Phagocytosis in mosquito immune responses

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Abstract
Summary:  Anopheles mosquitoes are the only vectors of human malaria parasites. Mosquito–parasite interactions are critical for disease transmission and therefore are a potential target for malaria control strategies. Mosquitoes mount potent immune responses that efficiently limit proliferation of a variety of infectious agents, including microbial pathogens and malaria parasites. The recent completion of the Anopheles gambiae genome sequencing project combined with the development of the powerful RNA interference‐based gene silencing helped to identify major players of the immune defenses and uncovered evolutionarily conserved mechanisms in the anti‐bacterial and anti‐Plasmodium responses. The anti‐bacterial responses are based on phagocytosis at early steps of infections, followed, several hours later, by the synthesis of anti‐microbial peptides. The principal regulators of anti‐parasitic responses are predominantly synthesized by the mosquito blood cells; however, the exact molecular mechanisms of parasite killing remain unclear. Several regulators of phagocytosis are also required for efficient parasite killing. Here, we summarize our current knowledge of the anti‐bacterial and anti‐parasitic responses, with the particular emphasis on the role of phagocytosis in mosquito immunity.

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