LackingInefficiently Transmitsto Mice.

Abstract

Antibodies to AgTRIO, a mosquito salivary protein, partially reduce the initialburden in mice. We therefore silencedin mosquitoes and determined the relative contribution of AgTRIO to the ability ofto transmitto mice. RNA interference-mediated silencing ofresulted in a 60% reduction inexpression. The decrease inexpression did not alter the burden ofsporozoites in mosquito salivary glands. When experimentally injected into mice, sporozoites from-silenced mosquitoes colonized the liver less effectively than sporozoites from control mosquitoes. Silencing ofdid not decrease the infectivity of sporozoitesor influence the expression of genes associated withcell adhesion or traversal activity. AgTRIO decreased the expression of proinflammation cytokines by splenocytesMoreover,, AgTRIO decreased the expression ofwhen coinjected with sporozoites into the skin and there was moreexpression at the bite site ofknockdown mosquitoes than at the bite site of control mosquitoes. AgTRIO therefore influences the local environment in the vertebrate host, which facilitatessporozoite infection in mice.