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Menezes A, Peixoto M, Silva M, Costa-Bartuli E, Oliveira CL, Walter-Nuno AB, Kistenmacker NDC, Pereira J, Ramos I, Paiva-Silva GO, Atella GC, Zancan P, Sola-Penna M, Gomes FM. Western diet consumption by host vertebrate promotes altered gene expression on Aedes aegypti reducing its lifespan and increasing fertility following blood feeding. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:12. [PMID: 38184590 PMCID: PMC10770904 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06095-3] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in low- and middle-income countries is linked to an increase in Western diet consumption, characterized by a high intake of processed foods, which impacts the levels of blood sugar and lipids, hormones, and cytokines. Hematophagous insect vectors, such as the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, rely on blood meals for reproduction and development and are therefore exposed to the components of blood plasma. However, the impact of the alteration of blood composition due to malnutrition and metabolic conditions on mosquito biology remains understudied. METHODS In this study, we investigated the impact of whole-blood alterations resulting from a Western-type diet on the biology of Ae. aegypti. We kept C57Bl6/J mice on a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diet for 20 weeks and followed biological parameters, including plasma insulin and lipid levels, insulin tolerance, and weight gain, to validate the development of metabolic syndrome. We further allowed Ae. aegypti mosquitoes to feed on mice and tracked how altered host blood composition modulated parameters of vector capacity. RESULTS Our findings identified that HFHS-fed mice resulted in reduced mosquito longevity and increased fecundity upon mosquito feeding, which correlated with alteration in the gene expression profile of nutrient sensing and physiological and metabolic markers as studied up to several days after blood ingestion. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides new insights into the overall effect of alterations of blood components on mosquito biology and its implications for the transmission of infectious diseases in conditions where the frequency of Western diet-induced metabolic syndromes is becoming more frequent. These findings highlight the importance of addressing metabolic health to further understand the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses in endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Menezes
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marilia Peixoto
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Melissa Silva
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Emylle Costa-Bartuli
- The Metabolizsm' Group, Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cinara Lima Oliveira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Lipídeos e Lipoproteínas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo De Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Beatriz Walter-Nuno
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nathan da Cruz Kistenmacker
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jessica Pereira
- Laboratorio de Ovogênese Molecular de Insetos Vetores, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Isabela Ramos
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Ovogênese Molecular de Insetos Vetores, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriela O Paiva-Silva
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Ovogênese Molecular de Insetos Vetores, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Geórgia C Atella
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Lipídeos e Lipoproteínas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo De Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratorio de Ovogênese Molecular de Insetos Vetores, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patricia Zancan
- The Metabolizsm' Group, Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mauro Sola-Penna
- The Metabolizsm' Group, Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fabio M Gomes
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Laboratorio de Ovogênese Molecular de Insetos Vetores, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Riske BF, Luckhart S, Riehle MA. Starving the Beast: Limiting Coenzyme A Biosynthesis to Prevent Disease and Transmission in Malaria. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13915. [PMID: 37762222 PMCID: PMC10530615 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813915] [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: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites must acquire all necessary nutrients from the vertebrate and mosquito hosts to successfully complete their life cycle. Failure to acquire these nutrients can limit or even block parasite development and presents a novel target for malaria control. One such essential nutrient is pantothenate, also known as vitamin B5, which the parasite cannot synthesize de novo and is required for the synthesis of coenzyme A (CoA) in the parasite. This review examines pantothenate and the CoA biosynthesis pathway in the human-mosquito-malaria parasite triad and explores possible approaches to leverage the CoA biosynthesis pathway to limit malaria parasite development in both human and mosquito hosts. This includes a discussion of sources for pantothenate for the mosquito, human, and parasite, examining the diverse strategies used by the parasite to acquire substrates for CoA synthesis across life stages and host resource pools and a discussion of drugs and alternative approaches being studied to disrupt CoA biosynthesis in the parasite. The latter includes antimalarial pantothenate analogs, known as pantothenamides, that have been developed to target this pathway during the human erythrocytic stages. In addition to these parasite-targeted drugs, we review studies of mosquito-targeted allosteric enzymatic regulators known as pantazines as an approach to limit pantothenate availability in the mosquito and subsequently deprive the parasite of this essential nutrient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan F. Riske
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA
| | - Michael A. Riehle
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;
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3
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Srinivasan S, Ghosh C, Das S, Thakare A, Singh S, Ganesh A, Mahawar H, Jaisimha A, Krishna M, Chattopadhyay A, Borah R, Singh V, M S, Kumar N, Kumar S, Swain S, Subramani S. Identification of a TNF-TNFR-like system in malaria vectors (Anopheles stephensi) likely to influence Plasmodium resistance. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19079. [PMID: 36351999 PMCID: PMC9646898 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23780-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of Plasmodium-resistance genes in malaria vectors remains an elusive goal despite the recent availability of high-quality genomes of several mosquito vectors. Anopheles stephensi, with its three distinctly-identifiable forms at the egg stage, correlating with varying vector competence, offers an ideal species to discover functional mosquito genes implicated in Plasmodium resistance. Recently, the genomes of several strains of An. stephensi of the type-form, known to display high vectorial capacity, were reported. Here, we report a chromosomal-level assembly of an intermediate-form of An. stephensi strain (IndInt), shown to have reduced vectorial capacity relative to a strain of type-form (IndCh). The contig level assembly with a L50 of 4 was scaffolded into chromosomes by using the genome of IndCh as the reference. The final assembly shows a heterozygous paracentric inversion, 3Li, involving 8 Mbp, which is syntenic to the extensively-studied 2La inversion implicated in Plasmodium resistance in