Ecological Immunology of mosquito-malaria interactions: Of non-natural versus natural model systems and their inferences

• Published in: Parasitology Vol. 136; no. 14; pp. 1935 - 1942
• Main Author: TRIPET, F.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.12.2009
• Subjects: Animals; Anopheles - genetics; Anopheles - immunology; Anopheles - parasitology; Anopheles gambiae; Biological and medical sciences; Culicidae; ecological immunology; Ecosystem; Evolution, Molecular; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Profiling; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Host-Parasite Interactions - immunology; Humans; inferences; Insect Vectors - genetics; Insect Vectors - immunology; Insect Vectors - parasitology; Invertebrates; Life Cycle Stages; macro-coevolution life history trade-offs; micro-coevolution; model systems; Models, Animal; mosquito-malaria interactions; Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - physiology; transcriptomes; Plasmodium falciparum; Anopheles gambiae; mosquito-malaria interactions; inferences; macro-coevolution life history trade-offs; ecological immunology; transcriptomes; model systems; micro-coevolution; Protozoal disease; Insecta; Immunology; Protozoa; Apicomplexa; Life history; Malaria; Parasite; Parasitosis; Coevolution; Infection; Arthropoda; Culicidae; Models; Ectoparasite; Invertebrata; Diptera
• ISSN: 0031-1820; 1469-8161
• DOI: 10.1017/S0031182009006234

There has been a recent shift in the literature on mosquito/Plasmodium interactions with an increasingly large number of theoretical and experimental studies focusing on their population biology and evolutionary processes. Ecological immunology of mosquito-malaria interactions – the study of the mechanisms and function of mosquito immune responses to Plasmodium in their ecological and evolutionary context – is particularly important for our understanding of malaria transmission and how to control it. Indeed, describing the processes that create and maintain variation in mosquito immune responses and parasite virulence in natural populations may be as important to this endeavor as describing the immune responses themselves. For historical reasons, Ecological Immunology still largely relies on studies based on non-natural model systems. There are many reasons why current research should favour studies conducted closer to the field and more realistic experimental systems whenever possible. As a result, a number of researchers have raised concerns over the use of artificial host-parasite associations to generate inferences about population-level processes. Here I discuss and review several lines of evidence that, I believe, best illustrate and summarize the limitations of inferences generated using non-natural model systems.