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Blocking of malaria parasite development in mosquito and fecundity reduction by midgut antibodies in Anopheles stephensi (Diptera: Culicidae)
Author(s) -
Suneja Amita,
Gulia Monika,
Gakhar S.K.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
archives of insect biochemistry and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.576
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1520-6327
pISSN - 0739-4462
DOI - 10.1002/arch.10068
Subject(s) - anopheles stephensi , midgut , biology , parasite hosting , malaria , virology , antibody , anopheles , anopheles gambiae , fecundity , titer , aedes aegypti , vector (molecular biology) , immunology , population , botany , larva , world wide web , computer science , biochemistry , demography , sociology , gene , recombinant dna
Rabbits were immunized three times with extracts of Anopheles stephensi midgut. Immunized rabbits showed a high titer of antibodies when characterized by ELISA. We investigated the effect of anti‐mosquito midgut antibodies on mosquito fecundity, longevity, mortality, engorgement, and the development of the malaria parasite in mosquitoes. Fecundity was reduced significantly (38%) and similarly hatchability by about 43.5%. There was no statistically significant effect on mortality, longevity, and engorgement. When the mosquito blood meal contained anti‐midgut antibodies, fewer oocysts of Plasmodium vivax developed in the mosquito midgut and the proportion of mosquitoes becoming infected was significantly reduced. We also found that the midgut antibodies inhibit the development and/or translocation of the sporozoites. Antisera raised against midgut of A. stephensi recognized eight polypeptides (110, 92, 70, 45, 38, 29, 15, 13 kDa) by Western blotting. Cross‐reactive antigens/epitopes present in other tissues of A. stephensi were also examined both by Western blotting and in vivo ELISA. Together, these observations open an avenue for research toward the development of a vector‐based malaria parasite transmission blocking vaccine and/or anti‐mosquito vaccine. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 52:63–70, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.