Figure 9

Representative scheme of nitric oxide (NO) release from R. prolixus nitrophorins (NPs) and the interaction with the vertebrate host molecules at the bite site, causing vasodilation. The solid black arrows represent fast events, and the dotted arrow represents slow events. NO, nitric oxide; NPs, nitrophorins; cGC, soluble guanylatecyclase; cGMP, cyclic guanosine monophosphate.