The Eck Institute for Global Health, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
BMC Ecol. 2011 Oct 10;11:24. doi: 10.1186/1472-6785-11-24.
Sand fly saliva can drive the outcome of Leishmania infection in animal models, and salivary components have been postulated as vaccine candidates against leishmaniasis. In the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi, natural sugar-sources modulate the activity of proteins involved in meal digestion, and possibly influence vectorial capacity. However, only a handful of studies have assessed the variability of salivary components in sand flies, focusing on the effects of environmental factors in natural habitats. In order to better understand such interactions, we compared the expression profiles of nine P. papatasi salivary gland genes of specimens inhabiting different ecological habitats in Egypt and Jordan and throughout the sand fly season in each habitat.
The majority of investigated genes were up-regulated in specimens from Swaymeh late in the season, when the availability of sugar sources is reduced due to water deprivation. On the other hand, these genes were not up-regulated in specimens collected from Aswan, an irrigated area less susceptible to drought effects.
Expression plasticity of genes involved with vectorial capacity in disease vectors may play an important epidemiological role in the establishment of diseases in natural habitats.
沙蝇唾液可以影响动物模型中利什曼原虫感染的结果，并且唾液成分被推测为抗利什曼病疫苗的候选物。在沙蝇 Phlebotomus papatasi 中，天然糖源调节参与摄食消化的蛋白质的活性，并可能影响媒介能力。然而，只有少数研究评估了沙蝇唾液成分的可变性，重点是自然栖息地中环境因素的影响。为了更好地理解这些相互作用，我们比较了埃及和约旦不同生态栖息地以及每个栖息地沙蝇季节中栖息的九种 P. papatasi 唾液腺基因的表达谱。
大多数研究的基因在 Swaymeh 季节后期因缺水导致糖源减少时，来自 Swaymeh 的标本中上调。另一方面，在从灌溉区阿斯旺收集的标本中，这些基因没有上调，阿斯旺受干旱影响较小。
疾病媒介中与媒介能力相关的基因表达可塑性可能在自然栖息地中疾病的建立中发挥重要的流行病学作用。
