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Tang R, Busby R, Laursen WJ, T. Keane G, Garrity PA. Functional dissection of mosquito humidity sensing reveals distinct Dry and Moist Cell contributions to blood feeding and oviposition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2407394121. [PMID: 39159375 PMCID: PMC11363306 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2407394121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are major vectors of dengue, chikungunya, and other arboviral diseases. Ae. aegypti's capacity to reproduce and to spread disease depends on the female mosquitoes' ability to obtain blood meals and find water-filled containers in which to lay eggs (oviposit). While humidity sensation (hygrosensation) has been implicated in these behaviors, the specific hygrosensory pathways involved have been unclear. Here, we establish the distinct molecular requirements and anatomical locations of Ae. aegypti Dry Cells and Moist Cells and examine their contributions to behavior. We show that Dry Cell and Moist Cell responses to humidity involve different ionotropic receptor (IR) family sensory receptors, with dry air-activated Dry Cells reliant upon the IR Ir40a, and humid air-activated Moist Cells upon Ir68a. Both classes of hygrosensors innervate multiple antennal sensilla, including sensilla ampullacea near the antennal base as well as two classes of coeloconic sensilla near the tip. Dry Cells and Moist Cells each support behaviors linked to mosquito reproduction but contribute differently: Ir40a-dependent Dry Cells act in parallel with Ir68a-dependent Moist Cells to promote blood feeding, while oviposition site seeking is driven specifically by Ir68a-dependent Moist Cells. Together these findings reveal the importance of distinct hygrosensory pathways in blood feeding and oviposition site seeking and suggest Ir40a-dependent Dry Cells and Ir68a-dependent Moist Cells as potential targets for vector control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruocong Tang
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA02453
| | - Rachel Busby
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA02453
| | - Willem J. Laursen
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA02453
| | - Geoffrey T. Keane
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA02453
| | - Paul A. Garrity
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA02453
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2
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Guerina FV, Patkar AP, Younger MA. Introduction to Techniques Used to Study Mosquito Neuroanatomy and Neural Circuitry. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:pdb.top108305. [PMID: 37816602 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top108305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes transmit deadly pathogens from person to person as they obtain the blood meal that is essential for their life cycle. Female mosquitoes of many species are unable to reproduce without consuming protein that they obtain from blood. This developmental stage makes them highly efficient disease vectors of deadly pathogens. They can transmit pathogens between members of the same species and different species that can provide a route for evolving zoonotic viruses to jump from animals to humans. One possible way to develop novel strategies to combat pathogen transmission by mosquitoes is to study the sensory systems that drive mosquito reproductive behaviors, in particular the neural architecture and circuits of mosquito sensory afferent neurons, the central circuits that process sensory information, and the downstream circuits that drive reproductive behaviors. The study of mosquito neuroanatomy and circuitry also benefits basic neuroscience, allowing for comparative neuroanatomy in insect species, which has great value in the current model species-heavy landscape of neuroscience. Here, we introduce two important techniques that are used to study neuroanatomy and neural circuitry-namely, immunofluorescent labeling and neural tracing. We describe how to apply these approaches to study mosquito neuroanatomy and describe considerations for researchers using the techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence V Guerina
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Ameya P Patkar
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Meg A Younger
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Center for Neurophotonics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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3
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Younger MA. Whole-Mount Immunofluorescent Labeling of the Mosquito Central Nervous System. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:pdb.prot108336. [PMID: 37816606 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot108336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne disease is a major global public health issue. One path toward the development of evidence-based strategies to limit mosquito biting is the study of the mosquito nervous system-in particular, the sensory systems that drive biting behavior. The central nervous system of insects consists of the brain and the ventral nerve cord. Here, we describe a protocol for dissecting, immunofluorescent labeling, and imaging both of these structures in the mosquito. This protocol was optimized for Aedes aegypti and works well on Anopheles gambiae tissue. It has not been tested in other mosquito species, but we anticipate that it would work on a range of mosquitoes, and, if not, our protocol will provide a starting point from which to optimize. Notably, a limited number of antibodies cross-react with Ae. aegypti proteins. This protocol is intended for use with validated antibodies and can also be used to test new antibodies as they are generated. It has been successfully used to visualize protein tags, such as green fluorescent protein, that have been introduced into the mosquito to amplify or detect their presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meg A Younger
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Center for Neurophotonics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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Jiang X, Dimitriou E, Grabe V, Sun R, Chang H, Zhang Y, Gershenzon J, Rybak J, Hansson BS, Sachse S. Ring-shaped odor coding in the antennal lobe of migratory locusts. Cell 2024; 187:3973-3991.e24. [PMID: 38897195 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The representation of odors in the locust antennal lobe with its >2,000 glomeruli has long remained a perplexing puzzle. We employed the CRISPR-Cas9 system to generate transgenic locusts expressing the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP in olfactory sensory neurons. Using two-photon functional imaging, we mapped the spatial activation patterns representing a wide range of ecologically relevant odors across all six developmental stages. Our findings reveal a functionally ring-shaped organization of the antennal lobe composed of specific glomerular clusters. This configuration establishes an odor-specific chemotopic representation by encoding different chemical classes and ecologically distinct odors in the form of glomerular rings. The ring-shaped glomerular arrangement, which we confirm by selective targeting of OR70a-expressing sensory neurons, occurs throughout development, and the odor-coding pattern within the glomerular population is consistent across developmental stages. Mechanistically, this unconventional spatial olfactory code reflects the locust-specific and multiplexed glomerular innervation pattern of the antennal lobe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingcong Jiang
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany; Research Group Olfactory Coding, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Eleftherios Dimitriou
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Veit Grabe
- Microscopic Service Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ruo Sun
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Hetan Chang
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Yifu Zhang
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Rybak
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Bill S Hansson
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany.
| | - Silke Sachse
- Research Group Olfactory Coding, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, 07745 Jena, Germany.
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Vicidomini R, Choudhury SD, Han TH, Nguyen TH, Nguyen P, Opazo F, Serpe M. Versatile nanobody-based approach to image, track and reconstitute functional Neurexin-1 in vivo. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6068. [PMID: 39025931 PMCID: PMC11258300 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50462-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurexins are key adhesion proteins that coordinate extracellular and intracellular synaptic components. Nonetheless, the low abundance of these multidomain proteins has complicated any localization and structure-function studies. Here we combine an ALFA tag (AT)/nanobody (NbALFA) tool with classic genetics, cell biology and electrophysiology to examine the distribution and function of the Drosophila Nrx-1 in vivo. We generate full-length and ΔPDZ ALFA-tagged Nrx-1 variants and find that the PDZ binding motif is key to Nrx-1 surface expression. A PDZ binding motif provided in trans, via genetically encoded cytosolic NbALFA-PDZ chimera, fully restores the synaptic localization and function of NrxΔPDZ-AT. Using cytosolic NbALFA-mScarlet intrabody, we achieve compartment-specific detection of endogenous Nrx-1, track live Nrx-1 transport along the motor neuron axons, and demonstrate that Nrx-1 co-migrates with Rab2-positive vesicles. Our findings illustrate the versatility of the ALFA system and pave the way towards dissecting functional domains of complex proteins in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario Vicidomini
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Saumitra Dey Choudhury
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Centralized Core Research Facility-Microscopy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Tae Hee Han
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tho Huu Nguyen
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Peter Nguyen
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Felipe Opazo
- Department of Neuro and Sensory Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- NanoTag Biotechnologies GmbH, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mihaela Serpe
- Section on Cellular Communication, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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6
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Popkin-Hall ZR, Slotman MA. The role of the major chemosensory organs in the host-seeking activity of Anopheles coluzzii (Diptera: Culicidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 61:861-868. [PMID: 38733173 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjae062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Anopheles coluzzii (Coetzee & Wilkerson) and its sibling species Anopheles gambiae s.s. (Giles) are highly anthropophilic and among the major malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa. Mosquitoes use various senses to find hosts, but rely primarily on olfaction. Therefore, the mosquito olfactory system has been studied extensively, including a variety of studies comparing chemosensory gene expression between An. coluzzii and its zoophilic sibling species Anopheles quadriannulatus (Theobald). These studies revealed species-specific chemosensory gene expression in the antennae and maxillary palps, which raised the question of a potential role for the palps in determining species-specific host preferences. To answer this question, we mechanically ablated the antennae, maxillary palps, and labella, and ran both control and ablated mosquitoes through a dual-port olfactometer. While we aimed to identify the organs responsible for vertebrate host choice, the ablated mosquitoes exclusively responded to human odor, so we were unable to do so. However, we were able to refine our understanding of the roles of these organs in host-seeking activation (leaving the release cage) as well as odor response (entering an odor port). As expected, the antennae are the most important organs to both behaviors: activation was roughly halved and vertebrate odor response was abolished in antennae-ablated mosquitoes. Maxillary palp ablation had little impact on activation, but reduced odor response to a similar degree as the exclusion of CO2. Finally, while labellar ablation dramatically reduced activation (probably associated with the inability to feed), it had little impact on odor response, suggesting that any labellar role in host choice is likely not olfactory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michel A Slotman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Harrell RA. Mosquito Embryo Microinjection under Halocarbon Oil or in Aqueous Solution. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:pdb.prot108203. [PMID: 37788868 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot108203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The process of genetically modifying mosquitoes requires skilled delivery of reagents for modification. Plasmids, RNA, DNA, and/or protein must be transported into the developing embryo during an appropriate time in development when these agents will have access to the genome. Embryo microinjection has been the main method by which such modifying agents have been delivered. Ideally the microinjection process will deliver these modifying agents in sufficient quantity to effect the genetic modification without severely damaging or killing the injected embryo in the process. As semiaquatic insects, mosquitoes have embryos that are susceptible to desiccation and the degree to which embryos are susceptible is based on species. Two microinjection methods are outlined here. The first method describes embryo microinjections performed under Halocarbon-27 oil. The oil is used to reduce desiccation during the injection process. A second method limits desiccation by injecting the mosquito embryos in water. In both procedures, the embryos are first aligned and then injected before the embryos cellularize, ∼1 h and 45 min after oviposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Harrell
- The Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland Insect Transformation Facility, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
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8
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Lau NC, Macias VM. Transposon and Transgene Tribulations in Mosquitoes: A Perspective of piRNA Proportions. DNA 2024; 4:104-128. [PMID: 39076684 PMCID: PMC11286205 DOI: 10.3390/dna4020006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Mosquitoes, like Drosophila, are dipterans, the order of "true flies" characterized by a single set of two wings. Drosophila are prime model organisms for biomedical research, while mosquito researchers struggle to establish robust molecular biology in these that are arguably the most dangerous vectors of human pathogens. Both insects utilize the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to generate small RNAs to silence transposons and viruses, yet details are emerging that several RNAi features are unique to each insect family, such as how culicine mosquitoes have evolved extreme genomic feature differences connected to their unique RNAi features. A major technical difference in the molecular genetic studies of these insects is that generating stable transgenic animals are routine in Drosophila but still variable in stability in mosquitoes, despite genomic DNA-editing advances. By comparing and contrasting the differences in the RNAi pathways of Drosophila and mosquitoes, in this review we propose a hypothesis that transgene DNAs are possibly more intensely targeted by mosquito RNAi pathways and chromatin regulatory pathways than in Drosophila. We review the latest findings on mosquito RNAi pathways, which are still much less well understood than in Drosophila, and we speculate that deeper study into how mosquitoes modulate transposons and viruses with Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) will yield clues to improving transgene DNA expression stability in transgenic mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson C. Lau
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Genome Science Institute and National Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Vanessa M. Macias
- Department of Biology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76205, USA
- Advanced Environmental Research Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76205, USA
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Zhang Y, Liu W, Luo Z, Yuan J, Wuyun Q, Zhang P, Wang Q, Yang M, Liu C, Yan S, Wang G. Odorant Receptor BdorOR49b Mediates Oviposition and Attraction Behavior of Bactrocera dorsalis to Benzothiazole. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:7784-7793. [PMID: 38561632 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The ability to recognize a host plant is crucial for insects to meet their nutritional needs and locate suitable sites for laying eggs. Bactrocera dorsalis is a highly destructive pest in fruit crops. Benzothiazole has been found to induce oviposition behavior in the gravid B. dorsalis. However, the ecological roles and the olfactory receptor responsible for benzothiazole are not yet fully understood. In this study, we found that adults were attracted to benzothiazole, which was an effective oviposition stimulant. In vitro experiments showed that BdorOR49b was narrowly tuned to benzothiazole. The electroantennogram results showed that knocking out BdorOR49b significantly reduced the antennal electrophysiological response to benzothiazole. Compared with wild-type flies, the attractiveness of benzothiazole to BdorOR49b knockout adult was significantly attenuated, and mutant females exhibited a severe decrease in oviposition behavior. Altogether, our work provides valuable insights into chemical communications and potential strategies for the control of this pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Zhicai Luo
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Jinxi Yuan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - QiQige Wuyun
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Panpan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Minghuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Chenhao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Shanchun Yan
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Guirong Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
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Ke H, Chen Y, Zhang B, Duan S, Ma X, Ren B, Wang Y. Odorant Receptors Expressing and Antennal Lobes Architecture Are Linked to Caste Dimorphism in Asian Honeybee, Apis cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3934. [PMID: 38612745 PMCID: PMC11012130 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Insects heavily rely on the olfactory system for food, mating, and predator evasion. However, the caste-related olfactory differences in Apis cerana, a eusocial insect, remain unclear. To explore the peripheral and primary center of the olfactory system link to the caste dimorphism in A. cerana, transcriptome and immunohistochemistry studies on the odorant receptors (ORs) and architecture of antennal lobes (ALs) were performed on different castes. Through transcriptomesis, we found more olfactory receptor genes in queens and workers than in drones, which were further validated by RT-qPCR, indicating caste dimorphism. Meanwhile, ALs structure, including volume, surface area, and the number of glomeruli, demonstrated a close association with caste dimorphism. Particularly, drones had more macroglomeruli possibly for pheromone recognition. Interestingly, we found that the number of ORs and glomeruli ratio was nearly 1:1. Also, the ORs expression distribution pattern was very similar to the distribution of glomeruli volume. Our results suggest the existence of concurrent plasticity in both the peripheral olfactory system and ALs among different castes of A. cerana, highlighting the role of the olfactory system in labor division in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoqin Ke
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Baoyi Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Shiwen Duan
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Xiaomei Ma
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Bingzhong Ren
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yinliang Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
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Rouyar A, Patil AA, Leon-Noreña M, Li M, Coutinho-Abreu IV, Akbari OS, Riffell JA. Transgenic line for characterizing GABA-receptor expression to study the neural basis of olfaction in the yellow-fever mosquito. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1381164. [PMID: 38606012 PMCID: PMC11008680 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1381164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is an important vector of diseases including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Olfaction is a critical modality for mosquitoes enabling them to locate hosts, sources of nectar, and sites for oviposition. GABA is an essential neurotransmitter in olfactory processing in the insect brain, including the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe. Previous work with Ae. aegypti has suggested that antennal lobe inhibition via GABA may be involved in the processing of odors. However, little is known about GABA receptor expression in the mosquito brain, or how they may be involved in odor attraction. In this context, generating mutants that target the mosquito's olfactory responses, and particularly the GABAergic system, is essential to achieve a better understanding of these diverse processes and olfactory coding in these disease vectors. Here we demonstrate the potential of a transgenic line using the QF2 transcription factor, GABA-B1QF2-ECFP, as a new neurogenetic tool to investigate the neural basis of olfaction in Ae. aegypti. Our results show that the gene insertion has a moderate impact on mosquito fitness. Moreover, the line presented here was crossed with a QUAS reporter line expressing the green fluorescent protein and used to determine the location of the metabotropic GABA-B1 receptor expression. We find high receptor expression in the antennal lobes, especially the cell bodies surrounding the antennal lobes. In the mushroom bodies, receptor expression was high in the Kenyon cells, but had low expression in the mushroom body lobes. Behavioral experiments testing the fruit odor attractants showed that the mutants lost their behavioral attraction. Together, these results show that the GABA-B1QF2-ECFP line provides a new tool to characterize GABAergic systems in the mosquito nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Rouyar
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Anandrao A. Patil
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | | - Ming Li
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Iliano V. Coutinho-Abreu
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jeff A. Riffell
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Giraldo D, Hammond AM, Wu J, Feole B, Al-Saloum N, McMeniman CJ. An expanded neurogenetic toolkit to decode olfaction in the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100714. [PMID: 38412833 PMCID: PMC10921037 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Anopheles gambiae uses its sense of smell to hunt humans. We report a two-step method yielding cell-type-specific driver lines for enhanced neuroanatomical and functional studies of its olfactory system. We first integrated a driver-responder-marker (DRM) system cassette consisting of a linked T2A-QF2 driver, QUAS-GFP responder, and a gut-specific transgenesis marker into four chemoreceptor genes (Ir25a, Ir76b, Gr22, and orco) using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair. The DRM system facilitated rapid selection of in-frame integrations via screening for GFP+ olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in G1 larval progeny, even at genomic loci such as orco where we found the transgenesis marker was not visible. Next, we converted these DRM integrations into T2A-QF2 driver-marker lines by Cre-loxP excision of the GFP responder, making them suitable for binary use in transcuticular calcium imaging. These cell-type-specific driver lines tiling key OSN subsets will support systematic efforts to decode olfaction in this prolific malaria vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Giraldo
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Andrew M Hammond
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jinling Wu
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Brandon Feole
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Noor Al-Saloum
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Conor J McMeniman
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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13
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Bottino-Rojas V, James AA. Mosquito Transposon-Mediated Transgenesis. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2023:pdb.top107687. [PMID: 37816607 PMCID: PMC11025883 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top107687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Transposon-mediated transgenesis of mosquito vectors of disease pathogens followed the early success of transgenesis in the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster The P transposable element used in Drosophila does not function canonically in mosquitoes, and repeatable, routine transgenesis in mosquitoes was not accomplished until new transposable elements were discovered and validated. A number of distinct transposons were subsequently identified that mediate the introduction of exogenous DNA in a stable and heritable manner in mosquito species, including members of the genera Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex The most versatile element, piggyBac, is functional in all of these mosquito genera, as well as in many other insects in diverse orders, and has been used extensively outside the class. Transposon-mediated transgenesis of recessive and dominant marker genes and reporter systems has been used to define functional fragments of gene control sequences, introduce exogenous DNA encoding products beneficial to medical interests, and act as "enhancer traps" to identify endogenous genes with specific expression characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Bottino-Rojas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4500, USA
| | - Anthony A James
