Department of Biology and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Aug 27;121(35):e2407394121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2407394121. Epub 2024 Aug 19.
mosquitoes are major vectors of dengue, chikungunya, and other arboviral diseases. '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 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 , and humid air-activated Moist Cells upon . 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: -dependent Dry Cells act in parallel with -dependent Moist Cells to promote blood feeding, while oviposition site seeking is driven specifically by dependent Moist Cells. Together these findings reveal the importance of distinct hygrosensory pathways in blood feeding and oviposition site seeking and suggest dependent Dry Cells and dependent Moist Cells as potential targets for vector control strategies.
蚊子是登革热、基孔肯雅热和其他虫媒病毒病的主要传播媒介。蚊子的繁殖和传播疾病的能力取决于雌性蚊子获取血餐和寻找充满水的容器产卵（产卵）的能力。虽然湿度感觉（湿度感觉）与这些行为有关，但具体的湿度感觉途径尚不清楚。在这里，我们确定了干燥细胞和湿润细胞的不同分子要求和解剖位置，并研究了它们对行为的贡献。我们表明，干燥细胞和湿润细胞对湿度的反应涉及不同的离子型受体（IR）家族感觉受体，干燥空气激活的干燥细胞依赖于 IR ，而潮湿空气激活的湿润细胞依赖于 。这两类湿度传感器都支配着多个触角感觉器，包括触角基部附近的钟形感受器以及尖端附近的两类腔锥形感受器。干燥细胞和湿润细胞各自支持与蚊子繁殖有关的行为，但作用方式不同：依赖于 的干燥细胞与依赖于 的湿润细胞平行作用以促进吸血，而产卵地点的寻找则是由依赖于 的湿润细胞特异性驱动的。这些发现共同揭示了不同的湿度感觉途径在吸血和产卵地点寻找中的重要性，并表明依赖于 的干燥细胞和依赖于 的湿润细胞可能成为蚊虫控制策略的潜在目标。
