Changes in the Anopheles arabiensis transcriptome and gut microbiota profiles associated with Microsporidia MB

Microsporidia MB is an endosymbiotic microbe found in Anopheles mosquito populations. Microsporidia MB can block Plasmodium transmission in mosquitoes, spread through mosquito populations and be sustained over generations by vertical and horizontal transmission. These characteristics make Microsporidia MB a potential candidate for symbiont-based malaria vector control. However, interactions between Microsporidia MB and Anopheles arabiensis that would inform on the mechanism that Microspiridia MB uses to impair the transmission of Plasmodium are not well characterized.