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4500, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3900, USA
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14
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Hart T, Frank DD, Lopes LE, Olivos-Cisneros L, Lacy KD, Trible W, Ritger A, Valdés-Rodríguez S, Kronauer DJC. Sparse and stereotyped encoding implicates a core glomerulus for ant alarm behavior. Cell 2023; 186:3079-3094.e17. [PMID: 37321218 PMCID: PMC10334690 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ants communicate via large arrays of pheromones and possess expanded, highly complex olfactory systems, with antennal lobes in the brain comprising up to ∼500 glomeruli. This expansion implies that odors could activate hundreds of glomeruli, which would pose challenges for higher-order processing. To study this problem, we generated transgenic ants expressing the genetically encoded calcium indicator GCaMP in olfactory sensory neurons. Using two-photon imaging, we mapped complete glomerular responses to four ant alarm pheromones. Alarm pheromones robustly activated ≤6 glomeruli, and activity maps for the three pheromones inducing panic alarm in our study species converged on a single glomerulus. These results demonstrate that, rather than using broadly tuned combinatorial encoding, ants employ precise, narrowly tuned, and stereotyped representations of alarm pheromones. The identification of a central sensory hub glomerulus for alarm behavior suggests that a simple neural architecture is sufficient to translate pheromone perception into behavioral outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Hart
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Dominic D Frank
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lindsey E Lopes
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Leonora Olivos-Cisneros
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kip D Lacy
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Waring Trible
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellowship Program, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, NW Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Amelia Ritger
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Marine Science Research Building, Bldg. 520, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Stephany Valdés-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel J C Kronauer
- Laboratory of Social Evolution and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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15
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Singh P, Goyal S, Gupta S, Garg S, Tiwari A, Rajput V, Bates AS, Gupta AK, Gupta N. Combinatorial encoding of odors in the mosquito antennal lobe. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3539. [PMID: 37322224 PMCID: PMC10272161 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39303-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the cues that a mosquito uses to find a host for blood-feeding, the smell of the host plays an important role. Previous studies have shown that host odors contain hundreds of chemical odorants, which are detected by different receptors on the peripheral sensory organs of mosquitoes. But how individual odorants are encoded by downstream neurons in the mosquito brain is not known. We developed an in vivo preparation for patch-clamp electrophysiology to record from projection neurons and local neurons in the antennal lobe of Aedes aegypti. Combining intracellular recordings with dye-fills, morphological reconstructions, and immunohistochemistry, we identify different sub-classes of antennal lobe neurons and their putative interactions. Our recordings show that an odorant can activate multiple neurons innervating different glomeruli, and that the stimulus identity and its behavioral preference are represented in the population activity of the projection neurons. Our results provide a detailed description of the second-order olfactory neurons in the central nervous system of mosquitoes and lay a foundation for understanding the neural basis of their olfactory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranjul Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Shefali Goyal
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Smith Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Sanket Garg
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
- Department of Economic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Abhinav Tiwari
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Varad Rajput
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Alexander Shakeel Bates
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arjit Kant Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Nitin Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
- Mehta Family Center for Engineering in Medicine, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
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16
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Konopka JK, Task D, Poinapen D, Potter CJ. Neurogenetic identification of mosquito sensory neurons. iScience 2023; 26:106690. [PMID: 37182106 PMCID: PMC10172775 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Anopheles mosquitoes, as vectors for the malaria parasite, are a global threat to human health. To find and bite a human, they utilize neurons within their sensory appendages. However, the identity and quantification of sensory appendage neurons are lacking. Here we use a neurogenetic approach to label all neurons in Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes. We utilize the homology assisted CRISPR knock-in (HACK) approach to generate a T2A-QF2w knock-in of the synaptic gene bruchpilot. We use a membrane-targeted GFP reporter to visualize the neurons in the brain and to quantify neurons in all major chemosensory appendages (antenna, maxillary palp, labella, tarsi, and ovipositor). By comparing labeling of brp>GFP and Orco>GFP mosquitoes, we predict the extent of neurons expressing ionotropic receptors (IRs) or other chemosensory receptors. This work introduces a valuable genetic tool for the functional analysis of Anopheles mosquito neurobiology and initiates characterization of the sensory neurons that guide mosquito behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna K. Konopka
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Darya Task
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Danny Poinapen
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher J. Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Corresponding author
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17
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Gomez Ramirez WC, Thomas NK, Muktar IJ, Riabinina O. The neuroecology of olfaction in bees. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2023; 56:101018. [PMID: 36842606 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2023.101018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The focus of bee neuroscience has for a long time been on only a handful of social honeybee and bumblebee species, out of thousands of bees species that have been described. On the other hand, information about the chemical ecology of bees is much more abundant. Here we attempted to compile the scarce information about olfactory systems of bees across species. We also review the major categories of intra- and inter-specific olfactory behaviors of bees, with specific focus on recent literature. We finish by discussing the most promising avenues for bee olfactory research in the near future.
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18
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Getachew H, Demissew A, Abossie A, Habtamu K, Wang X, Zhong D, Zhou G, Lee MC, Hemming-Schroeder E, Bradley L, Degefa T, Hawaria D, Tsegaye A, Kazura JW, Koepfli C, Yan G, Yewhalaw D. Asymptomatic and submicroscopic malaria infections in sugar cane and rice development areas of Ethiopia. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2692688. [PMID: 36993196 PMCID: PMC10055656 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2692688/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Background Water resource development projects such as dams and irrigation schemes have a positive impact on food security and poverty reduction but might result in increased prevalence of malaria. Methods Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted in the dry and wet seasons in irrigated and non-irrigated clusters of Arjo sugarcane and Gambella rice development areas of Ethiopia in 2019. A total of 4464 and 2176 blood samples were collected from Arjo and Gambella. A subset of 2244 microscopy negative blood samples were analyzed by PCR. Results Prevalence by microscopy was 2.0% (88/4464) in Arjo and 6.1% (133/2176) in Gambella. In Gambella, prevalence was significantly higher in irrigated clusters (10.4% vs 3.6%) than in non-irrigated clusters (p < 0.001), but no difference was found in Arjo (2.0% vs 2.0%; p = 0.993). Level of education was an individual risk factors associated with infection in Arjo [AOR: 3.2; 95%CI (1.27-8.16)] and in Gambella [AOR: 1.7; 95%CI (1.06-2.82)]. While duration of stay in the area for < 6 months [AOR: 4.7; 95%CI (1.84-12.15)] and being a migrant worker [AOR: 4.7; 95%CI (3.01-7.17)] were risk factors in Gambella. Season [AOR: 15.9; 95%CI (6.01-42.04)], no ITN utilization [AOR: 22.3; 95%CI (7.74-64.34)] were risk factors in Arjo, and irrigation [AOR: 2.4; 95%CI (1.45-4.07)] and family size [AOR: 2.3; 95%CI (1.30-4.09)] risk factors in Gambella. Of the 1713 and 531 randomly selected smear negative samples from Arjo and Gambella and analyzed by PCR the presence of Plasmodium infection was 1.2% and 12.8%, respectively. P. falciparum, P. vivax, and P. ovale were identified by PCR in both sites. Conclusion Strengthening malaria surveillance and control in project development areas and proper health education for at-risk groups residing or working in such development corridors is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hallelujah Getachew
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Arbaminch College of Health Sciences, Arbaminch
| | - Assalif Demissew
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ambo University, Ambo
| | - Ashenafi Abossie
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Science, Arbaminch University, Arbaminch
| | | | - Xiaoming Wang
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Guofa Zhou
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Ming-Chieh Lee
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Elizabeth Hemming-Schroeder
- Center for Vector Born Infectious Diseases (CVID), Department of Microbiology Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University
| | - Lauren Bradley
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Teshome Degefa
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma
| | - Dawit Hawaria
- Hawassa University, School of Environmental Health, Hawassa
| | - Arega Tsegaye
- Department of Biology, College of Natural Science, Jimma University
| | - James W Kazura
- Biomedical Research Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Department of Biological Sciences 319 Galvin Life Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma
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19
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Laursen WJ, Budelli G, Tang R, Chang EC, Busby R, Shankar S, Gerber R, Greppi C, Albuquerque R, Garrity PA. Humidity sensors that alert mosquitoes to nearby hosts and egg-laying sites. Neuron 2023; 111:874-887.e8. [PMID: 36640768 PMCID: PMC10023463 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
To reproduce and to transmit disease, female mosquitoes must obtain blood meals and locate appropriate sites for egg laying (oviposition). While distinct sensory cues drive each behavior, humidity contributes to both. Here, we identify the mosquito's humidity sensors (hygrosensors). Using generalizable approaches designed to simplify genetic analysis in non-traditional model organisms, we demonstrate that the ionotropic receptor Ir93a mediates mosquito hygrosensation as well as thermosensation. We further show that Ir93a-dependent sensors drive human host proximity detection and blood-feeding behavior, consistent with the overlapping short-range heat and humidity gradients these targets generate. After blood feeding, gravid females require Ir93a to seek high humidity associated with preferred egg-laying sites. Reliance on Ir93a-dependent sensors to promote blood feeding and locate potential oviposition sites is shared between the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae and arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti. These Ir93a-dependent systems represent potential targets for efforts to control these human disease vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem J Laursen
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Gonzalo Budelli
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Ruocong Tang
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Elaine C Chang
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Rachel Busby
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Shruti Shankar
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Rachel Gerber
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Chloe Greppi
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Rebecca Albuquerque
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Paul A Garrity
- Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA.
