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IR-TEx: An Open Source Data Integration Tool for Big Data Transcriptomics Designed for the Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae
Published on: January 15, 2020
Gene expression-based biomarkers for Anopheles gambiae age grading.
Mei-Hui Wang1, Osvaldo Marinotti, Daibin Zhong
1Program in Public Health, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America.
Plos One
|August 13, 2013
Summary
Accurately determining mosquito age is vital for malaria control. This study validates a new gene expression method for aging wild mosquitoes, improving vector surveillance and malaria transmission assessments.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Molecular Biology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Accurate mosquito age structure data is crucial for understanding malaria transmission dynamics and evaluating vector control strategies.
- Transcriptional profiling offers a potential method for mosquito age determination, but its efficacy under natural conditions requires validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the applicability of transcriptional profiling for age-grading the African malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae, under natural conditions.
- To validate gene expression biomarkers for mosquito age determination using established methods.
Main Methods:
- Measured transcript abundance of two An. gambiae genes (AGAP009551 and AGAP011615) during aging in laboratory and field settings across three mosquito strains.
- Validated gene expression biomarkers using the mark, release, and recapture (MRR) method to compare predicted and actual mosquito ages.
- Applied the validated transcriptional profiling technique to determine the age structure of Anopheles gambiae populations in western Kenya.
Main Results:
- Observed age-dependent monotonic changes in transcript levels for both genes across all evaluated mosquito strains.
- The MRR method confirmed a strong correlation between actual and predicted ages, validating the chosen genes as effective age-grading biomarkers.
- Transcriptional profiling results for population age structure in Kenyan mosquito populations were consistent with those obtained using the mosquito parity method.
Conclusions:
- Transcriptional profiling using AGAP009551 and AGAP011615 is a valuable and accurate method for determining the age of wild Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes.
- This technique provides a novel approach for assessing a key life history trait of malaria vectors, enhancing vector surveillance and malaria control efforts.
