Anopheles Midgut Epithelium Evades Human Complement Activity by Capturing Factor H from the Blood Meal
Fig 10
Detection of complement-mediated cell death induced by blocking of FH activity with the 131X monoclonal antibody in the midgut of blood-fed A. stephensi mosquitoes using the TUNEL analysis.
(B and C) Mosquito sections showing absence of cell death in the posterior midgut epithelium of mosquitoes fed on blood containing NHS. (E and F) Mosquito sections showing injured cells induced after mosquito feeding on blood containing NHS and 131X antibody that blocks the protective activity of FH. (H and I) Apoptosis induced in-vitro on sections of mosquitoes fed on blood containing NHS as a positive control for the TUNEL analysis. (A, D and G) Bright-field images corresponding to B, E and H, respectively. White arrows point at the nuclei of apoptotic cells that are also enlarged in the insets F and I.