The ion channel ppk301 controls freshwater egg-laying in the mosquito Aedes aegypti
Abstract
Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are deadly vectors of arboviral pathogens and breed in containers of freshwater associated with human habitation. Because high salinity is lethal to offspring, correctly evaluating water purity is a crucial parenting decision. We found that the DEG/ENaC channel ppk301 and sensory neurons expressing ppk301 control egg-laying initiation and choice in Ae. aegypti. Using calcium imaging, we found that ppk301-expressing cells show ppk301-dependent responses to water but, unexpectedly, also respond to salt in a ppk301-independent fashion. This suggests that ppk301 is instructive for egg-laying at low-salt concentrations, but that a ppk301-independent pathway is responsible for inhibiting egg-laying at high-salt concentrations. Water is a key resource for insect survival and understanding how mosquitoes interact with water to control different behaviors is an opportunity to study the evolution of chemosensory systems.
The Botanical Garden of Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Vienna, Austria. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.
Lagoon of the seven cities, a twin lake in the crater of a dormant volcano in the western part of the São Miguel island (Azores, Portugal). Photo by Dr. Ana Sanches Silva.
Central Australian desert scene. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.
HEK293T cells. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.
Tropical rainforest, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.
Australian ocean scene. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.
Laboratory equipment. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.
Rhododendron arboreum flower. Photo by Devesh Tewari.
The Valley of Flowers, Himalaya, India. Photo by Dr. Rajeshwari Singh.
Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA. Photo by Dr. Anupam Bishayee.
Euphorbia prolifera Buch. (Ham) Ex. Photo by Devesh Tewari.
Foothills of Himalaya, India. Photo by Devesh Tewari.
The Valley of Flowers, Himalaya, India. Photo by Dr. Rajeshwari Singh.
Eco-School Festival, Leiria-Portugal, Spring 2018
Polygonum maritimum (L.) (Polygonaceae)- Ourdania beach (Ain Temouchent- west Algeria)- taken by PhD. EL HACI Imad Abdelhamid
Flower blossoms at gardens by the bay Singapore-photo by Dr. Hemanth Kumar Boyina.
