An epithelial serine protease, AgESP, is required for Plasmodium invasion in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Plasmodium parasites need to cross the midgut and salivary gland epithelia to complete their life cycle in the mosquito. However, our understanding of the molecular mechanism and the mosquito genes that participate in this process is still very limited.

Methodology/principal findings

We identified an Anopheles gambiae epithelial serine protease (AgESP) that is constitutively expressed in the submicrovillar region of mosquito midgut epithelial cells and in the basal side of the salivary glands that is critical for Plasmodium parasites to cross these two epithelial barriers. AgESP silencing greatly reduces Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium falciparum midgut invasion and prevents the transcriptional activation of gelsolin, a key regulator of actin remodeling and a re

SUBMITTER: Rodrigues J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3324419 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature