Proteomic analysis of Aedes aegypti midgut during post-embryonic development and of the female mosquitoes fed different diets

•The protein expression in the midgut was studied in different stages of Aedes aegypti.•The pupa and newly emerged mosquito midguts have the highest number of protein spots.•Proteins involved in translation were highly expressed in fed adult mosquitoes.•Proteins involved in signaling are highly expressed in the newly emerged mosquitoes.•Midgut proteins form a network with 1700 protein-protein interactions.

In this work we analyzed protein expression in the Aedes aegypti midgut during the larval (fourth instar, L4), pupal, and adult stages [including newly emerged (NE), sugar-fed (SF) and blood-fed (BF) females]. Two-dimensional electrophoresis showed 13 spots in the midgut of larvae, 95 in the midgut of pupae, 90 in the midgut of NE, and 76 in the midgut of SF or BF females. In the larval midguts, high serpin expression was noted, while in the pupae, protein abundance was lower than in the NE, SF, and BF females. The spots related to proteins linked to energy production, protein metabolism, signaling, and transport were highly expressed in the NE stage, while spots related proteins involved in translation were abundant in SF and BF females. The differential abundance of proteins in the midgut of A. aegypti at different developmental stages supports the necessity for midgut development during immature stage followed by the necessity of proteins related to digestion in adults.

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