Mosquito midgut stem cell cellular defense response limits Plasmodium parasite infection

Ana-Beatriz F. Barletta (), Jamie C. Smith, Emily Burkart, Simon Bondarenko, Igor V. Sharakhov, Frank Criscione, David O’Brochta and Carolina Barillas-Mury ()
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Ana-Beatriz F. Barletta: National Institutes of Health
Jamie C. Smith: National Institutes of Health
Emily Burkart: National Institutes of Health
Simon Bondarenko: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Igor V. Sharakhov: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Frank Criscione: National Institutes of Health
David O’Brochta: Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research and Department of Entomology University of Maryland-College Park
Carolina Barillas-Mury: National Institutes of Health

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract A novel cellular response of midgut progenitors (stem cells and enteroblasts) to Plasmodium berghei infection was investigated in Anopheles stephensi. The presence of developing oocysts triggers proliferation of midgut progenitors that is modulated by the Jak/STAT pathway and is proportional to the number of oocysts on individual midguts. The percentage of parasites in direct contact with enteroblasts increases over time, as progenitors proliferate. Silencing components of key signaling pathways through RNA interference (RNAi) that enhance proliferation of progenitor cells significantly decreased oocyst numbers, while limiting proliferation of progenitors increased oocyst survival. Live imaging revealed that enteroblasts interact directly with oocysts and eliminate them. Midgut progenitors sense the presence of Plasmodium oocysts and mount a cellular defense response that involves extensive proliferation and tissue remodeling, followed by oocysts lysis and phagocytosis of parasite remnants by enteroblasts.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45550-2

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