Insect–malaria parasites interactions: the salivary gland (original) (raw)

Anopheles gambiae salivary gland proteins as putative targets for blocking transmission of malaria parasites

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2000

Anopheles gambiae is the primary vector of human malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Invasion of Anopheles salivary glands by Plasmodium sporozoites is a necessary step in the transmission of malaria and is likely to be mediated by specific receptor–ligand interactions. We are interested in identifying putative an A. gambiae salivary gland receptor or receptors for sporozoite invasion as a possible target for blocking malaria transmission. By using monoclonal antibodies against female-specific A. gambiae salivary gland proteins, two molecules, one of 29 kDa and one of 100 kDa, were identified and characterized with respect to the age and blood-feeding process of mosquitoes. In an in vivo bioassay, the monoclonal antibody against the 100-kDa protein inhibited Plasmodium yoelii sporozoite invasion of salivary glands ≥75%. These results show that A. gambiae salivary gland proteins are accessible to monoclonal antibodies that inhibit sporozoite invasion of the salivary glands and suggest alt...

Developmentally regulated infectivity of malaria sporozoites for mosquito salivary glands and the vertebrate host

Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1992

Sporozoites are an invasive stage of the malaria parasite in both the mosquito vector and the vertebrate host. We developed an in vivo assay for mosquito salivary gland invasion by preparing Plasmodium gallinaceum sporozoites from infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes under physiological conditions and inoculating them into uninfected female Ae. aegypti. Sporozoites from mature oocysts were isolated from mosquito abdomens 10 or 11 d after an infective blood meal. Salivary gland sporozoites were isolated 13 or 14 d after an infective blood meal. Purified oocyst sporozoites that were inoculated into uninfected female mosquitoes invaded their salivary glands. Using the same assay system, sporozoites derived from salivary glands did not reinvade the salivary glands after inoculation. Conversely, as few as 10 to 50 salivary gland sporozoites induced infection in chickens, while only 2 of 10 chickens inoculated with 5,000 oocyst sporozoites were infected. Both sporozoite populations were found to express a circumsporozoite protein on the sporozoite surface as determined by immunofluorescence assay and circumsporozoite precipitation test using a circumsporozoite protein-specific monoclonal antibody. We conclude that molecules other than this circumsporozoite protein may be responsible for the differential invasion of mosquito salivary glands or infection of the vertebrate host.

Identification of Salivary Gland Proteins Depleted after Blood Feeding in the Malaria Vector Anopheles campestris-like Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae)

PLoS ONE, 2014

Malaria sporozoites must invade the salivary glands of mosquitoes for maturation before transmission to vertebrate hosts. The duration of the sporogonic cycle within the mosquitoes ranges from 10 to 21 days depending on the parasite species and temperature. During blood feeding salivary gland proteins are injected into the vertebrate host, along with malaria sporozoites in the case of an infected mosquito. To identify salivary gland proteins depleted after blood feeding of female Anopheles campestris-like, a potential malaria vector of Plasmodium vivax in Thailand, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques were used. Results showed that 19 major proteins were significantly depleted in three to four day-old mosquitoes fed on a first blood meal. For the mosquitoes fed the second blood meal on day 14 after the first blood meal, 14 major proteins were significantly decreased in amount. The significantly depleted proteins in both groups included apyrase, 59-nucleotidase/apyrase, D7, D7-related 1, short form D7r1, gSG6, antiplatelet protein, serine/threonine-protein kinase rio3, putative sil1, cyclophilin A, hypothetical protein Phum_PHUM512530, AGAP007618-PA, and two non-significant hit proteins. To our knowledge, this study presents for the first time the salivary gland proteins that are involved in the second blood feeding on the day corresponding to the transmission period of the sporozoites to new mammalian hosts. This information serves as a basis for future work concerning the possible role of these proteins in the parasite transmission and the physiological processes that occur during the blood feeding.

Malaria Parasite Invasion of the Mosquito Salivary Gland Requires Interaction between the Plasmodium TRAP and the Anopheles Saglin Proteins

PLOS Pathogens, 2009

SM1 is a twelve-amino-acid peptide that binds tightly to the Anopheles salivary gland and inhibits its invasion by Plasmodium sporozoites. By use of UV-crosslinking experiments between the peptide and its salivary gland target protein, we have identified the Anopheles salivary protein, saglin, as the receptor for SM1. Furthermore, by use of an anti-SM1 antibody, we have determined that the peptide is a mimotope of the Plasmodium sporozoite Thrombospondin Related Anonymous Protein (TRAP). TRAP binds to saglin with high specificity. Point mutations in TRAP's binding domain A abrogate binding, and binding is competed for by the SM1 peptide. Importantly, in vivo down-regulation of saglin expression results in strong inhibition of salivary gland invasion. Together, the results suggest that saglin/TRAP interaction is crucial for salivary gland invasion by Plasmodium sporozoites.