An. gambiae involving 21 Mbp. Deep annotation of genes within the 3Li region in the IndInt assembly using the state-of-the-art protein-fold prediction and other annotation tools reveals the presence of a tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) like gene, which is the homolog of the Eiger gene in Drosophila. Subsequent chromosome-wide searches revealed homologs of Wengen (Wgn) and Grindelwald (Grnd) genes, which are known to be the receptors for Eiger in Drosophila. We have identified all the genes in IndInt required for Eiger-mediated signaling by analogy to the TNF-alpha system, suggesting the presence of a functionally-active Eiger signaling pathway in IndInt. Comparative genomics of the three type-forms with that of IndInt, reveals structurally disruptive mutations in Eiger gene in all three strains of the type-form, suggesting compromised innate immunity in the type-form as the likely cause of high vectorial capacity in these strains. This is the first report of the presence of a homolog of Eiger in malaria vectors, known to be involved in cell death in Drosophila, within an inversion region in IndInt syntenic to an inversion associated with Plasmodium resistance in An. gambiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhashini Srinivasan
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Chaitali Ghosh
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Shrestha Das
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Aditi Thakare
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Siddharth Singh
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Apoorva Ganesh
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Harsh Mahawar
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Aadhya Jaisimha
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Mohanapriya Krishna
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Aritra Chattopadhyay
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Rishima Borah
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Vikrant Singh
- grid.418831.70000 0004 0500 991XInstitute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Biotech Park, Electronic City Phase I, Bengaluru, 560100 India
| | - Soumya M
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Naveen Kumar
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Sampath Kumar
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Sunita Swain
- grid.508203.c0000 0004 9410 4854Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Center at inStem, Bellary Road, GKVK Campus, Bengaluru, 560065 India
| | - Suresh Subramani
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242TIGS, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
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4
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Thakre N, Simão Gurge RM, Isoe J, Kivi H, Strickland J, Delacruz LR, Rodriguez AM, Haney R, Sadeghi R, Joy T, Chen M, Luckhart S, Riehle MA. Manipulation of pantothenate kinase in Anopheles stephensi suppresses pantothenate levels with minimal impacts on mosquito fitness. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 149:103834. [PMID: 36087890 PMCID: PMC9595603 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2022.103834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Pantothenate (Pan) is an essential nutrient required by both the mosquito vector and malaria parasite. We previously demonstrated that increasing pantothenate kinase (PanK) activity and co-enzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis led to significantly decreased parasite infection prevalence and intensity in the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi. In this study, we demonstrate that Pan stores in A. stephensi are a limited resource and that manipulation of PanK levels or activity, via small molecule modulators of PanK or transgenic mosquitoes, leads to the conversion of Pan to CoA and an overall reduction in Pan levels with minimal to no effects on mosquito fitness. Transgenic A. stephensi lines with repressed insulin signaling due to PTEN overexpression or repressed c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling due to MAPK phosphatase 4 (MKP4) overexpression exhibited enhanced PanK levels and significant reductions in Pan relative to non-transgenic controls, with the PTEN line also exhibiting significantly increased CoA levels. Provisioning of the PTEN line with the small molecule PanK modulator PZ-2891 increased CoA levels while provisioning Compound 7 decreased CoA levels, affirming chemical manipulation of mosquito PanK. We assessed effects of these small molecules on A. stephensi lifespan, reproduction and metabolism under optimized laboratory conditions. PZ-2891 and Compound 7 had no impact on A. stephensi survival when delivered via bloodmeal throughout mosquito lifespan. Further, PZ-2891 provisioning had no impact on egg production over the first two reproductive cycles. Finally, PanK manipulation with small molecules was associated with minimal impacts on nutritional stores in A. stephensi mosquitoes under optimized rearing conditions. Together with our previous data demonstrating that PanK activation was associated with significantly increased A. stephensi resistance to Plasmodium falciparum infection, the studies herein demonstrate a lack of fitness costs of mosquito Pan depletion as a basis for a feasible, novel strategy to control parasite infection of anopheline mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Thakre
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Raquel M Simão Gurge
- Departrment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Jun Isoe
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Heather Kivi
- Departrment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Jessica Strickland
- Departrment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | | | - Anna M Rodriguez
- Departrment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Reagan Haney
- Departrment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Rohollah Sadeghi
- Departrment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Teresa Joy
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Minhao Chen
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Departrment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Michael A Riehle
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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5
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Cardoso-Jaime V, Tikhe CV, Dong S, Dimopoulos G. The Role of Mosquito Hemocytes in Viral Infections. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102088. [PMID: 36298644 PMCID: PMC9608948 DOI: 10.3390/v14102088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Insect hemocytes are the only immune cells that can mount a humoral and cellular immune response. Despite the critical involvement of hemocytes in immune responses against bacteria, fungi, and parasites in mosquitoes, our understanding of their antiviral potential is still limited. It has been shown that hemocytes express humoral factors such as TEP1, PPO, and certain antimicrobial peptides that are known to restrict viral infections. Insect hemocytes also harbor the major immune pathways, such as JAK/STAT, TOLL, IMD, and RNAi, which are critical for the control of viral infection. Recent research has indicated a role for hemocytes in the regulation of viral infection through RNA interference and autophagy; however, the specific mechanism by which this regulation occurs remains uncharacterized. Conversely, some studies have suggested that hemocytes act as agonists of arboviral infection because they lack basal lamina and circulate throughout the whole mosquito, likely facilitating viral dissemination to other tissues such as salivary glands. In addition, hemocytes produce arbovirus agonist factors such as lectins, which enhance viral infection. Here, we summarize our current understanding of hemocytes’ involvement in viral infections.
