Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 55, 78-82, 2002

Original Article

Effect of Anti-Mosquito Hemolymph Antibodies on Fecundity and on the Infectivity of Malarial Parasite Plasmodium vivax to Anopheles stephensi (Diptera:Insecta)

Monika Gulia, Amita Suneja and Surendra K. Gakhar*

Department of Biosciences, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana, India

(Received March 6, 2002. Accepted July 18, 2002)

SUMMARY: Rabbit antibodies to hemolymph antigens (102.5, 101, 100, 96, 88, 80, 64, 55, 43, 29, and 23 kDa) of Anopheles stephensi reduced fecundity as well as viability in An. stephensi. However, ingestion of these antibodies was not associated with a marked effect on the engorgement of mosquitoes but egg laying was significantly delayed. Antisera raised against hemolymph proteins were also used to identify cross reactive antigens/epitopes present in other tissues by Western blotting, as well as by in vivo ELISA. In addition, a significant reduction in oocyst development was also observed in An. stephensi mosquitoes that ingested anti-hemolymph antibodies along with Plasmodium vivax. The results confirmed the feasibility of targeting mosquito antigens as a novel anti-mosquito strategy, as well as confirmed the usefulness of such antigens for the development of a transmission-blocking vaccine.

*Corresponding author: Tel:+91-1262-73147, E-mail: gakharsk@yahoo.co.in

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