Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-009, Brazil.
Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-009, Brazil.
J Insect Physiol. 2020 Apr;122:104021. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2020.104021. Epub 2020 Feb 6.
The triatomine bug Rhodnius prolixus is a main vector of Chagas disease, which affects several million people in Latin-America. These nocturnal insects spend most of their locomotory activity during the first hours of the scotophase searching for suitable hosts. In this study we used multivariate analysis to characterize spontaneous locomotory activity profiles presented by 5th instar nymphs. In addition, we investigated whether sex and the expression of the foraging (Rpfor) gene could modulate this behavioral trait. Hierarchical Clustering and Redundancy Analyses detected individuals with distinct locomotory profiles. In addition to a great variation in locomotory intensity, we found that a proportion of nymphs walked during unusual time intervals. Locomotory activity profiles were mostly affected by the cumulative activity expressed by the nymphs. These effects promoted by cumulative activity were in turn influenced by nymph sex. Sex and the Rpfor expression had a significant influence on the profiles, as well as in the levels of total activity. In conclusion, the locomotory profiles evinced by the multivariate analyses suggest the co-existence of different foraging strategies in bugs. Additionally, we report sex-specific effects on the locomotion patterns of 5th instar R. prolixus, which are apparently modulated by the differential expression of the Rpfor gene.
长红蝽 Rhodnius prolixus 是恰加斯病的主要传播媒介，这种疾病影响着拉丁美洲数百万人。这些夜行昆虫在暗期的最初几个小时里，大部分的活动都是为了寻找合适的宿主。在这项研究中，我们使用多元分析来描述第五龄若虫表现出的自发运动活动模式。此外，我们还研究了性别和觅食（Rpfor）基因的表达是否可以调节这种行为特征。层次聚类和冗余分析检测到具有不同运动特征的个体。除了运动强度的巨大变化外，我们还发现一部分若虫在不寻常的时间间隔内行走。运动活动模式主要受到若虫表达的累积活动的影响。这些由累积活动引起的影响反过来又受到若虫性别的影响。性别和 Rpfor 的表达对这些模式以及总活动水平有显著影响。总之，多元分析得出的运动模式表明，在红蝽中存在不同的觅食策略共存。此外，我们报告了第五龄 R. prolixus 运动模式的性别特异性影响，这些影响显然是由 Rpfor 基因的差异表达调节的。
