Different evidences suggest that pericardial cells play an important role during the immune response against pathogens that invade the mosquito hemocoel. Previously, we identified two lysozyme genes in Anopheles albimanus heart transcriptome. The present study showed that one of these genes (ID_VB: AALB004517) has high percentage of identity to mosquito lysozyme genes related to immunity, suggesting its possible participation during the mosquito immune response. This An. albimanus gen, constitutively expressed lysozyme c-1 mRNA (albLys c-1) in mosquito heart; however, it was overexpressed in bacteria-injected mosquitoes. In heart extract samples, we identified a protein of approximately 14 kDa (likely lysozyme c-1), which lysed M. luteus. In addition, mRNA-FISH assay in heart samples, showed specific fluorescent hybridization signal in pericardial cells from M. luteus-injected mosquitos. We conclude that for the first time an inducible immune factor (lysozyme c-1) is identified in Anopheles albimanus mosquito pericardial cells, which could be a key component in the response against pathogens that interact with the mosquito heart.

不同的证据表明，心包细胞在针对入侵蚊子血腔的病原体的免疫反应中发挥着重要作用。以前，我们在白按蚊心脏转录组中鉴定了两个溶菌酶基因。本研究表明，其中一个基因（ID _VB：AALB004517）与与免疫相关的蚊子溶菌酶基因具有很高的同一性，表明它可能参与蚊子的免疫反应。这个安。albimanus gen，在蚊子心脏中组成型表达的溶菌酶 c-1 mRNA ( albLys c-1 )；然而，它在注射了细菌的蚊子中过度表达。在心脏提取物样本中，我们鉴定出一种大约 14 kDa 的蛋白质（可能是溶菌酶 c-1），它可以裂解M. luteus。此外，心脏样本中的 mRNA-FISH 分析显示，在注射了M. luteus的蚊子的心包细胞中存在特异性荧光杂交信号。我们得出结论，第一次在白按蚊心包细胞中鉴定出一种可诱导的免疫因子（溶菌酶 c-1），这可能是对与蚊子心脏相互作用的病原体作出反应的关键成分。