BLOODFEEDING AS AN INTERFACE OF MAMMALIAN AND ARTHROPOD IMMUNITY

Bloodfeeding behavior of disease-transmitting arthropods juxtaposes vertebrate and invertebrate immune systems since blood contains not only nutrients, but also an array of immune cells and molecules as well as potential pathogens and pathogen-associated molecules. Numerous blood-derived factors that are transferred into feeding arthropods remain immunologically active. These factors can activate conserved arthropod signal transduction pathways and interact with arthropod cells to regulate vector physiology and the response to ingested pathogens. Based on recent discoveries, it is likely that additional blood factors that are functional in both the mammal and in the arthropod remain to be identified. To better understand these complex interactions, we suggest that a systems biology approach may be necessary to study the impact of the interacting components of vertebrate and invertebrate immunity on arthropod-borne pathogen transmission.