The molecular basis of microorganism transmission by insect vectors

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Microorganisms have evolved an amazing capacity to survive and grow in specialized environmental niches. Central to these practices are sophisticated molecular arsenals that enable microorganisms to effectively interface with their surroundings and promote nutrient acquisition, physical protection and colonization. A particularly complex, yet largely understudied, environment to which many microorganisms are exposed is the inside of an insect vector. During vector-borne transmission, the molecular interactions between microorganism and insect are used to promote mechanical attachment and to support complex biological processes associated with growth and differentiation. Our goal is to decipher these molecular recognition events and thereby establish the mechanisms by which many socially and economically important microorganisms are transmitted. Through this work we will be poised to develop novel interfering agents capable of limiting the spread of vector-borne pathogens. This is particularly important to the agricultural industries where nearly 40% of the global food supply is lost on an annual basis to disease. The complexity of the microbe-insect relationship necessitates the selection of an appropriate model system that is amenable to biochemical characterization. Accordingly, we have identified the trypanosome-tsetse fly pair due to its experimental tractability that includes the ability to grow all four life cycle stages of trypanosomes in culture and the large size of the tsetse fly that facilitates dissection and isolation of internal structures for receptor identification. Further supporting our research is a recent study where trypanosome proteins were identified as being selectively produced during the life cycle stages of the parasite within the tsetse fly. By mapping the three dimensional structures of individual proteins and complementing these data with functional characterization, our goal is to establish the molecular network that promotes cross talk between parasite and fly necessary for disease transmission. Through the knowledge gained from these studies and the technologies developed, we will be strategically poised to investigate an increasing number of microbe-vector relationships.