A mosquito salivary gland protein partially inhibits Plasmodium sporozoite cell traversal and transmission

Nature communications, 2018

The key step during the initiation of malaria is for motile Plasmodium parasites to exit the host dermis and infect the liver. During transmission, the parasites in the form of sporozoites, are injected together with mosquito saliva into the skin. However, the contribution of vector saliva to sporozoite activity during the establishment of the initial infection of the liver is poorly understood. Here we identify a vector protein by mass spectrometry, with similarity to the human gamma interferon inducible thiol reductase (GILT), that is associated with saliva sporozoites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes and has a negative impact on the speed and cell traversal activity of Plasmodium. This protein, referred to as mosquito GILT (mosGILT) represents an example of a protein found in mosquito saliva that may negatively influence sporozoite movement in the host and could lead to new approaches to prevent malaria.

A mosquito-specific protein family includes candidate receptors for malaria sporozoite invasion of salivary glands

Cellular Microbiology, 2006

We describe a previously unrecognized protein family from Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes, here named SGS proteins. There are no SGS homologues in Drosophila or other eukaryotes, but SGS presence in two mosquito genera suggests that the protein family is widespread among mosquitoes. Ae. aegypti aaSGS1 mRNA and protein are salivary gland specific, and protein is localized in the basal lamina covering the anatomical regions that are preferentially invaded by malaria sporozoites. Anti-aaSGS1 antibodies inhibited sporozoite invasion into the salivary glands in vivo , confirming aaSGS1 as a candidate sporozoite receptor. By homology to aaSGS1 we identified the complete complement of four SGS genes in An. gambiae , which were not recognized in the genome annotation. Two An. gambiae SGS genes display salivary gland specific expression like aaSGS1 . Bioinformatic analysis predicts that SGS proteins possess heparin-binding domains, and have among the highest density of tyrosine sul-phation sites of all An. gambiae proteins. The major sporozoite surface proteins (CS and TRAP) also bind heparin, and interact with sulphoconjugates during liver cell invasion. Thus, we speculate that sporozoite invasion of mosquito salivary glands and subsequently the vertebrate liver may share similar mechanisms based on sulphation. Phylogenomic analysis suggests that an SGS ancestor was involved in a lateral gene transfer.

SAGE analysis of mosquito salivary gland transcriptomes during Plasmodium invasion

Cellular Microbiology, 2007

Plasmodium is a critical step for malaria transmission. To describe salivary gland cellular responses to sporozoite invasion, we have undertaken the analysis of Anopheles gambiae salivary gland transcriptome using Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE). Statistical analysis of the more than 160 000 sequenced tags generated from four libraries, two from glands infected by Plasmodium berghei, two from glands of controls, revealed that at least 57 Anopheles genes are differentially expressed in infected salivary glands. Among the 37 immune-related genes identified by SAGE tags, four (Defensin1, GNBP, Serpin6 and Cecropin2) were found to be upregulated during salivary gland invasion, while five genes encoding small secreted proteins display induction patterns strongly reminiscent of that of Cecropin2. Invasion by Plasmodium has also an impact on the expression of genes involved in transport, lipid and energy metabolism, suggesting that the sporozoite may exploit the metabolism of its host. In contrast, protein composition of saliva is predicted to be only slightly modified after infection. This study, which is the first transcriptome analysis of the salivary gland response to Plasmodium infection, provides a basis for a better understanding of Plasmodium/Anopheles salivary gland interactions.

Novel cDNAs encoding salivary proteins from the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae

FEBS Letters, 2002

Several genes encoding salivary components of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae were identified using a selective trapping approach. Among these, five corresponded to genes expressed specifically in female glands and their role may possibly be linked to blood-feeding. Our collection included a fourth member of the D7 protein family and two polypep tides that showed weak similarity to anti-coagulants from distantly related species. Moreover, we identified two additional members of a novel group of proteins that we named glandins. The isolation of tissue-specific genes represents a first step toward a deeper molecular analysis of mosquito salivary secretions. ß