Chapter 14 - Translation of Saliva Proteins Into Tools to Prevent Vector-Borne Disease Transmission

Abstract

Hematophagous arthropods transmit pathogens to humans and livestock worldwide. Arthropod vectors of pathogens are not live syringes that deliver microbes passively into a host as they obtain a blood meal. Advances over the last three decades provide insights into vector–host and vector–pathogen interactions that demonstrate the dynamic aspects of pathogen transmission by the arthropod vector. This chapter focuses on the role of vector saliva in transmission of the pathogen(s). Vector saliva contains pharmacologically active components that suppress and circumvent the host immune responses and are essential to obtain a blood meal. Microbes deposited into the host in vector saliva exploit this immunomodulated environment. In addition, microbes may usurp salivary components to enhance entry and survival in the host. These collective insights on the saliva of the arthropod in the context of microorganism transmission have emphasized the utility of these critical salivary proteins as viable targets to thwart pathogen transmission. We describe the progress made toward a molecular understanding of arthropod saliva and how saliva enables the vector, particularly ticks and mosquitoes, to successfully obtain blood and transmit pathogens, and how this information opens new avenues to prevent pathogen transmission.