Tissue-enriched expression profiles in Aedes aegypti identify hemocyte-specific transcriptome responses to infection

Hemocytes are integral components of mosquito immune mechanisms such as phagocytosis, melanization, and production of antimicrobial peptides. However, our understanding of hemocyte-specific molecular processes and their contribution to shaping the host immune response remains limited. To better understand the immunophysiological features distinctive of hemocytes, we conducted genome-wide analysis of hemocyte-enriched transcripts, and examined how tissue-enriched expression patterns change with the immune status of the host. Our microarray data indicate that the hemocyte-enriched trascriptome is dynamic and context-dependent. Analysis of transcripts enriched after bacterial challenge in circulating hemocytes with respect to carcass added a dimension to evaluating infection-responsive genes and immune-related gene families. We resolved patterns of transcriptional change unique to hemocytes from those that are likely shared by other immune responsive tissues, and identified clusters of genes preferentially induced in hemocytes, likely reflecting their involvement in cell type specific functions. In addition, the study revealed conserved hemocyte-enriched molecular repertoires, which might be implicated in core hemocyte function by cross-species meta-analysis of microarray expression data from Anopheles gambiae and Drosophila melanogaster.

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► Hemocyte-enriched transcripts were identified using microarrays.
► Host immune status alters tissue-enriched expression.
► Transcriptional patterns unique to hemocytes were resolved from those likely shared by other immune responsive tissues.
► Meta-analysis revealed orthologous groups with conserved hemocyte-enriched expression.