AUTHOR=Cappelli Alessia , Damiani Claudia , Mancini Maria Vittoria , Valzano Matteo , Rossi Paolo , Serrao Aurelio , Ricci Irene , Favia Guido 

TITLE=Asaia Activates Immune Genes in Mosquito Eliciting an Anti-Plasmodium Response: Implications in Malaria Control

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2019.00836

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2019.00836

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>In mosquitoes, the discovery of the numerous interactions between components of the microbiota and the host immune response opens up the attractive possibility of the development of novel control strategies against mosquito borne diseases. We have focused our attention to <italic>Asaia</italic>, a symbiont of several mosquito vectors who has been proposed as one of the most potential tool for paratransgenic applications; although being extensively characterized, its interactions with the mosquito immune system has never been investigated. Here we report a study aimed at describing the interactions between <italic>Asaia</italic> and the immune system of two vectors of malaria, <italic>Anophelesstephensi</italic> and <italic>An. gambiae</italic>. The introduction of <italic>Asaia</italic> isolates induced the activation of the basal level of mosquito immunity and lower the development of malaria parasite in <italic>An. stephensi</italic>. These findings confirm and expand the potential of <italic>Asaia</italic> in mosquito borne diseases control, not only through paratransgenesis, but also as a natural effector for mosquito immune priming.</p>