Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the Indian malaria vector anopheles stephensi

Abstract

newlineAnopheles stephensi is one of the major malaria causing mosquito in India and other South Asian regions [Kumar et al., 2012, Sinka et al., 2012, Sinka et al., 2011]. There are three major variants - type form, which is the main competent vector; - mysorensis strain, which is mainly zoophilic but an important vector of Iran, and - an intermediate form, whose vectorial capacities is relatively less studied. An. stephensi type form is a prominent urban vector of India and is reported to be the cause of about 12% of malaria transmission here [Gakhar et al., 2013, Hati, 1997]. Due to this,study and control of this vector forms an important basis for the control of malaria transmission in India. Most of the molecular level investigations on malaria vectors pertaining to vector behavior newlineand competence, vector-pathogen interactions, transgenic mosquitoes and their applications, transmission-blocking vaccines have been carried out on Anopheles gambiae, because of the ready availability of whole genome sequences of different strains and several large-scale gene expression data derived using cDNA microarrays, NextGen sequencing technologies and mass spectrometry. newlineHowever, An. gambiae is not of importance in the Indian scenario [Kumar et al., 2012, Sinka et al., 2011, Sharma, 1999]. Similar molecular level investigations of An. stephensi have been limited because of the lack of whole genome sequence data. The recent availability of its genome has provided an important avenue of research, which can be explored to efficiently understand the biology of this important Indian vector [Neafsey et al., 2015, Jiang et al., 2014]. Therefore, the Institute of Bioinformatics, Bangalore, in collaboration with National Institute of Malaria Research, field station, Goa are collaborating to investigate molecular profiling of the Indian vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi. newline