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20
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Raji JI, Konopka JK, Potter CJ. A spatial map of antennal-expressed ionotropic receptors in the malaria mosquito. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112101. [PMID: 36773296 PMCID: PMC10412736 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The mosquito's antenna represents its main olfactory appendage for detecting volatile chemical cues from the environment. Whole-mount fluorescence in situ hybridization of ionotropic receptors (IRs) expressed in the antennae reveals that the antenna might be divisible into proximal and distal functional domains. The number of IR-positive cells appear stereotyped within each antennal segment (flagellomere). Highly expressed odor-tuning IRs exhibit distinct co-localization patterns with the IR coreceptors Ir8a, Ir25a, and Ir76b that might predict their functional properties. Genetic knockin and in vivo functional imaging of IR41c-expressing neurons indicate both odor-induced activation and inhibition in response to select amine compounds. Targeted mutagenesis of IR41c does not abolish behavioral responses to the amine compounds. Our study provides a comprehensive map of IR-expressing neurons in the main olfactory appendage of mosquitoes. These findings show organizing principles of Anopheles IR-expressing neurons, which might underlie their functional contribution to the detection of behaviorally relevant odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua I Raji
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joanna K Konopka
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Christopher J Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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21
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Trebels B, Dippel S, Anders J, Ernst C, Goetz B, Keyser T, Rexer KH, Wimmer EA, Schachtner J. Anatomic and neurochemical analysis of the palpal olfactory system in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, HERBST. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1097462. [PMID: 36998268 PMCID: PMC10043995 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1097462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The paired antennal lobes were long considered the sole primary processing centers of the olfactory pathway in holometabolous insects receiving input from the olfactory sensory neurons of the antennae and mouthparts. In hemimetabolous insects, however, olfactory cues of the antennae and palps are processed separately. For the holometabolous red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, we could show that primary processing of the palpal and antennal olfactory input also occurs separately and at distinct neuronal centers. While the antennal olfactory sensory neurons project into the antennal lobes, those of the palps project into the paired glomerular lobes and the unpaired gnathal olfactory center. Here we provide an extended analysis of the palpal olfactory pathway by combining scanning electron micrographs with confocal imaging of immunohistochemical staining and reporter expression identifying chemosensory and odorant receptor-expressing neurons in the palpal sensilla. In addition, we extended the anatomical characterization of the gnathal olfactory center by 3D reconstructions and investigated the distribution of several neuromediators. The similarities in the neuromediator repertoire between antennal lobes, glomerular lobes, and gnathal olfactory center underline the role of the latter two as additional primary olfactory processing centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Trebels
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Joachim Schachtner Björn Trebels Ernst A. Wimmer
| | - Stefan Dippel
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Janet Anders
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Clara Ernst
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Brigitte Goetz
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tim Keyser
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Karl Heinz Rexer
- Biodiversity of Plants, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ernst A. Wimmer
- Department of Developmental Biology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Joachim Schachtner Björn Trebels Ernst A. Wimmer
| | - Joachim Schachtner
- Animal Physiology, Department of Biology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Clausthal University of Technology, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany
- *Correspondence: Joachim Schachtner Björn Trebels Ernst A. Wimmer
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22
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Coutinho-Abreu IV, Akbari OS. Technological advances in mosquito olfaction neurogenetics. Trends Genet 2023; 39:154-166. [PMID: 36414481 PMCID: PMC10564117 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Gene-editing technologies have revolutionized the field of mosquito sensory biology. These technologies have been used to knock in reporter genes in-frame with neuronal genes and tag specific mosquito neurons to detect their activities using binary expression systems. Despite these advances, novel tools still need to be developed to elucidate the transmission of olfactory signals from the periphery to the brain. Here, we propose the development of a set of tools, including novel driver lines as well as sensors of neuromodulatory activities, which can advance our knowledge of how sensory input triggers behavioral outputs. This information can change our understanding of mosquito neurobiology and lead to the development of strategies for mosquito behavioral manipulation to reduce bites and disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliano V Coutinho-Abreu
- School of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- School of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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23
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Herre M. Immunostaining Whole-Mount Olfactory Tissues of Mosquitoes. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2023; 2023:55-60. [PMID: 35940641 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot107915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito olfactory tissues are covered in fine hair-like sensory structures called sensilla that house olfactory sensory neurons. This protocol for immunostaining whole-mounted mosquito antennae and maxillary palps enables the visualization of these neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Herre
- The Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA
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24
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Abstract
Among the many wonders of nature, the sense of smell of the fly Drosophila melanogaster might seem, at first glance, of esoteric interest. Nevertheless, for over a century, the 'nose' of this insect has been an extraordinary system to explore questions in animal behaviour, ecology and evolution, neuroscience, physiology and molecular genetics. The insights gained are relevant for our understanding of the sensory biology of vertebrates, including humans, and other insect species, encompassing those detrimental to human health. Here, I present an overview of our current knowledge of D. melanogaster olfaction, from molecules to behaviours, with an emphasis on the historical motivations of studies and illustration of how technical innovations have enabled advances. I also highlight some of the pressing and long-term questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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Genetics tools for corpora allata specific gene expression in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20426. [PMID: 36443489 PMCID: PMC9705396 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25009-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Juvenile hormone (JH) is synthesized by the corpora allata (CA) and controls development and reproduction in insects. Therefore, achieving tissue-specific expression of transgenes in the CA would be beneficial for mosquito research and control. Different CA promoters have been used to drive transgene expression in Drosophila, but mosquito CA-specific promoters have not been identified. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we integrated transgenes encoding the reporter green fluorescent protein (GFP) close to the transcription start site of juvenile hormone acid methyl transferase (JHAMT), a locus encoding a JH biosynthetic enzyme, specifically and highly expressed in the CA of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Transgenic individuals showed specific GFP expression in the CA but failed to reproduce the full pattern of jhamt spatiotemporal expression. In addition, we created GeneSwitch driver and responder mosquito lines expressing an inducible fluorescent marker, enabling the temporal regulation of the transgene via the presence or absence of an inducer drug. The use of the GeneSwitch system has not previously been reported in mosquitoes and provides a new inducible binary system that can control transgene expression in Aedes aegypti.
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26
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Huang W, Vega-Rodriguez J, Kizito C, Cha SJ, Jacobs-Lorena M. Combining transgenesis with paratransgenesis to fight malaria. eLife 2022; 11:e77584. [PMID: 36281969 PMCID: PMC9596157 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is among the deadliest infectious diseases, and Plasmodium, the causative agent, needs to complete a complex development cycle in its vector mosquito for transmission to occur. Two promising strategies to curb transmission are transgenesis, consisting of genetically engineering mosquitoes to express antimalarial effector molecules, and paratransgenesis, consisting of introducing into the mosquito commensal bacteria engineered to express antimalarial effector molecules. Although both approaches restrict parasite development in the mosquito, it is not known how their effectiveness compares. Here we provide an in-depth assessment of transgenesis and paratransgenesis and evaluate the combination of the two approaches. Using the Q-system to drive gene expression, we engineered mosquitoes to produce and secrete two effectors - scorpine and the MP2 peptide - into the mosquito gut and salivary glands. We also engineered Serratia, a commensal bacterium capable of spreading through mosquito populations to secrete effectors into the mosquito gut. Whereas both mosquito-based and bacteria-based approaches strongly reduced the oocyst and sporozoite intensity, a substantially stronger reduction of Plasmodium falciparum development was achieved when transgenesis and paratransgenesis were combined. Most importantly, transmission of Plasmodium berghei from infected to naïve mice was maximally inhibited by the combination of the two approaches. Combining these two strategies promises to become a powerful approach to combat malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Huang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Joel Vega-Rodriguez
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of HealthRockvilleUnited States
| | - Chritopher Kizito
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Sung-Jae Cha
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreUnited States
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27
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Tantiwisawaruji S, Rocha MJ, Silva A, Pardal MA, Kovitvadhi U, Rocha E. A Stereological Study of the Three Types of Ganglia of Male, Female, and Undifferentiated Scrobicularia plana (Bivalvia). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172248. [PMID: 36077968 PMCID: PMC9454602 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitters modulate gonadal maturation in bivalves. However, it remains unclear whether there are differences in the nervous system structure between sexes, maturation, and ganglia. Therefore, a stereological study was conducted on the ganglia of adult peppery furrow shell (Scrobicularia plana). Equal-sized males, females, and undifferentiated (gamete absence) animals were fixed with 10% formalin and processed for light microscopy. They were serially cut into 35 µm paraffin thick sections and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Sections with cerebral (cerebropleural), pedal, and visceral ganglia were studied. The parameters estimated were the volumes of the ganglia, the total and relative volumes of their cortex (outer layer) and medulla (neuropil), and the total number of cells (neurons, glia, and pigmented) per ganglia and compartment. The volumes and numbers were estimated, respectively, by the Cavalieri principle and by the optical fractionator. Females show a larger glia to neuron numerical ratio. Further, females have a greater ganglionic volume than undifferentiated adults, with males showing intermediate values. These facts indicate that the ganglia size is related somehow to maturation. The cell size forms the basis of the differences because total cellularity is equal among the groups. The three ganglion types differ in total volumes and the volume ratio of the cortex versus the medulla. The greater volumes of the pedal ganglia (vis-a-vis the cerebral ones) and of the visceral ganglia (in relation to all others) imply more voluminous cortexes and medullae, but more neuronal and non-neuronal cells only in the visceral. The new fundamental data can help interpret bivalve neurophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukanlaya Tantiwisawaruji
- Learning Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS—School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (U.Porto), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Histomorphology, Physiopathology and Applied Toxicology Group, CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto (U.Porto), 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Maria J. Rocha
- Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS—School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (U.Porto), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Histomorphology, Physiopathology and Applied Toxicology Group, CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto (U.Porto), 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Ana Silva
- Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS—School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (U.Porto), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel A. Pardal
- Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Uthaiwan Kovitvadhi
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University (KU), Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Eduardo Rocha
- Learning Institute, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140, Thailand
- Laboratory of Histology and Embryology, Department of Microscopy, ICBAS—School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto (U.Porto), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Histomorphology, Physiopathology and Applied Toxicology Group, CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto (U.Porto), 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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28
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Xu YYJ, Loh YM, Lee TT, Ohashi TS, Su MP, Kamikouchi A. Serotonin modulation in the male Aedes aegypti ear influences hearing. Front Physiol 2022; 13:931567. [PMID: 36105279 PMCID: PMC9465180 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.931567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Male Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) mosquitoes rely on hearing to identify conspecific females for mating, with the male attraction to the sound of flying females (“phonotaxis”) an important behavior in the initial courtship stage. Hearing thus represents a promising target for novel methods of mosquito control, and hearing behaviors (such as male phonotaxis) can be targeted via the use of sound traps. These traps unfortunately have proven to be relatively ineffective during field deployment. Shifting the target from hearing behavior to hearing function could therefore offer a novel method of interfering with Ae. aegypti mating. Numerous neurotransmitters, including serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT) and octopamine, are expressed in the male ear, with modulation of the latter proven to influence the mechanical responses of the ear to sound. The effect of serotonin modulation however remains underexplored despite its significant role in determining many key behaviors and biological processes of animals. Here we investigated the influence of serotonin on the Ae. aegypti hearing function and behaviors. Using immunohistochemistry, we found significant expression of serotonin in the male and female Ae. aegypti ears. In the male ear, presynaptic sites identified via antibody labelling showed only partial overlap with serotonin. Next, we used RT-qPCR to identify and quantify the expression levels of three different serotonin receptor families (5-HT1, 5-HT2, and 5-HT7) in the mosquito heads and ears. Although all receptors were identified in the ears of both sexes, those from the 5-HT7 family were significantly more expressed in the ears relative to the heads. We then thoracically injected serotonin-related compounds into the mosquitoes and found a significant, reversible effect of serotonin exposure on the male ear mechanical tuning frequency. Finally, oral administration of a serotonin-synthesis inhibitor altered male phonotaxis. The mosquito serotonergic system and its receptors thus represent interesting targets for novel methods of mosquito, and thus disease, control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Y. J. Xu
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - YuMin M. Loh
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tai-Ting Lee
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - Matthew P. Su
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- *Correspondence: Matthew P. Su, ; Azusa Kamikouchi,
| | - Azusa Kamikouchi
- Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- *Correspondence: Matthew P. Su, ; Azusa Kamikouchi,
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29
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Herre M, Goldman OV, Lu TC, Caballero-Vidal G, Qi Y, Gilbert ZN, Gong Z, Morita T, Rahiel S, Ghaninia M, Ignell R, Matthews BJ, Li H, Vosshall LB, Younger MA. Non-canonical odor coding in the mosquito. Cell 2022; 185:3104-3123.e28. [PMID: 35985288 PMCID: PMC9480278 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are a persistent human foe, transmitting arboviruses including dengue when they feed on human blood. Mosquitoes are intensely attracted to body odor and carbon dioxide, which they detect using ionotropic chemosensory receptors encoded by three large multi-gene families. Genetic mutations that disrupt the olfactory system have modest effects on human attraction, suggesting redundancy in odor coding. The canonical view is that olfactory sensory neurons each express a single chemosensory receptor that defines its ligand selectivity. We discovered that Ae. aegypti uses a different organizational principle, with many neurons co-expressing multiple chemosensory receptor genes. In vivo electrophysiology demonstrates that the broad ligand-sensitivity of mosquito olfactory neurons depends on this non-canonical co-expression. The redundancy afforded by an olfactory system in which neurons co-express multiple chemosensory receptors may increase the robustness of the mosquito olfactory system and explain our long-standing inability to disrupt the detection of humans by mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Herre
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Olivia V Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tzu-Chiao Lu
- Huffington Center on Aging and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Gabriela Caballero-Vidal
- Disease Vector Group, Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp 234 22, Sweden
| | - Yanyan Qi
- Huffington Center on Aging and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zachary N Gilbert
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Zhongyan Gong
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Takeshi Morita
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Saher Rahiel
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Majid Ghaninia
- Disease Vector Group, Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp 234 22, Sweden
| | - Rickard Ignell
- Disease Vector Group, Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp 234 22, Sweden
| | - Benjamin J Matthews
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Hongjie Li
- Huffington Center on Aging and Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Leslie B Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Meg A Younger
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Kavli Neural Systems Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA; Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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30
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Abstract
Mosquitoes use multiple cues to locate food sources (animal and plants), mates, and oviposition sites. The sense of smell plays an important role in these behaviors, and olfactory cues are detected primarily by the appendages on the head-in particular, the antennae. Thus, mosquito olfaction can be studied by conducting electroantennogram (EAG) recordings. EAGs have emerged as a reliable technique to screen for bioactive compounds and are useful in the development of attractants and repellents for mosquito population control. Here, we focus on comparing the two main experimental approaches used in the literature (whole-body and whole-head mounting) and highlight key considerations for conducting EAGs in multiple species and for obtaining reliable and reproducible data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Lahondère
- Department of Biochemistry, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
- The Fralin Life Science Institute, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
- The Global Change Center, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
- Department of Entomology, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
- Center of Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
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31
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Pontes G, Latorre-Estivalis JM, Gutiérrez ML, Cano A, Berón de Astrada M, Lorenzo MG, Barrozo RB. Molecular and functional basis of high-salt avoidance in a blood-sucking insect. iScience 2022; 25:104502. [PMID: 35720264 PMCID: PMC9204723 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Salts are essential nutrients required for many physiological processes, and accordingly, their composition and concentration are tightly regulated. Taste is the ultimate sensory modality involved in resource quality assessment, resulting in acceptance or rejection. Here we found that high salt concentrations elicit feeding avoidance in the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus and elucidate the molecular and neurophysiological mechanisms involved. We found that high-salt avoidance is mediated by a salt-sensitive antennal gustatory receptor neuron (GRN). Using RNAi, we demonstrate that this process requires two amiloride-sensitive pickpocket channels (PPKs; Rpro PPK014276 and Rpro PPK28) expressed within these cells. We found that antennal GRNs project to the insect primary olfactory center, the antennal lobes, revealing these centers as potential sites for the integration of taste and olfactory host-derived cues. Moreover, the identification of the gustatory basis of high-salt detection in a hematophagous insect suggests novel targets for the prevention of biting and feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina Pontes
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad, Biología Experimental y Aplicada, CONICET - UBA, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - José Manuel Latorre-Estivalis
- Grupo de Comportamento de Vetores e Interação com Patógenos-CNPq, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - María Laura Gutiérrez
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad, Biología Experimental y Aplicada, CONICET - UBA, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Cano
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad, Biología Experimental y Aplicada, CONICET - UBA, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martin Berón de Astrada
- Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Visión, Instituto de Biociencias, Biotecnología y Biología Traslacional, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo G. Lorenzo
- Grupo de Comportamento de Vetores e Interação com Patógenos-CNPq, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou/FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Romina B. Barrozo
- Grupo de Neuroetología de Insectos Vectores, Laboratorio Fisiología de Insectos, Instituto de Biodiversidad, Biología Experimental y Aplicada, CONICET - UBA, Departamento Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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32
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Mózsik L, Iacovelli R, Bovenberg RAL, Driessen AJM. Transcriptional Activation of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters in Filamentous Fungi. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:901037. [PMID: 35910033 PMCID: PMC9335490 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.901037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi are highly productive cell factories, many of which are industrial producers of enzymes, organic acids, and secondary metabolites. The increasing number of sequenced fungal genomes revealed a vast and unexplored biosynthetic potential in the form of transcriptionally silent secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Various strategies have been carried out to explore and mine this untapped source of bioactive molecules, and with the advent of synthetic biology, novel applications, and tools have been developed for filamentous fungi. Here we summarize approaches aiming for the expression of endogenous or exogenous natural product BGCs, including synthetic transcription factors, assembly of artificial transcription units, gene cluster refactoring, fungal shuttle vectors, and platform strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Mózsik
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Riccardo Iacovelli
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Roel A. L. Bovenberg
- DSM Biotechnology Center, Delft, Netherlands
- Department of Synthetic Biology and Cell Engineering, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Arnold J. M. Driessen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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33
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Ye Z, Liu F, Sun H, Ferguson ST, Baker A, Ochieng SA, Zwiebel LJ. Discrete roles of Ir76b ionotropic coreceptor impact olfaction, blood feeding, and mating in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles coluzzii. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112385119. [PMID: 35648836 PMCID: PMC9191353 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112385119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Anopheline mosquitoes rely on their highly sensitive chemosensory apparatus to detect diverse chemical stimuli that drive the host-seeking and blood-feeding behaviors required to vector pathogens for malaria and other diseases. This process incorporates a variety of chemosensory receptors and transduction pathways. We used advanced in vivo gene-editing and -labeling approaches to localize and functionally characterize the ionotropic coreceptor AcIr76b in the malaria mosquito Anopheles coluzzii, where it impacts both olfactory and gustatory systems. AcIr76b has a broad expression pattern in female adult antennal grooved pegs, coeloconic sensilla, and T1 and T2 sensilla on the labellum, stylets, and tarsi, as well as the larval sensory peg. AcIr76b is colocalized with the Orco odorant receptor (OR) coreceptor in a subset of cells across the female antennae and labella. In contrast to Orco and Ir8a, chemosensory coreceptors that appear essential for the activity of their respective sets of chemosensory neurons in mosquitoes, AcIr76b−/− mutants maintain wild-type peripheral responses to volatile amines on the adult palps, labellum, and larval sensory cone. Interestingly, AcIr76b−/− mutants display significantly increased responses to amines in antennal grooved peg sensilla, while coeloconic sensilla reveal significant deficits in responses to several acids and amines. Behaviorally, AcIr76b mutants manifest significantly female-specific insemination deficits, and although AcIr76b−/− mutant females can locate, alight on, and probe artificial blood hosts, they are incapable of blood feeding successfully. Taken together, our findings reveal a multidimensional functionality of Ir76b in anopheline olfactory and gustatory pathways that directly impacts the vectorial capacity of these mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Ye
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Huahua Sun
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Stephen T. Ferguson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Adam Baker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Samuel A. Ochieng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
| | - Laurence J. Zwiebel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235
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34
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Pascini TV, Jeong YJ, Huang W, Pala ZR, Sá JM, Wells MB, Kizito C, Sweeney B, Alves E Silva TL, Andrew DJ, Jacobs-Lorena M, Vega-Rodríguez J. Transgenic Anopheles mosquitoes expressing human PAI-1 impair malaria transmission. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2949. [PMID: 35618711 PMCID: PMC9135733 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30606-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, the serine protease plasmin degrades extracellular proteins during blood clot removal, tissue remodeling, and cell migration. The zymogen plasminogen is activated into plasmin by two serine proteases: tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), a process regulated by plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), a serine protease inhibitor that specifically inhibits tPA and uPA. Plasmodium gametes and sporozoites use tPA and uPA to activate plasminogen and parasite-bound plasmin degrades extracellular matrices, facilitating parasite motility in the mosquito and the mammalian host. Furthermore, inhibition of plasminogen activation by PAI-1 strongly blocks infection in both hosts. To block parasite utilization of plasmin, we engineered Anopheles stephensi transgenic mosquitoes constitutively secreting human PAI-1 (huPAI-1) in the midgut lumen, in the saliva, or both. Mosquitoes expressing huPAI-1 strongly reduced rodent and human Plasmodium parasite transmission to mosquitoes, showing that co-opting plasmin for mosquito infection is a conserved mechanism among Plasmodium species. huPAI-1 expression in saliva induced salivary gland deformation which affects sporozoite invasion and P. berghei transmission to mice, resulting in significant levels of protection from malaria. Targeting the interaction of malaria parasites with the fibrinolytic system using genetically engineered mosquitoes could be developed as an intervention to control malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tales V Pascini
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rm 2E20A, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Yeong Je Jeong
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rm 2E20A, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Zarna R Pala
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rm 2E20A, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Juliana M Sá
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rm 2E20A, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Michael B Wells
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, G10 Hunterian, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, Meridian, ID, 83642, USA
| | - Christopher Kizito
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Brendan Sweeney
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rm 2E20A, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Thiago L Alves E Silva
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rm 2E20A, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Deborah J Andrew
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 N. Wolfe Street, G10 Hunterian, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Joel Vega-Rodríguez
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rm 2E20A, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.
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35
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Zanon M, Zanini D, Haase A. All-optical manipulation of the Drosophila olfactory system. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8506. [PMID: 35595846 PMCID: PMC9123005 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12237-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Thanks to its well-known neuroanatomy, limited brain size, complex behaviour, and the extensive genetic methods, Drosophila has become an indispensable model in neuroscience. A vast number of studies have focused on its olfactory system and the processing of odour information. Optogenetics is one of the recently developed genetic tools that significantly advance this field of research, allowing to replace odour stimuli by direct neuronal activation with light. This becomes a universal all-optical toolkit when spatially selective optogenetic activation is combined with calcium imaging to read out neuronal responses. Initial experiments showed a successful implementation to study the olfactory system in fish and mice, but the olfactory system of Drosophila has been so far precluded from an application. To fill this gap, we present here optogenetic tools to selectively stimulate functional units in the Drosophila olfactory system, combined with two-photon calcium imaging to read out the activity patterns elicited by these stimuli at different levels of the brain. This method allows to study the spatial and temporal features of the information flow and reveals the functional connectivity in the olfactory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Zanon
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
| | - Damiano Zanini
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Neurobiology and Genetics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Albrecht Haase
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
- Department of Physics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
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36
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Sorrells TR, Pandey A, Rosas-Villegas A, Vosshall LB. A persistent behavioral state enables sustained predation of humans by mosquitoes. eLife 2022; 11:e76663. [PMID: 35550041 PMCID: PMC9154740 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predatory animals pursue prey in a noisy sensory landscape, deciding when to continue or abandon their chase. The mosquito Aedes aegypti is a micropredator that first detects humans at a distance through sensory cues such as carbon dioxide. As a mosquito nears its target, it senses more proximal cues such as body heat that guide it to a meal of blood. How long the search for blood continues after initial detection of a human is not known. Here, we show that a 5 s optogenetic pulse of fictive carbon dioxide induced a persistent behavioral state in female mosquitoes that lasted for more than 10 min. This state is highly specific to females searching for a blood meal and was not induced in recently blood-fed females or in males, who do not feed on blood. In males that lack the gene fruitless, which controls persistent social behaviors in other insects, fictive carbon dioxide induced a long-lasting behavior response resembling the predatory state of females. Finally, we show that the persistent state triggered by detection of fictive carbon dioxide enabled females to engorge on a blood meal mimic offered up to 14 min after the initial 5 s stimulus. Our results demonstrate that a persistent internal state allows female mosquitoes to integrate multiple human sensory cues over long timescales, an ability that is key to their success as an apex micropredator of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor R Sorrells
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Kavli Neural Systems InstituteNew YorkUnited States
| | - Anjali Pandey
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Adriana Rosas-Villegas
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Leslie B Vosshall
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Kavli Neural Systems InstituteNew YorkUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteNew YorkUnited States
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37
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Zhao Z, Zung JL, Hinze A, Kriete AL, Iqbal A, Younger MA, Matthews BJ, Merhof D, Thiberge S, Ignell R, Strauch M, McBride CS. Mosquito brains encode unique features of human odour to drive host seeking. Nature 2022; 605:706-712. [PMID: 35508661 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04675-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A globally invasive form of the mosquito Aedes aegypti specializes in biting humans, making it an efficient disease vector1. Host-seeking female mosquitoes strongly prefer human odour over the odour of animals2,3, but exactly how they distinguish between the two is not known. Vertebrate odours are complex blends of volatile chemicals with many shared components4-7, making discrimination an interesting sensory coding challenge. Here we show that human and animal odours evoke activity in distinct combinations of olfactory glomeruli within the Ae. aegypti antennal lobe. One glomerulus in particular is strongly activated by human odour but responds weakly, or not at all, to animal odour. This human-sensitive glomerulus is selectively tuned to the long-chain aldehydes decanal and undecanal, which we show are consistently enriched in human odour and which probably originate from unique human skin lipids. Using synthetic blends, we further demonstrate that signalling in the human-sensitive glomerulus significantly enhances long-range host-seeking behaviour in a wind tunnel, recapitulating preference for human over animal odours. Our research suggests that animal brains may distil complex odour stimuli of innate biological relevance into simple neural codes and reveals targets for the design of next-generation mosquito-control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilei Zhao
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Jessica L Zung
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Annika Hinze
- Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Alexis L Kriete
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Graduate Program in Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Azwad Iqbal
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Meg A Younger
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin J Matthews
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dorit Merhof
- Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stephan Thiberge
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.,Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Rickard Ignell
- Unit of Chemical Ecology, Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Martin Strauch
- Institute of Imaging & Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Carolyn S McBride
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. .,Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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38
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Lee IH, Duvall LB. Maternally Instigated Diapause in Aedes albopictus: Coordinating Experience and Internal State for Survival in Variable Environments. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:778264. [PMID: 35548691 PMCID: PMC9082357 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.778264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is one of the most dangerous invasive species in the world. Females bite mammalian hosts, including humans, to obtain blood for egg development. The ancestral range of Ae. albopictus likely spanned from India to Japan and this species has since invaded a substantial portion of the globe. Ae. albopictus can be broadly categorized into temperate and tropical populations. One key to their ability to invade diverse ecological spaces is the capacity of females to detect seasonal changes and produce stress-resistant eggs that survive harsh winters. Females living in temperate regions respond to cues that predict the onset of unfavorable environmental conditions by producing eggs that enter maternally instigated embryonic diapause, a developmentally arrested state, which allows species survival by protecting the embryos until favorable conditions return. To appropriately produce diapause eggs, the female must integrate environmental cues and internal physiological state (blood feeding and reproductive status) to allocate nutrients and regulate reproduction. There is variation in reproductive responses to environmental cues between interfertile tropical and temperate populations depending on whether females are actively producing diapause vs. non-diapause eggs and whether they originate from populations that are capable of diapause. Although diapause-inducing environmental cues and diapause eggs have been extensively characterized, little is known about how the female detects gradual environmental changes and coordinates her reproductive status with seasonal dynamics to lay diapause eggs in order to maximize offspring survival. Previous studies suggest that the circadian system is involved in detecting daylength as a critical cue. However, it is unknown which clock network components are important, how these connect to reproductive physiology, and how they may differ between behavioral states or across populations with variable diapause competence. In this review, we showcase Ae. albopictus as an emerging species for neurogenetics to study how the nervous system combines environmental conditions and internal state to optimize reproductive behavior. We review environmental cues for diapause induction, downstream pathways that control female metabolic changes and reproductive capacity, as well as diapause heterogeneity between populations with different evolutionary histories. We highlight genetic tools that can be implemented in Ae. albopictus to identify signaling molecules and cellular circuits that control diapause. The tools and discoveries made in this species could translate to a broader understanding of how environmental cues are interpreted to alter reproductive physiology in other species and how populations with similar genetic and circuit organizations diversify behavioral patterns. These approaches may yield new targets to interfere with mosquito reproductive capacity, which could be exploited to reduce mosquito populations and the burden of the pathogens they transmit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura B. Duvall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY, United States
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39
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Task D, Lin CC, Vulpe A, Afify A, Ballou S, Brbic M, Schlegel P, Raji J, Jefferis GSXE, Li H, Menuz K, Potter CJ. Chemoreceptor co-expression in Drosophila melanogaster olfactory neurons. eLife 2022; 11:e72599. [PMID: 35442190 PMCID: PMC9020824 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster olfactory neurons have long been thought to express only one chemosensory receptor gene family. There are two main olfactory receptor gene families in Drosophila, the odorant receptors (ORs) and the ionotropic receptors (IRs). The dozens of odorant-binding receptors in each family require at least one co-receptor gene in order to function: Orco for ORs, and Ir25a, Ir8a, and Ir76b for IRs. Using a new genetic knock-in strategy, we targeted the four co-receptors representing the main chemosensory families in D. melanogaster (Orco, Ir8a, Ir76b, Ir25a). Co-receptor knock-in expression patterns were verified as accurate representations of endogenous expression. We find extensive overlap in expression among the different co-receptors. As defined by innervation into antennal lobe glomeruli, Ir25a is broadly expressed in 88% of all olfactory sensory neuron classes and is co-expressed in 82% of Orco+ neuron classes, including all neuron classes in the maxillary palp. Orco, Ir8a, and Ir76b expression patterns are also more expansive than previously assumed. Single sensillum recordings from Orco-expressing Ir25a mutant antennal and palpal neurons identify changes in olfactory responses. We also find co-expression of Orco and Ir25a in Drosophila sechellia and Anopheles coluzzii olfactory neurons. These results suggest that co-expression of chemosensory receptors is common in insect olfactory neurons. Together, our data present the first comprehensive map of chemosensory co-receptor expression and reveal their unexpected widespread co-expression in the fly olfactory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Task
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Chun-Chieh Lin
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Mortimer B. Zuckermann Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Alina Vulpe
- Physiology & Neurobiology Department, University of ConnecticutMansfieldUnited States
| | - Ali Afify
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Sydney Ballou
- Physiology & Neurobiology Department, University of ConnecticutMansfieldUnited States
| | - Maria Brbic
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Philipp Schlegel
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Joshua Raji
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Gregory SXE Jefferis
- Drosophila Connectomics Group, Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Hongjie Li
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - Karen Menuz
- Physiology & Neurobiology Department, University of ConnecticutMansfieldUnited States
| | - Christopher J Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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40
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Sun L, Pan X, Li H, Zhang X, Zhao X, Zhang L, Zhang L. Odor-Induced Vomiting Is Combinatorially Triggered by Palp Olfactory Receptor Neurons That Project to the Lobus Glomerulatus in Locust Brain. Front Physiol 2022; 13:855522. [PMID: 35514359 PMCID: PMC9065551 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.855522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Although vomiting is commonly recognized as a protective reaction in response to toxic stimuli, the elaborate sensory processes and necessary molecular components are not fully clear, which is due to a lack of appropriate experimental animal models. Vomiting reflex to volatile chemicals renders locust one candidate for vomiting model. Here, we identified a panel of chemical cues that evoked evident vomiting in locust nymphs and demonstrated the selected combinatorial coding strategy that palps but not antennae olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) employed. Specifically, knocking down individual palp odorant receptors (ORs) such as OR17, OR21, and OR22 attenuated the vomiting intensity evoked by E-2-hexenal and hexanal, while suppression of OR12 and OR22 augmented vomiting to E-2-hexenal and 2-hexanone, respectively. Furthermore, dual-RNAi treatment against OR17 or OR21 together with OR22 resulted in a much lower response intensity than that of individual OR suppression. Furthermore, OR12 was revealed in palp sensilla basiconica (pb) subtype 3 to tune the neuronal decaying activity to E-2-hexenal. Finally, anterograde labeling indicated that palp ORNs primarily projected into the lobus glomerulatus (LG), and the projection neurons (PNs) in the LG further projected into the accessary calyx (ACA). Together, the establishment of an olfaction-inducible vomiting model in locusts deepens the understanding of olfactory coding logics and provides an opportunity to clarify the neural basis underlying animal vomiting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Sun
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xueqin Pan
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwei Li
- Institute of Plant Inspection and Quarantine, Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyang Zhang
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Xincheng Zhao
- Department of Entomology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Liwei Zhang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
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41
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Wang IH, Murray E, Andrews G, Jiang HC, Park SJ, Donnard E, Durán-Laforet V, Bear DM, Faust TE, Garber M, Baer CE, Schafer DP, Weng Z, Chen F, Macosko EZ, Greer PL. Spatial transcriptomic reconstruction of the mouse olfactory glomerular map suggests principles of odor processing. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:484-492. [PMID: 35314823 PMCID: PMC9281876 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01030-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The olfactory system's ability to detect and discriminate between the vast array of chemicals present in the environment is critical for an animal's survival. In mammals, the first step of this odor processing is executed by olfactory sensory neurons, which project their axons to a stereotyped location in the olfactory bulb (OB) to form glomeruli. The stereotyped positioning of glomeruli in the OB suggests an importance for this organization in odor perception. However, because the location of only a limited subset of glomeruli has been determined, it has been challenging to determine the relationship between glomerular location and odor discrimination. Using a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and machine learning, we have generated a map of most glomerular positions in the mouse OB. These observations significantly extend earlier studies and suggest an overall organizational principle in the OB that may be used by the brain to assist in odor decoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- I-Hao Wang
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Evan Murray
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Greg Andrews
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Hao-Ching Jiang
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sung Jin Park
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Elisa Donnard
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Violeta Durán-Laforet
- Department of Neurobiology and Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Daniel M Bear
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Travis E Faust
- Department of Neurobiology and Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Manuel Garber
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Christina E Baer
- Sanderson Center for Optical Imaging and Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dorothy P Schafer
- Department of Neurobiology and Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul L Greer
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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Odorant-receptor-mediated regulation of chemosensory gene expression in the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110494. [PMID: 35263579 PMCID: PMC8957105 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquitoes locate and approach humans based on the activity of odorant receptors (ORs) expressed on olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). Olfactogenetic experiments in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes revealed that the ectopic expression of an AgOR (AgOR2) in ORNs dampened the activity of the expressing neuron. This contrasts with studies in Drosophila melanogaster in which the ectopic expression of non-native ORs in ORNs confers ectopic neuronal responses without interfering with native olfactory physiology. RNA-seq analyses comparing wild-type antennae to those ectopically expressing AgOR2 in ORNs indicated that nearly all AgOR transcripts were significantly downregulated (except for AgOR2). Additional experiments suggest that AgOR2 protein rather than mRNA mediates this downregulation. Using in situ hybridization, we find that AgOR gene choice is active into adulthood and that AgOR2 expression inhibits AgORs from turning on at this late stage. Our study shows that the ORNs of Anopheles mosquitoes (in contrast to Drosophila) are sensitive to a currently unexplored mechanism of AgOR regulation. Maguire et al. discover that the ectopic expression of an olfactory receptor can downregulate the transcription of endogenous odorant receptors in mosquito olfactory neurons. The onset of mosquito odorant-receptor expression by an olfactory neuron continues into adult stages, and is particularly sensitive to exogenous olfactory reception expression.
