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Article
Allatotropin: A pleiotropic neuropeptide that elicits mosquito immune responses
Biomolecular Sciences Institute: Faculty Publications
  • Salvador Hernández-Martínez, Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública
  • Minerva Sánchez-Zavaleta, Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública
  • Kevin Brito, Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública
  • Antonia Herrera-Ortiz, Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública
  • Sheila Ons, Laboratorio de Neurobiología de Insectos
  • Fernando G. Noriega, Department of Biological Sciences and Biomolecular Sciences Institute, Florida International University
Date of this Version
4-20-2017
Document Type
Article
Rights
Public Domain
Disciplines
Abstract

Allatotropins (AT) are neuropeptides with pleotropic functions on a variety of insect tissues. They affect processes such as juvenile hormone biosynthesis, cardiac rhythm, oviduct and hindgut contractions, nutrient absorption and circadian cycle. The present work provides experimental evidence that AT elicits immune responses in two important mosquito disease vectors, Anopheles albimanus and Aedes aegypti. Hemocytes and an immune-competent mosquito cell line responded to AT by showing strong morphological changes and increasing bacterial phagocytic activity. Phenoloxidase activity in hemolymph was also increased in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes treated with AT but not in An. albimanus, suggesting differences in the AT-dependent immune activation in the two species. In addition, two important insect immune markers, nitric oxide levels and expression of antimicrobial peptide genes, were increased in An. albimanus guts after AT treatment. AT conjugated to quantum dot nanocrystals (QDots) specifically labeled hemocytes in vivo in both mosquito species, implying molecular interactions between AT and hemocytes. The results of our studies suggest a new role for AT in the modulation of the immune response in mosquitoes.

DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0175759
Identifier
FIDC001716
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0
Citation Information
Salvador Hernández-Martínez, Minerva Sánchez-Zavaleta, Kevin Brito, Antonia Herrera-Ortiz, et al.. "Allatotropin: A pleiotropic neuropeptide that elicits mosquito immune responses" (2017)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/fernando-noriega/53/