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Yan Y, Sigle LT, Rinker DC, Estévez-Lao TY, Capra JA, Hillyer JF. The immune deficiency and c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathways drive the functional integration of the immune and circulatory systems of mosquitoes. Open Biol 2022; 12:220111. [PMID: 36069078 PMCID: PMC9449813 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune and circulatory systems of animals are functionally integrated. In mammals, the spleen and lymph nodes filter and destroy microbes circulating in the blood and lymph, respectively. In insects, immune cells that surround the heart valves (ostia), called periostial haemocytes, destroy pathogens in the areas of the body that experience the swiftest haemolymph (blood) flow. An infection recruits additional periostial haemocytes, amplifying heart-associated immune responses. Although the structural mechanics of periostial haemocyte aggregation have been defined, the genetic factors that regulate this process remain less understood. Here, we conducted RNA sequencing in the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, and discovered that an infection upregulates multiple components of the immune deficiency (IMD) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways in the heart with periostial haemocytes. This upregulation is greater in the heart with periostial haemocytes than in the circulating haemocytes or the entire abdomen. RNA interference-based knockdown then showed that the IMD and JNK pathways drive periostial haemocyte aggregation and alter phagocytosis and melanization on the heart, thereby demonstrating that these pathways regulate the functional integration between the immune and circulatory systems. Understanding how insects fight infection lays the foundation for novel strategies that could protect beneficial insects and harm detrimental ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Yan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Leah T. Sigle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - David C. Rinker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - John A. Capra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA,Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Julián F. Hillyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Briggs AM, Hambly MG, Simão-Gurge RM, Garrison SM, Khaku Z, Van Susteren G, Lewis EE, Riffell JA, Luckhart S. Anopheles stephensi Feeding, Flight Behavior, and Infection With Malaria Parasites are Altered by Ingestion of Serotonin. Front Physiol 2022; 13:911097. [PMID: 35747317 PMCID: PMC9209645 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.911097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 3.4 billion people are at risk of malaria, a disease caused by infection with Plasmodium spp. parasites, which are transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Individuals with severe falciparum malaria often exhibit changes in circulating blood levels of biogenic amines, including reduced serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and these changes are associated with disease pathology. In insects, 5-HT functions as an important neurotransmitter for many behaviors and biological functions. In Anopheles stephensi, we show that 5-HT is localized to innervation in the head, thorax, and midgut, suggesting a gut-to-brain signaling axis that could support the effects of ingested 5-HT on mosquito biology and behavioral responses. Given the changes in blood levels of 5-HT associated with severe malaria and the key roles that 5-HT plays in insect neurophysiology, we investigated the impact of ingesting blood with healthy levels of 5-HT (1.5 µM) or malaria-associated levels of 5-HT (0.15 µM) on various aspects of A. stephensi biology. In these studies, we provisioned 5-HT and monitored fecundity, lifespan, flight behavior, and blood feeding of A. stephensi. We also assessed the impact of 5-HT ingestion on infection of A. stephensi with the mouse malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii yoelii 17XNL and the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Our data show that ingestion of 5-HT associated with severe malaria increased mosquito flight velocity and investigation of visual objects in response to host odor (CO2). 5-HT ingestion in blood at levels associated with severe malaria also increased the tendency to take a second blood meal 4 days later in uninfected A. stephensi. In mosquitoes infected with P. y. yoelii 17XNL, feeding tendency was decreased when midgut oocysts were present but increased when sporozoites were present. In addition to these effects, treatment of A. stephensi with 5-HT associated with severe malaria increased infection success with P. y. yoelii 17XNL compared to control, while treatment with healthy levels of 5-HT decreased infection success with P. falciparum. These changes in mosquito behavior and infection success could be used as a basis to manipulate 5-HT signaling in vector mosquitoes for improved control of malaria parasite transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Briggs
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Malayna G. Hambly
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Raquel M. Simão-Gurge
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Sarah M. Garrison
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Zainab Khaku
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Grace Van Susteren
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Edwin E. Lewis
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
| | - Jeffrey A. Riffell
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States
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8
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Hun LV, Cheung KW, Brooks E, Zudekoff R, Luckhart S, Riehle MA. Increased insulin signaling in the Anopheles stephensi fat body regulates metabolism and enhances the host response to both bacterial challenge and Plasmodium falciparum infection. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 139:103669. [PMID: 34666189 PMCID: PMC8647039 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2021.103669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
In vertebrates and invertebrates, the insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signaling (IIS) cascade is highly conserved and plays a vital role in many different physiological processes. Among the many tissues that respond to IIS in mosquitoes, the fat body has a central role in metabolism, lifespan, reproduction, and innate immunity. We previously demonstrated that fat body specific expression of active Akt, a key IIS signaling molecule, in adult Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti activated the IIS cascade and extended lifespan. Additionally, we found that transgenic females produced more vitellogenin (Vg) protein than non-transgenic mosquitoes, although this did not translate into increased fecundity. These results prompted us to further examine how IIS impacts immunity, metabolism, growth and development of these transgenic mosquitoes. We observed significant changes in glycogen, trehalose, triglycerides, glucose, and protein in young (3-5 d) transgenic mosquitoes relative to non-transgenic sibling controls, while only triglycerides were significantly changed in older (18 d) transgenic mosquitoes. More importantly, we demonstrated that enhanced fat body IIS decreased both the prevalence and intensity of Plasmodium falciparum infection in transgenic An. stephensi. Additionally, challenging transgenic An. stephensi with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria altered the expression of several antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and two anti-Plasmodium genes, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and thioester complement-like protein (TEP1), relative to non-transgenic controls. Increased IIS in the fat body of adult female An. stephensi had little to no impact on body size, growth or development of progeny from transgenic mosquitoes relative to non-transgenic controls. This study both confirms and expands our understanding of the critical roles insulin signaling plays in regulating the diverse functions of the mosquito fat body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis V Hun
- Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA; Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Kong Wai Cheung
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Brooks
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Rissa Zudekoff
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Departrment of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Michael A Riehle
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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9
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Adelman ZN, Kojin BB. Malaria-Resistant Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae); The Principle is Proven, But Will the Effectors Be Effective? JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1997-2005. [PMID: 34018548 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Over the last few decades, a substantial number of anti-malarial effector genes have been evaluated for their ability to block parasite infection in the mosquito vector. While many of these approaches have yielded significant effects on either parasite intensity or prevalence of infection, just a few have been able to completely block transmission. Additionally, many approaches, while effective against the parasite, also disrupt or alter important aspects of mosquito physiology, leading to corresponding changes in lifespan, reproduction, and immunity. As the most promising approaches move towards field-based evaluation, questions of effector gene robustness and durability move to the forefront. In this forum piece, we critically evaluate past effector gene approaches with an eye towards developing a deeper pipeline to augment the current best candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zach N Adelman
- Department of Entomology and AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Bianca B Kojin
- Department of Entomology and AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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10
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Horvath TD, Dagan S, Scaraffia PY. Unraveling mosquito metabolism with mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:747-761. [PMID: 33896683 PMCID: PMC8282712 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nearly half a million people die annually due to mosquito-borne diseases. Despite aggressive mosquito population-control efforts, current strategies are limited in their ability to control these vectors. A better understanding of mosquito metabolism through modern approaches can contribute to the discovery of novel metabolic targets and/or regulators and lead to the development of better mosquito-control strategies. Currently, cutting-edge technologies such as gas or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics are considered 'mature technologies' in many life-science disciplines but are still an emerging area of research in medical entomology. This review primarily discusses recent developments and progress in the application of mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to answer multiple biological questions related to mosquito metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Horvath
- Department of Immunology and Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas Children's Microbiome Center, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Shai Dagan
- Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel, 74100, Israel
| | - Patricia Y Scaraffia
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Vector-Borne Infectious Disease Research Center, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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11
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Simão-Gurge RM, Thakre N, Strickland J, Isoe J, Delacruz LR, Torrevillas BK, Rodriguez AM, Riehle MA, Luckhart S. Activation of Anopheles stephensi Pantothenate Kinase and Coenzyme A Biosynthesis Reduces Infection with Diverse Plasmodium Species in the Mosquito Host. Biomolecules 2021; 11:807. [PMID: 34072373 PMCID: PMC8228300 DOI: 10.3390/biom11060807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites require pantothenate from both human and mosquito hosts to synthesize coenzyme A (CoA). Specifically, mosquito-stage parasites cannot synthesize pantothenate de novo or take up preformed CoA from the mosquito host, making it essential for the parasite to obtain pantothenate from mosquito stores. This makes pantothenate utilization an attractive target for controlling sexual stage malaria parasites in the mosquito. CoA is synthesized from pantothenate in a multi-step pathway initiated by the enzyme pantothenate kinase (PanK). In this work, we manipulated A. stephensi PanK activity and assessed the impact of mosquito PanK activity on the development of two malaria parasite species with distinct genetics and life cycles: the human parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the mouse parasite Plasmodium yoelii yoelii 17XNL. We identified two putative A. stephensi PanK isoforms encoded by a single gene and expressed in the mosquito midgut. Using both RNAi and small molecules with reported activity against human PanK, we confirmed that A. stephensi PanK manipulation was associated with corresponding changes in midgut CoA levels. Based on these findings, we used two small molecule modulators of human PanK activity (PZ-2891, compound 7) at reported and ten-fold EC50 doses to examine the effects of manipulating A. stephensi PanK on malaria parasite infection success. Our data showed that oral provisioning of 1.3 nM and 13 nM PZ-2891 increased midgut CoA levels and significantly decreased infection success for both Plasmodium species. In contrast, oral provisioning of 62 nM and 620 nM compound 7 decreased CoA levels and significantly increased infection success for both Plasmodium species. This work establishes the A. stephensi CoA biosynthesis pathway as a potential target for broadly blocking malaria parasite development in anopheline hosts. We envision this strategy, with small molecule PanK modulators delivered to mosquitoes via attractive bait stations, working in concert with deployment of parasite-directed novel pantothenamide drugs to block parasite infection in the human host. In mosquitoes, depletion of pantothenate through manipulation to increase CoA biosynthesis is expected to negatively impact Plasmodium survival by starving the parasite of this essential nutrient. This has the potential to kill both wild type parasites and pantothenamide-resistant parasites that could develop under pantothenamide drug pressure if these compounds are used as future therapeutics for human malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel M. Simão-Gurge
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA; (R.M.S.-G.); (J.S.); (B.K.T.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Neha Thakre
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; (N.T.); (J.I.); (L.R.D.); (M.A.R.)
| | - Jessica Strickland
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA; (R.M.S.-G.); (J.S.); (B.K.T.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Jun Isoe
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; (N.T.); (J.I.); (L.R.D.); (M.A.R.)
| | - Lillian R. Delacruz
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; (N.T.); (J.I.); (L.R.D.); (M.A.R.)
| | - Brandi K. Torrevillas
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA; (R.M.S.-G.); (J.S.); (B.K.T.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Anna M. Rodriguez
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA; (R.M.S.-G.); (J.S.); (B.K.T.); (A.M.R.)
| | - Michael A. Riehle
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; (N.T.); (J.I.); (L.R.D.); (M.A.R.)
