Pfs47 receptor protein (P47RP)

The Pfs47 receptor protein (P47RP) is a critical mosquito midgut surface protein that interacts with the Plasmodium falciparum surface protein Pfs47 (Molina-Cruz et al., 2020, PNAS). This interaction is essential for the malaria parasite to survive the mosquito's innate immune response during the transition from the midgut lumen to the basal lamina (Molina-Cruz et al., 2013, Science). By binding to P47RP, Pfs47 suppresses the activation of the mosquito's JNK signaling pathway, which would otherwise trigger a complement-like immune response involving TEP1 to eliminate the parasite (Canepa et al., 2016, PLOS Pathogens). Consequently, P47RP is a primary target for transmission-blocking strategies, including vaccines and genetic modifications of mosquito populations. Disrupting this receptor-ligand pair effectively renders the mosquito resistant to Plasmodium infection, halting the cycle of malaria transmission to humans (Molina-Cruz et al., 2020, PNAS).

Other names

Anopheles gambiae Pfs47 receptorPfs47-binding proteinAGAP005500P47RP

Inhibition of the Pfs47-P47RP interaction prevents the parasite from suppressing the mosquito's JNK signaling pathway, thereby allowing the mosquito's complement-like system to eliminate the Plasmodium parasite and block malaria transmission.