# Eicosanoid regulation of mosquito innate immunity

> **NIH NIH R21** · IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $191,250

## Abstract

Project Summary
Conserved across all animal species, the initial cellular or humoral responses to pathogen challenge are
mediated by highly conserved components of the innate immune system. While several key pathways, signaling
components, and immune modulators have been described in great detail across taxa, several fundamental
questions remain regarding innate immune regulation and activation. As key regulators of immune homeostasis
and inflammation, bioactive signaling lipids derived from arachidonic acid collectively known as eicosanoids have
integral roles in innate immune function from insects to mammals. However, despite the important role of
eicosanoids in mediating cellular immune responses such as phagocytosis, encapsulation, and melanization
against invading pathogens, our understanding of eicosanoid signaling in insects is limited by the lack of
characterized eicosanoid receptors. Preliminary data examining the role of a candidate prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)
receptor suggest that eicosanoid (prostaglandin) signaling is critical to insect innate immune responses that limit
pathogen survival in the mosquito host. Therefore, the studies outlined in this proposal will characterize the
putative PGE2 receptor in Anopheles gambiae (AgPGE2R) to confirm its functional role in prostaglandin signaling
(Aim 1) and to examine the influence of AgPGE2R activation on mosquito cellular immune function (Aim 2). This
information will provide new data into the conserved mechanisms of eicosanoid signaling to better define the
immune mechanisms in which eicosanoids target and destroy pathogens in an invertebrate system.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9843484
- **Project number:** 5R21AI144705-02
- **Recipient organization:** IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ryan C. Smith
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $191,250
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2020-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9843484

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9843484, Eicosanoid regulation of mosquito innate immunity (5R21AI144705-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9843484. Licensed CC0.

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