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First published online June 16, 2005
Journal of Experimental Biology 208, 2497-2502 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01664
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Laminin and the malaria parasite's journey through the mosquito midgut

Romanico B. G. Arrighi1,*, Gareth Lycett1,2,*, Vassiliki Mahairaki1,3, Inga Siden-Kiamos1 and Christos Louis1,3,{dagger}

1 Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, PO Box 1527, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
2 European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstr. 1, 69000 Heidelberg, Germany
3 Department of Biology, University of Crete, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece

{dagger} Author for correspondence (e-mail: louis{at}imbb.forth.gr)

Accepted 19 April 2005

During the invasion of the mosquito midgut epithelium, Plasmodium ookinetes come to rest on the basal lamina, where they transform into the sporozoite-producing oocysts. Laminin, one of the basal lamina's major components, has previously been shown to bind several surface proteins of Plasmodium ookinetes. Here, using the recently developed RNAi technique in mosquitoes, we used a specific dsRNA construct targeted against the LANB2 gene (laminin {gamma}1) of Anopheles gambiae to reduce its mRNA levels, leading to a substantial reduction in the number of successfully developed oocysts in the mosquito midgut. Moreover, this molecular relationship is corroborated by the intimate association of developing P. berghei parasites and laminin in the gut, as observed using confocal microscopy. Our data support the notion of laminin playing a functional role in the development of the malaria parasite within the mosquito midgut.

Key words: Anopheles gambiae, basal lamina, ookinete, Plasmodium berghei, RNAi


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