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The difference is due to the inactivation of \u03b11-3 galactosyl transferase (\u03b11-3 GT) genes in catarrhines. Natural antibodies to \u03b1-gal are therefore developed in catarrhines but not platyrrhines and other mammals. Hypersensitivity reactions are commonly elicited by mosquito and tick vector bites. IgE antibodies against \u03b1-gal cause food allergy to red meat in persons who have been exposed to tick bites. Three enzymes synthesising the terminal \u03b11-3-linked galactose in \u03b1-gal, that are homologous to mammalian \u03b1 and \u03b21-4 GTs but not mammalian \u03b11-3 GTs, were recently identified in the tick vector<jats:italic>Ixodes scapularis<\/jats:italic>. IgG and IgM antibodies to \u03b1-gal are reported to protect against malaria because mosquito-derived sporozoites of malaria parasites express \u03b1-gal on their surface. This article explores the possibility that the \u03b1-gal in sporozoites are acquired from glycoconjugates synthesised by mosquitoes rather than through de novo synthesis by sporozoites.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>The presence of proteins homologous to the three identified tick \u03b11-3 GTs and mammalian \u03b11-3 GTs in two important mosquito vectors,<jats:italic>Aedes aegypti<\/jats:italic>and<jats:italic>Anopheles gambiae<\/jats:italic>, as well as<jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic>malaria parasites, was investigated by BLASTp analysis to help clarify the source of the \u03b1-gal on sporozoite surfaces.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p><jats:italic>Anopheles gambiae<\/jats:italic>and<jats:italic>Ae. aegypti<\/jats:italic>possessed several different proteins homologous to the three<jats:italic>I. scapularis<\/jats:italic>proteins with \u03b11-3 GT activity, but not mammalian \u03b11-3 GTs. The putative mosquito \u03b11-3 GTs possessed conserved protein domains characteristic of glycosyl transferases. However, the genus<jats:italic>Plasmodium<\/jats:italic>lacked proteins homologous to the three<jats:italic>I. scapularis<\/jats:italic>proteins with \u03b11-3 GT activity and mammalian \u03b11-3 GTs.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>The putative \u03b11-3 GTs identified in the two mosquito vectors may synthesise glycoconjugates containing \u03b1-gal that can be transferred to sporozoite surfaces before they are inoculated into skin during blood feeding. The findings merit further investigation because of their implications for immunity against malaria, hypersensitivity to mosquito bites, primate evolution, and proposals for immunisation against \u03b1-gal.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Graphical Abstract<\/jats:title><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-021-04801-7","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,5]],"date-time":"2021-06-05T20:02:51Z","timestamp":1622923371000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":15,"title":["Mosquito vector proteins homologous to \u03b11-3 galactosyl transferases of tick vectors in the context of protective immunity against malaria and hypersensitivity to vector bites"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0246-7053","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ranjan","family":"Ramasamy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"4801_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1159\/000076787","volume":"133","author":"Z Peng","year":"2004","unstructured":"Peng Z, Simons FE. 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