1
|
Cerri F, Araujo MDS, Aguirre ADAR, Evaristo GPC, Evaristo JAM, Nogueira FCS, de Medeiros JF, Dias QM. Crude saliva of Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (Acari: Ixodidae) reduces locomotor activity and increases the hemocyte number in the females of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Exp Parasitol 2023:108570. [PMID: 37330106 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Aedes aegypti are vector insects of arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. All available vector control methods have limited efficacy, highlighting the urgent need to find alternative ones. Evidence shows that arachnids like ticks are sources of biologically active compounds. Moreover, chemical modulation of the locomotor and immune systems of vector insects can be used to control arbovirus transmission. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of crude saliva of female Amblyomma cajennense sensu stricto (s.s.) ticks in reducing locomotor activity and inducing an immune response in Ae. aegypti females. Additionally, the study evaluated the protein constitution of tick saliva. For this purpose, the crude saliva obtained from several semi-engorged A. cajennense females was used. A volume of 0.2 nL of crude tick saliva was administered to mosquitoes by direct intrathoracic microinjection. The effect of the tick's saliva on the locomotor activity of the mosquito was observed using Flybox, a video-automated monitoring system, and the hemolymph hemocyte levels were quantified by reading slides under a light microscope. The protein concentration of the crude tick saliva was 1.27 μg/μL, and its electrophoretic profile indicates the presence of proteins with a molecular weight ranging between ∼17 and 95 kDa. Microplusins, ixodegrins, cystatin, actins, beta-actin, calponin, albumin, alpha-globulins, and hemoglobin were the main proteins identified by proteomics in the saliva of A. cajennense. The microinjected saliva had low toxicity for Ae. aegypti females and significantly reduced their locomotor activity, especially in the transition between the light and dark phases. The crude tick saliva did not change the period and rhythmicity of the circadian cycle. The tick saliva significantly increased the number of hemocytes two days after injection and reduced it after five days. These results suggest that further evaluation of the biological properties of tick saliva proteins against Ae. aegypti would be of interest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano Cerri
- Laboratório de Neuro e Imunofarmacologia (NIMFAR) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Rondônia - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, (PGBIOEXP), Brazil
| | - Maisa da Silva Araujo
- Laboratório de Entomologia/Plataforma de Produção e Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - André de Abreu Rangel Aguirre
- Laboratório de Entomologia/Plataforma de Produção e Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | | | - Joseph Albert Medeiros Evaristo
- Laboratório de Proteômica, LADETEC, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fábio César Sousa Nogueira
- Laboratório de Proteômica, LADETEC, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jansen Fernandes de Medeiros
- Universidade Federal de Rondônia - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, (PGBIOEXP), Brazil; Laboratório de Entomologia/Plataforma de Produção e Infecção de Vetores da Malária (PIVEM) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
| | - Quintino Moura Dias
- Laboratório de Neuro e Imunofarmacologia (NIMFAR) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ Rondônia) - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Neuroimunomodulação (INCT - NIM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Rondônia - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Experimental, (PGBIOEXP), Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Guo C, Zhou B, Liu Y, Niu H, Lv L, Li M. Simulation analysis and physiological and biochemical evaluation of Sophora flavescens aboveground against aphids using network pharmacology. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 189:105308. [PMID: 36549815 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Pests cause substantial damage to human environments; therefore, studying insecticidal mechanisms is crucial for improving pest control. However, the use of chemical pesticides can cause irreversible secondary damage. In this study, we used network pharmacology to investigate the effect of Sophora flavescens Alt., as a biological pest control agent, on glucose-6-phosphate 1-dehydrogenase, thymidylate synthase, and a translocation protein in aphids. The stability and reliability of target proteins was analyzed using molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulations. Enzyme activity assays validated the feasibility of network pharmacology to obtain actionable targets. We used interdisciplinary integration to study pest control and network pharmacology to identify how Sophora flavescens Alt. resists aphid attacks. The results show that the use of network pharmacology can increase the accuracy and specificity of our predictions for the molecules targeted by insecticides. This approach will facilitate improved, environmentally friendly pest control development in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Guo
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, China; Inner Mongolia Academy of Chinese and Mongolian Medicine, Hohhot, China
| | - Baochang Zhou
- Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China; Inner Mongolia Academy of Chinese and Mongolian Medicine, Hohhot, China
| | - Yibo Liu
- Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China; Inner Mongolia Academy of Chinese and Mongolian Medicine, Hohhot, China
| | - Hui Niu
