Figure 1

Antiviral RNAi components are expressed and active in Ae. aegypti. A) Ago2 associates with a high MW complex in hemolymph and fat body prior to a blood-feeding. HWE strain hemolymph (collected through proboscis) or hemolymph collected with fat body before and 1 day following a blood meal. About 30 μg protein was separated on a 3-10% Blue Native gel and subjected to immunoblot analysis using anti-Ago2 antibody. 'H', hemolymph, 'H/F', hemolymph with fat body. Size markers show position of proteins of known molecular weight (not shown). B) Silver stained gel shows loading control. C) RNAi component transcripts are modulated during DENV2 infection. Relative changes in DENV2-infected HWE midgut transcript levels detected by qRT-PCR. Significant changes over controls are marked with asterisks (p ≤ 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test); error bars depict standard error of three biological replicates. Pools of 5 midguts were used in each replicate. Relative transcript levels were calculated using the delta-delta Ct method, using ribosomal protein S7 as a reference standard. Enrichment is relative to that of un-infected blood-fed control mosquitoes. D) Western blot of immunoprecipitated products (IP) from pools of 20 DENV2-infected RexD mosquitoes. 'UN', Un-infected blood-fed control mosquitoes collected at 2 dpf (days post-feeding), probed with non-immune serum; 'U', un-infected blood-fed mosquito Ago2 antibody IP; 'DN', Dengue/blood-fed mosquitoes collected at 2 dpi, probed with non-immune serum; 'D', Dengue/blood-fed mosquito Ago2 antibody IP. Size markers show approximate molecular weight of bands shown.