that the malaria vector does mount a specific response against malaria GPI. In addition, following the strong immune response, mosquito fecundity is severely affected, resulting in a significant reduction in viable eggs produced. In this mini-review we look at the increased interest in understanding the way that malaria antigens are recognized in the mosquito, and how this relates to a better understanding of the interactions between the malaria parasite and both human and vector.
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Luckhart S, Lindsay SW, James AA, Scott TW. Reframing critical needs in vector biology and management of vector-borne disease. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2010; 4:e566. [PMID: 20186276 PMCID: PMC2826393 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
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Deletion of Drosophila insulin-like peptides causes growth defects and metabolic abnormalities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2009; 106:19617-22. [PMID: 19887630 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0905083106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Insulin/Insulin-like growth factor signaling regulates homeostasis and growth in mammals, and is implicated in diseases from diabetes to cancer. In Drosophila melanogaster, as in other invertebrates, multiple Insulin-Like Peptides (DILPs) are encoded by a family of related genes. To assess DILPs' physiological roles, we generated small deficiencies that uncover single or multiple dilps, generating genetic loss-of-function mutations. Deletion of dilps1-5 generated homozygotes that are small, severely growth-delayed, and poorly viable and fertile. These animals display reduced metabolic activity, decreased triglyceride levels and prematurely activate autophagy, indicative of "starvation in the midst of plenty," a hallmark of Type I diabetes. Furthermore, circulating sugar levels are elevated in Df [dilp1-5] homozygotes during eating and fasting. In contrast, Df[dilp6] or Df[dilp7] animals showed no major metabolic defects. We discuss physiological differences between mammals and insects that may explain the unexpected survival of lean, 'diabetic' flies.
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Hurd H. Evolutionary drivers of parasite-induced changes in insect life-history traits from theory to underlying mechanisms. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2009; 68:85-110. [PMID: 19289191 DOI: 10.1016/s0065-308x(08)00604-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Many hosts are able to tolerate infection by altering life-history traits that are traded-off one against another. Here the reproductive fitness of insect hosts and vectors is reviewed in the context of theories concerning evolutionary mechanisms driving such alterations. These include the concepts that changes in host reproductive fitness are by-products of infection, parasite manipulations, host adaptations, mafia-like strategies or host compensatory responses. Two models are examined in depth, a tapeworm/beetle association, Hymenolepis diminuta/Tenebrio molitor and malaria infections in anopheline mosquitoes. Parasite-induced impairment of vitellogenesis ultimately leads to a decrease in female reproductive success in both cases, though by different means. Evidence is put forwards for both a manipulator molecule of parasite origin and for host-initiated regulation. These models are backed by other examples in which mechanisms underlying fecundity reduction or fecundity compensation are explored. It is concluded that evolutionary theories must be supported by empirical evidence gained from studying molecular, biochemical and physiological mechanisms underlying changes in host life-history traits, ideally using organisms that have evolved together and that are in their natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary Hurd
- Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitilogy, School of life Sciences, Keele University, United Kingdom
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Sim C, Denlinger DL. A shut-down in expression of an insulin-like peptide, ILP-1, halts ovarian maturation during the overwintering diapause of the mosquito Culex pipiens. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2009; 18:325-32. [PMID: 19523064 PMCID: PMC3835429 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2009.00872.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Short day-length is used to programme adult diapause in the mosquito, Culex pipiens. The downstream endocrine event that halts ovarian maturation is a shut-down in juvenile hormone (JH) production, and recent evidence suggests that the insulin signalling pathway may be a key upstream player in executing this developmental arrest. Genes encoding insulin-like peptides-1, -2 and -5 were identified in C. pipiens, and we report that transcript levels of insulin-like peptides-1 and -5 were significantly lower in diapausing females than in their nondiapausing counterparts. Genes encoding both insulin-like peptides-1 and -5 were suppressed using RNA interference in mosquitoes programmed for nondiapause, and ovarian maturation was monitored. Knocking down insulin-like peptide-1 with RNAi in nondiapausing mosquitoes resulted in a cessation of ovarian development akin to diapause, and this arrest in development could be reversed with an application of JH. Knocking down insulin-like peptide-5 did not alter ovarian development. These results are consistent with a role for insulin-like peptide-1 in the signalling pathway leading from the perception of short day-lengths to the shut-down in JH production that characterizes adult diapause in C. pipiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sim
- Department of Entomology, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
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Hypoglycaemia induced by Trichinella infection is due to the increase of glucose uptake in infected muscle cells. Int J Parasitol 2009; 39:427-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2008.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2008] [Revised: 09/04/2008] [Accepted: 09/05/2008] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Abstract
No studies have been performed on the mitochondria of malaria vector mosquitoes. This information would be valuable in understanding mosquito aging and detoxification of insecticides, two parameters that have a significant impact on malaria parasite transmission in endemic regions. In the present study, we report the analyses of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria of cultured cells [ASE (Anopheles stephensi Mos. 43) cell line] from A. stephensi, a major vector of malaria in India, South-East Asia and parts of the Middle East. ASE cell mitochondria share many features in common with mammalian muscle mitochondria, despite the fact that these cells are of larval origin. However, two major differences with mammalian mitochondria were apparent. One, the glycerol-phosphate shuttle plays as major a role in NADH oxidation in ASE cell mitochondria as it does in insect muscle mitochondria. In contrast, mammalian white muscle mitochondria depend primarily on lactate dehydrogenase, whereas red muscle mitochondria depend on the malate-oxaloacetate shuttle. Two, ASE mitochondria were able to oxidize proline at a rate comparable with that of alpha-glycerophosphate. However, the proline pathway appeared to differ from the currently accepted pathway, in that oxoglutarate could be catabolized completely by the tricarboxylic acid cycle or via transamination, depending on the ATP need.
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Kang MA, Mott TM, Tapley EC, Lewis EE, Luckhart S. Insulin regulates aging and oxidative stress in Anopheles stephensi. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008; 211:741-8. [PMID: 18281336 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.012955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Observations from nematodes to mammals indicate that insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) regulates lifespan. As in other organisms, IIS is conserved in mosquitoes and signaling occurs in multiple tissues. During bloodfeeding, mosquitoes ingest human insulin. This simple observation suggested that exogenous insulin could mimic the endogenous hormonal control of aging in mosquitoes, providing a new model to examine this phenomenon at the organismal and cellular levels. To this end, female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were maintained on diets containing human insulin provided daily in sucrose or three times weekly by artificial bloodmeal. Regardless of delivery route, mosquitoes provided with insulin at 1.7 x 10(-4) and 1.7 x 10(-3) micromol l(-1), doses 0.3-fold and 3.0-fold higher than non-fasting blood levels, died at a faster rate than controls. In mammals, IIS induces the synthesis of reactive oxygen species and downregulates antioxidants, events that increase oxidative stress and that have been associated with reduced lifespan. Insulin treatment of mosquito cells in vitro induced hydrogen peroxide synthesis while dietary supplementation reduced total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and manganese SOD activity relative to controls. The effects of insulin on mortality were reversed when diets were supplemented with manganese (III) tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin (MnTBAP), a cell-permeable SOD mimetic agent, suggesting that insulin-induced mortality was due to oxidative stress. In addition, dietary insulin activated Akt/protein kinase B and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the mosquito midgut, suggesting that, as observed in Caenorhabditis elegans, the midgut may act as a 'signaling center' for mosquito aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi-Ae Kang
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California at Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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