Defects in coatomer protein I (COPI) transport cause blood feeding-induced mortality in Yellow Fever mosquitoes

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Jun 14;108(24):E211-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1102637108. Epub 2011 May 31.

Abstract

Blood feeding by vector mosquitoes provides the entry point for disease pathogens and presents an acute metabolic challenge that must be overcome to complete the gonotrophic cycle. Based on recent data showing that coatomer protein I (COPI) vesicle transport is involved in cellular processes beyond Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum retrograde protein trafficking, we disrupted COPI functions in the Yellow Fever mosquito Aedes aegypti to interfere with blood meal digestion. Surprisingly, we found that decreased expression of the γCOPI coatomer protein led to 89% mortality in blood-fed mosquitoes by 72 h postfeeding compared with 0% mortality in control dsRNA-injected blood-fed mosquitoes and 3% mortality in γCOPI dsRNA-injected sugar-fed mosquitoes. Similar results were obtained using dsRNA directed against five other COPI coatomer subunits (α, β, β', δ, and ζ). We also examined midgut tissues by EM, quantitated heme in fecal samples, and characterized feeding-induced protein expression in midgut, fat body, and ovary tissues of COPI-deficient mosquitoes. We found that COPI defects disrupt epithelial cell membrane integrity, stimulate premature blood meal excretion, and block induced expression of several midgut protease genes. To study the role of COPI transport in ovarian development, we injected γCOPI dsRNA after blood feeding and found that, although blood digestion was normal, follicles in these mosquitoes were significantly smaller by 48 h postinjection and lacked eggshell proteins. Together, these data show that COPI functions are critical to mosquito blood digestion and egg maturation, a finding that could also apply to other blood-feeding arthropod vectors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aedes / genetics
  • Aedes / metabolism*
  • Aedes / virology
  • Animals
  • Blood
  • Blotting, Western
  • Coat Protein Complex I / genetics
  • Coat Protein Complex I / metabolism*
  • Digestive System / metabolism
  • Digestive System / ultrastructure
  • Fat Body / metabolism
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Genes, Lethal / genetics
  • Humans
  • Insect Proteins / genetics
  • Insect Proteins / metabolism*
  • Insect Vectors / genetics
  • Insect Vectors / metabolism*
  • Insect Vectors / virology
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Oocytes / growth & development
  • Oocytes / metabolism
  • Ovary / metabolism
  • Protein Subunits / genetics
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Protein Transport
  • RNA, Double-Stranded / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Yellow Fever / virology

Substances

  • Coat Protein Complex I
  • Insect Proteins
  • Protein Subunits
  • RNA, Double-Stranded