Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (Feb 2023)

Rosette formation by Plasmodium vivax gametocytes favors the infection in Anopheles aquasalis

  • Luis Carlos Salazar Alvarez,
  • Luis Carlos Salazar Alvarez,
  • Luis Carlos Salazar Alvarez,
  • Vanessa Carneiro Barbosa,
  • Vanessa Carneiro Barbosa,
  • Omaira Vera Lizcano,
  • Omaira Vera Lizcano,
  • Omaira Vera Lizcano,
  • Djane Clarys Baia da Silva,
  • Djane Clarys Baia da Silva,
  • Djane Clarys Baia da Silva,
  • Djane Clarys Baia da Silva,
  • Djane Clarys Baia da Silva,
  • Rosa Amélia Gonçalves Santana,
  • Rosa Amélia Gonçalves Santana,
  • Rosa Amélia Gonçalves Santana,
  • Camila Fabbri,
  • Camila Fabbri,
  • Camila Fabbri,
  • Paulo Filemon Paoluci Pimenta,
  • Paulo Filemon Paoluci Pimenta,
  • Paulo Filemon Paoluci Pimenta,
  • Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro,
  • Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro,
  • Letusa Albrecht,
  • Letusa Albrecht,
  • Marcus Vinicius Guimarães de Lacerda,
  • Marcus Vinicius Guimarães de Lacerda,
  • Marcus Vinicius Guimarães de Lacerda,
  • Fabio Trindade Maranhão Costa,
  • Fabio Trindade Maranhão Costa,
  • Stefanie Costa Pinto Lopes,
  • Stefanie Costa Pinto Lopes,
  • Stefanie Costa Pinto Lopes

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1108348
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Plasmodium vivax is a public health problem and the most common type of malaria outside sub-Saharan Africa. The capacity of cytoadhesion, rosetting, and liver latent phase development could impact treatment and disease control. Although the ability to P. vivax gametocyte develop rosetting is known, it is not yet clear which role it plays during the infection and transmission process to the mosquito. Here, we used ex vivo approaches for evaluate the rosetting P. vivax gametocytes capacity and we have investigated the effect of this adhesive phenotype on the infection process in the vector Anopheles aquasalis mosquito. Rosette assays were performed in 107 isolates, and we have observed an elevated frequency of cytoadhesive phenomena (77,6%). The isolates with more than 10% of rosettes have presented a higher infection rate in Anopheles aquasalis (p=0.0252). Moreover, we found a positive correlation between the frequency of parasites in rosetting with the infection rate (p=0.0017) and intensity (p=0.0387) in the mosquito. The disruption of P. vivax rosette formation through mechanical rupture assay confirmed the previously findings, since the paired comparison showed that isolates with disrupted rosettes have a lower infection rate (p<0.0001) and intensity (p=0.0003) compared to the control group (no disruption). Herein we have demonstrated for the first time a potential effect of the rosette phenomenon on the infection process in the mosquito vector An. aquasalis, favoring its capacity and intensity of infection, thus allowing the perpetuation of the parasite cycle life.

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