Protein 2DE reference map of the anterior midgut of the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus.

Rhodnius prolixus is an important vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease, an illness that affects 20% of Latin America population. The obligatory course of the parasite in the vector digestive tract has made it an important target for investigation in order to control the parasite transmission and thus interrupt its biological cycle in the insect vector. Therefore, an insight into the vector midgut physiology is valuable for insect control as well as to provide potential novel targets for drugs and vaccines development and thus disease treatment. In this study, the first 2DE map of R. prolixus anterior midgut is described. Proteins were separated by 2DE and analyzed by nano-LC MS/MS. The results yielded 489 proteins from 475 spots. These proteins were classified into 28 functional groups and their physiological roles in the insect midgut are discussed. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifiers PXD001488 and PXD001489 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001488, http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001489).