scholarly journals Screening for Odorant Receptor Genes Expressed in Aedes Aegypti Involved in Blood-Feeding and Oviposition Behaviors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Ni ◽  
Teng Zhao ◽  
Hui-xin Lv ◽  
Man-jin Li ◽  
Dan Xing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Olfactory System ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Odorant Receptor ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
Or Genes ◽  
Reproductive Processes

Abstract Background: Aedes aegypti is one of the most important vector worldwide, and its survival and reproductive processes depend heavily on the olfactory system. In this study, the expression levels of all odorant receptor (OR) genes of Ae. aegypti were explored in different physiological periods to identify olfactory genes that may be associated with mosquito blood sucking and searching for oviposition sites.Methods: Four groups, consisting of Ae. aegypti males (M), pre-blood-feeding females (F), post-blood-feeding females (B) and post-oviposition females (O), were established. A total of 114 pairs of primer targeting all OR genes were designed based on the whole genome of Ae. aegypti. The expression of OR genes was evaluated by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR for relative quantification and the comparison of differences between groups.Results: A total of 53 differentially expressed OR genes were identified between males and females in Ae. aegypti antennae. And 8, 5 and 13 differentially expressed OR genes were identified before versus after blood feeding, before versus after oviposition and post-blood-feeding versus post-oviposition, respectively. Meanwhile, 16 OR genes were significantly differentially expressed in multiple physiological periods of mosquitoes.Conclusions: A large number of ORs with significant intergroup differences and high expression levels were screened in this study, including OR75, OR88, OR110 and OR115 and so on. Some of these genes are reported for the first time, providing possible targets for the development of mosquito control pathways based on the olfactory system.

scholarly journals THE USE OF AGENTS BASED ON THE BACTERIUM BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS VAR. ISRAELENSIS FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (8) ◽  
pp. 893-896
Author(s):  
Svetlana A. Roslavtseva
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Bacillus Sphaericus ◽  
Development Of Resistance ◽  
Blood Sucking ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Bacterium Bacillus

Mosquito control is necessary to improve the epidemic and, consequently, the sanitary and hygienic situation in human settlements. At the same time, the safest and more environmentally friendly way of controlling is not the fight against adult mosquitoes, but the treatment of reservoirs with microbiological larvicides based on entomopathogenic, aerobic, spore-forming, saprophytic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (de Barjac) (Bti). A new serotype of the bacterium B. thuringiensis was found in Israel in the Negev desert. This serotype being more active against larvae of blood-sucking and non-blood-sucking mosquitoes and midges than previously known serotypes, was named israelensis. Bti endotoxin is a typical insecticide with intestinal type of action for different mosquito species. For example, Bti H14 is highly insecticidal to the larvae of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus at very low concentrations. The parasporal body (endotoxin crystal), a crystalline protein consisted of four main polypeptides and two minor polypeptides, possesses of a larvicidal action. Larvicidal activity is associated with a synergistic effect in a combination of four polypeptides. The possibility of development of resistance to products based on Bti and Bacillus sphaericus in populations of mosquitoes (Culicidae) was investigated. The use of domestic microbiological formulations based on Bti («Baktitsid», «Larviol-pasta», and «Antinat») was shown an eradication the larvae of bloodsucking mosquitoes and midges to be possible and rational, since they are not generated resistant populations of mosquitoes. This is confirmed by more than 30 years of the use of such formulations.

scholarly journals On the use of inhibitors of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase as a vector-selective insecticide in the control of mosquitoes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlon A. V. Ramirez ◽  
Marcos Sterkel ◽  
Ademir de Jesus Martins ◽  
José Bento Pereira Lima ◽  
Pedro L. Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Blood Meal ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Degradation Pathway ◽  
Cross Resistance ◽  
Single Meal ◽  
Neurotoxic Insecticides

