# Energetic shifts reflect survival likelihood in Anopheles gambiae

## TL;DR

Mosquitoes that survive stressors like blood meals and infection use energy differently, switching from carbohydrates to lipids, which helps them live longer.

## Contribution

The study identifies a novel energetic shift in Anopheles gambiae survivors linked to survival likelihood and parasite interactions.

## Key findings

- Survivors of stressors show higher resource reserves and transition from carbohydrate to lipid utilization.
- Non-survivors lack this energetic shift, indicating a survival trade-off related to energy allocation.
- The findings highlight coevolutionary dynamics between mosquitoes and parasites affecting host physiology.

## Abstract

Life history theory predicts that resource allocation adapts to ecological and evolutionary pressures. We investigated resource and energy in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae following exposure to two stressors: blood meals and infection by the microsporidian Vavraia culicis. Our findings reveal the costs of blood-feeding and parasitism on longevity, highlighting trade-offs in lifetime protein, carbohydrate, and lipid reserves. Notably, shifts in carbohydrate-to-lipid ratios were associated with survival likelihood, with survivors exhibiting higher resource reserves and uniquely transitioning from carbohydrate to lipid utilisation, a pattern absent in non-survivors. This study emphasises the coevolutionary dynamics between hosts and parasites, highlighting how intrinsic and extrinsic factors shape host physiology. More broadly, our results underscore the importance of integrating host metabolic responses into ecological and epidemiological frameworks to enhance understanding of parasite transmission and survival strategies.

Survival in Anopheles gambiae depends on resource use: survivors switch from carbohydrates to lipids, while non-survivors do not, revealing links between host energy allocation, parasite load, and coevolution.