Pantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutrition
Abstract Background Pantothenate (Pan), or vitamin B5, is the substrate for biosynthesis of coenzyme A (CoA), an essential cellular cofactor involved in many metabolic processes. Our previous studies demonstrated that Pan availability influences a broad range of traits across multiple species, inclu...
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BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06959-w |
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| author | Megan E. Dobson Hannah L. Kaylor Sydney L. Pruett Jessica Brady Kayla Savoie-Penton Jun Isoe Yared Debebe Michael A. Riehle Shirley Luckhart |
| author_facet | Megan E. Dobson Hannah L. Kaylor Sydney L. Pruett Jessica Brady Kayla Savoie-Penton Jun Isoe Yared Debebe Michael A. Riehle Shirley Luckhart |
| author_sort | Megan E. Dobson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Pantothenate (Pan), or vitamin B5, is the substrate for biosynthesis of coenzyme A (CoA), an essential cellular cofactor involved in many metabolic processes. Our previous studies demonstrated that Pan availability influences a broad range of traits across multiple species, including malaria parasite development in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. Accordingly, restricting Pan availability during parasite development may be a viable strategy for malaria control. However, the physiological roles of Pan in A. stephensi remain unclear. In these studies, we investigated the effects of Pan supplementation on this globally important malaria vector. Methods Female A. stephensi were supplemented with Pan via either water, which, similar to plant nectar, is directed to the crop and then slowly released into the midgut, or blood, which transits directly to the midgut for digestion. The effects of provisioning on subsequent blood feeding behavior, reproduction, and offspring sex ratio were assessed. We evaluated these traits across multiple generations, with and without additional supplementation of offspring. Results Our findings revealed that Pan regulates vectorially important traits in concentration-, delivery-, and age-dependent ways. The greatest effects of Pan provisioning were on reproduction. The unsupplemented offspring of mothers supplemented with Pan via water exhibited increased fecundity, indicating transgenerational effects from supplemented mothers. However, when Pan was provisioned in blood, only mothers and their supplemented offspring exhibited altered reproduction. Conclusions Our work establishes the importance of Pan in A. stephensi reproduction and provides a foundation for investigating the transgenerational effects of Pan and CoA on mosquito physiology. These observations suggest that targeting Pan-CoA biology in Anopheles spp. could provide opportunities for novel mosquito control strategies. Graphical Abstract |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6603b1dbc4dd40889666d818d7399401 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj-art-6603b1dbc4dd40889666d818d73994012025-08-20T04:01:52ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052025-08-0118111710.1186/s13071-025-06959-wPantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutritionMegan E. Dobson0Hannah L. Kaylor1Sydney L. Pruett2Jessica Brady3Kayla Savoie-Penton4Jun Isoe5Yared Debebe6Michael A. Riehle7Shirley Luckhart8Department of Biological Sciences, University of IdahoDepartment of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Nematology, University of IdahoDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of IdahoDepartment of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Nematology, University of IdahoDepartment of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Nematology, University of IdahoDepartment of Entomology, University of ArizonaDepartment of Entomology, Plant Pathology, and Nematology, University of IdahoDepartment of Entomology, University of ArizonaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of IdahoAbstract Background Pantothenate (Pan), or vitamin B5, is the substrate for biosynthesis of coenzyme A (CoA), an essential cellular cofactor involved in many metabolic processes. Our previous studies demonstrated that Pan availability influences a broad range of traits across multiple species, including malaria parasite development in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi. Accordingly, restricting Pan availability during parasite development may be a viable strategy for malaria control. However, the physiological roles of Pan in A. stephensi remain unclear. In these studies, we investigated the effects of Pan supplementation on this globally important malaria vector. Methods Female A. stephensi were supplemented with Pan via either water, which, similar to plant nectar, is directed to the crop and then slowly released into the midgut, or blood, which transits directly to the midgut for digestion. The effects of provisioning on subsequent blood feeding behavior, reproduction, and offspring sex ratio were assessed. We evaluated these traits across multiple generations, with and without additional supplementation of offspring. Results Our findings revealed that Pan regulates vectorially important traits in concentration-, delivery-, and age-dependent ways. The greatest effects of Pan provisioning were on reproduction. The unsupplemented offspring of mothers supplemented with Pan via water exhibited increased fecundity, indicating transgenerational effects from supplemented mothers. However, when Pan was provisioned in blood, only mothers and their supplemented offspring exhibited altered reproduction. Conclusions Our work establishes the importance of Pan in A. stephensi reproduction and provides a foundation for investigating the transgenerational effects of Pan and CoA on mosquito physiology. These observations suggest that targeting Pan-CoA biology in Anopheles spp. could provide opportunities for novel mosquito control strategies. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06959-wAnopheles stephensiPantothenateVitamin B5ReproductionMalariaFecundity |
| spellingShingle | Megan E. Dobson Hannah L. Kaylor Sydney L. Pruett Jessica Brady Kayla Savoie-Penton Jun Isoe Yared Debebe Michael A. Riehle Shirley Luckhart Pantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutrition Parasites & Vectors Anopheles stephensi Pantothenate Vitamin B5 Reproduction Malaria Fecundity |
| title | Pantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutrition |
| title_full | Pantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutrition |
| title_fullStr | Pantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutrition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutrition |
| title_short | Pantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector Anopheles stephensi, with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutrition |
| title_sort | pantothenate regulates feeding and reproduction in the malaria vector anopheles stephensi with patterns dependent on supplementation scheme and parental nutrition |
| topic | Anopheles stephensi Pantothenate Vitamin B5 Reproduction Malaria Fecundity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06959-w |
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