Integrins of Anopheles gambiae and a putative role of a new β integrin, BINT2, in phagocytosis of E. coli

Luis F. Moita, Gert Vriend, Vasso Mahairaki, Christos Louis, Fotis C. Kafatos

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

40 Scopus citations

Abstract

Mosquitoes use effective immune responses, including phagocytosis, to fight microbial infection. Here we show that in an Anopheles gambiae immune responsive cell line, RGD recognizing receptors play an important role in the phagocytic response, suggesting overlap between molecular components implicated in adhesion and phagocytosis. Integrins are a major class of adhesive receptors that recognize ligands containing an RGD motif. We have cloned a gene encoding a new β integrin, BINT2, and demonstrated its involvement in Escherichia coli engulfment. Based on molecular modeling, we propose a structural reason for the role of BINT2, but not BINT1, on phagocytosis of Gram-negative bacteria. Using bioinformatic tools, we have identified and compared the complete A. gambiae integrin repertoire as a prelude to a future systematic functional study.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)282-290
Number of pages9
JournalInsect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Volume36
Issue number4 SPEC. ISS.
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2006
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Anopheles gambiae
  • BINT2
  • Innate immunity
  • Integrin
  • Phagocytosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Insect Science

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