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The effect of bacterial challenge on ferritin regulation in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti
Author(s) -
Geiser Dawn L.,
Zhou Guoli,
Mayo Jonathan J.,
Winzerling Joy J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
insect science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1744-7917
pISSN - 1672-9609
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7917.2012.01581.x
Subject(s) - biology , aedes aegypti , ferritin , blood meal , in vivo , aedes , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , biochemistry , dengue fever , zoology , ecology , larva
Secreted ferritin is the major iron storage and transport protein in insects. Here, we characterize the message and protein expression profiles of yellow fever mosquito ( Aedes aegypti ) ferritin heavy chain homologue ( HCH ) and light chain homologue ( LCH ) subunits in response to iron and bacterial challenge. In vivo experiments demonstrated tissue‐specific regulation of HCH and LCH expression over time post‐blood meal ( PBM ). Transcriptional regulation of HCH and LCH was treatment specific, with differences in regulation for naïve versus mosquitoes challenged with heat‐killed bacteria ( HKB ). Translational regulation by iron regulatory protein ( IRP ) binding activity for the iron‐responsive element ( IRE ) was tissue‐specific and time‐dependent PBM . However, mosquitoes challenged with HKB showed little change in IRP / IRE binding activity compared to naïve animals. The changes in ferritin regulation and expression in vivo were confirmed with in vitro studies. We challenged mosquitoes with HKB followed by a blood meal to determine the effects on ferritin expression, and demonstrate a synergistic, time‐dependent regulation of expression for HCH and LCH .