Relish-mediated immune deficiency in the transgenic mosquito Aedes aegypti

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Mar 4;100(5):2616-21. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0537347100. Epub 2003 Feb 19.

Abstract

The lack of genetic means has been a serious limitation in studying mosquito immunity. We generated Relish-mediated immune deficiency (RMID) by transforming Aedes aegypti with the Delta Rel transgene driven by the vitellogenin (Vg) promoter using the pBac[3xP3-EGFP, afm] vector. A stable transformed line had a single copy of the Vg-Delta Rel transgene. The Vg-Delta Rel transgene expression was highly activated by blood feeding, and transgenic mosquitoes were extremely susceptible to the infection by Gram-negative bacteria. This RMID phenotype was characterized by severely reduced postinfection levels of antimicrobial peptides genes, defensin and cecropin. Crossing the RMID line with the wild-type strain produced the same RMID phenotype, indicating its dominant nature, whereas crossing with the Vg-def transgenic line, in which Defensin A was activated by blood feeding, restored the immunity to Enterobacter cloacae.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aedes / genetics*
  • Aedes / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Defensins / pharmacology
  • Drosophila Proteins*
  • Enterobacter cloacae / immunology
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / metabolism
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Immunoblotting
  • Insect Vectors / genetics*
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Models, Genetic
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Phenotype
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Time Factors
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Defensins
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Rel protein, Drosophila
  • Transcription Factors
  • insect defensin A
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins