Available at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/dci SHORT COMMUNICATION Expression of three serine protease genes from the South East Asian malaria vector, Anopheles dirus, in relation to blood feeding and parasite infection Patchara Sriwichai a , Yupha Rongsriyam a , Narissara Jariyapan b , Chamnarn Apiwathnasorn a , Jetsumon Sattabongkot c , Susan Paskewitz d,Ã a Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand b Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand c Entomology Department, AFRIMS, Bangkok 10400, Thailand d Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA Received 22 February 2008; received in revised form 27 February 2008; accepted 28 February 2008 Available online 25 March 2008 KEYWORDS Anopheles dirus; Mosquito; Serine protease; ClipSP1; SerF2; SerF3; Fat body; Midgut; Ovary; Malaria; Plasmodium falciparum Abstract Three serine protease cDNA clones were isolated from Anopheles dirus, a major vector of malaria in Southeast Asia. Transcript abundance was examined following infection by Plasmodium falciparum by RT-PCR analysis. SerF3 exhibited increased transcript abundance in the whole body at 10 days post-infection with P. falciparum. All three genes are candidates for further investigation to determine their roles in mosquito immune responses. & 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Mosquitoes display innate immune defenses against the parasites and pathogens they transmit. Defense reactions include the production of antibacterial peptides, phagocy- tosis, encapsulation, and melanization. Anopheles dirus is an important vector of malaria in Southeast Asia, but little is ARTICLE IN PRESS 0145-305X/$ - see front matter & 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.dci.2008.02.010 Ã Corresponding author. Tel.: +1608 2621296; fax: +1 608 262 3322. E-mail address: paskewit@entomology.wisc.edu (S. Paskewitz). Developmental and Comparative Immunology (2008) 32, 1011–1014