Lectin Microarray Analysis of Salivary Gland Glycoproteins from the Arboviral Vector Aedes aegypti and the Malaria Vector Anopheles stephensi

Salivary gland glycoconjugates in human-feeding insects and arachnids can elicit hypersensitivity reactions. Glycoproteins introduced during blood feeding by arachnid ticks are responsible for red meat allergy or the alpha-gal syndrome. Dengue virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes incorporates mosquito glycoproteins into its envelope and malaria parasites transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes reportedly express alpha-gal epitopes that are potentially derived from mosquito salivary glands. Tick salivary gland glycoproteins possess alpha-gal epitopes. We used microarrays containing forty different lectins to analyse salivary gland protein glycoconjugates from the principal arboviral vector Aedes aegypti and the rapidly spreading malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Salivary gland glycoproteins of both mosquitoes possessed very similar lectin-binding specificities. Lectin-binding profiles showed the significant presence of oligomannose N-glycans and O-glycans, a limited presence of glycan structures capped with terminal GalNAc, GlcNAc, beta linked Gal, alpha 1-6 linked fucose, and no detectable sialic acids or terminal alpha -linked Gal in salivary gland glycoproteins.