Induced immunity against the mosquito Anopheles stephensi: reactivity characteristics of immune sera

This study shows the progression of immune responses in mice during five se quential immunizations with Anopheles stephensi mosquito extracts, characte rized by ELISA, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. When exposed repeate dly to mosquito bites, control mice developed antibodies which reached titr es of 1:10(5), reacted weakly in Western blot analysis and were localized t o the salivary glands. Mice immunized with mosquito head plus salivary glan ds, midgut, ovary, fat body, midgut microvilli (Mv) and midgut basolateral plasma membrane (Blm), showed increased titre with each successive boost. E pitopes were shared between sera or were specific to the immunizing or hete rologous extract. Anti-Mv and Blm sera recognized proteins labelled by anti -midgut serum and gave specific reactions with the midgut and head. Cross-r eactivity was confirmed immunohistochemically.