Reproductive Costs of the Immune Response of the Autogenous Mosquito Culex pipiens molestus Against Inoculated Dirofilaria immitis

Abstract

Culex pipiens molestus is an autogenous mosquito, a vector of Dirofilaria immitis in Madeira Island, and it mounts a melanotic encapsulation response when inoculated intrathoracically with D. immitis microfilariae (mf). Because Cx. p. molestus is autogenous, this mosquito is a good model from which to gain a better understand the relationship between oviposition and melanization, independent of the signaling pathways related to blood feeding. The present work assessed the impact follicle growth might have on melanization of intrathoracically inoculated mf. The ovaries from mosquitoes undergoing melanotic encapsulation developed more eggs than those that could not melanize the mf. Possible explanations are discussed in this article.

Patterns of phenoloxidase activity in insecticide resistant and susceptible mosquitoes differ between laboratory-selected and wild-caught individuals

“…In Cx. pipiens it has been shown to be implicated in resistance against filarial parasites [ 22 ]. The melanotic encapsulation response results from the activation of a complex enzymatic cascade that ends up in the cleavage of inactive prophenoloxidases (proPO) into active phenoloxidases (PO), which initiate the production of melanin [ 23 ].…”