蚊虫肠道粘液素在媒介易感性中的作用及吸血诱导调控机制研究

Mosquitoes are considered as the most important arthropod vectors of disease, which varies significantly in their vector competence among different strains. Midgut, the first and prerequisite target for arboviruses to establish persistent infection in mosquitoes, harbors various molecules determining the vector competence. Our previous results suggest an essential role of gut mucin in affecting Aedes vector competence. Thus, we will identify new mucin proteins in Aedes using bioinformatics and affinity purification combined with mass spectrometry. The identified mucin proteins will be classified based on their biochemistry and localization characteristics. Secondly, we will investigate how each individual mucin expression is regulated by blood feeding which is unique to mosquitoes. In addition, the respective effect of blood components on mucin expression will be studied. Lastly, we will evaluate the effect of mucins on vector competence of Aedes to arboviruses infection. The expression of effective mucins will be modulated according to effectors identified in the previous part to manipulate mosquito vector competence. Our project will provide novel insights to control mosquito-borne human pathogens.

蚊虫是目前全球最重要的疾病媒介昆虫，不同蚊虫株系间媒介易感性存在显著差别。蚊媒病毒感染蚊虫首先需要随血液进入蚊肠道并跨越中肠屏障，蚊虫肠道因子与蚊虫传播效能密切相关。申请人前期研究提示蚊肠道粘液素影响伊蚊媒介易感性。本项目将1.完善蚊虫肠道粘液素的鉴定，结合生物信息学以及亲和纯化-质谱两种方法，鉴定新的蚊肠道粘液素并揭示其分类、定位分布特征；2.探究蚊虫特有的吸血诱导粘液素表达调控机制，分别研究血液对不同粘液素分子的调控规律，研究血液各具体成分对粘液素分子的调控作用及调控机制；3.研究本项目新发现粘液素分子及已报道的少数粘液素分子对蚊媒病毒感染伊蚊的作用，并通过前一部分研究鉴定到的调控因子操纵蚊虫的媒介易感性，为媒介病原微生物的防控提供新的思路和靶点。

蚊虫是重要的传染病媒介生物。而相比模式生物果蝇，蚊虫的蛋白功能、行为特征尚缺乏系统研究。我们根据粘液素高度糖基化特征编写程序，通过生物信息学方法初步筛选蚊虫粘液素，并揭示了部分粘蛋白在白纹伊蚊的发育周期中的时空表达特征，及饲血后表达调控规律。本项研究补充和完善了昆虫粘液素功能，在国际媒介生物学期刊Journal of Vector Ecology发表题为《Identification of mucins and their expression in the vector mosquito Aedes albopictus》的研究论文。.