Duman-Scheel Molly, Syed Zainulabeuddin
Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, South Bend, Indiana, USA; Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.
Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.
Front Ecol Evol. 2015;3. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00061. Epub 2015 Jun 16.
Sexual dimorphism, a poorly understood but crucial aspect of vector mosquito biology, encompasses sex-specific physical, physiological, and behavioral traits related to mosquito reproduction. The study of mosquito sexual dimorphism has largely focused on analysis of the differences between adult female and male mosquitoes, particularly with respect to sex-specific behaviors related to disease transmission. However, sexually dimorphic behaviors are the products of differential gene expression that initiates during development and therefore must also be studied during development. Recent technical advancements are facilitating functional genetic studies in the dengue vector an emerging model for mosquito development. These methodologies, many of which could be extended to other non-model insect species, are facilitating analysis of the development of sexual dimorphism in neural tissues, particularly the olfactory system. These studies are providing insight into the neurodevelopmental genetic basis for sexual dimorphism in vector mosquitoes.
性二态性是媒介蚊子生物学中一个鲜为人知但至关重要的方面，它包括与蚊子繁殖相关的性别特异性身体、生理和行为特征。蚊子性二态性的研究主要集中在分析成年雌蚊和雄蚊之间的差异，特别是与疾病传播相关的性别特异性行为。然而，性别二态性行为是发育过程中启动的差异基因表达的产物，因此也必须在发育过程中进行研究。最近的技术进步正在推动对登革热媒介（一种新兴的蚊子发育模型）进行功能遗传学研究。这些方法中的许多都可以扩展到其他非模式昆虫物种，它们有助于分析神经组织，特别是嗅觉系统中性二态性的发育。这些研究正在深入了解媒介蚊子性二态性的神经发育遗传基础。
