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Student 10-Minute Presentation Competition

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

Student Competition

Student

Grad 10-min Competition: PBT, Toxicology

Targeting GABAergic signaling in mosquitoes: An alternative approach to inhibit malaria parasite development

Monday, November 10, 2025
9:24 AM - 9:36 AM Pacific
Location: Oregon Convention Center, F151, OCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
Malaria remains a public health challenge globally despite substantial interventions. This can be attributed in part to the complex interactions between the parasite (Plasmodium spp.) and its mosquito vectors (Anopheles spp.). This complexity, however, offers opportunities for innovative control strategies. Unlike other apicomplexan parasites, Plasmodium spp. are deficient in enzymes required to generate succinyl-CoA, which enters the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the primary carbon source throughout the asexual stages of the parasite. In this context, GABA is utilized for transamination in the parasite mitochondrion. In insects, GABA functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and has been implicated in regulating mosquito-virus interactions. GABA is also among the most abundant compounds in nectar, which is consumed by adult mosquitoes upon eclosion. Based on these intersections, we hypothesized that oral provisioning of GABA to Anopheles stephensi might modify their behavior and susceptibility to malaria parasite infection. To evaluate this, we provisioned female A. stephensi with GABA doses consistent with human blood levels and concentrations in plants inferred from published reports. Following provisioning, mosquitoes were allowed to feed on mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii, after which parasite oocysts and sporozoites were quantified from dissected midguts and salivary glands, respectively. From replicated studies, our data showed alterations in oocyst and sporozoite densities in GABA-treated mosquitoes relative to control. These findings suggest that blocking GABAergic signaling might enhance mosquito immunity in a manner that impedes parasite development, with minimal impacts on mosquito fitness, to interrupt parasite transmission.