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Guerina FV, Patkar AP, Younger MA. Introduction to Techniques Used to Study Mosquito Neuroanatomy and Neural Circuitry. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2024; 2024:pdb.top108305. [PMID: 37816602 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.top108305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes transmit deadly pathogens from person to person as they obtain the blood meal that is essential for their life cycle. Female mosquitoes of many species are unable to reproduce without consuming protein that they obtain from blood. This developmental stage makes them highly efficient disease vectors of deadly pathogens. They can transmit pathogens between members of the same species and different species that can provide a route for evolving zoonotic viruses to jump from animals to humans. One possible way to develop novel strategies to combat pathogen transmission by mosquitoes is to study the sensory systems that drive mosquito reproductive behaviors, in particular the neural architecture and circuits of mosquito sensory afferent neurons, the central circuits that process sensory information, and the downstream circuits that drive reproductive behaviors. The study of mosquito neuroanatomy and circuitry also benefits basic neuroscience, allowing for comparative neuroanatomy in insect species, which has great value in the current model species-heavy landscape of neuroscience. Here, we introduce two important techniques that are used to study neuroanatomy and neural circuitry-namely, immunofluorescent labeling and neural tracing. We describe how to apply these approaches to study mosquito neuroanatomy and describe considerations for researchers using the techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence V Guerina
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Program in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Ameya P Patkar
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Meg A Younger
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Center for Neurophotonics, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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Zhang J, Duan S, Wang W, Liu D, Wang Y. Molecular Basis of CO 2 Sensing in Hyphantria cunea. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5987. [PMID: 38892175 PMCID: PMC11172650 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2) released by plants can serve as a cue for regulating insect behaviors. Hyphantria cunea is a widely distributed forestry pest that may use CO2 as a cue for foraging and oviposition. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its ability to sense CO2 has not been elucidated. Our initial study showed that CO2 is significantly attractive to H. cunea adults. Subsequently, 44 H. cunea gustatory receptors (GRs) were identified using transcriptome data, and 3 candidate CO2 receptors that are specifically expressed in the labial palps were identified. In vivo electrophysiological assays revealed that the labial palp is the primary organ for CO2 perception in H. cunea, which is similar to findings in other lepidopteran species. By using the Xenopus oocyte expression system, we showed that the HcunGR1 and HcunGR3 co-expressions produced a robust response to CO2, but HcunGR2 had an inhibitory effect on CO2 perception. Finally, immunohistochemical staining revealed sexual dimorphism in the CO2-sensitive labial pit organ glomerulus (LPOG). Taken together, our results clarified the mechanism by which H. cunea sense CO2, laying the foundation for further investigations into the role of CO2 in the rapid spread of H. cunea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Shiwen Duan
- School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Wenlong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Duo Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Yinliang Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
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Ke H, Chen Y, Zhang B, Duan S, Ma X, Ren B, Wang Y. Odorant Receptors Expressing and Antennal Lobes Architecture Are Linked to Caste Dimorphism in Asian Honeybee, Apis cerana (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3934. [PMID: 38612745 PMCID: PMC11012130 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Insects heavily rely on the olfactory system for food, mating, and predator evasion. However, the caste-related olfactory differences in Apis cerana, a eusocial insect, remain unclear. To explore the peripheral and primary center of the olfactory system link to the caste dimorphism in A. cerana, transcriptome and immunohistochemistry studies on the odorant receptors (ORs) and architecture of antennal lobes (ALs) were performed on different castes. Through transcriptomesis, we found more olfactory receptor genes in queens and workers than in drones, which were further validated by RT-qPCR, indicating caste dimorphism. Meanwhile, ALs structure, including volume, surface area, and the number of glomeruli, demonstrated a close association with caste dimorphism. Particularly, drones had more macroglomeruli possibly for pheromone recognition. Interestingly, we found that the number of ORs and glomeruli ratio was nearly 1:1. Also, the ORs expression distribution pattern was very similar to the distribution of glomeruli volume. Our results suggest the existence of concurrent plasticity in both the peripheral olfactory system and ALs among different castes of A. cerana, highlighting the role of the olfactory system in labor division in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoqin Ke
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Baoyi Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Shiwen Duan
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Xiaomei Ma
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Bingzhong Ren
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yinliang Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; (H.K.); (Y.C.); (B.Z.); (S.D.); (X.M.); (B.R.)
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, MOE, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
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Singh P, Goyal S, Gupta S, Garg S, Tiwari A, Rajput V, Bates AS, Gupta AK, Gupta N. Combinatorial encoding of odors in the mosquito antennal lobe. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3539. [PMID: 37322224 PMCID: PMC10272161 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39303-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the cues that a mosquito uses to find a host for blood-feeding, the smell of the host plays an important role. Previous studies have shown that host odors contain hundreds of chemical odorants, which are detected by different receptors on the peripheral sensory organs of mosquitoes. But how individual odorants are encoded by downstream neurons in the mosquito brain is not known. We developed an in vivo preparation for patch-clamp electrophysiology to record from projection neurons and local neurons in the antennal lobe of Aedes aegypti. Combining intracellular recordings with dye-fills, morphological reconstructions, and immunohistochemistry, we identify different sub-classes of antennal lobe neurons and their putative interactions. Our recordings show that an odorant can activate multiple neurons innervating different glomeruli, and that the stimulus identity and its behavioral preference are represented in the population activity of the projection neurons. Our results provide a detailed description of the second-order olfactory neurons in the central nervous system of mosquitoes and lay a foundation for understanding the neural basis of their olfactory behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranjul Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Shefali Goyal
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Smith Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Sanket Garg
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
- Department of Economic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Abhinav Tiwari
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Varad Rajput
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Alexander Shakeel Bates
- Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arjit Kant Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India
| | - Nitin Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
- Mehta Family Center for Engineering in Medicine, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208016, India.
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Gebremedhin MB, Xu Z, Kuang C, Shumuye NA, Cao J, Zhou Y, Zhang H, Zhou J. Current Knowledge on Chemosensory-Related Candidate Molecules Potentially Involved in Tick Olfaction via Haller's Organ. INSECTS 2023; 14:294. [PMID: 36975979 PMCID: PMC10053194 DOI: 10.3390/insects14030294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites and vectors of many animal and human pathogens. Chemosensation plays a significant role in tick communication with their environment, including seeking out blood meal hosts. Studies on the structure and function of Haller's organ and its components have improved our understanding regarding tick olfaction and its chemical ecology. Compared with the knowledge on insect olfaction, less is known about the molecular basis of olfaction in ticks. This review focused on the chemosensory-related candidate molecules likely involved in tick olfaction. Members of the ionotropic receptor family and a new class of odorant-binding proteins are now known to be involved in tick olfaction, which appear to differ from that of insects. These candidate molecules are more closely related to those of mites and spiders than to other arthropods. The amino acid sequences of candidate niemann-pick type C2 and microplusin-like proteins in ticks exhibit features indicating their potential role as binding proteins. In the future, more comprehensive pertinent research considering the existing shortcomings will be required to fully understand the molecular basis of tick olfactory chemoreception. This information may contribute to the development of new molecular-based control mechanisms to reduce tick populations and related disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mebrahtu Berhe Gebremedhin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Zhengmao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Ceyan Kuang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Nigus Abebe Shumuye
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, National Animal Echinococcosis Para-Reference Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China
| | - Jie Cao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yongzhi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Houshuang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jinlin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
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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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