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Characteristic Geoherbs Resources Protection and Utilization, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China; Inner Mongolia Academy of Chinese and Mongolian Medicine, Hohhot, China
| | - Lijuan Lv
- Department of Basic Science, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Minhui Li
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, China; Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Characteristic Geoherbs Resources Protection and Utilization, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China; Inner Mongolia Academy of Chinese and Mongolian Medicine, Hohhot, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Maia PCR, La Corte R, Pires LB, Banfield L, Logan JG, Lima-Camara TN. Increased Repellent Effect of DEET on Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Field Population. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1368-1375. [PMID: 35686335 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Insecticides and repellents are routinely used in Brazil because of the high rates of arbovirus transmission and the nuisance caused by mosquitoes. However, few studies have assessed the effectiveness of repellents against mosquito populations that have been under exposure to xenobiotics, mainly insecticides and repellents. This study investigated the sensitivity of a field population of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) from a dengue-endemic area under high insecticide pressure to N,N-diethylmethylbenzamide (DEET), the active ingredient in common repellent products. The field (Laranjeiras, Sergipe, Brazil) and laboratory (Rockefeller) populations were characterized for the presence of the Val1016Ile kdr mutation, associated with pyrethroid resistance, and locomotor activity. Repellency bioassays were performed to assess the response of the mosquitoes to human odor by exposing them to 10% DEET applied to the skin in ethanol. Samples from the field population showed higher frequency of the kdr mutation, 21.9% homozygous and 21.9% heterozygous, greater locomotor activity and greater sensitivity to DEET than the laboratory population. These results suggest increased sensitivity to DEET in field populations and a possible interaction between insecticide exposure and sensitivity to DEET.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pollyana Conceição Romão Maia
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715-Cerqueira César, São Paulo-SP, 01246-904, Brazil
| | - Roseli La Corte
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe. Av. Mal Rondon s/n São Cristóvão-SE, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Liandra Brasil Pires
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe. Av. Mal Rondon s/n São Cristóvão-SE, 49100-000, Brazil
| | - Lydia Banfield
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - James G Logan
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Tamara Nunes Lima-Camara
- Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo. Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715-Cerqueira César, São Paulo-SP, 01246-904, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lima-Camara TN, Medeiros-Sousa AR, Coelho RR, Marrelli MT. Body size does not affect locomotor activity of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus females (Diptera:Culicidae). Acta Trop 2022; 231:106430. [PMID: 35367409 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106430] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Intraspecific competition between mosquito larvae can affect several adult traits, particularly size. This study tested the hypothesis that intraspecific competition during the larval stage affects wing length in Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus adults, in turn influencing locomotor activity. L1 larvae of both species were reared in trays under conditions of low and high competition. After adults had emerged, the locomotor activity of virgin females of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus was evaluated under light-dark cycles of 12:12 h at 25 °C and 70% relative humidity. At the end of the locomotor activity experiment, the left wings of the mosquitoes were removed to be measured, and wing length was used as an indicator of adult female size. Although the results showed that the wing lengths of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus females reared under low larval competition were significantly greater than those of females reared under high larval competition, this difference did not affect locomotor activity in females of either species, demonstrating that locomotor activity in small Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus females is not lower than in larger females. Our findings reinforce the idea that intraspecific competition alters the wing length of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus females and provide new evidence about this effect on the locomotor activity of these species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Nunes Lima-Camara
- Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Departamento de Epidemiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Ronan Rocha Coelho
- Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauro Toledo Marrelli
- Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Departamento de Epidemiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mosquito flight: Escaping attacks in dim light. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R279-R281. [PMID: 35349815 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
To avoid fast attackers, animals must move somewhere their pursuer cannot follow or does not expect. A new study shows that female mosquitoes of either a diurnal or a nocturnal species each exhibit a distinct escape strategy matched to the light level they experience as they hunt for blood.
Collapse
|