Dscam Gene Diversity in Mosquitoes and Malaria Infections
Author Information
Author(s): Paul H Smith, Jonathan M Mwangi, Yaw A Afrane, Guiyun Yan, Darren J Obbard, Lisa C Ranford-Cartwright, Tom J Little
Primary Institution: Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh
Hypothesis
How does genetic diversity within Plasmodium falciparum infections affect the expression of the Dscam gene in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes?
Conclusion
AgDscam diversity increases with P. falciparum exposure, but does not rise further with increased parasite diversity.
Supporting Evidence
- Dscam diversity was significantly lower in uninfected blood controls than in all other samples.
- AgDscam expression was affected by the blood that the mosquitoes fed upon.
- Dscam diversity did not increase further in response to a mixture of parasite clones.
Takeaway
When mosquitoes get infected with malaria, they show more variety in a specific immune gene, but having more types of malaria doesn't make that variety even bigger.
Methodology
Field and laboratory studies comparing Dscam splice-form diversity in mosquitoes fed on blood with and without P. falciparum.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding from multi-species infections affecting Dscam expression.
Limitations
Field data may be affected by unmeasured factors, such as the presence of other parasite species.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 5-14 years in Kakamega district, western Kenya.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.045
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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