Serine proteases as mediators of mosquito immune responses

Abstract

Serine proteases regulate several invertebrate defense responses, including hemolymph coagulation, antimicrobial peptide synthesis, and melanization of pathogen surfaces. These processes require the presence of serine proteases in the hemolymph where they can rapidly activate immune pathways in response to pathogen detection. Hemolymph coagulation in the horseshoe crab is controlled by several serine proteases, including two that are pathogen recognition molecules and two in the clip domain family of serine proteases. The antimicrobial peptide synthesis and melanization pathways include clip domain proteases as well as other, uncharacterized serine proteases. We have identified five serine proteases from the hemolymph of the mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. One, Sp22D, is a large protease with potential pathogen binding domains. Sp22D is expressed in three tissues that have immune functions (midgut epithelium, fat body, and hemocytes), and its transcript abundance increases after immune challenge. Sp14A, Sp14D1, and Sp14D2 are clip domain serine proteases that are similar to enzymes with presumed roles in melanization or antimicrobial peptide synthesis. They undergo changes in transcript abundance in response to infection with bacteria or malaria parasites, and they reside in a chromosomal region that has been associated with melanization of parasites. Sp18D, also a clip domain protease, is similar to a Manduca protease with a likely role in immunity, but immune challenge does not affect its mRNA abundance.