Abstract
Molecular studies on the tissue-specific gene expression in the salivary glands of Anopheles gambiae may provide useful tools for the development of new strategies for the control of the most efficient malaria vector in the sub-Saharan Africa. We summarize here the results of a recent investigation focused on the isolation of secreted factors and putative receptors from the salivary glands of An. gambiae. Using the Signal Sequence Trap technique we have identified the first cDNAs specifically expressed in the An. gambiae salivary glands. Among these, four are exclusively expressed in female glands and encode factors presumably involved in blood-feeding, whereas two other cDNAs seem to be expressed both in male and in female glands and are likely implicated in sugar-feeding. Homologues of genes previously identified in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, like the apyrase and D7, as well as novel salivary gland-specific cDNAs, were identified. The isolation and characterization of promoter sequences from the corresponding genes may prove useful for the expression of anti parasitic agents in the salivary glands of transgenic mosquitoes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 483-487 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Parassitologia |
Volume | 41 |
Issue number | 1-3 |
State | Published - Sep 1999 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Anopheles gambiae salivary glands
- Apyrase
- D7
- D7-related
- Gambiae salivary gland genes (gsg)
- Signal sequence trap (sst)
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Parasitology