AbstractBlood-sucking insects incorporate many times their body weight of blood in a single meal. As proteins are the major component of vertebrate blood, its digestion in the gut of hematophagous insects generates extremely high concentrations of free amino acids. Previous reports showed that the tyrosine degradation pathway plays an essential role in adapting these animals to blood feeding. Inhibiting 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), the rate-limiting step of tyrosine degradation, results in the death of insects after a blood meal. Therefore, it was suggested that compounds that block the catabolism of tyrosine could act selectively on blood-feeding insects. Here we have evaluated the toxicity against mosquitoes of three HPPD inhibitors currently used as herbicides and in human health. Among the compounds tested, nitisinone (NTBC) proved to be more potent than mesotrione (MES) and isoxaflutole (IFT) in Aedes aegypti. NTBC was lethal to Ae. aegypti in artificial feeding assays (LD50: 4.36 µM), as well as in topical application (LD50: 0.0033 nmol/mosquito). NTBC was also lethal to Ae. aegypti populations that were resistant to neurotoxic insecticides, and it was lethal to other mosquito species (Anopheles and Culex). Therefore, HPPD inhibitors, particularly NTBC, represent promising new drugs for mosquito control. Since they only affect blood-feeding organisms, they would represent a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional neurotoxic insecticides.Author SummaryThe control of mosquitoes has been pursued in the last decades by the use of neurotoxic insecticides to prevent the spreading of dengue, zika and malaria, among other diseases. However, the selection and propagation of different mechanisms of resistance hinder the success of these compounds. New methodologies are needed for their control. Hematophagous arthropods, including mosquitoes, ingest quantities of blood that represent many times their body weight in a single meal, releasing huge amounts of amino acids during digestion. Recent studies showed that inhibition of the tyrosine catabolism pathway could be a new selective target for vector control. Thus we tested three different inhibitors of the second enzyme in the tyrosine degradation pathway as tools for mosquito control. Results showed that Nitisinone (NTBC), an inhibitor used in medicine, was the most potent of them. NTBC was lethal to Aedes aegypti when it was administered together with the blood meal and when it was topically applied. It also caused the death of Anopheles aquasalis and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, as well as field-collected Aedes populations resistant to neurotoxic insecticides, indicating that there is no cross-resistance. We discuss the possible use of NTBC as a new insecticide.

scholarly journals The juvenile hormone receptor Methoprene-tolerant is involved in the sterilizing effect of pyriproxyfen on adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahmina Hossain Ahmed ◽  
T. Randolph Saunders ◽  
Donald Mullins ◽  
Mohammad Zillur Rahman ◽  
Jinsong Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Juvenile Hormone ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Follicular Development ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Oocyte Development ◽  
Hormonal Responses ◽  
Before And After

AbstractExposure of adult mosquitoes to pyriproxyfen (PPF), an analog of insect juvenile hormone (JH), has shown promise to effectively sterilize female mosquitoes. However, the underlying mechanisms of the PPF-induced decrease in mosquito fecundity are largely unknown. We performed a comprehensive study to dissect the mode of PPF action in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Exposure to PPF prompted the overgrowth of primary follicles in sugar-fed Ae. aegypti females but blocked the development of primary follicles at Christopher’s Stage III after blood feeding. Secondary follicles were precociously activated in PPF-treated mosquitoes. Moreover, PPF substantially altered the expression of many genes that are essential for mosquito physiology and oocyte development in the fat body and ovary. In particular, many metabolic genes were differentially expressed in response to PPF treatment, thereby affecting the mobilization and utilization of energy reserves. Furthermore, PPF treatment on the previtellogenic female adults considerably modified mosquito responses to JH and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), two major hormones that govern mosquito reproduction. Krüppel homolog 1, a JH-inducible transcriptional regulator, showed consistently elevated expression after PPF exposure. Conversely, PPF upregulated the expression of several key players of the 20E regulatory cascades, including HR3 and E75A, in the previtellogenic stage. After blood-feeding, the expression of these 20E response genes was significantly weaker in PPF-treated mosquitoes than the solvent-treated control groups. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the Methoprene-tolerant (Met) protein, the JH receptor, partially rescued the impaired follicular development after PPF exposure and substantially increased the hatching of the eggs produced by PPF-treated female mosquitoes. Thus, the results suggested that PPF relied on Met to exert its sterilizing effects on female mosquitoes. In summary, this study finds that PPF exposure disturbs normal hormonal responses and metabolism in Ae. aegypti, shedding light on the molecular targets and the downstream signaling pathways activated by PPF.Author summaryAedes aegypti mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika fever. Insecticides are widely used as the primary tool in the prevention and control of these infectious diseases. In light of the rapid increase of insecticide resistance in mosquito populations, there is an urgent need to find new classes of insecticides with a different mode of action. Here we found that pyriproxyfen, an analog of insect juvenile hormone (JH), had a large impact on the oocyte development, both before and after blood feeding, in female mosquitoes. Pyriproxyfen disturbed normal hormonal responses and caused metabolic shifting in female adults. These actions appear to collectively impair oocyte development and substantially reduce viable progenies of female mosquitoes. Besides, we demonstrated the involvement of the JH receptor Met in pyriproxyfen-induced female sterilization. This study significantly advances our understanding of mosquito reproductive biology and the molecular basis of pyriproxyfen action, which are invaluable for the development of new mosquito control strategies.

