Non-genetic determinants of mosquito competence for malaria parasites

Understanding how mosquito vectors and malaria parasites interact is of fundamental interest, and it also offers novel perspectives for disease control. Both the genetic and environmental contexts are known to affect the ability of mosquitoes to support malaria development and transmission, i.e., ve...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS pathogens 2013-06, Vol.9 (6), p.e1003365-e1003365
Main Authors: Lefèvre, Thierry, Vantaux, Amélie, Dabiré, Kounbobr R, Mouline, Karine, Cohuet, Anna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biology
Competition
Culicidae
Culicidae - metabolism
Disease transmission
Genetic aspects
Genetic engineering
Health aspects
Host-parasite relationships
Host-Pathogen Interactions - physiology
Infections
Influence
Insect Vectors - metabolism
Insecticides
Life Sciences
Malaria
Malaria - metabolism
Malaria - transmission
Medicine
Mosquitoes
Parasites
Physiological aspects
Plasmodium - physiology
Review
Temperature effects
Tropical diseases
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Summary:Understanding how mosquito vectors and malaria parasites interact is of fundamental interest, and it also offers novel perspectives for disease control. Both the genetic and environmental contexts are known to affect the ability of mosquitoes to support malaria development and transmission, i.e., vector competence. Although the role of environment has long been recognized, much work has focused on host and parasite genetic effects. However, the last few years have seen a surge of studies revealing a great diversity of ways in which non-genetic factors can interfere with mosquito-Plasmodium interactions. Here, we review the current evidence for such environmentally mediated effects, including ambient temperature, mosquito diet, microbial gut flora, and infection history, and we identify additional factors previously overlooked in mosquito-Plasmodium interactions. We also discuss epidemiological implications, and the evolutionary consequences for vector immunity and parasite transmission strategies. Finally, we propose directions for further research and argue that an improved knowledge of non-genetic influences on mosquito-Plasmodium interactions could aid in implementing conventional malaria control measures and contribute to the design of novel strategies.
ISSN:1553-7374
1553-7366
1553-7374
DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003365