Immunization with AgTRIO, a Protein in Anopheles Saliva, Contributes to Protection against Plasmodium Infection in Mice. Author Srdjan Dragovic, Tolulope Agunbiade, Marianna Freudzon, Jing Yang, Andrew Hastings, Tyler Schleicher, Xia Zhou, Sam Craft, Yu-Min Chuang, Floricel Gonzalez, Youquan Li, Gabriela Hrebikova, Abhai Tripathi, Godfree Mlambo, Lionel Almeras, Alexander Ploss, George Dimopoulos, Erol Fikrig Publication Year 2018 Type Journal Article Abstract Plasmodium infection begins with the bite of an anopheline mosquito, when sporozoites along with saliva are injected into a vertebrate host. The role of the host responses to mosquito saliva components in malaria remains unclear. We observed that antisera against Anopheles gambiae salivary glands partially protected mice from mosquito-borne Plasmodium infection. Specifically, antibodies to A. gambiae TRIO (AgTRIO), a mosquito salivary gland antigen, contributed to the protection. Mice administered AgTRIO antiserum showed lower Plasmodium liver burden and decreased parasitemia when exposed to infected mosquitoes. Active immunization with AgTRIO was also partially protective against Plasmodium berghei infection. A combination of AgTRIO antiserum and antibodies against Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein, a vaccine candidate, further decreased P. berghei infection. In humanized mice, AgTRIO antiserum afforded some protection against mosquito-transmitted Plasmodium falciparum. AgTRIO antiserum reduced the movement of sporozoites in the murine dermis. AgTRIO may serve as an arthropod-based target against Plasmodium to combat malaria. Keywords Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Mice, Insect Proteins, Plasmodium falciparum, Anopheles, Liver, Treatment Outcome, Malaria, Immunization, Passive, Parasite Load, Parasitemia, Plasmodium berghei, Salivary Proteins and Peptides Journal Cell Host Microbe Volume 23 Issue 4 Pages 523-535.e5 Date Published 2018 Apr 11 ISSN Number 1934-6069 DOI 10.1016/j.chom.2018.03.008 Alternate Journal Cell Host Microbe PMCID PMC5998332 PMID 29649443 PubMedPubMed CentralGoogle ScholarBibTeXEndNote X3 XML