At the interface between parasite and host: the salivary glands of the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae

Multiple complex interactions take place between the three organisms involved in malaria transmission: Plasmodium, Anopheles and the human host. The mosquito salivary glands are placed at the parasite-host interface and they represent the last barrier that sporozoites must overcome to infect the vertebrate. Moreover, the salivary glands of disease vectors produce and secrete a large variety of pharmacologically active compounds which can have profound effects on pathogen transmission and on the physiological responses of the human host both to the parasite and to the mosquito bite. Recent studies significantly expanded the Anopheles gambiae salivary transcriptome/proteome and they are expected to represent a starting point toward a functional analysis of mosquito salivary secretions. We believe that these investigations will contribute to a better understanding of the complex parasite-vector-host relationships and, perhaps, will be helpful in devising novel strategies to fight malaria.