Conserved function of anopheles gambiae midgut-specific promoters in the fruitfly

Control of malaria by a methodology that would permit the effective blockage of the Anopheles gambiae midgut wall penetration by Plasmodium parasites requires a detailed understanding of both the physiology of the mosquito's digestion, and of the interactions between the parasite and its host. We have transformed Drosophila melanogaster with several constructs that allow the study of the promoter region of two of the major late trypsin genes of A. gambiae. Using several deletions, we have identified, for both genes, small genomic segments that are sufficient to confer tissue specificity to the promoter in a species that is far away in evolution from the mosquito. This will allow further studies that will enable both the understanding of the blood meal digestion, and may potentially be useful for the design of anti-plasmodial constructs at a later stage.