Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes use communal cues to manage population density at breeding sites

Communications Biology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 7(1)

Опубликована: Янв. 31, 2024

Where a female mosquito lays her eggs creates the conditions for reproductive success. Here we identify communal behavior among ovipositing mosquitoes. When choosing equal breeding sites, gravid Aedes aegypti aggregate more often than expected. This aggregation occurs when water contact is restricted and does not require presence of eggs. Instead, regulated by number females present at site. Using assays with both occupied empty oviposition show that Orco olfactory co-receptor carbon dioxide receptor, Gr3, detect orco mutants in suggesting attractive cues influence to associate one another. Gr3 mutant do prefer either site, CO

Язык: Английский

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Olfactory receptor coexpression and co-option in the dengue mosquito

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Год журнала: 2024, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Авг. 22, 2024

The olfactory sensory neurons of vinegar flies and mice tend to express a single ligand-specific receptor. While this ′one neuron-one receptor′ motif has long been expected apply broadly across insects, recent evidence suggests it may not extend mosquitoes. We sequenced analyzed the transcriptomes 46,000 from antennae dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti resolve all olfactory, thermosensory, hygrosensory neuron subtypes identify receptors expressed therein. find that half coexpress multiple receptors. However, coexpression occurs almost exclusively among genes same family—among odorant (ORs) or ionotropic (IRs). Coexpression ORs with IRs is exceedingly rare. Many coexpressed are duplicates. In other cases, recruitment co-option by placed these together in cells distant paralogs. Close examination data Drosophila reveal rare cases both phenomena, indicating systems two species fundamentally different, but instead fall at different locations along continuum likely encompass diverse insects.

Язык: Английский

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The mosquito taste system and disease control

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 117(52), С. 32848 - 32856

Опубликована: Дек. 23, 2020

Mosquitoes are a widely diverse group of organisms, comprising ∼3,500 species that live in an enormous range habitats. Some vectors diseases afflict hundreds millions people each year. Although understanding mosquito olfaction has progressed dramatically recent years, taste remains greatly understudied. Since is essential to feeding, egg laying, and mating decisions insects, improved mosquitoes could provide new mechanistic insight into many aspects their behavior. We guide current knowledge the field, we suggest wealth opportunities for research now enabled by scientific technological advances. also propose means which might be exploited strategies control, may urgently needed as geographical ranges vector increase with climate change.

Язык: Английский

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Two novel, tightly linked, and rapidly evolving genes underlie Aedes aegypti mosquito reproductive resilience during drought

eLife, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 12

Опубликована: Фев. 6, 2023

Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes impose a severe global public health burden as vectors of multiple viral pathogens. Under optimal environmental conditions, females have access to human hosts that provide blood proteins for egg development, conspecific males sperm fertilization, and freshwater serves an egg-laying substrate suitable offspring survival. As temperatures rise, are faced with climate challenges like intense droughts intermittent precipitation, which create unpredictable, suboptimal conditions egg-laying. Here, we show under drought-like simulated in the laboratory, retain mature eggs their ovaries extended periods, while maintaining viability these until they can be laid freshwater. Using transcriptomic proteomic profiling ovaries, identify two previously uncharacterized genes named tweedledee tweedledum, each encoding small, secreted protein both ovary-enriched, temporally-restricted expression during retention. These mosquito-specific, linked within syntenic locus, rapidly evolving positive selection, raising possibility serve adaptive function. CRISPR-Cas9 deletion tweedledum demonstrates specifically required retention viable eggs. results highlight elegant example taxon-restricted at heart important adaptation equips ‘insurance’ flexibly extend reproductive schedule without losing capacity, thus allowing this species exploit unpredictable habitats changing world.

Язык: Английский

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Biological Adaptations Associated with Dehydration in Mosquitoes

Insects, Год журнала: 2019, Номер 10(11), С. 375 - 375

Опубликована: Окт. 28, 2019

Diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes a tremendous health and socioeconomic burden with hundreds of millions people being impacted mosquito-borne illnesses annually. Many factors have been implicated extensively studied in disease transmission dynamics, but knowledge regarding how dehydration impacts mosquito physiology, behavior, resulting remain underdeveloped. The lapse understanding on respond to stress likely obscures our ability effectively study vectorial capabilities. goal this review is develop profile underlying biology altered the implications related transmission.

Язык: Английский

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