ANALYSIS OF HAEMOLYMPH PROTEINS IN THE BRUGIA MALAYI-SUSCEPTIBLE MOSQUITO, AEDES TOGOI, USING SDS-PAGE AND TWO-DIMENSIONAL GEL ELECTROPHORESIS

Haemolymph is the medium that transports nutrients, hormones and immune effector molecules to provide the mosquitoes with immune response against invading filarial worms. In this study, haemolymph protein profiles of adult female Aedes togoi, before and after intrathoracic inoculation of Brugia malayi microfilariae or injection with saline solution, were analyzed. SDS-PAGE revealed that haemolymph protein profiles of both mosquitoes injected and inoculated with saline solution and microfilariae, respectively, were similar. At least 5 protein bands were induced after the injection. Two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis showed that approximately 150 protein spots were resolved in the haemolymph before and after saline injection. The molecular mass of these spots varied from 10-80 kDa with a pI of 3.1-10. Through comparison and analysis, 30 protein spots were expressed differentially during the immune challenge. Seven and seventeen spots were up-regulated and down-regulated proteins, respectively. Two spots were repressed and four appeared post saline injection. Information of Ae. togoi haemolymph proteins obtained in this study was is an initial step for further identification of differentially expressed proteins that might help in understanding immune response in the mosquito-parasite system