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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Studying the Activity of Neuropeptides and Other Regulators of the Excretory System in the Adult Mosquito
Published on: August 24, 2021
Diuretic and antidiuretic hormones in the blood-gorging bug Rhodnius prolixus
Ian Orchard1, Jean-Paul Paluzzi
1Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
Insect salt and water homeostasis is controlled by diuretic and antidiuretic hormones that can act upon the Malpighian tubules, midgut, and hindgut. Much is known about the physiological events stimulating diuresis and their signaling cascades; however, the factors inhibiting diuresis are less well known. An endogenous peptide in Rhodnius prolixus inhibits absorption by the anterior midgut and secretion from the Malpighian tubules. We have cloned the gene, sequenced this antidiuretic peptide, and examined gene expression via in situ hybridization. The antidiuretic peptide targets multiple tissues, and its discovery could facilitate the development of effective pest control agents to impede the transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease.
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