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Analysis of apyrase 5' upstream region validates improved Anopheles gambiae transformation technique

Lombardo, Fabrizio, Lycett, Gareth ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2422-053X, Lanfrancotti, Alessandra, Coluzzi, Mario and Arcà, Bruno (2009) 'Analysis of apyrase 5' upstream region validates improved Anopheles gambiae transformation technique'. BMC Research Notes, Vol 2, Issue 1, p. 24.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Genetic transformation of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae has been successfully achieved in recent years, and represents a potentially powerful tool for researchers. Tissue-, stage- and sex-specific promoters are essential requirements to support the development of new applications for the transformation technique and potential malaria control strategies. During the Plasmodium lifecycle in the invertebrate host, four major mosquito cell types are involved in interactions with the parasite: hemocytes and fat body cells, which provide humoral and cellular components of the innate immune response, midgut and salivary glands representing the epithelial barriers traversed by the parasite during its lifecycle in the mosquito. FINDINGS: We have analyzed the upstream regulatory sequence of the An. gambiae salivary gland-specific apyrase (AgApy) gene in transgenic An. gambiae using a piggyBac transposable element vector marked by a 3xP3 promoter:DsRed gene fusion. Efficient germ-line transformation in An. gambiae mosquitoes was obtained and several integration events in at least three different G0 families were detected. LacZ reporter gene expression was analyzed in three transgenic lines/groups, and in only one group was tissue-specific expression restricted to salivary glands. CONCLUSION: Our data describe an efficient genetic transformation of An. gambiae embryos. However, expression from the selected region of the AgApy promoter is weak and position effects may mask tissue- and stage- specific activity in transgenic mosquitoes.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: QX Parasitology > QX 20 Research (General)
QX Parasitology > QX 4 General works
QX Parasitology > Protozoa > QX 135 Plasmodia
QX Parasitology > Insects. Other Parasites > QX 510 Mosquitoes
QX Parasitology > Insects. Other Parasites > QX 650 Insect vectors
QX Parasitology > Insects. Other Parasites > QX 515 Anopheles
Digital Object Identifer (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-2-24
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Depositing User: Users 183 not found.
Date Deposited: 29 Mar 2010 14:26
Last Modified: 24 Jan 2022 14:59
URI: https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/674

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