Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Collagen-binding protein, Aegyptin, regulates probing time and blood feeding success in the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti

2014; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 111; Issue: 19 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.1404179111

1091-6490

Andrezza Campos Chagas, José L. Ramírez, Nijole Jasinskiene, Anthony A. James, José M. C. Ribeiro, Osvaldo Marinotti, Eric Calvo,

Insect Utilization and Effects

Significance Hematophagy is key to mosquito reproductive success and an important link in pathogen transmission cycles. Vertebrate hemostasis, specifically platelet aggregation, vasoconstriction, and coagulation, presents a significant challenge to successful blood feeding. Mosquitoes have been selected to secrete salivary proteins with powerful antihemostatic activities. Aegyptin, a salivary protein from the dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever vector, Aedes aegypti , binds collagen and inhibits platelet aggregation and adhesion. A transgene-based, gene-silencing approach elicited a specific and significant reduction in Aegyptin mRNA and protein levels in female salivary glands. The resulting prolonged probing times and reductions in feeding quality and quantity support the conclusion that platelet aggregation inhibition is a vital salivary function and that Aegyptin plays a significant and nonredundant role in successful feeding.