Anopheles gambiae innate immunity

The successful development of Plasmodium in Anopheles mosquitoes is governed by complex molecular and cellular interactions that we are just beginning to understand. Anopheles immune system has received particular attention as genetic evidence points clearly to its critical role in eliminating the majority of parasites invading the midgut epithelium. Several factors regulating Plasmodium development have been identified and tentatively assigned to the individual steps leading to mosquito immune reactions; non-self-recognition, signal modulation, signal transduction and effector mechanisms. Detailed knowledge of these steps and their underlying molecular mechanisms may offer novel perspectives to abort Plasmodium development in the vector. Here, we summarize our current knowledge of mosquito innate immunity highlighting both, recent advances and areas where additional research is required.