Mosquito midgut alanyl aminopeptidase N (AnAPN1)

Mosquito midgut alanyl aminopeptidase N (AnAPN1) is a metallopeptidase enzyme anchored to the luminal surface of the mosquito midgut via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor[3]. It belongs to the M1 family of aminopeptidases and is structurally characterized by a four-domain ectodomain, with the primary function of cleaving N-terminal amino acids from dietary peptides, with a preference for alanine[7][3]. AnAPN1 is upregulated after blood feeding and plays a role in the interaction with Plasmodium ookinetes, serving as a ligand or putative receptor necessary for malaria parasite invasion of the mosquito midgut epithelium[1][6]. Because antibodies targeting specific APN1 epitopes can block parasite transmission, AnAPN1 is considered a leading candidate for the development of mosquito-based malaria transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs)[1][5][6]. There are currently no small-molecule drugs targeting AnAPN1, but its immunogenic regions are the active focus of vaccine research.

Other names

Alanyl aminopeptidase NAminopeptidase N (APN1)Anopheline alanyl aminopeptidase NAgAPN1 (in Anopheles gambiae)AsAPN1 (in Anopheles stephensi)

Vaccination induces antibodies that block Plasmodium ookinete binding to APN1, preventing parasite midgut invasion and transmission