Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 28 April 2006:
Vol. 312. no. 5773, pp. 577 - 579
DOI: 10.1126/science.1124153
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Reports

Natural Malaria Infection in Anopheles gambiae Is Regulated by a Single Genomic Control Region

Michelle M. Riehle,1* Kyriacos Markianos,2* Oumou Niaré,3 Jiannong Xu,1 Jun Li,1 Abdoulaye M. Touré,3 Belco Podiougou,3 Frederick Oduol,1 Sory Diawara,3 Mouctar Diallo,3 Boubacar Coulibaly,3 Ahmed Ouatara,3 Leonid Kruglyak,4 Sékou F. Traoré,3 Kenneth D. Vernick1{dagger}

We surveyed an Anopheles gambiae population in a West African malaria transmission zone for naturally occurring genetic loci that control mosquito infection with the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The strongest Plasmodium resistance loci cluster in a small region of chromosome 2L and each locus explains at least 89% of parasite-free mosquitoes in independent pedigrees. Together, the clustered loci form a genomic Plasmodium-resistance island that explains most of the genetic variation for malaria parasite infection of mosquitoes in nature. Among the candidate genes in this chromosome region, RNA interference knockdown assays confirm a role in Plasmodium resistance for Anopheles Plasmodium-responsive leucine-rich repeat 1 (APL1), encoding a leucine-rich repeat protein that is similar to molecules involved in natural pathogen resistance mechanisms in plants and mammals.

1 Center for Microbial and Plant Genomics and Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
2 Program in Computational Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, M2-B876, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
3 Département d'Epidémiologie des Affectations Parasitaires, Université de Bamako, Boîte Postale 1805, Bamako, Mali.
4 Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Carl Icahn Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

{dagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kvernick{at}umn.edu

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Density-dependent impact of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte sex ratio on mosquito infection rates.
C. Mitri, I. Thiery, C. Bourgouin, and R. E. L. Paul (2009)
Proc R Soc B 276, 3721-3726
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Dissecting the Genetic Basis of Resistance to Malaria Parasites in Anopheles gambiae.
S. A. Blandin, R. Wang-Sattler, M. Lamacchia, J. Gagneur, G. Lycett, Y. Ning, E. A. Levashina, and L. M. Steinmetz (2009)
Science 326, 147-150
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Leucine-Rich Repeat Protein Complex Activates Mosquito Complement in Defense Against Plasmodium Parasites.
M. Povelones, R. M. Waterhouse, F. C. Kafatos, and G. K. Christophides (2009)
Science 324, 258-261
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Introduction. Ecological immunology.
H. Schulenburg, J. Kurtz, Y. Moret, and M. T Siva-Jothy (2009)
Phil Trans R Soc B 364, 3-14
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Immunity in a variable world.
B. P Lazzaro and T. J Little (2009)
Phil Trans R Soc B 364, 15-26
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Genetic Variation Affecting Host-Parasite Interactions: Different Genes Affect Different Aspects of Sigma Virus Replication and Transmission in Drosophila melanogaster.
J. Bangham, K.-W. Kim, C. L. Webster, and F. M. Jiggins (2008)
Genetics 178, 2191-2199
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Developmental genomics of the most dangerous animal.
M. P. Scott (2007)
PNAS 104, 11865-11866
   Full Text »    PDF »
Evolutionary Dynamics of Immune-Related Genes and Pathways in Disease-Vector Mosquitoes.
R. M. Waterhouse, E. V. Kriventseva, S. Meister, Z. Xi, K. S. Alvarez, L. C. Bartholomay, C. Barillas-Mury, G. Bian, S. Blandin, B. M. Christensen, et al. (2007)
Science 316, 1738-1743
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Evidence for a Population Expansion in the West Nile Virus Vector Culex tarsalis.
M. Venkatesan, C. J. Westbrook, M. C. Hauer, and J. L. Rasgon (2007)
Mol. Biol. Evol. 24, 1208-1218
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
EFFECT OF INFECTION BY PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM ON THE MELANIZATION IMMUNE RESPONSE OF ANOPHELES GAMBIAE.
L. LAMBRECHTS, I. MORLAIS, P. H. AWONO-AMBENE, A. COHUET, F. SIMARD, J.-C. JACQUES, C. BOURGOUIN, and J. C. KOELLA (2007)
Am J Trop Med Hyg 76, 475-480
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Malarial fever: Hemozoin is involved but Toll-free.
R. R. Schumann (2007)
PNAS 104, 1743-1744
   Full Text »    PDF »
Increased melanizing activity in Anopheles gambiae does not affect development of Plasmodium falciparum.
K. Michel, C. Suwanchaichinda, I. Morlais, L. Lambrechts, A. Cohuet, P. H. Awono-Ambene, F. Simard, D. Fontenille, M. R. Kanost, and F. C. Kafatos (2006)
PNAS 103, 16858-16863
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)