Salivary influences pre-blood meal associated behavioral properties in .

Background & Objectives: A successful blood meal acquisition process by an adult female mosquito is accomplished through salivary glands, which releases a cocktail of proteins to counteract the vertebrate host's immune homeostasis. Here, we characterize a salivary-specific Heme peroxidase family member HPX12, originally identified from Plasmodium vivax infected salivary RNAseq data of the mosquito Anopheles stephensi.

Methods: To demonstrate we utilized a comprehensive in silico and functional genomics approach.

Bidirectional Microbiome-Gut-Brain-Axis Communication Influences Metabolic Switch-Associated Responses in the Mosquito .

The periodic ingestion of a protein-rich blood meal by adult female mosquitoes causes a drastic metabolic change in their innate physiological status, which is referred to as a 'metabolic switch'. While understanding the neural circuits for host-seeking is modestly attended, how the gut 'metabolic switch' modulates brain functions, and resilience to physiological homeostasis, remains unexplored. Here, through a comparative brain RNA-Seq study, we demonstrate that the protein-rich diet induces the expression of brain transcripts related to mitochondrial function and energy metabolism, possibly causing a shift in the brain's engagement to manage organismal homeostasis.

Functional disruption of transferrin expression alters reproductive physiology in Anopheles culicifacies.

Background: Iron metabolism is crucial to maintain optimal physiological homeostasis of every organism and any alteration of the iron concentration (i.e. deficit or excess) can have adverse consequences.

A testis-expressing heme peroxidase HPX12 regulates male fertility in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi.

In vertebrates dysregulation of the antioxidant defense system has a detrimental impact on male fertility and reproductive physiology. However, in insects, especially mosquitoes the importance of sperm quality has been poorly studied. Since long-term storage of healthy and viable sperm earmarks male reproductive competency, we tested whether the heme peroxidase, a member of antioxidant enzyme family proteins, and abundantly expressed in the testis, also influence male fertility in the mosquito An.

Hemocyte RNA-Seq analysis of Indian malarial vectors Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles culicifacies: From similarities to differences.

Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles culicifacies are dominant malarial vectors in urban and rural India, respectively. Both species carry significant biological differences in their behavioral adaptation and immunity, but the genetic basis of these variations are still poorly understood. Here, we uncovered the genetic differences of immune blood cells, that influence several immune-physiological responses.

Genetic changes of tempers host tissue-specific responses in .

Recently, we showed how an early restriction of gut flora proliferation by favors immune-suppression and survival in the gut lumen (Sharma et al., 2020). Here, we asked post gut invasion how interacts with individual tissues such as the midgut, hemocyte, and salivary glands, and manages its survival in the mosquito host.

Molecular and Functional Characterization of Trehalase in the Mosquito .

Like other insects, in blood-feeding mosquitoes, trehalase (TRE; EC 3.2.1.

Hemocyte-specific FREP13 abrogates the exogenous bacterial population in the hemolymph and promotes midgut endosymbionts in Anopheles stephensi.

The immune blood cells "hemocytes" of mosquitoes impart a highly selective immune response against various microorganisms/pathogens. Among several immune effectors, fibrinogen-related proteins (FREPs) have been recognized as key modulators of cellular immune responses; however, their physiological relevance has not been investigated in detail. Our ongoing comparative RNA-sequencing analysis identified a total of 13 FREPs originating from naïve sugar-fed, blood-fed, bacterial challenged and Plasmodium vivax-infected hemocytes in Anopheles stephensi.

Altered Gut Microbiota and Immunity Defines Survival in .

Blood-feeding enriched gut-microbiota boosts mosquitoes' anti- immunity. Here, we ask how alters gut-microbiota, anti- immunity, and impacts tripartite -mosquito-microbiota interactions in the gut lumen. We used a metagenomics and RNAseq strategy to address these questions.

Transcriptional responses of gene in the mosquito A synergistic neuro-olfactory regulation.