A tubular network associated with the brush-border surface of the Aedes aegypti midgut: implications for pathogen transmission by mosquitoes

2000 ◽  
Vol 203 (10) ◽  
pp. 1599-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Zieler ◽  
C.F. Garon ◽  
E.R. Fischer ◽  
M. Shahabuddin
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Cross Sections ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Midgut Epithelium ◽  
Peritrophic Membrane ◽  
Blood Sucking

The mosquito Aedes aegypti is capable of transmitting a variety of pathogens to man and to other vertebrates. The midgut of this insect has been well-studied both as the tissue where the first contact occurs between ingested pathogens and the insect host, and as a model system for blood meal digestion in blood-sucking insects. To understand better the nature of the midgut surface encountered by parasites or viruses, we used scanning electron microscopy to identify the most prominent structures and cell morphologies on the luminal midgut surface. The luminal side of the midgut is a complex and layered set of structures. The microvilli that are found on most, but not all, cells are covered by a network of fine strands that we have termed the microvilli-associated network (MN). The MN strands are membranous, as shown by a membrane bilayer visible in cross sections of MN strands at high magnification in transmission electron micrographs. The MN is found in blood-fed as well as unfed mosquitoes and is not affected by chitinase treatment, suggesting that it is not related to the chitinous peritrophic membrane that is formed only after blood feeding. The cells in the midgut epithelium have two distinct morphologies: the predominant cell type is densely covered with microvilli, while cells with fewer microvilli are found interspersed throughout the midgut. We used lectins to probe for the presence of carbohydrates on the midgut surface. A large number of lectins bind to the luminal midgut surface, suggesting that a variety of sugar linkages are present on the structures visualized by electron microscopy. Some of these lectins partially block attachment of malaria ookinetes to the midgut surface in vitro. Thus, the mosquito midgut epithelium, like the lining of mammalian intestines, is complex, composed of a variety of cell types and extensively covered with surface carbohydrate that may play a role in pathogen attachment.

scholarly journals Genetic variation in the odorant receptor gene OR4 and bit habits in natural populations of Aedes aegypti from Antioquia department, Colombia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Sebastian Pino
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Odorant Receptor ◽  
Receptor Gene ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Arrival Rate ◽  
Population Diversity ◽  
Genetic Population ◽  
Or Genes

AbstractIt has been determined factors that make humans more attractive to mosquitoes and which strategies they use to detect a potential host. Preferential differences for human/non-human hosts are related to variations in odorant receptors (OR) genes in the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This study use sequencing to establish the genetic variation in the odor receptor OR4 in 900 mosquitoes from different regions of Antioquia. A behavioral test using an olfactometer was also made to stablish the relationship of these variation with the attraction on different human hosts. The analysis in the attraction and OR4 variants did not show significant differences in the arrival rate among different human hosts. No significant differences in the description of OR4 variants between populations and between hosts, show that this gene is homogeneously distributed. The analysis showed a high genetic population diversity, measured as polymorphism and heterozygosity. This may be due to a few high frequency haplotypes in all the populations examined, suggesting a model of high gene flow between populations and/or selection in favor of these variants in all populations. Other low-frequency variants, many of which are population-specific, reflect the effect of genetic drift probably due to stochastic changes in the size of natural mosquito populations.

scholarly journals RNA-Seq analysis of blood meal induced gene-expression changes in Aedes aegypti ovaries

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilip K. Nag ◽  
Constentin Dieme ◽  
Pascal Lapierre ◽  
Erica Lasek-Nesselquist ◽  
Laura D. Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cytochrome P450 ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Blood Meal ◽  
Gene Expression Pattern ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Peptidase Activity ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Egg Maturation

