AUTHOR=Luckhart Shirley , Riehle Michael A. 

TITLE=Midgut Mitochondrial Function as a Gatekeeper for Malaria Parasite Infection and Development in the Mosquito Host

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2020.593159

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2020.593159

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p>Across diverse organisms, various physiologies are profoundly regulated by mitochondrial function, which is defined by mitochondrial fusion, biogenesis, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and mitophagy. Based on our data and significant published studies from <italic>Caenorhabditis elegans</italic>, <italic>Drosophila melanogaster</italic> and mammals, we propose that midgut mitochondria control midgut health and the health of other tissues in vector mosquitoes. Specifically, we argue that trade-offs among resistance to infection, metabolism, lifespan, and reproduction in vector mosquitoes are fundamentally controlled both locally and systemically by midgut mitochondrial function.</p>