Imperial College London
Alternate

DrAndrewBlagborough

Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences

Honorary Lecturer
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 7594 5350a.blagborough

 
 
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Location

 

603Sir Alexander Fleming BuildingSouth Kensington Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Habtewold:2008:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000070,
author = {Habtewold, T and Povelones, M and Blagborough, AM and Christophides, GK},
doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1000070},
journal = {Plos Pathogens},
title = {Transmission blocking immunity in the malaria non-vector mosquito Anopheles quadriannulatus species A},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000070},
volume = {4},
year = {2008}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Despite being phylogenetically very close to Anopheles gambiae, the major mosquito vector of human malaria in Africa,Anopheles quadriannulatus is thought to be a non-vector. Understanding the difference between vector and non-vectormosquitoes can facilitate development of novel malaria control strategies. We demonstrate that An. quadriannulatus islargely resistant to infections by the human parasite Plasmodium falciparum, as well as by the rodent parasite Plasmodiumberghei. By using genetics and reverse genetics, we show that resistance is controlled by quantitative heritable traits andmanifested by lysis or melanization of ookinetes in the mosquito midgut, as well as by killing of parasites at subsequentstages of their development in the mosquito. Genes encoding two leucine-rich repeat proteins, LRIM1 and LRIM2, and thethioester-containing protein, TEP1, are identified as essential in these immune reactions. Their silencing completelyabolishes P. berghei melanization and dramatically increases the number of oocysts, thus transforming An. quadriannulatusinto a highly permissive parasite host. We hypothesize that the mosquito immune system is an important cause of naturalrefractoriness to malaria and that utilization of this innate capacity of mosquitoes could lead to new methods to controltransmission of the disease.
AU  - Habtewold,T
AU  - Povelones,M
AU  - Blagborough,AM
AU  - Christophides,GK
DO  - 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000070
PY  - 2008///
SN  - 1553-7374
TI  - Transmission blocking immunity in the malaria non-vector mosquito Anopheles quadriannulatus species A
T2  - Plos Pathogens
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000070
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/31221
VL  - 4
ER  -
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