Link between immunometabolism and epigenetics in malaria vector mosquito anopheles stephensi

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded New Mexico State University $146,671 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on September 3, 2026, for a project grant (R16AI201108) investigating the link between immunometabolism and epigenetics in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi.

The project employs a multi-omics approach integrating metabolomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic data to establish mechanistic linkages between immunometabolism and epigenetic regulation in anti-parasitic immunity within the vector. The research focuses on lactate-mediated histone lactylation as a potential epigenetic mechanism governing mosquito immune response to malaria parasites, using ATAC-seq, CUT & TAG, and RNA-seq methodologies. The project will serve as a training platform for graduate and undergraduate students in cutting-edge multi-omics research approaches.

Work is performed in New Mexico, USA, with a period of performance extending from September 3, 2026, through August 31, 2030. The assistance type is a project grant. This award falls under the National Institutes of Health's broader Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program, which supports biomedical research and research training in infectious diseases and related areas at public and private nonprofit institutions.

Abstract

Malaria is a devastating mosquito-borne disease, and mosquito control is an indispensable strategy for reducing malaria transmission. Epigenetics research represents a new frontier in mosquito biology. In immune cells, aerobic glycolysis constitutes a key metabolic shift characterized by increased lactate production. Lactate-mediated histone lactylation has emerged as a crucial epigenetic mechanism in immune regulation in vertebrates. In mosquitoes, infection with malaria parasites leads to elevated lactate levels, suggesting that this immunometabolic change may modulate the epigenetic control of mosquito immunity against the parasites. In this study, we will employ a multi-omics approach to integrate metabolomic, epigenomic (via atac-SEQ and cut & tag), and transcriptomic (via RNA-SEQ) data, aiming to establish a mechanistic link between immunometabolism and epigenetic regulation in anti-plasmodial immunity in the vector mosquito anopheles stephensi. This project will serve as a robust platform for training graduate and undergraduate students in frontier research using cutting-edge multi-omics approaches.