Abstract Background Transmission of pathogens by vector mosquitoes is intrinsically linked with mosquito’s reproductive strategy because anautogenous mosquitoes require vertebrate blood to develop a batch of eggs. Each cycle of egg maturation is tightly linked with the intake of a fresh blood meal for most species. Mosquitoes that acquire pathogens during the first blood feeding can transmit the pathogens to susceptible hosts during subsequent blood feeding and also vertically to the next generation via infected eggs. Large-scale gene-expression changes occur following each blood meal in various tissues, including ovaries. Here we analyzed mosquito ovary transcriptome following a blood meal at three different time points to investigate blood-meal induced changes in gene expression in mosquito ovaries. Results We collected ovaries from Aedes aegypti that received a sugar meal or a blood meal on days 3, 10 and 20 post blood meal for transcriptome analysis. Over 4000 genes responded differentially following ingestion of a blood meal on day 3, and 660 and 780 genes on days 10 and 20, respectively. Proteins encoded by differentially expressed genes (DEGs) on day 3 include odorant binding proteins (OBPs), defense-specific proteins, and cytochrome P450 detoxification enzymes. In addition, we identified 580 long non-coding RNAs that are differentially expressed at three time points. Gene ontology analysis indicated that genes involved in peptidase activity, oxidoreductase activity, extracellular space, and hydrolase activity, among others were enriched on day 3. Although most of the DEGs returned to the nonsignificant level compared to the sugar-fed mosquito ovaries following oviposition on days 10 and 20, there remained differences in the gene expression pattern in sugar-fed and blood-fed mosquitoes. Conclusions Enrichment of OBPs following blood meal ingestion suggests that these genes may have other functions besides being part of the olfactory system. The enrichment of immune-specific genes and cytochrome P450 genes indicates that ovaries become well prepared to protect their germ line from any pathogens that may accompany the blood meal or from environmental contamination during oviposition, and to deal with the detrimental effects of toxic metabolites.

scholarly journals High heterogeneity undermines generalization of differential expression results in RNA-Seq analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weitong Cui ◽  
Huaru Xue ◽  
Lei Wei ◽  
Jinghua Jin ◽  
Xuewen Tian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Differential Expression ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Cancer Type ◽  
Rna Seq ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Gene Expression Levels

Abstract Background RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) has been widely applied in oncology for monitoring transcriptome changes. However, the emerging problem that high variation of gene expression levels caused by tumor heterogeneity may affect the reproducibility of differential expression (DE) results has rarely been studied. Here, we investigated the reproducibility of DE results for any given number of biological replicates between 3 and 24 and explored why a great many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were not reproducible. Results Our findings demonstrate that poor reproducibility of DE results exists not only for small sample sizes, but also for relatively large sample sizes. Quite a few of the DEGs detected are specific to the samples in use, rather than genuinely differentially expressed under different conditions. Poor reproducibility of DE results is mainly caused by high variation of gene expression levels for the same gene in different samples. Even though biological variation may account for much of the high variation of gene expression levels, the effect of outlier count data also needs to be treated seriously, as outlier data severely interfere with DE analysis. Conclusions High heterogeneity exists not only in tumor tissue samples of each cancer type studied, but also in normal samples. High heterogeneity leads to poor reproducibility of DEGs, undermining generalization of differential expression results. Therefore, it is necessary to use large sample sizes (at least 10 if possible) in RNA-Seq experimental designs to reduce the impact of biological variability and DE results should be interpreted cautiously unless soundly validated.

scholarly journals Genome-wide analysis of changes in miRNA and target gene expression reveals key roles in heterosis for Chinese cabbage biomass

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peirong Li ◽  
Tongbing Su ◽  
Deshuang Zhang ◽  
Weihong Wang ◽  
Xiaoyun Xin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Cabbage ◽  
Leaf Development ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Seedling Stage ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Small Rna Sequencing ◽  
Leaf Morphogenesis ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Parental Lines

