Fig. 3
Candidate gene ClipC9 within the Pfin6 locus protects mosquitoes against infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Expression of the ClipC9 (AGAP004719) gene was silenced by dsRNA injection, mosquitoes were challenged with cultured P. falciparum gametocytes, and infection outcomes were compared with control mosquitoes treated with dsGFP. In all three replicate experiments, the dsClipC9-treated mosquitoes permitted development of significantly higher numbers of midgut oocysts as compared to controls (combined p value, 5.16 × 10−4; three replicate experiments are shown with box plots, p values from individual experiments were combined using the Fisher Method). Thus, the activity of ClipC9 influences P. falciparum oocyst infection intensity in A. gambiae. There was no difference in oocyst infection prevalence between ClipC9-silenced mosquitoes and GFP controls (p = 0.78)