Inhibition of the complement system by saliva of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) aquasalis.

ABSTRACT: Anopheline mosquitoes are vectors of malaria parasites. Their saliva contains anti-hemostatic and immune-modulator molecules that favor blood feeding and parasite transmission. In this study, we describe the inhibition of the alternative pathway of the complement system (AP) by Anopheles aquasalis salivary gland extracts (SGE). According to our results, the inhibitor present in SGE acts on the initial step of the AP blocking deposition of C3b on the activation surfaces. Properdin, which is a positive regulatory molecule of the AP, binds to SGE. When SGE was treated with an excess of properdin, it was unable to inhibit the AP. Through SDS-PAGE analysis, A. aquasalis presented a salivary protein with the same molecular weight as recombinant complement inhibitors belonging to the SG7 family d

SUBMITTER: Mendes-Sousa AF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6318795 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature