Kinetics of Plasmodium midgut invasion in Anopheles mosquitoes

Abstract

Malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites traverse the mosquito midgut cells to establish infection at the basal side of the midgut. This dynamic process is a determinant of mosquito vector competence, yet the kinetics of the parasite migration is not well understood. Here we used transgenic mosquitoes of two Anopheles species and a Plasmodium berghei fluorescence reporter line to track parasite passage through the mosquito tissues at high spatial resolution. We provide new quantitative insight into malaria parasite invasion in African and Indian Anopheles species and demonstrate that species-specific kinetics of Plasmodium invasion is shaped by the mosquito complement-like system. Author SummaryThe traversal of the mosquito midgut cells is one of the critical stages in the life cycle of malaria parasites. Motile parasite forms, called ookinetes, traverse the midgut epithelium in a dynamic process which is not fully understood. Here, we harnessed transgenic reporters to track invasion of Plasmodium parasites in African and Indian mosquito species. We found important differences in parasite dynamics between the two anopheline species and demonstrated an unexpected role of mosquito complement-like system in regulation of parasite invasion.