Implication of the Mosquito Midgut Microbiota in the Defense against Malaria Parasites

Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes are continuously exposed to microbes, including their midgut microbiota. This naturally acquired microbial flora can modulate the mosquito's vectorial capacity by inhibiting the development of Plasmodium and other human pathogens through an unknown mechanism. We have undertaken a comprehensive functional genomic approach to elucidate the molecular interplay between the bacterial co-infection and the development of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in its natural vector Anopheles gambiae. Global transcription profiling of septic and aseptic mosquitoes identified a significant subset of immune genes that were mostly up-regulated by the mosquito's microbial flora,…

• EM
  Ellison Medical Foundation
• WH
  World Health Organization
• JH
  Johns Hopkins University
• UD
  Università degli Studi di Siena
• NI
  National Institutes of Health