Agglutinin activity in the gut of PHLEBOTOMUS PAPATASI

Background: Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ZCL) is a neglected tropical disease prevailed in many rural areas of 17 out of 31 provinces in Iran. The main vector of the disease is Phlebotomus papatasi. In the present study, we investigate, the inhibitory role of some carbohydrates on lectin activities of Ph. papatasi Objectives: The candidate carbohydrates found some species independent, so study on different Leishmania/sandfly species recommendedMaterials and Methods: The first generation of wild captured sandflies was colonized and then the females with 3 to 5 days-old (sugar-fed by sucrose 20%) were dissected individually in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.2. The whole proteins were extracted from midgut of 600 females Ph. Papatasi. Serial dilutions of the gut extraction were prepared and haemagglutination tests conducted against human, rat and Balb/C red blood cells. Furthermore, inhibition assays were performed against lectin actives using fructose, fucose, galactose, lactose, glucose, arabinose, D-mannose, N- acetyl-D- galactoseamineResults: The gut protein of Ph. papatasi showed high agglutinin activity against rate RBC. Moreover, the lectin activity was inhibited highly with arabinose, fucose and mannose.Conclusion: The present of lectin activity in the gut of the sandfly vector may play as a receptors for lieshmania parasites, and some carbohydrate such arabinose may mediate for attachment of the parasite onto the gut surface. Further investigation is carrying on to confirm the role of arbohydrate/lectin interaction for development of lieshmania parasite in this vector.

Keywords:

Lectin , carbohydrates , ph. Papatasi , inhibitor