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. 2014 Sep 1:3:22-29.
doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2014.07.005.

Mosquito immune responses to arbovirus infections

Carol D Blair  1 , Ken E Olson  1
Affiliations

Mosquito immune responses to arbovirus infections

Carol D Blair et al. Curr Opin Insect Sci. .

Abstract

The principal mosquito innate immune response to virus infections, RNA interference (RNAi), differs substantially from the immune response to bacterial and fungal infections. The exo-siRNA pathway constitutes the major anti-arboviral RNAi response and its essential genetic components have been identified. Recent research has also implicated the Piwi-interacting RNA pathway in mosquito anti-arboviral immunity, but Piwi gene-family components involved are not well-defined. Arboviruses must evade or suppress RNAi without causing pathogenesis in the vector to maintain their transmission cycle, but little is known about mechanisms of arbovirus modulation of RNAi. Genetic manipulation of mosquitoes to enhance their RNAi response can limit arbovirus infection and replication and could be used in novel strategies for interruption of arbovirus transmission and greatly reduce disease.

Keywords: RNA interference; RNAi; arbovirus; innate immunity; transgenic mosquito.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram showing the essential components of the mosquito exo-siRNA pathway that is the major anti-viral immune response: long virus-specific dsRNA, which serves as the PAMP; Dicer 2 (Dicer), which serves as the PRR; R2D2, the dsRNA-binding protein; Argonaute 2 (Ago2), which acts as effector in cleaving target viral mRNA.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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