Identification of an Anopheles Lineage-Specific Unique Heme Peroxidase HPX15: A Plausible Candidate for Arresting Malaria Parasite Development

Background: Human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is transmitted by several species of Anopheles mosquito. The advancement of drug-resistant parasites and insecticide resistance in mosquito vectors are major hurdles in the malaria control. Alternatively, the manipulation of mosquito immunity is also an ideal way to block Plasmodium development inside the insect host. This approach demands the identification of key mosquito molecules that regulate anti-plasmodial immunity. Our previous findings revealed that the silencing of Anopheles gambiae heme peroxidase 15 (AgHPX15, AGAP013327) induced mosquito innate immunity and drastically suppressed the development of human and rodent malaria parasites. Further, we aim to characterize HPX15 orthologs in Indian malaria vectors and other worldwide-distributed anophelines to understand the novelty of this molecule as a plausible target to block Plasmodium development.