The Mosquito Melanization Response Is Implicated in Defense against the Entomopathogenic Fungus Beauveria bassiana
Figure 4
CLIPA8 and TEP1 kd abolished PO activity triggered during late but not early fungal infection.
Phenoloxidase (PO) enzymatic activity [detected as absorbance at 492 nm, OD492, after conversion of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA)], was measured in hemolymph extracted from (A) CLIPA8 and (B) TEP1 kd mosquitoes and compared to that in LacZ kd controls at the indicated time points after challenging mosquitoes by spraying with a B. bassiana (strain 80.2) suspension containing 1×108 conidia/ml. The graphs show PO activity measured at 50 min after addition of L-DOPA. Means were calculated from two independent biological experiments performed using different batches of mosquitoes and fungal conidia. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t-test and differences were considered to be statistically significant if P<0.05 (indicated by an asterisk).