Plasmodium ookinetes coopt mammalian plasminogen to invade the mosquito midgut

Plasmodium ookinetes coopt mammalian plasminogen to invade the mosquito midgut.

Ookinete invasion of the mosquito midgut is an essential step for the development of the malaria parasite in the mosquito. Invasion involves recognition between a presumed mosquito midgut receptor and an ookinete ligand. Here, we show that enolase lines the ookinete surface. An antienolase antibody inhibits oocyst development of both Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium falciparum, suggesting that...

Malaria Transmission: From the Mosquito Midgut to the Mammalian Liver

Multiple pathways for Plasmodium ookinete invasion of the mosquito midgut.

Plasmodium ookinete invasion of the mosquito midgut is a crucial step of the parasite life cycle but little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved. Previously, a phage display peptide library screen identified SM1, a peptide that binds to the mosquito midgut epithelium and inhibits ookinete invasion. SM1 was characterized as a mimotope of an ookinete surface enolase and SM1 presumably...

Plasmodium gallinaceum ookinetes adhere specifically to the midgut epithelium of Aedes aegypti by interaction with a carbohydrate ligand.

During the course of its development in the mosquito and transmission to a new vertebrate host, the malaria parasite must interact with the mosquito midgut and invade the gut epithelium. To investigate how the parasite recognizes the midgut before invasion, we have developed an in vitro adhesion assay based on combining fluorescently labelled ookinetes with isolated midgut epithelia from blood-...

Scanning electron microscope observations of Plasmodium berghei ookinetes in primary mosquito cell cultures.

Plasmodium berghei-infected blood from mice was inoculated into primary cell cultures (PCC) obtained from the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. Immature and mature ookinetes of Plasmodium berghei, which developed in these cultures were studied with the scanning electron microscope. Immature ookinetes had a bulbous-like structure at the posterior end and a slightly wiinkled surface. Mature ookinetes...