Background & Objectives: Attractin, is a large multi-domain protein which has regulatory functions in multiple physiological processes and thus have strong therapeutic potential. In invertebrates, it was first identified as a water-borne protein pheromone that plays important role in chemical communication and coordinates reproductive activities. But its role in mosquitoes/insects remains unknown.

A Synergistic Transcriptional Regulation of Olfactory Genes Drives Blood-Feeding Associated Complex Behavioral Responses in the Mosquito .

Decoding the molecular basis of host seeking and blood feeding behavioral evolution/adaptation in the adult female mosquitoes may provide an opportunity to design new molecular strategy to disrupt human-mosquito interactions. Although there is a great progress in the field of mosquito olfaction and chemo-detection, little is known about the sex-specific evolution of the specialized olfactory system of adult female mosquitoes that enables them to drive and manage the complex blood-feeding associated behavioral responses. A comprehensive RNA-Seq analysis of prior and post blood meal olfactory system of mosquito revealed a minor but unique change in the nature and regulation of key olfactory genes that may play a pivotal role in managing diverse behavioral responses.

Interorgan Molecular Communication Strategies of "Local" and "Systemic" Innate Immune Responses in Mosquito .

Mosquitoes that transmit many deadly infectious diseases also need to keep fighting against many microbial infections. Constitutive expression of multiple antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in almost all body tissues is believed to facilitate the effective management of these local infections. When any infection breaches the local barrier, AMPs are induced rapidly in non-target tissues such as hemocytes (HCs) and establish their co-ordination with systemic immune effectors to clear off the body infection.

Sex specific molecular responses of quick-to-court protein in Indian malarial vector : conflict of mating versus blood feeding behaviour.

Understanding the molecular basis of mosquito behavioural complexity plays a central role in designing novel molecular tools to fight against their vector-borne diseases. Although the olfactory system plays an important role in guiding and managing many behavioural responses including feeding and mating, but the sex-specific regulation of olfactory responses remain poorly investigated. From our ongoing transcriptomic data annotation of olfactory tissue of blood fed adult female mosquitoes; we have identified a 383 bp long unique transcript encoding a homolog of the quick-to-court protein.

Hemocytome: deep sequencing analysis of mosquito blood cells in Indian malarial vector Anopheles stephensi.

Hemocytes are tiny circulating blood cells of insects known to play multiple roles in physiological as well as cellular immune responses. However, the molecular nature of hemocytes in blood feeding insects, especially mosquitoes which transmit several deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue etc. is still limited.

Unraveling dual feeding associated molecular complexity of salivary glands in the mosquito Anopheles culicifacies.

Mosquito salivary glands are well known to facilitate meal acquisition, however the fundamental question on how adult female salivary gland manages molecular responses during sugar versus blood meal uptake remains unanswered. To investigate these responses, we analyzed a total of 58.5 million raw reads generated from two independent RNAseq libraries of the salivary glands collected from 3-4 day-old sugar and blood fed Anopheles culicifacies mosquitoes.

Deep sequencing revealed molecular signature of horizontal gene transfer of plant like transcripts in the mosquito Anopheles culicifacies: an evolutionary puzzle.

In prokaryotes, horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been regarded as an important evolutionary drive to acquire and retain beneficial genes for their survival in diverse ecologies. However, in eukaryotes, the functional role of HGTs remains questionable, although current genomic tools are providing increased evidence of acquisition of novel traits within non-mating metazoan species. Here, we provide another transcriptomic evidence for the acquisition of massive plant genes in the mosquito, Anopheles culicifacies.

Salivary glands harbor more diverse microbial communities than gut in Anopheles culicifacies.

Background: In recent years, it has been well documented that gut flora not only influence mosquito physiology, but also significantly alter vector competency. Although, salivary gland and gut constitute key partners of the digestive system, it is still believed that salivary glands may harbor less flora than gut (Parasit Vectors 6: 146, 2013).

Methods: Using a metagenomic approach, we have identified for the first time the diverse microbial community associated with these two physiologically different tissues of the digestive system in the mosquito Anopheles culicifacies.