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Conserved molecular pathways underlying biting in two divergent mosquito genera.
Alden Siperstein1, Sarah Marzec2, Megan L Fritz3
1Department of Entomology The Ohio State University Columbus Ohio USA.
Evolutionary Applications
|May 23, 2022
Summary
Mosquitoes evolved nonbiting behaviors, with ribosomal protein pathways consistently upregulated in biting species like Culex pipiens. Energy and amino acid metabolism also differ between biting and nonbiting mosquitoes.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Mosquitoes transmit pathogens, but some species have evolved nonbiting life histories.
- Understanding the genetic basis of biting behavior is crucial for controlling disease vectors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if molecular pathways identified in the nonvector mosquito *Wyeomyia smithii* are conserved in the vector mosquito *Culex pipiens*.
- To explore the transcriptional differences between biting (*Culex pipiens pipiens*) and facultatively nonbiting (*Culex pipiens molestus*) subspecies.
Main Methods:
- RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of adult mosquito heads.
- Differential gene expression analysis between biting and nonbiting subspecies.
- Pathway enrichment analysis to identify key molecular pathways.
Main Results:
- Upregulation of ribosomal protein pathway transcripts in biting *Culex pipiens*, consistent with previous findings in *Wyeomyia smithii*.
- Biting *Culex* showed increased expression of energy production pathways (oxidative phosphorylation, citric acid cycle) and amino acid metabolism.
- Nonbiting *Culex* upregulated sugar metabolism and reproductive allocation transcripts (vitellogenin, cathepsins).
Conclusions:
- The ribosome is a conserved molecular intersection for understanding blood feeding evolution in mosquitoes.
- Distinct metabolic and reproductive pathways differentiate biting and nonbiting *Culex* subspecies.
- Findings provide a foundation for developing interventions targeting mosquito biting behavior.
