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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Insect Sci. 2017 Jul 15;23:112–117. doi: 10.1016/j.cois.2017.07.002

Fig. 2. Iron effects on mosquito physiology.

Fig. 2

Digestion of hemoglobin releases heme and iron that promote lipid peroxidation and increases in free radical formation. Heme promotes the generation of xanthurenic acid that binds heme and iron. Iron increases upregulate the expression of antioxidant proteins, which block lipid peroxidation. Iron stimulates the proliferation of gut microbiota and increases ferritin titers in hemolymph. Most iron is eliminated in the feces; smaller amounts are incorporated into the eggs or stored in tissues. XA: xanthurenic acid.