A novel broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-malarial Anopheles gambiae Cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation.
Anophelinae mosquitoes are exposed to a variety of microbes including Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. When infected, mosquitoes mount versatile immune responses, including the production of antimicrobial peptides. Cecropins are one of the most widely distributed families of antimicrobial pe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-10-01
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| Series: | PLoS Pathogens |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012652 |
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| author | Cairé Barreto Victor Cardoso-Jaime George Dimopoulos |
| author_facet | Cairé Barreto Victor Cardoso-Jaime George Dimopoulos |
| author_sort | Cairé Barreto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Anophelinae mosquitoes are exposed to a variety of microbes including Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. When infected, mosquitoes mount versatile immune responses, including the production of antimicrobial peptides. Cecropins are one of the most widely distributed families of antimicrobial peptides in insects and all previously studied Anopheles members are playing roles in adult mosquito immunity. We have identified and characterized a novel member of the Anopheles gambiae cecropin family, cecropin D (CecD), that is uniquely expressed and immune-responsive at late larval stages to promote microbial clearance through its broad-spectrum antibacterial activity during larval-pupal developmental transition. Interestingly, Cecropin D also exhibited highly potent activity against Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites, the malaria parasite stage that is transmitted from mosquitoes and infects humans and thereby holds promise as a malaria transmission-blocking agent. Finally, we have defined unequivocal cecropin-specific molecular signatures to systematically organize the diversity of the cecropin family in malaria vectors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-abd366909af64564bb9add4a5a296045 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1553-7366 1553-7374 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-abd366909af64564bb9add4a5a2960452024-11-17T05:31:03ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742024-10-012010e101265210.1371/journal.ppat.1012652A novel broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-malarial Anopheles gambiae Cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation.Cairé BarretoVictor Cardoso-JaimeGeorge DimopoulosAnophelinae mosquitoes are exposed to a variety of microbes including Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria. When infected, mosquitoes mount versatile immune responses, including the production of antimicrobial peptides. Cecropins are one of the most widely distributed families of antimicrobial peptides in insects and all previously studied Anopheles members are playing roles in adult mosquito immunity. We have identified and characterized a novel member of the Anopheles gambiae cecropin family, cecropin D (CecD), that is uniquely expressed and immune-responsive at late larval stages to promote microbial clearance through its broad-spectrum antibacterial activity during larval-pupal developmental transition. Interestingly, Cecropin D also exhibited highly potent activity against Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites, the malaria parasite stage that is transmitted from mosquitoes and infects humans and thereby holds promise as a malaria transmission-blocking agent. Finally, we have defined unequivocal cecropin-specific molecular signatures to systematically organize the diversity of the cecropin family in malaria vectors.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012652 |
| spellingShingle | Cairé Barreto Victor Cardoso-Jaime George Dimopoulos A novel broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-malarial Anopheles gambiae Cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation. PLoS Pathogens |
| title | A novel broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-malarial Anopheles gambiae Cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation. |
| title_full | A novel broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-malarial Anopheles gambiae Cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation. |
| title_fullStr | A novel broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-malarial Anopheles gambiae Cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation. |
| title_full_unstemmed | A novel broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-malarial Anopheles gambiae Cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation. |
| title_short | A novel broad-spectrum antibacterial and anti-malarial Anopheles gambiae Cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation. |
| title_sort | novel broad spectrum antibacterial and anti malarial anopheles gambiae cecropin promotes microbial clearance during pupation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1012652 |
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