Fig. 5.

Spatial and temporal prolixicin relative gene expression in Rhodnius prolixus orally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. R. prolixus 5^th instar nymphs were fed inactivated blood containing the T. cruzi Dm 28c clone or Y strain at a final concentration of 1 × 10⁷ epimastigotes/mL. Data were quantified using the gene expression of uninfected insects as the calibrator represented by the dotted horizontal line on each graph and shown as the relative prol expression in the (a) fat body, (b) anterior midgut and (c) posterior midgut on the 1^st and 7^th days after feeding (DAF). Treatments: grid columns-relative prol expression in insects infected with T. cruzi Dm 28c; striped columns-relative prol expression in insects infected with T. cruzi Y. Bars represent the mean ± SEM of two independent experiments with six pools of insects (n = 6). Means were compared using one-way ANOVA and Student’s T-test; *** p < 0.001, * p < 0.05