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Reverse genetics in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae : targeted disruption of the Defensin gene
Author(s) -
Blandin Stéphanie,
Moita Luis F,
Köcher Thomas,
Wilm Matthias,
Kafatos Fotis C,
Levashina Elena A
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1093/embo-reports/kvf180
Subject(s) - anopheles gambiae , biology , defensin , plasmodium berghei , rna interference , cecropin , gene knockdown , reverse genetics , gene silencing , rna silencing , gene , malaria , anopheles , antimicrobial peptides , virology , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , genome , antimicrobial , rna , immunology
Anopheles gambiae , the major vector of human malaria parasite, is an important insect model to study vector–parasite interactions. Here, we developed a simple in vivo double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) knockout approach to determine the function of the mosquito antimicrobial peptide gene Defensin . We injected dsRNA into adults and observed efficient and reproducible silencing of Defensin . Analysis of the knockdown phenotype revealed that this peptide is required for the mosquito antimicrobial defense against Gram‐positive bacteria. In contrast, in mosquitoes infected by Plasmodium berghei , no loss of mosquito viability and no significant effect on the development and morphology of the parasite midgut stages were observed in the absence of Defensin. We conclude that this peptide is not a major antiparasitic factor in A. gambiae in vivo . Our results open new perspectives for the study of mosquito gene function in vivo and provide a basis for genome‐scale systematic functional screens by targeted gene silencing.