September 19, 2012
Michel lab publishes review article on serpins
Melissa Gulley, graduate student, and Xin Zhang, postdoctoral researcher, together with Kristin Michel, faculty member in the Division of Biology, published a review article “Roles of Serpins in Mosquito Immunology and Physiology.”
Serpins are the largest class of serine protease inhibitors in higher eukaryotes and regulate a wide variety of fundamental biological functions. This article reviews the crucial roles serpins play in mosquito blood feeding, mating and innate immunity. As these processes are crucial for pathogen transmission, the article also gives a brief overview of how serpins may be used to prevent of vector-borne diseases including malaria and Dengue fever.
The article is available on-line through the Journal of Insect Physiology’s website, and will appear in print in a special issue of the journal in November.