Mosquitoes to fight against malaria?

Researchers have discovered that changing a single gene in the mosquitoes leads to a change in their resistance to malaria infection. These findings could make the eradication of this disease more effective.

The scientists conducted their study on the mosquito Anopheles gambiae, the main malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa. They watched how the mosquitoes resisted to a parasite that causes malaria in rodents.

By comparing the genomes of mosquitoes resistant or non-resistant to infection, scientists have found that the main difference lies in a single chromosome. Among the 975 genes only the last one that plays a role in determining the resistance of mosquitoes to malaria, a gene called TEP1.

The researchers found that mosquitoes resistant to infection had a form of this gene different from those observed in other mosquitoes.  The scientists then produced two groups of mosquitoes: the first group was carrying an allele TEP1 or different versions of this gene; the second one was carrying an allele susceptible strain. They then observed that the mosquitoes from different groups had different responses to malaria infection.

They have therefore concluded that the resistance of mosquitoes to the parasite depends largely on the shape of the TEP1 gene they carry.

Although this study was conducted with a parasite that causes malaria in rodents, scientists estimate that this gene might be involved in the immune response of mosquitoes to human malaria.

Malaria affects 250 million people annually and kills nearly one million people annually, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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