Department of Biosciences, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak-124001, (Haryana), India.
Rabbits were immunized three times with extracts of Anopheles stephensi salivary glands. Immunized rabbits showed high titer of antibodies when characterized by ELISA. The effect of anti-mosquito salivary glands antibodies on the mosquito fecundity, longevity, mortality, engorgement and the development of the malaria parasite was investigated. Fecundity was reduced significantly by about 36%. The fecundity reduction seems to be species specific as it did not have any effect on two other species of Anopheles i.e., A. fluviatilis and A. culicifacies. Ingestion of antibodies also did not show any detectable effect on engorgement of mosquitoes. However, significant reduction in the malarial parasite infection was observed in A. stephensi mosquitoes that ingested anti-salivary gland antibodies along with Plasmodium vivax. Antisera raised against salivary glands of A. stephensi recognized six polypeptides (15, 27, 29, 33, 44 and 55 KDa) by western blotting. The above antigens seem to be the candidate for transmission blocking and anti-mosquito vaccine.
Salivary glands, antibodies, Anopheles, Plasmodium, transmission, vaccine
