Transcriptomic profile of <i>Anopheles gambiae</i> Kisumu mosquitoes infected by neglected malaria parasite <i>Plasmodium ovale</i> from gametocyte-carriers in Cameroon

Transcriptomic profile of Anopheles gambiae Kisumu mosquitoes infected by neglected malaria parasite Plasmodium ovale from gametocyte-carriers in Cameroon | bioRxiv Skip to main content Home About Submit ALERTS / RSS Search for this keyword Advanced Search New Results Transcriptomic profile of Anopheles gambiae Kisumu mosquitoes infected by neglected malaria parasite Plasmodium ovale from gametocyte-carriers in Cameroon View ORCID Profile Daniel Nguiffo‑Nguete , Arnaud Tepa , Aurelie P. Yougang , Francis Nongley Nkemngo , Cyrille Ndo , Stravensky T. Boussougou‑Sambe , Francine Ntoumi , Ayola A. Adegnika , Steffen Borrmann , Charles S. Wondji doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.27.701957 Daniel Nguiffo‑Nguete 1 Parasitology and Microbiology Department, Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) , Yaounde, Cameroon Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Daniel Nguiffo‑Nguete For correspondence: daniel.nguiffo{at}crid-cam.net charles.wondji{at}lstmed.ac.uk Arnaud Tepa 1 Parasitology and Microbiology Department, Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) , Yaounde, Cameroon Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Aurelie P. Yougang 1 Parasitology and Microbiology Department, Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) , Yaounde, Cameroon Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Francis Nongley Nkemngo 1 Parasitology and Microbiology Department, Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) , Yaounde, Cameroon 2 Centre for Infection Biology and Tropical Health, Forzi Institute , Limbe, Cameroon 3 Texas Biomedical Research Institute , San Antonio, Texas, USA Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Cyrille Ndo 1 Parasitology and Microbiology Department, Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) , Yaounde, Cameroon 4 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala , Cameroon Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Stravensky T. Boussougou‑Sambe 5 Institute of Genomics and Global Health , Ede, Nigeria Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Francine Ntoumi 6 Fondation Congolaise Pour La Recherche Medicale , Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Ayola A. Adegnika 7 Institut Fur Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universitat , Tubingen, Germany 8 German Center for Infection Research , Tubingen, Germany 9 Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambarene , Lambarene, Gabon Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Steffen Borrmann 7 Institut Fur Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universitat , Tubingen, Germany 8 German Center for Infection Research , Tubingen, Germany 9 Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambarene , Lambarene, Gabon Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Charles S. Wondji 1 Parasitology and Microbiology Department, Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) , Yaounde, Cameroon 10 International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) , Yaounde, Cameroon . 11 Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Liverpool, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site For correspondence: daniel.nguiffo{at}crid-cam.net charles.wondji{at}lstmed.ac.uk Abstract Full Text Info/History Metrics Preview PDF Abstract Successful transmission of malaria depends on the complex interactions between the Anopheles mosquito vector and the Plasmodium parasites. Plasmodium ovale , a neglected malaria parasite, successfully develops from ookinete to sporozoite within the Anopheles vector. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this interaction, we compared RNA-seq-based gene expression profiles of Anopheles gambiae infected with P. ovale and uninfected mosquitoes at 24 hours, 9 days, and 17 days post-infection. The results showed that 2,885 P. ovale transcripts were present only 24 hours after infection. During ookinete invasion (24 h post-infection), differential gene expression analyses revealed the up-regulation of genes related to metabolic processes and the down-regulation of genes associated with cytoskeletal activity in the mosquito. Notably, the non-immune genes with unspecific function AGAP003776, (Fold Change, FC 132.0), AGAP003777, (FC 88.3), and AGAP003778, (FC 104.1), Troponin C (Fold Change, FC 85) and Myofilin (FC 33.3) exhibited the most significant overexpression. Among the immune genes that were upregulated CTL3 (FC 55.9), CLIPB12 (FC 49.4), CTLMA5 (FC 14.5), TRYP7 (FC 24.4), CLIP C9 (FC 12.1) TRYP5 (FC 12.2), LRIM10 (FC 11.2), PPO6 (FC 7.7). This initial analysis of the interaction between P. ovale and An. gambiae identified several well-known candidates for transmission-blocking strategies, including LRIM1, APN1, and D7 family proteins. In addition, new potential candidates, including AGAP003776, AGAP003777, and AGAP003778 cluster, CLIPB12, LRIM10, the APN cluster, AGAP004860, ABCC9, CYP9K1 and GSTD3 were identified. These potential new candidate genes could play a significant role in the development of transmission-blocking strategies for An. gambiae infected with Plasmodium , particularly P. ovale . The urgent functional validation of these genes is required. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license . Back to top Previous Next Posted January 29, 2026. Download PDF Email Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv. NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article. Your Email * Your Name * Send To * Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas. You are going to email the following Transcriptomic profile of Anopheles gambiae Kisumu mosquitoes infected by neglected malaria parasite Plasmodium ovale from gametocyte-carriers in Cameroon Message Subject (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv Message Body (Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website. Your Personal Message CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Share Transcriptomic profile of Anopheles gambiae Kisumu mosquitoes infected by neglected malaria parasite Plasmodium ovale from gametocyte-carriers in Cameroon Daniel Nguiffo‑Nguete , Arnaud Tepa , Aurelie P. Yougang , Francis Nongley Nkemngo , Cyrille Ndo , Stravensky T. Boussougou‑Sambe , Francine Ntoumi , Ayola A. Adegnika , Steffen Borrmann , Charles S. Wondji bioRxiv 2026.01.27.701957; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.27.701957 Share This Article: Copy Citation Tools Transcriptomic profile of Anopheles gambiae Kisumu mosquitoes infected by neglected malaria parasite Plasmodium ovale from gametocyte-carriers in Cameroon Daniel Nguiffo‑Nguete , Arnaud Tepa , Aurelie P. Yougang , Francis Nongley Nkemngo , Cyrille Ndo , Stravensky T. Boussougou‑Sambe , Francine Ntoumi , Ayola A. Adegnika , Steffen Borrmann , Charles S. 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