Tuyển tập các báo cáo nghiên cứu về sinh học được đăng trên tạp chí sinh học Journal of Biology đề tài: Natural and engineered mosquito immunity. | Journal of Biology BloMed Central Minireview Natural and engineered mosquito immunity Luke Alphey 1 Addresses Oxitec Ltd Milton Park Oxford OX14 4RS UK. tDepartment of Zoology University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX1 2PS UK. Email Published 1 May 2009 Journal of Biology 2009 8 40 doi jbiol143 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at http content 8 4 40 2009 BioMed Central Ltd Abstract A recent paper in BMC Microbiology shows how suppression of mosquito innate immunity against a virus that the mosquito can normally tolerate increases mosquito mortality. This is just one of several approaches that may soon bring genetics-based mosquito control methods from the laboratory into the field. Mosquitoes transmit some of the most deadly infectious diseases of humans. Although malaria is the best known mosquitoes also transmit a wide variety of viruses and other pathogens. Arthropod-transmitted viruses arboviruses include the causative agents of dengue yellow fever West Nile virus chikungunya and many others. The life cycle of these viruses typically depends on transmission from a suitable vertebrate host via a mosquito vector to another suitable vertebrate and so on for ever. For some of these viruses such as dengue humans are the only suitable vertebrate species across most or all of their range others such as West Nile virus can infect a wide range of vertebrates. The mosquito is exposed to the pathogen when she only female mosquitoes bite takes a blood meal from an infectious vertebrate. The virus infects the mosquito typically first in the midgut and then disseminating through the body. When the salivary glands become infected so that virus is present in the mosquito s saliva she becomes infectious. The next time she takes a blood meal her food source is exposed to the virus. If this individual becomes infected for a period of time it will become infectious to other mosquitoes
