Inhibition of trypsin expression in Lutzomyia longipalpis using RNAi enhances the survival of Leishmania.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Leishmania parasites must overcome several barriers to achieve transmission by their sand fly vectors. One of the earliest threats is exposure to enzymes during blood meal digestion. Trypsin-like enzymes appear to be detrimental to parasite survival during the very early phase of development as amastigotes transform into promastigote stages. Here, we investigate whether parasites can affect trypsin secretion by the sand fly midgut epithelium and if inhibition of this process is of survival value to the parasites.

Results

Infections of Lutzomyia longipalpis with Leishmania mexicana were studied and these showed that infected sand flies produced less trypsin-like enzyme activity during blood meal digestion when compared to uninfected controls. RNA interference was u

SUBMITTER: Sant'anna MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2796656 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature