Mosquito Olfactory Response Ensemble enables pattern discovery by curating a behavioral and electrophysiological...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Entomology
• Chemosensation

Background:

• Numerous studies investigate mosquito and fruit fly olfactory responses to odors.
• Inconsistent data collection and reporting across studies hinder large-scale analysis.
• A standardized, comprehensive dataset is needed to consolidate existing knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a standardized, curated database of mosquito olfactory responses from diverse studies.
• To enable large-scale analyses and uncover cross-study patterns in olfactory behavior and electrophysiology.
• To compare olfactory responses between 12 mosquito species and *Drosophila melanogaster*.

Main Methods:

• Extracted and standardized data from over 170 published studies.
• Included data for 12 mosquito species and *Drosophila melanogaster*.
• Curated the Mosquito Olfactory Response Ensemble (MORE) database, made publicly available.

Main Results:

• Olfactory receptors (ORs) exhibit tuning to specific physicochemical properties of odorants.
• The empty-neuron recording technique is more sensitive for measuring OR responses than the *Xenopus* oocyte technique.
• Different assay types show systematic variations in reported behavioral preferences.
• Odorant concentration influences attractiveness, with higher concentrations becoming aversive.

Conclusions:

• The MORE database facilitates novel biological insights into mosquito olfaction.
• Standardization of olfactory response data is crucial for advancing the field.
• Understanding mosquito odorant receptor tuning and assay limitations can improve future research designs.