Immune system 'circuitry' that kills malaria in mosquitoes identified
Thursday, June 7, 2012 - 20:30
in Biology & Nature
For the first time, researchers have determined the function of a series proteins within the mosquito that transduce a signal that enables the mosquito to fight off infection from the parasite that causes malaria in humans. Together, these proteins are known as immune deficiency (Imd) pathway signal transducing factors, are analogous to an electrical circuit. As each factor is switched on or off it triggers or inhibits the next, finally leading to the launch of an immune response against the malaria parasite.