Journal of Mosquito Research 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 135-146 http://emtoscipublisher.com/index.php/jmr 136 exploring the role of the mosquito microbiota in regulating immune responses and influencing pathogen transmission. By integrating data from multiple studies, this study aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the molecular interactions between mosquito vectors and pathogens, providing new insights for innovative control strategies. 2 Molecular Mechanisms of Pathogen Entry 2.1 Pathogen recognition and binding Pathogen recognition and binding are critical initial steps in the infection process of mosquito vectors. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), for instance, utilizes a variety of entry factors to bind to host cells, including phosphatidylserine receptors (PSRs), glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and the proteinaceous receptor Mxra8. The importance of these factors varies depending on the cell type, highlighting the complexity of pathogen recognition in different host environments (BallistaBallista et al., 2023). Additionally, mosquito-borne alphaviruses, including CHIKV, exhibit versatile binding mechanisms that facilitate their entry into both human and mosquito cells, underscoring the adaptability of these pathogens (Caluwé et al., 2020). 2.2 Entry pathways into mosquito cells The entry pathways of pathogens into mosquito cells are diverse and highly specialized. For CHIKV, entry into mosquito cells appears to be independent of the commonly known receptors such as PSRs, GAGs, and Mxra, suggesting the involvement of other, yet unidentified, host factors (Figure 1) (BallistaBallista et al., 2023). The innate immune system of mosquitoes also plays a significant role in controlling pathogen entry and propagation. Mechanisms such as phagocytosis, melanization, and lysis are activated upon pathogen entry, engaging various signaling pathways to limit infection (Kumar et al., 2018). Furthermore, the genetic manipulation of mosquitoes has provided insights into the evolutionary and biochemical pathways that influence pathogen entry and development within mosquito hosts (Desjardins et al., 2015). Figure 1 Schematic representation of CHIKV transmission cycle (Adopted from Ballista et al., 2023) Image caption: CHIKV transmission starts when a female mosquito bites an infectious host. The virus enters through the bloodmeal (Adopted from Ballista et al., 2023)
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