Abstract
Infection with Plasmodium can elicit antibodies that inhibit parasite survival in the mosquito, when they are ingested in an infectious blood meal. Here, we determine the transmission-reducing activity (TRA) of naturally acquired antibodies from 648 malaria-exposed individuals using lab-based mosquito-feeding assays. Transmission inhibition is significantly associated with antibody responses to Pfs48/45, Pfs230, and to 43 novel gametocyte proteins assessed by protein microarray. In field-based mosquito-feeding assays the likelihood and rate of mosquito infection are significantly lower for individuals reactive to Pfs48/45, Pfs230 or to combinations of the novel TRA-associated proteins. We also show that naturally acquired purified antibodies against key transmission-blocking epitopes of Pfs48/45 and Pfs230 are mechanistically involved in TRA, whereas sera depleted of these antibodies retain high-level, complement-independent TRA. Our analysis demonstrates that host antibody responses to gametocyte proteins are associated with reduced malaria transmission efficiency from humans to mosquitoes.
DOI
10.1038/s41467-017-02646-2
Publication Date
2018-02-08
Publication Title
Nature Communications
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
ISSN
2041-1723
Embargo Period
2024-11-19
Recommended Citation
Stone, W., Bousema, T., & et al. (2018) 'Unravelling the immune signature of Plasmodium falciparum transmission reducing immunity', Nature Communications, . Nature Publishing Group: Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02646-2