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Gupta A, Singh SS, Mittal AM, Singh P, Goyal S, Kannan KR, Gupta AK, Gupta N. Mosquito Olfactory Response Ensemble enables pattern discovery by curating a behavioral and electrophysiological response database. iScience 2022; 25:103938. [PMID: 35265812 PMCID: PMC8899409 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many experimental studies have examined behavioral and electrophysiological responses of mosquitoes to odors. However, the differences across studies in data collection, processing, and reporting make it difficult to perform large-scale analyses combining data from multiple studies. Here we extract and standardize data for 12 mosquito species, along with Drosophila melanogaster for comparison, from over 170 studies and curate the Mosquito Olfactory Response Ensemble (MORE), publicly available at https://neuralsystems.github.io/MORE. We demonstrate the ability of MORE in generating biological insights by finding patterns across studies. Our analyses reveal that ORs are tuned to specific ranges of several physicochemical properties of odorants; the empty-neuron recording technique for measuring OR responses is more sensitive than the Xenopus oocyte technique; there are systematic differences in the behavioral preferences reported by different types of assays; and odorants tend to become less attractive or more aversive at higher concentrations. MORE is a database of behavioral and electrophysiological responses to odors MORE includes data from 170 studies covering 12 species of mosquitoes along with flies MORE shows differences in odor preferences measured with different assays Empty-neuron technique measures responses more sensitively than the oocyte technique
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44
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Coutinho-Abreu IV, Riffell JA, Akbari OS. Human attractive cues and mosquito host-seeking behavior. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:246-264. [PMID: 34674963 PMCID: PMC10789295 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Female mosquitoes use chemical and physical cues, including vision, smell, heat, and humidity, to orient toward hosts. Body odors are produced by skin resident bacteria that convert metabolites secreted in sweat into odorants that confer the characteristic body scent. Mosquitoes detect these compounds using olfactory receptors in their antennal olfactory receptor neurons. Such information is further integrated with the senses of temperature and humidity, as well as vision, processed in the brain into a behavioral output, leading to host finding. Knowledge of human scent components unveils a variety of odorants that are attractive to mosquitoes, but also odor-triggering repellency. Finding ways to divert human-seeking behavior by female mosquitoes using odorants can possibly mitigate mosquito-borne pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iliano V Coutinho-Abreu
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Riffell
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Omar S Akbari
- Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Fölsz O, Lin CC, Task D, Riabinina O, Potter CJ. The Q-system: A Versatile Repressible Binary Expression System. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2540:35-78. [PMID: 35980572 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2541-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Binary expression systems are useful genetic tools for experimentally labeling or manipulating the function of defined cells. The Q-system is a repressible binary expression system that consists of a transcription factor QF (and the recently improved QF2/QF2w), the inhibitor QS, a QUAS-geneX effector, and a drug that inhibits QS (quinic acid). The Q-system can be used alone or in combination with other binary expression systems, such as GAL4/UAS and LexA/LexAop. In this review chapter, we discuss the past, present, and future of the Q-system for applications in Drosophila and other organisms. We discuss the in vivo application of the Q-system for transgenic labeling, the modular nature of QF that allows chimeric or split transcriptional activators to be developed, its temporal control by quinic acid, new methods to generate QF2 reagents, intersectional expression labeling, and its recent adoption into many emerging experimental species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Fölsz
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Chun-Chieh Lin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Giesel School of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Darya Task
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Christopher J Potter
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Lalwani MA, Zhao EM, Wegner SA, Avalos JL. The Neurospora crassa Inducible Q System Enables Simultaneous Optogenetic Amplification and Inversion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for Bidirectional Control of Gene Expression. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:2060-2075. [PMID: 34346207 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bidirectional optogenetic control of yeast gene expression has great potential for biotechnological applications. Our group has developed optogenetic inverter circuits that activate transcription using darkness, as well as amplifier circuits that reach high expression levels under limited light. However, because both types of circuits harness Gal4p and Gal80p from the galactose (GAL) regulon they cannot be used simultaneously. Here, we apply the Q System, a transcriptional activator/inhibitor system from Neurospora crassa, to build circuits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that are inducible using quinic acid, darkness, or blue light. We develop light-repressed OptoQ-INVRT circuits that initiate darkness-triggered transcription within an hour of induction, as well as light-activated OptoQ-AMP circuits that achieve up to 39-fold induction. The Q System does not exhibit crosstalk with the GAL regulon, allowing coutilization of OptoQ-AMP circuits with previously developed OptoINVRT circuits. As a demonstration of practical applications in metabolic engineering, we show how simultaneous use of these circuits can be used to dynamically control both growth and production to improve acetoin production, as well as enable light-tunable co-production of geraniol and linalool, two terpenoids implicated in the hoppy flavor of beer. OptoQ-AMP and OptoQ-INVRT circuits enable simultaneous optogenetic signal amplification and inversion, providing powerful additions to the yeast optogenetic toolkit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto A. Lalwani
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Evan M. Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Scott A. Wegner
- Department of Molecular Biology. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - José L. Avalos
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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Trebels B, Dippel S, Goetz B, Graebner M, Hofmann C, Hofmann F, Schmid FR, Uhl M, Vuong MP, Weber V, Schachtner J. Metamorphic development of the olfactory system in the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum, HERBST). BMC Biol 2021; 19:155. [PMID: 34330268 PMCID: PMC8323255 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01055-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insects depend on their olfactory sense as a vital system. Olfactory cues are processed by a rather complex system and translated into various types of behavior. In holometabolous insects like the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, the nervous system typically undergoes considerable remodeling during metamorphosis. This process includes the integration of new neurons, as well as remodeling and elimination of larval neurons. RESULTS We find that the sensory neurons of the larval antennae are reused in the adult antennae. Further, the larval antennal lobe gets transformed into its adult version. The beetle's larval antennal lobe is already glomerularly structured, but its glomeruli dissolve in the last larval stage. However, the axons of the olfactory sensory neurons remain within the antennal lobe volume. The glomeruli of the adult antennal lobe then form from mid-metamorphosis independently of the presence of a functional OR/Orco complex but mature dependent on the latter during a postmetamorphic phase. CONCLUSIONS We provide insights into the metamorphic development of the red flour beetle's olfactory system and compared it to data on Drosophila melanogaster, Manduca sexta, and Apis mellifera. The comparison revealed that some aspects, such as the formation of the antennal lobe's adult glomeruli at mid-metamorphosis, are common, while others like the development of sensory appendages or the role of Orco seemingly differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Trebels
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Dippel
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Brigitte Goetz
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Maria Graebner
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Carolin Hofmann
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Florian Hofmann
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Freya-Rebecca Schmid
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Mara Uhl
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Minh-Phung Vuong
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Weber
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Schachtner
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 8, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Clausthal University of Technology, Adolph-Roemer-Str. 2a, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany
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Abstract
The ability to express a gene in all neurons is a crucial tool for studying the nervous system. Zhao et al., 2021 unlock genetic access to all neurons in mosquitoes by generating the first pan-neuronal transgenes in this non-model insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Potter
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Zhao Z, Tian D, McBride CS. Development of a pan-neuronal genetic driver in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2021; 1:100042. [PMID: 34590074 PMCID: PMC8478256 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The recent development of neurogenetic tools in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes is beginning to shed light on the neural basis of behaviors that make this species a major vector of human disease. However, we still lack a pan-neuronal expression driver-a key tool that provides genetic access to all neurons. Here, we describe our efforts to fill this gap via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in of reporters to broadly expressed neural genes and report on the generation of two strains, a Syt1:GCaMP6s strain that expresses synaptically localized GCaMP and a brp-T2A-QF2w driver strain that can be used to drive and amplify expression of any effector via the Q binary system. Both manipulations broadly and uniformly label the nervous system with only modest effects on behavior. We expect these strains to facilitate neurobiological research in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and document both successful and failed manipulations as a roadmap for similar tool development in other non-model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilei Zhao
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - David Tian
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Carolyn S. McBride
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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Mohan I, Kodali NK, Chellappan S, Karuppusamy B, Behera SK, Natarajan G, Balabaskaran Nina P. Socio-economic and household determinants of malaria in adults aged 45 and above: analysis of longitudinal ageing survey in India, 2017-2018. Malar J 2021; 20:306. [PMID: 34233690 PMCID: PMC8265067 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03840-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Even though malaria cases have drastically come down in the last decade, malaria remains a serious public health concern in many parts of India. National Framework for Malaria Elimination in India (2016–2030) has been launched with the goal to eliminate malaria by 2030. Understanding the socio-economic and household determinants of malaria at the national level will greatly aid India’s malaria elimination efforts. Methods The data from Longitudinal Ageing Survey of India (LASI) Wave 1 (2017–2018) survey comprising 70,671 respondents ≥ 45 years across all the States and Union Territories were used for the analysis. Simple and multiple logistic regressions were used to obtain the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratio respectively of the socio-economic and household variables. Results The major socio-economic variables that increase the likelihood of malaria are caste (‘scheduled tribes’), low education levels and rural residence. The scheduled tribes have 1.8 times higher odds of malaria than the scheduled castes (AOR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.5–2.1). Respondents with high school education (6–12 grade) (AOR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6–0.8) and college education (AOR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.4–0.6) had a very low risk of malaria than those with no school years. Rural residence and occupation (agriculture and allied jobs) also increases the odds of malaria. The major housing determinants are household size (≥ 6), housing type (kutcha), use of unclean fuel, outside water source, improper sanitation (toilet facilities) and damp wall/ceiling. Conclusions The study has identified the major socio-economic and housing factors associated with malaria in adults aged 45 and above. In addition to vector and parasite control strategies in the tribal dominated regions of India, improving literacy and housing conditions may help India’s malaria elimination efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indumathi Mohan
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Naveen Kumar Kodali
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | | | - Sujit Kumar Behera
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Gopalan Natarajan
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Praveen Balabaskaran Nina
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India.
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