按蚊肠道微生物及其在阻断疟疾传播上的应用

Anopheles gut microbiota and its application in blocking malaria transmission

按蚊体内,尤其是中肠内定殖着大量的微生物群落。肠道菌群通过与按蚊的长期协同进化形成了相互依存的共生关系。肠道共生菌参与调节按蚊的多种生命活动,对于维持按蚊的健康发挥着重要作用,已经成为一个与宿主按蚊密不可分的重要"器官"。研究表明,肠道共生菌在按蚊物质代谢、营养、发育、生殖、免疫调控和免疫防御等生理过程中发挥着重要的调节作用。蚊虫是疟疾、登革、寨卡等多种疾病的传播媒介,而肠道共生菌对寄生虫和病毒在蚊虫肠道内的发育和感染具有重要影响,因此研究蚊虫与共生菌的相互作用有着重要的理论和实践意义。本文将对按蚊肠道共生菌的多样性、生物学功能、与宿主相互作用的机制及其在防治疟疾上的应用进展进行综述,并对未来的研究提出展望。

Anopheles gut is colonized by a complex population of microorganisms in a symbiotic relation. The in- sect gut with its microhiota is akin to an internal organ. The mosquito host provides a nutrient-rich environment for the commensal microbiota, and in turn, eommensal microbes provide important physiological functions for the in- sect host in many ways, including provision of nutritional supplements, enhancement of digestive mechanism, toler- ance of environmental perturbations, modulation of host immune homeostasis, protection from parasites and patho- gens, and modulation of vector competence. Gut symbionts have become promising in the development of novel tools for blocking pathogen transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. Here, we provide an overview on the diversity of Anopheles symbionts, the latest advance in the understanding of symbiotic relation, interactions between the Anopheles and symbionts, and developing novel strategies for controlling vector-borne diseases. Finally, directions for future work are discussed.