Host complement C3 promotes malaria transmission by killing symbiotic bacteria in the mosquito midgut.

ABSTRACT: Host-derived factors ingested during mosquito blood feeding are poorly understood modulators of malaria transmission. Here, we demonstrated that host complement C3, acquired by mosquitoes during Plasmodium infection, significantly enhanced rodent malaria infection in laboratory-reared mosquitoes. This effect was recapitulated in field-caught Anopheles sinensis mosquitoes, confirming its relevance to malaria transmission in a more natural setting. Moreover, host-derived C3 significantly reduced the efficacy of anti-Pfs25 antibodies in blocking malaria transmission. Mechanistically, host-derived C3 lyses the mosquito midgut symbiont Elizabethkingia anophelis (E. anophelis)-a bacterium that intrinsically suppresses parasite development by blocking the zygote-to-ook

SUBMITTER: He B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12146734 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature