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Wang Z, Chang Z, Liu Z, Zhang S. Influences of Microbial Symbionts on Chemoreception of Their Insect Hosts. INSECTS 2023; 14:638. [PMID: 37504644 PMCID: PMC10380252 DOI: 10.3390/insects14070638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Chemical communication is widespread among insects and exploited to adjust their behavior, such as food and habitat seeking and preferences, recruitment, defense, and mate attraction. Recently, many studies have revealed that microbial symbionts could regulate host chemical communication by affecting the synthesis and perception of insect semiochemicals. In this paper, we review recent studies of the influence of microbial symbionts on insect chemoreception. Microbial symbionts may influence insect sensitivity to semiochemicals by regulating the synthesis of odorant-binding proteins or chemosensory proteins and olfactory or gustatory receptors and regulating host neurotransmission, thereby adjusting insect behavior. The manipulation of insect chemosensory behavior by microbial symbionts is conducive to their proliferation and dispersal and provides the impetus for insects to change their feeding habits and aggregation and dispersal behavior, which contributes to population differentiation in insects. Future research is necessary to reveal the material and information exchange between both partners to improve our comprehension of the evolution of chemoreception in insects. Manipulating insect chemoreception physiology by inoculating them with microbes could be utilized as a potential approach to managing insect populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyan Wang
- School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Zhenzhen Chang
- School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Zhiyuan Liu
- School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Shan Zhang
- School of Food and Strategic Reserves, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
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Li JB, Yin MZ, Yao WC, Ma S, Dewer Y, Liu XZ, Wang YY, Wang CW, Li BP, Zhu XY. Genome-Wide Analysis of Odorant-Binding Proteins and Chemosensory Proteins in the Bean bug Riptortus pedestris. Front Physiol 2022; 13:949607. [PMID: 35910558 PMCID: PMC9329939 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.949607] [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: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects have sensitive olfactory systems to interact with environment and respond to the change in host plant conditions. Key genes in the system can be potential targets for developing new and efficient pest behaviour control methods. Riptortus pedestris is an important soybean pest in East Asia and has caused serious damage to the soybean plants in Huang-Huai-Hai region of China. However, the current treatment of pests is dominated by chemical insecticides and lacks efficient sustainable prevention and control technologies. In this study, we identified 49 putative odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) (43 were new genes) and 25 chemosensory proteins (CSPs) (17 were new genes) in R. pedestris genome. These OBP and CSP genes are clustered in highly conserved groups from other hemipteran species in phylogenetic trees. Most RpedOBPs displayed antennal-biased expression. Among the 49 RpedOBPs, 33 were significantly highly expressed in the antennae, including three male-biased and nine female-biased. While many RpedCSPs were detected both in the antennae and in non-antennal tissues, only 11 RpedCSPs displayed antennal-biased expression, in which four RpedCSPs were male-biased and five RpedCSPs were female-biased. Some OBP and CSP genes showed sex-biased expression profiles. Our results not only provide a foundation for future exploration of the functions of RpedOBPs and RpedCSPs but also aid in developing environmentally friendly insecticides in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Bu Li
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Plant Protection, Suzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Mao-Zhu Yin
- Institute of Plant Protection, Suzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Wei-Chen Yao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pollutant Sensitive Materials and Environmental Remediation, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Featured Resource Plants, College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China
| | - Sai Ma
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pollutant Sensitive Materials and Environmental Remediation, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Featured Resource Plants, College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China
| | - Youssef Dewer
- Phytotoxicity Research Department, Central Agricultural Pesticide Laboratory, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
| | - Xing-Zhou Liu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Suzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Yue-Ying Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Suzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Chao-Wei Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Suzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Suzhou, China
| | - Bao-Ping Li
- Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Bao-Ping Li, ; Xiu-Yun Zhu,
| | - Xiu-Yun Zhu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pollutant Sensitive Materials and Environmental Remediation, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Efficient Utilization of Featured Resource Plants, College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China
- *Correspondence: Bao-Ping Li, ; Xiu-Yun Zhu,
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Novel Symbiotic Genome-Scale Model Reveals Wolbachia's Arboviral Pathogen Blocking Mechanism in Aedes aegypti. mBio 2021; 12:e0156321. [PMID: 34634928 PMCID: PMC8515829 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01563-21] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are endosymbiont bacteria known to infect arthropods causing different effects, such as cytoplasmic incompatibility and pathogen blocking in Aedes aegypti. Although several Wolbachia strains have been studied, there is little knowledge regarding the relationship between this bacterium and their hosts, particularly on their obligate endosymbiont nature and its pathogen blocking ability. Motivated by the potential applications on disease control, we developed a genome-scale model of two Wolbachia strains: wMel and the strongest Dengue blocking strain known to date: wMelPop. The obtained metabolic reconstructions exhibit an energy metabolism relying mainly on amino acids and lipid transport to support cell growth that is consistent with altered lipid and cholesterol metabolism in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. The obtained metabolic reconstruction was then coupled with a reconstructed mosquito model to retrieve a symbiotic genome-scale model accounting for 1,636 genes and 6,408 reactions of the Aedes aegypti-Wolbachia interaction system. Simulation of an arboviral infection in the obtained novel symbiotic model represents a metabolic scenario characterized by pathogen blocking in higher titer Wolbachia strains, showing that pathogen blocking by Wolbachia infection is consistent with competition for lipid and amino acid resources between arbovirus and this endosymbiotic bacteria.
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Wheelwright M, Whittle CR, Riabinina O. Olfactory systems across mosquito species. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:75-90. [PMID: 33475852 PMCID: PMC7873006 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03407-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
There are 3559 species of mosquitoes in the world (Harbach 2018) but, so far, only a handful of them have been a focus of olfactory neuroscience and neurobiology research. Here we discuss mosquito olfactory anatomy and function and connect these to mosquito ecology. We highlight the least well-known and thus most interesting aspects of mosquito olfactory systems and discuss promising future directions. We hope this review will encourage the insect neuroscience community to work more broadly across mosquito species instead of focusing narrowly on the main disease vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Wheelwright
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Catherine R Whittle
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Olena Riabinina
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
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Li H, Wang P, Zhang L, Xu X, Cao Z, Zhang L. Expressions of Olfactory Proteins in Locust Olfactory Organs and a Palp Odorant Receptor Involved in Plant Aldehydes Detection. Front Physiol 2018; 9:663. [PMID: 29915543 PMCID: PMC5994405 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The main chemosensory organs of locusts consisted of the antennae and the mouthparts (maxillary and labial palps), which are suggested to perform different functions. However, very few are known about the differences of these two organs at molecular level. To understand the differences of locust antennae and palps in olfaction, the electrophysiological response and olfactory gene expression of these two organs were conducted. Our electrophysiological experiments with Locusta migratoria showed that the responses of mouthpart palps and antennae to odorants are quite different. Only a few odorants, such as (E,E)-2,4-hexadienal and (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, elicited stronger electrophysiological responses of both maxillary and labial palps in comparison to the antennae. Additionally, we obtained 114 and 11 putative odorant receptor (OR) gene segments from the antennal and palp transcriptomes, respectively. Two novel odorant-binding proteins (OBPs; OBP15 and OBP16) and one novel OR (OR142) were identified for the first time. Out of the 16 OBP genes tested in RT-PCR and qPCR analyses, OBP8 was highly expressed in the nymphal palps. OBP4, OBP10, and OBP16 were only detected in the antennae. The other 11 OBP genes were jointly expressed in both antennae and palps. The relative expression level of OBP6 in male palps was much higher than that of female palps. Furthermore, for the 11 OR genes identified in palp transcriptome, the expression levels of OR12, OR13, OR14, and OR18 in the palps were significantly higher than those in the antennae. The OR12 in palps was demonstrated to be involved in detection of hexanal and E-2-hexenal, as well as (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal. Our results provide information on the different olfactory roles of locust antennae and palps at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Li
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Liwei Zhang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zewen Cao
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Vogt RG, Große-Wilde E, Zhou JJ. The Lepidoptera Odorant Binding Protein gene family: Gene gain and loss within the GOBP/PBP complex of moths and butterflies. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 62:142-153. [PMID: 25784631 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Butterflies and moths differ significantly in their daily activities: butterflies are diurnal while moths are largely nocturnal or crepuscular. This life history difference is presumably reflected in their sensory biology, and especially the balance between the use of chemical versus visual signals. Odorant Binding Proteins (OBP) are a class of insect proteins, at least some of which are thought to orchestrate the transfer of odor molecules within an olfactory sensillum (olfactory organ), between the air and odor receptor proteins (ORs) on the olfactory neurons. A Lepidoptera specific subclass of OBPs are the GOBPs and PBPs; these were the first OBPs studied and have well documented associations with olfactory sensilla. We have used the available genomes of two moths, Manduca sexta and Bombyx mori, and two butterflies, Danaus plexippus and Heliconius melpomene, to characterize the GOBP/PBP genes, attempting to identify gene orthologs and document specific gene gain and loss. First, we identified the full repertoire of OBPs in the M. sexta genome, and compared these with the full repertoire of OBPs from the other three lepidopteran genomes, the OBPs of Drosophila melanogaster and select OBPs from other Lepidoptera. We also evaluated the tissue specific expression of the M. sexta OBPs using an available RNAseq databases. In the four lepidopteran species, GOBP2 and all PBPs reside in single gene clusters; in two species GOBP1 is documented to be nearby, about 100 kb from the cluster; all GOBP/PBP genes share a common gene structure indicating a common origin. As such, the GOBP/PBP genes form a gene complex. Our findings suggest that (1) the lepidopteran GOBP/PBP complex is a monophyletic lineage with origins deep within Lepidoptera phylogeny, (2) within this lineage PBP gene evolution is much more dynamic than GOBP gene evolution, and (3) butterflies may have lost a PBP gene that plays an important role in moth pheromone detection, correlating with a shift from olfactory (moth) to visual (butterfly) communication, at least regarding long distance mate recognition. These findings will be clarified by additional lepidopteran genomic data, but the observation that moths and butterflies share most of the PBP/GOBP genes suggests that they also share common chemosensory-based behavioral pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard G Vogt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
| | - Ewald Große-Wilde
- Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Jing-Jiang Zhou
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Crop Protection, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
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McKenzie SK, Oxley PR, Kronauer DJC. Comparative genomics and transcriptomics in ants provide new insights into the evolution and function of odorant binding and chemosensory proteins. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:718. [PMID: 25159315 PMCID: PMC4161878 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The complex societies of ants and other social insects rely on sophisticated chemical communication. Two families of small soluble proteins, the odorant binding and chemosensory proteins (OBPs and CSPs), are believed to be important in insect chemosensation. To better understand the role of these proteins in ant olfaction, we examined their evolution and expression across the ants using phylogenetics and sex- and tissue-specific RNA-seq. RESULTS We find that subsets of both OBPs and CSPs are expressed in the antennae, contradicting the previous hypothesis that CSPs have replaced OBPs in ant olfaction. Both protein families have several highly conserved clades with a single ortholog in all eusocial hymenopterans, as well as clades with more dynamic evolution and many taxon-specific radiations. The dynamically evolving OBPs and CSPs have been hypothesized to function in chemical communication. Intriguingly, we find that seven members of the conserved clades are expressed specifically in the antennae of the clonal raider ant Cerapachys biroi, whereas only one dynamically evolving CSP is antenna specific. The orthologs of the conserved, antenna-specific C. biroi genes are also expressed in antennae of the ants Camponotus floridanus and Harpegnathos saltator, indicating that antenna-specific expression of these OBPs and CSPs is conserved across ants. Most members of the dynamically evolving clades in both protein families are expressed primarily in non-chemosensory tissues and thus likely do not fulfill chemosensory functions. CONCLUSIONS Our results identify candidate OBPs and CSPs that are likely involved in conserved aspects of ant olfaction, and suggest that OBPs and CSPs may not rapidly evolve to recognize species-specific signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean K McKenzie
- Laboratory of Insect Social Evolution, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, 10065 New York, NY, USA.
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Hall AB, Timoshevskiy VA, Sharakhova MV, Jiang X, Basu S, Anderson MAE, Hu W, Sharakhov IV, Adelman ZN, Tu Z. Insights into the preservation of the homomorphic sex-determining chromosome of Aedes aegypti from the discovery of a male-biased gene tightly linked to the M-locus. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 6:179-91. [PMID: 24398378 PMCID: PMC3914700 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The preservation of a homomorphic sex-determining chromosome in some organisms without transformation into a heteromorphic sex chromosome is a long-standing enigma in evolutionary biology. A dominant sex-determining locus (or M-locus) in an undifferentiated homomorphic chromosome confers the male phenotype in the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. Genetic evidence suggests that the M-locus is in a nonrecombining region. However, the molecular nature of the M-locus has not been characterized. Using a recently developed approach based on Illumina sequencing of male and female genomic DNA, we identified a novel gene, myo-sex, that is present almost exclusively in the male genome but can sporadically be found in the female genome due to recombination. For simplicity, we define sequences that are primarily found in the male genome as male-biased. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on A. aegypti chromosomes demonstrated that the myo-sex probe localized to region 1q21, the established location of the M-locus. Myo-sex is a duplicated myosin heavy chain gene that is highly expressed in the pupa and adult male. Myo-sex shares 83% nucleotide identity and 97% amino acid identity with its closest autosomal paralog, consistent with ancient duplication followed by strong purifying selection. Compared with males, myo-sex is expressed at very low levels in the females that acquired it, indicating that myo-sex may be sexually antagonistic. This study establishes a framework to discover male-biased sequences within a homomorphic sex-determining chromosome and offers new insights into the evolutionary forces that have impeded the expansion of the nonrecombining M-locus in A. aegypti.
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Bohbot JD, Sparks JT, Dickens JC. The maxillary palp of Aedes aegypti, a model of multisensory integration. INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 48:29-39. [PMID: 24613607 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2014.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Revised: 02/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Female yellow-fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti, are obligate blood-feeders and vectors of the pathogens that cause dengue fever, yellow fever and Chikungunya. This feeding behavior concludes a series of multisensory events guiding the mosquito to its host from a distance. The antennae and maxillary palps play a major role in host detection and other sensory-mediated behaviors. Compared to the antennae, the maxillary palps are a relatively simple organ and thus an attractive model for exploration of the neuromolecular networks underlying chemo- and mechanosensation. In this study, we surveyed the expressed genetic components and examined their potential involvement with these sensory modalities. Using Illumina sequencing, we identified the transcriptome of the maxillary palps of physiologically mature female Ae. aegypti. Genes expressed in the maxillary palps included those involved in sensory reception, signal transduction and neuromodulation. In addition to previously reported chemosensory genes, we identified candidate transcripts potentially involved in mechanosensation and thermosensation. This survey lays the groundwork to explore sensory networks in an insect appendage. The identification of genes involved in thermosensation provides prospective molecular targets for the development of chemicals aimed at disrupting the behavior of this medically important insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Bohbot
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Jackson T Sparks
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Joseph C Dickens
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA.
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Sim S, Ramirez JL, Dimopoulos G. Dengue virus infection of the Aedes aegypti salivary gland and chemosensory apparatus induces genes that modulate infection and blood-feeding behavior. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1002631. [PMID: 22479185 PMCID: PMC3315490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The female Aedes aegypti salivary gland plays a pivotal role in bloodmeal acquisition and reproduction, and thereby dengue virus (DENV) transmission. It produces numerous immune factors, as well as immune-modulatory, vasodilatory, and anti-coagulant molecules that facilitate blood-feeding. To assess the impact of DENV infection on salivary gland physiology and function, we performed a comparative genome-wide microarray analysis of the naïve and DENV infection-responsive A. aegypti salivary gland transcriptomes. DENV infection resulted in the regulation of 147 transcripts that represented a variety of functional classes, including several that are essential for virus transmission, such as immunity, blood-feeding, and host-seeking. RNAi-mediated gene silencing of three DENV infection-responsive genes--a cathepsin B, a putative cystatin, and a hypothetical ankyrin repeat-containing protein--significantly modulated DENV replication in the salivary gland. Furthermore, silencing of two DENV infection-responsive odorant-binding protein genes (OBPs) resulted in an overall compromise in blood acquisition from a single host by increasing the time for initiation of probing and the probing time before a successful bloodmeal. We also show that DENV established an extensive infection in the mosquito's main olfactory organs, the antennae, which resulted in changes of the transcript abundance of key host-seeking genes. DENV infection, however, did not significantly impact probing initiation or probing times in our laboratory infection system. Here we show for the first time that the mosquito salivary gland mounts responses to suppress DENV which, in turn, modulates the expression of chemosensory-related genes that regulate feeding behavior. These reciprocal interactions may have the potential to affect DENV transmission between humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzhen Sim
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - José L. Ramirez
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Lynd A, Lycett GJ. Optimization of the Gal4-UAS system in an Anopheles gambiae cell line. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 20:599-608. [PMID: 21699594 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2583.2011.01090.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The development of the bipartite Gal4-UAS system in Anopheles gambiae would improve the functional characterization of genes in this important malaria vector. Towards this aim, we used Gal4 driver plasmids to successfully activate expression of the reporter gene, luciferase, from UAS responder plasmids when cotransfected into an An. gambiae cell line. To optimize Gal4-regulated gene expression in mosquitoes, we compared the efficiency of a series of alternative Gal4 transactivators to drive reporter gene expression from responder plasmids incorporating different numbers of tandemly arrayed Gal4 binding sites or upstream activation sequences (UAS). The results indicated that the native Gal4 is only weakly active in these cells. Modified forms of Gal4, including those carrying minimal VP16 activation domains, as well as a deleted form of Gal4, give up to 20-fold greater activity than the native protein, when used in conjunction with a responder plasmid having 14 UAS repeats. The identification of Gal4-UAS vectors that are efficiently expressed in a mosquito cell line should facilitate the transfer of this versatile expression system to An. gambiae, and potentially to other insects of medical importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Lynd
- Vector Group, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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Pelletier J, Leal WS. Characterization of olfactory genes in the antennae of the Southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:915-929. [PMID: 21504749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2011] [Revised: 03/25/2011] [Accepted: 04/01/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Odorant reception in insects is mediated by different families of olfactory proteins. Here we focus on the characterization of odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), "plus-C" odorant-binding proteins ("plus-C" OBPs), chemosensory proteins (CSPs) and sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs) families from the Southern house mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus, a vector of pathogens implicated in multiple human diseases. Using bioinformatics and molecular approaches, we have identified a diversity of genes in the genome of Culex quinquefasciatus and examined their expression profiles by RT-PCR and real-time quantitative PCR. Based on their high transcript enrichment in female antennae compared to non-olfactory tissues, we have identified twelve OBPs, two "plus-C" OBPs and two SNMPs that likely play important roles in odorant reception. Transcripts of two genes were clearly enriched in female antennae compared to male antennae, whereas other genes displayed relatively equivalent transcript levels in antennae of both sexes. Additionally, eight genes were found to be transcribed at very high levels in female antennae compared to CquiOR7, suggesting they might encode highly abundant olfactory proteins. Comparative analysis across different mosquito species revealed that olfactory genes of Culex quinquefasciatus are related to putative orthologs in other species, indicating that they might perform similar functions. Understanding how mosquitoes are able to detect ecologically relevant odorant cues might help designing better control strategies. We have identified olfactory genes from different families which are likely important in Culex quinquefasciatus behaviors, thus paving the way towards a better understanding of the diversity of proteins involved in the reception of semiochemicals in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Pelletier
- Honorary Maeda-Duffey Laboratory, Department of Entomology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
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