Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40050397›Full record

ArticleNature microbiology2025

Targeting the mosquito prefoldin-chaperonin complex blocks Plasmodium transmission.

Yuemei Dong, Seokyoung Kang, Simone L Sandiford, Andrew Pike, Maria L Simões, Ratawan Ubalee, Kevin Kobylinski, George Dimopoulos

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Nature microbiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Malaria vectors with leaky guts.Nature microbiology · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yuemei DongW. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Seokyoung KangW. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Simone L SandifordW. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2368-0902
Andrew PikeW. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Maria L SimõesW. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9926-7132
Ratawan UbaleeDepartment of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand.
Kevin KobylinskiDepartment of Entomology, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand.
George DimopoulosW. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. gdimopo1@jhu.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6755-8111

Funding

Mosquito SAMSP1 and SAMSP2 influence the initial stage of Plasmodium infection of miceR01AI158615 · NIAID · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI DIMOPOULOS, GEORGE, FIKRIG, EROL · 2021 to 2025
$4.1M
MicroRNA regulation of Anopheles immunity to PlasmodiumR01AI122743 · NIAID · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · PI DIMOPOULOS, GEORGE, ZHU, JINSONG · 2016 to 2020
$3.3M
Complete Plasmodium falciparum infection cycle modelR21AI168873 · NIAID · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI DIMOPOULOS, GEORGE · 2023 to 2024
$450k
Plasmodium agonists for transmission-blockingR21AI131574 · NIAID · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI DIMOPOULOS, GEORGE · 2017 to 2018
$450k
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) 90101319U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01AI122743U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01AI158615U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) R21AI131574U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) R21AI168873U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (NIH) RO1AI170692
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Plasmodium infection cycle in mosquitoes relies on numerous host factors in the vector midgut, which can be targeted with therapeutics. The mosquito prefoldin complex is needed to fold proteins and macromolecular complexes properly. Here we show that the conserved Anopheles mosquito prefoldin (PFDN)-chaperonin system is a potent transmission-blocking target for multiple Plasmodium species. Silencing any prefoldin subunit or its CCT/TRiC partner via RNA interference reduces Plasmodium falciparum oocyst loads in the mosquito midgut, as does co-feeding mosquitoes with PFDN6-specific antibody and gametocytes. Inhibition of the PFDN-CCT/TRiC chaperonin complex results in the loss of epithelial and extracellular matrix integrity, which triggers microorganism-mediated anti-Plasmodium immune priming and compromises the parasite's laminin-based immune evasion. Mouse malaria transmission-blocking vaccine and antibody co-feeding assays support its potential as a multispecies transmission-blocking target for P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Further study is needed to determine the potential of this system as a transmission-blocking vaccine target.

Indexed as

AnophelesInsect ProteinsMalariaMalaria, FalciparumMosquito VectorsPlasmodiumPlasmodium falciparumAnimalsFemaleMicePlasmodium vivaxRNA InterferenceInsect ProteinsTEP1 protein, Anopheles gambiae

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.