CHARACTERIZING A NOVEL SALIVARY PEPTIDE FAMILY FROM AEDES MOSQUITOES

Abstract

In this study, I have focused on a novel salivary peptide family found only in the Aedes mosquitoes. I have reported our findings with regards to the action of these peptides on platelet aggregation, blood coagulation and the antigen-presenting dendritic cells. Since it is known that certain salivary factors assist significantly in the transmission of pathogens, the transmission of the dengue virus was also investigated in the presence of the salivary peptides.

Finally, I have shifted focus from the vector to the pathogens. I have focussed on two medically important arboviruses - the flavivirus dengue (DENV) and the alphavirus chikungunya (CHIKV), both vectored by Aedes mosquitoes. Though both are single-stranded, positive sense RNA viruses, there is evidence indicating that CHIKV replicates significantly faster than DENV. I proved this first in an in vitro system, followed by an investigation about the reasons underlying this difference using reporter-based replicon assays.