Fig. 9: Salivary gland invasion by Plasmodium sporozoites disrupts gland morphology and alters saliva composition. | Nature Communications

Fig. 9: Salivary gland invasion by Plasmodium sporozoites disrupts gland morphology and alters saliva composition.

From: High-resolution proteomics unveils salivary gland disruption and saliva-hemolymph protein exchange in Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes

Fig. 9

a Schematic of mosquito salivary gland (SG) anatomy and sporozoite invasion route. Plasmodium sporozoites invade the distal lateral lobes of Anopheles SGs, entering the secretory cavities where they accumulate prior to transmission. b At 9 days post-infection (dpi), sporozoites remain inside midgut oocysts and have not yet invaded the SGs. SG epithelial cells exhibit tight lateral cell-cell junctions, maintaining tissue integrity. c At 21 dpi, sporozoites actively invade the SGs, causing morphological disruptions, including loss of lateral extensions, formation of visible intercellular spaces, and aggregation of saliva within the cavities. Hemolymph proteins and hemocytes are observed in close association with invaded glands, suggesting compromised epithelial barriers and leakage of saliva and hemolymph components. Insets show intact cell junctions in uninfected glands (b) and disrupted cell extensions and cell junctions with aggregated saliva in infected glands (c). These structural changes likely impair SG function and alter saliva composition, potentially impacting mosquito physiology and parasite transmission.

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