2011/02/24 by Weiguo Fang, Joel Vega-Rodríguez, Anil K. Ghosh +3 · 3 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences #Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control #Insect Resistance and Genetics
paper · doi:10.1126/science.1199115
openalex publication_date 2011/02/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Metarhizium anisopliae infects mosquitoes through the cuticle and proliferates in the hemolymph. To allow M. anisopliae to combat malaria in mosquitoes with advanced malaria infections, we produced recombinant strains expressing molecules that target sporozoites as they travel through the hemolymph to the salivary glands. Eleven days after a Plasmodium-infected blood meal, mosquitoes were treated with M. anisopliae expressing salivary gland and midgut peptide 1 (SM1), which blocks attachment of sporozoites to salivary glands; a single-chain antibody that agglutinates sporozoites; or scorpine, which is an antimicrobial toxin. These reduced sporozoite counts by 71%, 85%, and 90%, respectively. M. anisopliae expressing scorpine and an [SM1](8):scorpine fusion protein reduced sporozoite counts by 98%, suggesting that Metarhizium-mediated inhibition of Plasmodium development could be a powerful weapon for combating malaria.