AbstractHeterosis is a complex phenomenon in which hybrids show better phenotypic characteristics than their parents do. Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. spp. pekinensis) is a popular leafy crop species, hybrids of which are widely used in commercial production; however, the molecular basis of heterosis for biomass of Chinese cabbage is poorly understood. We characterized heterosis in a Chinese cabbage F1 hybrid cultivar and its parental lines from the seedling stage to the heading stage; marked heterosis of leaf weight and biomass yield were observed. Small RNA sequencing revealed 63 and 50 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) at the seedling and early-heading stages, respectively. The expression levels of the majority of miRNA clusters in the F1 hybrid were lower than the mid-parent values (MPVs). Using degradome sequencing, we identified 1,819 miRNA target genes. Gene ontology (GO) analyses demonstrated that the target genes of the MPV-DEMs and low parental expression level dominance (ELD) miRNAs were significantly enriched in leaf morphogenesis, leaf development, and leaf shaping. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression levels of photosynthesis and chlorophyll synthesis-related MPV-DEGs (differentially expressed genes) were significantly different in the F1 hybrid compared to the parental lines, resulting in increased photosynthesis capacity and chlorophyll content in the former. Furthermore, expression of genes known to regulate leaf development was also observed at the seedling stage. Arabidopsis plants overexpressing BrGRF4.2 and bra-miR396 presented increased and decreased leaf sizes, respectively. These results provide new insight into the regulation of target genes and miRNA expression patterns in leaf size and heterosis for biomass of B. rapa.

scholarly journals Permethrin Resistance in Aedes aegypti Affects Aspects of Vectorial Capacity

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Tse-Yu Chen ◽  
Chelsea T. Smartt ◽  
Dongyoung Shin
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Sodium Channel ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Vector Competence ◽  
Vectorial Capacity ◽  
Parental Population ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Channel Gene ◽  
Sodium Channel Gene ◽  
Specific Pcr

Aedes aegypti, as one of the vectors transmitting several arboviruses, is the main target in mosquito control programs. Permethrin is used to control mosquitoes and Aedes aegypti get exposed due to its overuse and are now resistant. The increasing percentage of permethrin resistant Aedes aegypti has become an important issue around the world and the potential influence on vectorial capacity needs to be studied. Here we selected a permethrin resistant (p-s) Aedes aegypti population from a wild Florida population and confirmed the resistance ratio to its parental population. We used allele-specific PCR genotyping of the V1016I and F1534C sites in the sodium channel gene to map mutations responsible for the resistance. Two important factors, survival rate and vector competence, that impact vectorial capacity were checked. Results indicated the p-s population had 20 times more resistance to permethrin based on LD50 compared to the parental population. In the genotyping study, the p-s population had more homozygous mutations in both mutant sites of the sodium channel gene. The p-s adults survived longer and had a higher dissemination rate for dengue virus than the parental population. These results suggest that highly permethrin resistant Aedes aegypti populations might affect the vectorial capacity, moreover, resistance increased the survival time and vector competence, which should be of concern in areas where permethrin is applied.

Investigating Male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Attraction to Different Oviposition Containers Using Various Configurations of the Sound Gravid Aedes Trap

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 957-961
Author(s):  
Kyran M Staunton ◽  
Barukh B Rohde ◽  
Michael Townsend ◽  
Jianyi Liu ◽  
Mark Desnoyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Male Dispersal ◽  
Olfactory Attractant

Abstract Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), the primary vectors of the arboviruses dengue virus and Zika virus, continue to expand their global distributions. In efforts to better control such species, several mosquito control programs are investigating the efficacy of rearing and releasing millions of altered male Aedes throughout landscapes to reduce populations and disease transmission risk. Unfortunately, little is known about Ae. aegypti, especially male, dispersal behaviors within urban habitats. We deployed Sound-producing Gravid Aedes Traps (SGATs) in Cairns, northern Australia, to investigate male Ae. aegypti attraction to various oviposition container configurations. The traps were arranged to include: 1) water only, 2) organically infused water, 3) infused water and L3 larvae, 4) infused water and a human-scented lure, and lastly 5) no water or olfactory attractant (dry). Our data suggest that males were more attracted to SGATs representing active larval sites than potential larval sites, but were equally attracted to dry SGATs relative to those containing water and/or infusion. Additionally, we found that female Ae. aegypti were equally attracted to wet SGATs, with or without infusion, but not dry ones. These results suggest that male Ae. aegypti within northern Australia are more attracted to active larval sites and equally attracted to dry containers as wet or infused ones. Additionally, female Ae. aegypti are unlikely to enter dry containers. Such findings contribute to our understanding of potentially attractive features for local and released Ae. aegypti throughout the northern Australian urban landscape.

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