| Mosquitoes are vectors of many parasitic and viral diseases that continue to burden the global public health system. The innate immune system of insects is the first line of defense against invading pathogens. This system is governed by two major pathways: Toll, and Immune deficiency (IMD). This dissertation involves the investigation of these pathways. Aim 1 involves the exploration of the Toll and PPO activation pathway in response to pathogen invasion. Aim 2 seeks to investigate the signaling components of the IMD pathway and lastly, Aim 3 provides a comparative genomic study of the mosquito immune system. The results of the first aim identified an interleukin receptor associated kinase (IRAK), IRAK4, in the mosquito, Aedes aegyti. Furthermore, it was found that IRAK4 serves an important immune function in the Toll immune pathway. Additionally, several cytoplasmic components of the IMD pathway were identified including PGRPLC, IMD, IKKbeta, and FADD (Aim 2). Lastly, the study involving the last Aim revealed that the conservation of immune pathways; however, it also revealed species-specific gene expansion, which is probably incorporated to approach particular aspects of immune reactions. |
