AI Article Synopsis
- Mosquito saliva, particularly a protein called Nest1, modifies the human immune response to enhance blood feeding and increase the likelihood of pathogen spread, such as Zika virus.
- Nest1 interacts with a human protein known as CD47, which plays a role in immune processes, and this interaction appears to suppress the body’s ability to mount an effective antiviral response.
- By outcompeting the natural ligand for CD47, Nest1 hinders phagocytosis and reduces inflammation, thereby facilitating the dissemination of Zika virus in human skin.
Article Abstract
The mosquito is a vector of many infectious agents, including flaviviruses such as Zika virus. Components of mosquito saliva have pleomorphic effects on the vertebrate host to enhance blood feeding, and these changes also create a favorable niche for pathogen replication and dissemination. Here, we demonstrate that human CD47, which is known to be involved in various immune processes, interacts with a 34-kilodalton mosquito salivary protein named Nest1. Nest1 is up-regulated in blood-fed female and facilitates Zika virus dissemination in human skin explants. Nest1 has a stronger affinity for CD47 than its natural ligand, signal regulatory protein α, competing for binding at the same interface. The interaction between Nest1 with CD47 suppresses phagocytosis by human macrophages and inhibits proinflammatory responses by white blood cells, thereby suppressing antiviral responses in the skin. This interaction elucidates how an arthropod protein alters the human response to promote arbovirus infectivity.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciimmunol.adk9872 | DOI Listing |
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