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA; (R.M.S.-G.); (J.S.); (B.K.T.); (A.M.R.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843, USA
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12
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Fabian DK, Fuentealba M, Dönertaş HM, Partridge L, Thornton JM. Functional conservation in genes and pathways linking ageing and immunity. IMMUNITY & AGEING 2021; 18:23. [PMID: 33990202 PMCID: PMC8120713 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-021-00232-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
At first glance, longevity and immunity appear to be different traits that have not much in common except the fact that the immune system promotes survival upon pathogenic infection. Substantial evidence however points to a molecularly intertwined relationship between the immune system and ageing. Although this link is well-known throughout the animal kingdom, its genetic basis is complex and still poorly understood. To address this question, we here provide a compilation of all genes concomitantly known to be involved in immunity and ageing in humans and three well-studied model organisms, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the house mouse Mus musculus. By analysing human orthologs among these species, we identified 7 evolutionarily conserved signalling cascades, the insulin/TOR network, three MAPK (ERK, p38, JNK), JAK/STAT, TGF-β, and Nf-κB pathways that act pleiotropically on ageing and immunity. We review current evidence for these pathways linking immunity and lifespan, and their role in the detrimental dysregulation of the immune system with age, known as immunosenescence. We argue that the phenotypic effects of these pathways are often context-dependent and vary, for example, between tissues, sexes, and types of pathogenic infection. Future research therefore needs to explore a higher temporal, spatial and environmental resolution to fully comprehend the connection between ageing and immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel K Fabian
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK. .,Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Matías Fuentealba
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.,Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Handan Melike Dönertaş
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Linda Partridge
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.,Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Janet M Thornton
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
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13
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Rodriguez AM, Hambly MG, Jandu S, Simão-Gurge R, Lowder C, Lewis EE, Riffell JA, Luckhart S. Histamine Ingestion by Anopheles stephensi Alters Important Vector Transmission Behaviors and Infection Success with Diverse Plasmodium Species. Biomolecules 2021; 11:719. [PMID: 34064869 PMCID: PMC8151525 DOI: 10.3390/biom11050719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
An estimated 229 million people worldwide were impacted by malaria in 2019. The vectors of malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) are Anopheles mosquitoes, making their behavior, infection success, and ultimately transmission of great importance. Individuals with severe malaria can exhibit significantly increased blood concentrations of histamine, an allergic mediator in humans and an important insect neuromodulator, potentially delivered to mosquitoes during blood-feeding. To determine whether ingested histamine could alter Anopheles stephensi biology, we provisioned histamine at normal blood levels and at levels consistent with severe malaria and monitored blood-feeding behavior, flight activity, antennal and retinal responses to host stimuli and lifespan of adult female Anopheles stephensi. To determine the effects of ingested histamine on parasite infection success, we quantified midgut oocysts and salivary gland sporozoites in mosquitoes infected with Plasmodium yoelii and Plasmodium falciparum. Our data show that provisioning An. stephensi with histamine at levels consistent with severe malaria can enhance mosquito behaviors and parasite infection success in a manner that would be expected to amplify parasite transmission to and from human hosts. Such knowledge could be used to connect clinical interventions by reducing elevated histamine to mitigate human disease pathology with the delivery of novel lures for improved malaria control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Rodriguez
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843-3051, USA; (A.M.R.); (M.G.H.); (R.S.-G.); (C.L.); (E.E.L.)
| | - Malayna G. Hambly
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843-3051, USA; (A.M.R.); (M.G.H.); (R.S.-G.); (C.L.); (E.E.L.)
| | - Sandeep Jandu
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA; (S.J.); (J.A.R.)
| | - Raquel Simão-Gurge
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843-3051, USA; (A.M.R.); (M.G.H.); (R.S.-G.); (C.L.); (E.E.L.)
| | - Casey Lowder
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843-3051, USA; (A.M.R.); (M.G.H.); (R.S.-G.); (C.L.); (E.E.L.)
| | - Edwin E. Lewis
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843-3051, USA; (A.M.R.); (M.G.H.); (R.S.-G.); (C.L.); (E.E.L.)
| | - Jeffrey A. Riffell
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA; (S.J.); (J.A.R.)
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843-3051, USA; (A.M.R.); (M.G.H.); (R.S.-G.); (C.L.); (E.E.L.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83843-3051, USA
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14
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Gallichotte EN, Dobos KM, Ebel GD, Hagedorn M, Rasgon JL, Richardson JH, Stedman TT, Barfield JP. Towards a method for cryopreservation of mosquito vectors of human pathogens. Cryobiology 2021; 99:1-10. [PMID: 33556359 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for millions of human deaths every year, posing a massive burden on global public health. Mosquitoes transmit a variety of bacteria, parasites and viruses. Mosquito control efforts such as insecticide spraying can reduce mosquito populations, but they must be sustained in order to have long term impacts, can result in the evolution of insecticide resistance, are costly, and can have adverse human and environmental effects. Technological advances have allowed genetic manipulation of mosquitoes, including generation of those that are still susceptible to insecticides, which has greatly increased the number of mosquito strains and lines available to the scientific research community. This generates an associated challenge, because rearing and maintaining unique mosquito lines requires time, money and facilities, and long-term maintenance can lead to adaptation to specific laboratory conditions, resulting in mosquito lines that are distinct from their wild-type counterparts. Additionally, continuous rearing of transgenic lines can lead to loss of genetic markers, genes and/or phenotypes. Cryopreservation of valuable mosquito lines could help circumvent these limitations and allow researchers to reduce the cost of rearing multiple lines simultaneously, maintain low passage number transgenic mosquitoes, and bank lines not currently being used. Additionally, mosquito cryopreservation could allow researchers to access the same mosquito lines, limiting the impact of unique laboratory or field conditions. Successful cryopreservation of mosquitoes would expand the field of mosquito research and could ultimately lead to advances that would reduce the burden of mosquito-borne diseases, possibly through rear-and-release strategies to overcome mosquito insecticide resistance. Cryopreservation techniques have been developed for some insect groups, including but not limited to fruit flies, silkworms and other moth species, and honeybees. Recent advances within the cryopreservation field, along with success with other insects suggest that cryopreservation of mosquitoes may be a feasible method for preserving valuable scientific and public health resources. In this review, we will provide an overview of basic mosquito biology, the current state of and advances within insect cryopreservation, and a proposed approach toward cryopreservation of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Gallichotte
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Karen M Dobos
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Gregory D Ebel
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Mary Hagedorn
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Front Royal, VA, USA; Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, HI, USA
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Jennifer P Barfield
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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15
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Oringanje C, Delacruz LR, Han Y, Luckhart S, Riehle MA. Overexpression of Activated AMPK in the Anopheles stephensi Midgut Impacts Mosquito Metabolism, Reproduction and Plasmodium Resistance. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12010119. [PMID: 33478058 PMCID: PMC7835765 DOI: 10.3390/genes12010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial integrity and homeostasis in the midgut are key factors controlling mosquito fitness and anti-pathogen resistance. Targeting genes that regulate mitochondrial dynamics represents a potential strategy for limiting mosquito-borne diseases. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key cellular energy sensor found in nearly all eukaryotic cells. When activated, AMPK inhibits anabolic pathways that consume ATP and activates catabolic processes that synthesize ATP. In this study, we overexpressed a truncated and constitutively active α-subunit of AMPK under the control of the midgut-specific carboxypeptidase promotor in the midgut of female Anopheles stephensi. As expected, AMPK overexpression in homozygous transgenic mosquitoes was associated with changes in nutrient storage and metabolism, decreasing glycogen levels at 24 h post-blood feeding when transgene expression was maximal, and concurrently increasing circulating trehalose at the same time point. When transgenic lines were challenged with Plasmodium falciparum, we observed a significant decrease in the prevalence and intensity of infection relative to wild type controls. Surprisingly, we did not observe a significant difference in the survival of adult mosquitoes fed either sugar only or both sugar and bloodmeals throughout adult life. This may be due to the limited period that the transgene was activated before homeostasis was restored. However, we did observe a significant decrease in egg production, suggesting that manipulation of AMPK activity in the mosquito midgut resulted in the re-allocation of resources away from egg production. In summary, this work identifies midgut AMPK activity as an important regulator of metabolism, reproduction, and innate immunity in An. stephensi, a highly invasive and important malaria vector species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yunan Han
- Department of Health Sciences, ECPI University, Virginia Beach, VA 23462, USA;
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Michael A. Riehle
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-520-626-8500
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16
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Evidence for Divergent Selection on Immune Genes between the African Malaria Vectors, Anopheles coluzzii and A. gambiae. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11120893. [PMID: 33352887 PMCID: PMC7767042 DOI: 10.3390/insects11120893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary A comparison of the genomes of the African malaria vectors, Anopheles gambiae and A. coluzzii, revealed that immune genes are highly diverged. Although these two species frequently co-occur within a single site, they occur in distinct larval habitats. Our results taken in the context of known differences in the larval habitats occupied by these taxa support the hypothesis that observed genetic divergence may be driven by immune response to microbial agents specific to these habitats. Strict within species mating may have subsequently evolved in part to maintain immunocompetence which might be compromised by dysregulation of immune pathways in hybrids. We conclude that the evolution of immune gene divergence among this important group of species may serve as a useful model to explore ecological speciation in general. Abstract During their life cycles, microbes infecting mosquitoes encounter components of the mosquito anti-microbial innate immune defenses. Many of these immune responses also mediate susceptibility to malaria parasite infection. In West Africa, the primary malaria vectors are Anopheles coluzzii and A. gambiae sensu stricto, which is subdivided into the Bamako and Savanna sub-taxa. Here, we performed whole genome comparisons of the three taxa as well as genotyping of 333 putatively functional SNPs located in 58 immune signaling genes. Genome data support significantly higher differentiation in immune genes compared with a randomly selected set of non-immune genes among the three taxa (permutation test p < 0.001). Among the 58 genes studied, the majority had one or more segregating mutations (72.9%) that were significantly diverged among the three taxa. Genes detected to be under selection include MAP2K4 and Raf. Despite the genome-wide distribution of immune genes, a high level of linkage disequilibrium (r2 > 0.8) was detected in over 27% of SNP pairs. We discuss the potential role of immune gene divergence as adaptations to the different larval habitats associated with A. gambiae taxa and as a potential force driving ecological speciation in this group of mosquitoes.
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17
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Whitmore HAB, Amarnani D, O'Hare M, Delgado-Tirado S, Gonzalez-Buendia L, An M, Pedron J, Bushweller JH, Arboleda-Velasquez JF, Kim LA. TNF-α signaling regulates RUNX1 function in endothelial cells. FASEB J 2020; 35:e21155. [PMID: 33135824 PMCID: PMC7821222 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202001668r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Runt‐related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) acts as a mediator of aberrant retinal angiogenesis and has been implicated in the progression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Patients with PDR, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and wet age‐related macular degeneration (wet AMD) have been found to have elevated levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) in the eye. In fibrovascular membranes (FVMs) taken from patients with PDR RUNX1 expression was increased in the vasculature, while in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells (HRMECs), TNF‐α stimulation causes increased RUNX1 expression, which can be modulated by RUNX1 inhibitors. Using TNF‐α pathway inhibitors, we determined that in HRMECs, TNF‐α‐induced RUNX1 expression occurs via JNK activation, while NF‐κB and p38/MAPK inhibition did not affect RUNX1 expression. JNK inhibitors were also effective at stopping high d‐glucose‐stimulated RUNX1 expression. We further linked JNK to RUNX1 through Activator Protein 1 (AP‐1) and investigated the JNK‐AP‐1‐RUNX1 regulatory feedback loop, which can be modulated by VEGF. Additionally, stimulation with TNF‐α and d‐glucose had an additive effect on RUNX1 expression, which was downregulated by VEGF modulation. These data suggest that the downregulation of RUNX1 in conjunction with anti‐VEGF agents may be important in future treatments for the management of diseases of pathologic ocular angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah A B Whitmore
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dhanesh Amarnani
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael O'Hare
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Santiago Delgado-Tirado
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lucia Gonzalez-Buendia
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Miranda An
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julien Pedron
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - John H Bushweller
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Joseph F Arboleda-Velasquez
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leo A Kim
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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18
