Effect of C-type lectin 16 on dengue virus infection in salivary glands.

C-type lectins (CTLs) are a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins and an important component of mosquito saliva. Although CTLs play key roles in immune activation and viral pathogenesis, little is known about their role in regulating dengue virus (DENV) infection and transmission. In this study, we established a homozygous knockout mutant line using CRISPR/Cas9 to study the interaction between and viruses in mosquito vectors. Furthermore, mouse experiments were conducted to confirm the transmission of DENV by mutants. We found that was mainly expressed in the medial lobe of the salivary glands (SGs) in female . knockout increased DENV replication and accumulation in the SGs of female , suggesting that plays an important role in DENV transmission. We also found a reduced expression of immunodeficiency and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway components correlated with increased DENV viral titer, infection rate, and transmission efficiency in the mutant strain. The findings of this study provide insights not only for guiding future investigations on the influence of CTLs on immune responses in mosquitoes but also for developing novel mutants that can be used as vector control tools.