Cellular Immune Response of Mosquitoes to Pathogens

描述(申请人提供)：目前蚊子是最多的 重要的节肢动物媒介，传播广泛的疾病，如 疟疾、淋巴丝虫病和登革热。一种控制疾病的方法 传播是通过矢量控制程序进行的。事实证明， 蚊子能够对蚊子产生强大的细胞和体液反应 入侵病原体，并且这种反应与病媒直接相关 能力。到目前为止，大多数针对蚊子免疫的研究都集中在 幽默的回应。然而，很明显，血细胞(蚊血) 细胞)在参与的许多参与者的生产中发挥核心作用 幽默的回应。目前的研究将解决血细胞从 两种免疫功能不同的蚊子，埃及伊蚊和阿米吉蚊 在针对原核生物、原生动物的免疫反应中 和后生动物寄生虫。这项研究将集中在1)分类 血细胞，2)研究血细胞对病原体的吞噬反应， 3)确定哪些细胞负责免疫的转录 分子，4)确定分子间的结构/功能关系 侵入病原体、血细胞和可溶性免疫分子。在理解中 不同昆虫种类和品系对昆虫的免疫应答 病原体，有可能操纵现有的媒介来使 寄生虫/媒介生物相互作用不相容。

DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): Mosquitoes are currently the most important arthropod vectors, transmitting a broad range of diseases such as malaria, lymphatic filariasis and dengue fever. A method for curtailing disease transmission is through vector control programs. It has been shown that mosquitoes are able to mount powerful cellular and humoral responses against invading pathogens, and that this response is directly correlated to vector competence. To date, most studies addressing mosquito immunity have focused on the humoral response. However, it is clear that hemocytes (mosquito blood cells) play a central role in the production of many of the players involved in the humoral response. The current study will address the role hemocytes from two immunologically different mosquito species, Aedes egypti and Armigeres subalbatus, have in the immune response mounted against prokaryotic, protozoan and metazoan parasites. This research will focus on 1) classifying the hemocytes, 2) studying the phagocytic response of hemocytes towards pathogens, 3) determining which cells are responsible for the transcription of immune molecules, and 4) determining the structure/function relationship between invading pathogens, hemocytes and soluble immune molecules. In understanding the immune response mounted by different insect species and strains toward pathogens, it may be possible to manipulate existing vectors to make the parasite/vector biologic interplay incompatible.