REVIEW ARTICLE Lipid hijacking: A unifying theme in vector-borne diseases Anya J O’Neal1*, L Rainer Butler1, Agustin Rolandelli1, Stacey D Gilk2, Joao HF Pedra1* 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States; 2Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, United States Abstract Vector-borne illnesses comprise a significant portion of human maladies, representing 17% of global infections. Transmission of vector-borne pathogens to mammals primarily occurs by hematophagous arthropods. It is speculated that blood may provide a unique environment that aids in the replication and pathogenesis of these microbes. Lipids and their derivatives are one component enriched in blood and are essential for microbial survival. For instance, the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum and the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, among others, have been shown to scavenge and manipulate host lipids for structural support, metabolism, replication, immune evasion, and disease severity. In this Review, we will explore the importance of lipid hijacking for the growth and persistence of these microbes in both mammalian hosts and arthropod vectors. Shared resource utilization by diverse organisms *For correspondence: Vector-borne diseases contribute to hundreds of millions of infections each year and are a primary
[email protected] focus of global public health efforts (WHO, 2020). These illnesses are caused by pathogens spread (AJO);
[email protected] by blood feeding arthropods, or vectors, and include mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, fleas and triato- (JHFP) mines. During a blood meal, vectors may transmit an array of microbes depending on the arthropod species specificity and global pathogen distribution.