Phlebotomus papatasi Antimicrobial Peptides in Larvae and Females and a Gut-Specific Defensin Upregulated by Leishmania major Infection

Phlebotomus papatasi is the vector of Leishmania major, causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Old World. We investigated whether P. papatasi immunity genes were expressed toward L. major, commensal gut microbes, or a combination of both. We focused on sand fly transcription factors dorsal and relish and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) attacin and defensin and assessed their relative gene expression by qPCR. Sand fly larvae were fed food with different bacterial loads. Relish and AMPs gene expressions were higher in L3 and early L4 larval instars, while bacteria 16S rRNA increased in late L4 larval instar, all fed rich-microbe food compared to the control group fed autoclaved food. Sand fly females were treated with an antibiotic cocktail to deplete gut bacteria and were experimentally infected by Leishmania. Compared to non-infected females, dorsal and defensin were upregulated at early and late infection stages, respectively. An earlier increase of defensin was observed in infected females when bacteria recolonized the gut after the removal of antibiotics. Interestingly, this defensin gene expression occurred specifically in midguts but not in other tissues of females and larvae. A gut-specific defensin gene upregulated by L. major infection, in combination with gut-bacteria, is a promising molecular target for parasite control strategies.