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Peirce MJ, Mitchell SN, Kakani EG, Scarpelli P, South A, Shaw WR, Werling KL, Gabrieli P, Marcenac P, Bordoni M, Talesa V, Catteruccia F. JNK signaling regulates oviposition in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14344. [PMID: 32873857 PMCID: PMC7462981 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71291-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The reproductive fitness of the Anopheles gambiae mosquito represents a promising target to prevent malaria transmission. The ecdysteroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), transferred from male to female during copulation, is key to An. gambiae reproductive success as it licenses females to oviposit eggs developed after blood feeding. Here we show that 20E-triggered oviposition in these mosquitoes is regulated by the stress- and immune-responsive c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). The heads of mated females exhibit a transcriptional signature reminiscent of a JNK-dependent wounding response, while mating—or injection of virgins with exogenous 20E—selectively activates JNK in the same tissue. RNAi-mediated depletion of JNK pathway components inhibits oviposition in mated females, whereas JNK activation by silencing the JNK phosphatase puckered induces egg laying in virgins. Together, these data identify JNK as a potential conduit linking stress responses and reproductive success in the most important vector of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Peirce
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Sant' Andrea Delle Fratte, Piano 4, Edificio D, Piazzale Gambuli 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Sara N Mitchell
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 103, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Evdoxia G Kakani
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 103, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Paolo Scarpelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Sant' Andrea Delle Fratte, Piano 4, Edificio D, Piazzale Gambuli 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy
| | - Adam South
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 103, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - W Robert Shaw
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 103, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kristine L Werling
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 103, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Paolo Gabrieli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Sant' Andrea Delle Fratte, Piano 4, Edificio D, Piazzale Gambuli 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy.,Dipartimento Bioscienze, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Perrine Marcenac
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 103, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Martina Bordoni
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Sant' Andrea Delle Fratte, Piano 4, Edificio D, Piazzale Gambuli 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Talesa
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, Sant' Andrea Delle Fratte, Piano 4, Edificio D, Piazzale Gambuli 1, 06132, Perugia, Italy
| | - Flaminia Catteruccia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Room 103, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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19
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Liu WQ, Chen SQ, Bai HQ, Wei QM, Zhang SN, Chen C, Zhu YH, Yi TW, Guo XP, Chen SY, Yin MJ, Sun CF, Liang SH. The Ras/ERK signaling pathway couples antimicrobial peptides to mediate resistance to dengue virus in Aedes mosquitoes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008660. [PMID: 32866199 PMCID: PMC7485967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes mosquitoes can transmit dengue and several other severe vector-borne viral diseases, thereby influencing millions of people worldwide. Insects primarily control and clear the viral infections via their innate immune systems. Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are both evolutionarily conserved components of the innate immune systems. In this study, we investigated the role of MAPKs in Aedes mosquitoes following DENV infection by using genetic and pharmacological approaches. We demonstrated that knockdown of ERK, but not of JNK or p38, significantly enhances the viral replication in Aedes mosquito cells. The Ras/ERK signaling is activated in both the cells and midguts of Aedes mosquitoes following DENV infection, and thus plays a role in restricting the viral infection, as both genetic and pharmacological activation of the Ras/ERK pathway significantly decreases the viral titers. In contrast, inhibition of the Ras/ERK pathway enhances DENV infection. In addition, we identified a signaling crosstalk between the Ras/ERK pathway and DENV-induced AMPs in which defensin C participates in restricting DENV infection in Aedes mosquitoes. Our results reveal that the Ras/ERK signaling pathway couples AMPs to mediate the resistance of Aedes mosquitoes to DENV infection, which provides a new insight into understanding the crosstalk between MAPKs and AMPs in the innate immunity of mosquito vectors during the viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Quan Liu
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Si-Qi Chen
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Hao-Qiang Bai
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qi-Mei Wei
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Sheng-Nan Zhang
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yi-Han Zhu
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Tang-Wei Yi
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Pu Guo
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Si-Yuan Chen
- School of the 1 Clinical Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Meng-Jie Yin
- School of the 1 Clinical Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chen-Feng Sun
- School of the 1 Clinical Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shao-Hui Liang
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- * E-mail:
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20
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Mitri C, Bischoff E, Eiglmeier K, Holm I, Dieme C, Brito-Fravallo E, Raz A, Zakeri S, Nejad MIK, Djadid ND, Vernick KD, Riehle MM. Gene copy number and function of the APL1 immune factor changed during Anopheles evolution. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:18. [PMID: 31931885 PMCID: PMC6958605 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3868-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The recent reference genome assembly and annotation of the Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi detected only one gene encoding the leucine-rich repeat immune factor APL1, while in the Anopheles gambiae and sibling Anopheles coluzzii, APL1 factors are encoded by a family of three paralogs. The phylogeny and biological function of the unique APL1 gene in An. stephensi have not yet been specifically examined. Methods The APL1 locus was manually annotated to confirm the computationally predicted single APL1 gene in An. stephensi. APL1 evolution within Anopheles was explored by phylogenomic analysis. The single or paralogous APL1 genes were silenced in An. stephensi and An. coluzzii, respectively, followed by mosquito survival analysis, experimental infection with Plasmodium and expression analysis. Results APL1 is present as a single ancestral gene in most Anopheles including An. stephensi but has expanded to three paralogs in an African lineage that includes only the Anopheles gambiae species complex and Anopheles christyi. Silencing of the unique APL1 copy in An. stephensi results in significant mosquito mortality. Elevated mortality of APL1-depleted An. stephensi is rescued by antibiotic treatment, suggesting that pathology due to bacteria is the cause of mortality, and indicating that the unique APL1 gene is essential for host survival. Successful Plasmodium development in An. stephensi depends upon APL1 activity for protection from high host mortality due to bacteria. In contrast, silencing of all three APL1 paralogs in An. coluzzii does not result in elevated mortality, either with or without Plasmodium infection. Expression of the single An. stephensi APL1 gene is regulated by both the Imd and Toll immune pathways, while the two signaling pathways regulate different APL1 paralogs in the expanded APL1 locus. Conclusions APL1 underwent loss and gain of functions concomitant with expansion from a single ancestral gene to three paralogs in one lineage of African Anopheles. We infer that activity of the unique APL1 gene promotes longevity in An. stephensi by conferring protection from or tolerance to an effect of bacterial pathology. The evolution of an expanded APL1 gene family could be a factor contributing to the exceptional levels of malaria transmission mediated by human-feeding members of the An. gambiae species complex in Africa.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Mitri
- Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,CNRS Unit of Evolutionary Genomics, Modeling and Health (UMR2000), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Bischoff
- Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,CNRS Unit of Evolutionary Genomics, Modeling and Health (UMR2000), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Karin Eiglmeier
- Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,CNRS Unit of Evolutionary Genomics, Modeling and Health (UMR2000), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Inge Holm
- Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,CNRS Unit of Evolutionary Genomics, Modeling and Health (UMR2000), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Constentin Dieme
- Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,CNRS Unit of Evolutionary Genomics, Modeling and Health (UMR2000), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, NY, USA
| | - Emma Brito-Fravallo
- Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,CNRS Unit of Evolutionary Genomics, Modeling and Health (UMR2000), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Abbasali Raz
- Malaria and Vector Research Group, Biotechnology Research Center, Institut Pasteur of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Zakeri
- Malaria and Vector Research Group, Biotechnology Research Center, Institut Pasteur of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdokht I K Nejad
- Malaria and Vector Research Group, Biotechnology Research Center, Institut Pasteur of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Navid D Djadid
- Malaria and Vector Research Group, Biotechnology Research Center, Institut Pasteur of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kenneth D Vernick
- Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. .,CNRS Unit of Evolutionary Genomics, Modeling and Health (UMR2000), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
| | - Michelle M Riehle
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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21
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Santana RAG, Oliveira MC, Cabral I, Junior RCAS, de Sousa DRT, Ferreira L, Lacerda MVG, Monteiro WM, Abrantes P, Guerra MDGVB, Silveira H. Anopheles aquasalis transcriptome reveals autophagic responses to Plasmodium vivax midgut invasion. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:261. [PMID: 31126324 PMCID: PMC6534896 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3506-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Elimination of malaria depends on mastering transmission and understanding the biological basis of Plasmodium infection in the vector. The first mosquito organ to interact with the parasite is the midgut and its transcriptomic characterization during infection can reveal effective antiplasmodial responses able to limit the survival of the parasite. The vector response to Plasmodium vivax is not fully characterized, and its specificities when compared with other malaria parasites can be of fundamental interest for specific control measures. Methods Experimental infections were performed using a membrane-feeding device. Three groups were used: P. vivax-blood-fed, blood-fed on inactivated gametocytes, and unfed mosquitoes. Twenty-four hours after feeding, the mosquitoes were dissected and the midgut collected for transcriptomic analysis using RNAseq. Nine cDNA libraries were generated and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq2500. Readings were checked for quality control and analysed using the Trinity platform for de novo transcriptome assembly. Transcript quantification was performed and the transcriptome was functionally annotated. Differential expression gene analysis was carried out. The role of the identified mechanisms was further explored using functional approaches. Results Forty-nine genes were identified as being differentially expressed with P. vivax infection: 34 were upregulated and 15 were downregulated. Half of the P. vivax-related differentially expressed genes could be related to autophagy; therefore, the effect of the known inhibitor (wortmannin) and activator (spermidine) was tested on the infection outcome. Autophagic activation significantly reduced the intensity and prevalence of infection. This was associated with transcription alterations of the autophagy regulating genes Beclin, DRAM and Apg8. Conclusions Our data indicate that P. vivax invasion of An. aquasalis midgut epithelium triggers an autophagic response and its activation reduces infection. This suggests a novel mechanism that mosquitoes can use to fight Plasmodium infection. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3506-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Amélia Gonçalves Santana
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Maurício Costa Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Iria Cabral
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Rubens Celso Andrade Silva Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Débora Raysa Teixeira de Sousa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Lucas Ferreira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Marcus Vinícius Guimarães Lacerda
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil.,Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Abrantes
- Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria das Graças Vale Barbosa Guerra
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Henrique Silveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas/Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, Brazil. .,Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
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22
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Ruiz JL, Yerbanga RS, Lefèvre T, Ouedraogo JB, Corces VG, Gómez-Díaz E. Chromatin changes in Anopheles gambiae induced by Plasmodium falciparum infection. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:5. [PMID: 30616642 PMCID: PMC6322293 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-018-0250-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection by the human malaria parasite leads to important changes in mosquito phenotypic traits related to vector competence. However, we still lack a clear understanding of the underlying mechanisms and, in particular, of the epigenetic basis for these changes. We have examined genome-wide distribution maps of H3K27ac, H3K9ac, H3K9me3 and H3K4me3 by ChIP-seq and the transcriptome by RNA-seq, of midguts from Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes blood-fed uninfected and infected with natural isolates of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in Burkina Faso. RESULTS We report 15,916 regions containing differential histone modification enrichment between infected and uninfected, of which 8339 locate at promoters and/or intersect with genes. The functional annotation of these regions allowed us to identify infection-responsive genes showing differential enrichment in various histone modifications, such as CLIP proteases, antimicrobial peptides-encoding genes, and genes related to melanization responses and the complement system. Further, the motif analysis of regions differentially enriched in various histone modifications predicts binding sites that might be involved in the cis-regulation of these regions, such as Deaf1, Pangolin and Dorsal transcription factors (TFs). Some of these TFs are known to regulate immunity gene expression in Drosophila and are involved in the Notch and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS The analysis of malaria infection-induced chromatin changes in mosquitoes is important not only to identify regulatory elements and genes underlying mosquito responses to P. falciparum infection, but also for possible applications to the genetic manipulation of mosquitoes and to other mosquito-borne systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L. Ruiz
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Rakiswendé S. Yerbanga
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), 01 BP 171, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Thierry Lefèvre
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), 01 BP 171, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean B. Ouedraogo
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), 01 BP 171, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Victor G. Corces
- Department of Biology, Emory University, 1510 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Elena Gómez-Díaz
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 41092 Seville, Spain
- Instituto de Parasitología y Biomedicina López-Neyra (IPBLN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 18016 Granada, Spain
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