A small molecule glycosaminoglycan mimetic blocks Plasmodium invasion of the mosquito midgut

Derrick K Mathias, Rebecca Pastrana-Mena, Elisabetta Ranucci, Dingyin Tao, Paolo Ferruti, Corrie Ortega, Gregory O Staples, Joseph Zaia, Eizo Takashima, Takafumi Tsuboi, Natalie Borg, Luisella Verotta, Rhoel R Dinglasan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Malaria transmission-blocking (T-B) interventions are essential for malaria elimination. Small molecules that inhibit the Plasmodium ookinete-to-oocyst transition in the midgut of Anopheles mosquitoes, thereby blocking sporogony, represent one approach to achieving this goal. Chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans (CS-GAGs) on the Anopheles gambiae midgut surface are putative ligands for Plasmodium falciparum ookinetes. We hypothesized that our synthetic polysulfonated polymer, VS1, acting as a decoy molecular mimetic of midgut CS-GAGs confers malaria T-B activity. In our study, VS1 repeatedly reduced midgut oocyst development by as much as 99 (P
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere1003757
Number of pages14
JournalPLoS Pathogens
Volume9
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

Cite this