Structural and functional comparisons of salivary α-glucosidases from the mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae, and Culex quinquefasciatus.

Mosquito vectors of medical importance both blood and sugar feed, and their saliva contains bioactive molecules that aid in both processes. Although it has been shown that the salivary glands of several mosquito species exhibit α-glucosidase activities, the specific enzymes responsible for sugar digestion remain understudied. We therefore expressed and purified three recombinant salivary α-glucosidases from the mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae, and Culex quinquefasciatus and compared their functions and structures.

saliva modulates inflammasome activation and facilitates flavivirus infection .

Mosquito borne flaviviruses such as dengue and Zika represent a major public health problem due to globalization and propagation of susceptible vectors worldwide. Vertebrate host responses to dengue and Zika infections include the processing and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines through the activation of inflammasomes, resulting in disease severity and fatality. Mosquito saliva can facilitate pathogen infection by downregulating the host's immune response.

D7 long salivary proteins modulate blood feeding and parasite infection.

During blood feeding, mosquitoes inject saliva into the host skin, preventing hemostasis and inflammatory responses. D7 proteins are among the most abundant components of the saliva of blood-feeding arthropods. , the vector of yellow fever and dengue, expresses two D7 long-form salivary proteins: D7L1 and D7L2.

Alboserpin, the Main Salivary Anticoagulant from the Disease Vector , Displays Anti-FXa-PAR Signaling In Vitro and In Vivo.

Blood-feeding arthropods secrete potent salivary molecules, which include platelet aggregation inhibitors, vasodilators, and anticoagulants. Among these molecules, Alboserpin, the major salivary anticoagulant from the mosquito vector , is a specific inhibitor of the human coagulation factor Xa (FXa). In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of Alboserpin, in vitro and in vivo.