Biochemical characterization of the putative Kazal serinoprotease inhibitor (AaKz211) modulated in dengue virus 2- infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

• Grant number: 19/26101-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): September 04, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Aparecida Sadae Tanaka
• Grantee: Giulia Scomparim
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Farmacologia (INFAR). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/03779-5 - Use of phage display as a tool in the diagnosis and control of diseases transmitted by hematophagous vectors, AP.TEM

Abstract

Aedes aegypti females are the main vectors responsible for the transmission of causative agents of Dengue, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya and Zika due to their blood-sucking habits. When mosquitoes ingest infected blood, an immune response begins, and the pathogen induces changes in their protein expressions. However, little is known about which molecules are produced or modulated in Ae. aegypti during infections (Lee et al. 2019) and, therefore, there is a need to understand how the virus survives and proliferates beyond the Ae. aegypti immune system. Recently, a Kazal inhibitor (AAEL000211) has been identified in the Ae. aegypti genome, a gene sequence that is negatively modulated during mosquito infection with DENV2 virus (in microarray experiments). Kazal inhibitors are mainly described in hematophagous animals, although they have also been identified in other invertebrates. Among the Kazal type mosquito inhibitors Ae. aegypti, our group has already characterized the Kazal inhibitor (AAEL006007) called AaTI able to interfere with blood coagulation. The selected Kazal family serine protease inhibitor (AAEL000211) will be cloned, sequenced, expressed, and characterized. Later, having the recombinant AaKz211 protein will be possible to study the role of this inhibitor in Ae. aegypti and its importance in the interaction of the mosquito with the virus during infection, which may contribute to the development of new methods for vector control and/or disease transmission control.