Evolutionarily conserved odorant receptor function questions ecological context of octenol role in mosquitoes

Dekel, Amir; Pitts, R. Jason; Yakir, Esther; Bohbot, Jonathan D.

doi:10.1038/srep37330

Cited by 34 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Furthermore, the expression of AgOr1 and AgOr8 in male antennae and palps, respectively [5,7], suggests that males may be capable of detecting hosts. These two genes have been linked to vertebrate odorants in females [7,8], although it should be noted that the detection of octenol by Or8 could fulfill other roles, as the expression of this receptor is preserved in non-blood feeding Toxorhynchites mosquitoes [46]. Furthermore, if An.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species and sex-specific chemosensory gene expression in Anopheles coluzzii and An. quadriannulatus antennae

et al. 2020

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Background: Olfactory cues drive mosquito behaviors such as host-seeking, locating sugar sources and oviposition. These behaviors can vary between sexes and closely related species. For example, the malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii is highly anthropophilic, whereas An. quadriannulatus is not. These behavioral differences may be reflected in chemosensory gene expression. Methods: The expression of chemosensory genes in the antennae of both sexes of An. coluzzii and An. quadriannulatus was compared using RNA-seq. The sex-biased expression of several genes in An. coluzzii was also compared using qPCR. Results: The chemosensory expression is mostly similar in the male antennae of An. coluzzii and An. quadriannulatus, with only a few modest differences in expression. A handful of chemosensory genes are male-biased in both species; the highly expressed gustatory receptor AgGr33, odorant binding proteins AgObp25, AgObp26 and possibly AgObp10. Although the chemosensory gene repertoire is mostly shared between the sexes, several highly female-biased AgOrs, AgIrs, and one AgObp were identified, including several whose expression is biased towards the anthropophilic An. coluzzii. Additionally, the expression of several chemosensory genes is biased towards An. coluzzii in both sexes. Conclusions: Chemosensory gene expression is broadly similar between species and sexes, but several sex-biased/ specific genes were identified. These may modulate sex-and species-specific behaviors. Although the male behavior of these species remains poorly studied, the identification of sex-and species-specific chemosensory genes may provide fertile ground for future work.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species and sex-specific chemosensory gene expression in Anopheles coluzzii and An. quadriannulatus antennae

et al. 2020

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“…In vitro transcription and two-microelectrode voltage-clamp electrophysiological recordings were performed as described previously (61). Briefly, ORco of Ae.…”

Section: Expression Of Aaegorco In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes and Electromentioning

confidence: 99%

Volatile allosteric antagonists of mosquito odorant receptors inhibit human-host attraction

Kythreoti

Sdralia

Tsitoura

et al. 2021

Journal of Biological Chemistry

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Odorant-dependent behaviors in insects are triggered by the binding of odorant ligands to the variable subunits of heteromeric olfactory receptors. Previous studies have shown, however, that specific odor binding to ORco, the common subunit of odorant receptor heteromers, may allosterically alter olfactory receptor function and profoundly affect subsequent behavioral responses. Using an insect cell–based screening platform, we identified and characterized several antagonists of the odorant receptor coreceptor of the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae (AgamORco) in a small collection of natural volatile organic compounds. Because some of the identified antagonists were previously shown to strongly repel Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes, we examined the bioactivities of the identified antagonists against Aedes , the third major genus of the Culicidae family. The tested antagonists inhibited the function of Ae. aegypti ORco ex vivo and repelled adult Asian tiger mosquitoes ( Ae. albopictus ). Binary mixtures of specific antagonists elicited higher repellency than single antagonists, and binding competition assays suggested that this enhanced repellence is due to antagonist interaction with distinct ORco sites. Our results also suggest that the enhanced mosquito repellency by antagonist mixtures is due to additive rather than synergistic effects of the specific antagonist combinations on ORco function. Taken together, these findings provide novel insights concerning the molecular aspects of odorant receptor function. Moreover, our results demonstrate that a simple screening assay may be used for the identification of allosteric modifiers of olfactory-driven behaviors capable of providing enhanced personal protection against multiple mosquito-borne infectious diseases.

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“…In vitro transcription and two-microelectrode voltage-clamp electrophysiological recordings were performed as described previously (61). Briefly, ORco of Aedes aegypti (AaegORco) was synthesized using the mMESSAGE mMACHINE® SP6 kit (ThermoFisher Scientific) from the linearized pSP64tRFA expression vector.…”

Section: Expression Of Aaegorco In Xenopus Laevis Oocytes and Electromentioning

confidence: 99%

Volatile allosteric antagonists of mosquito odorant receptors inhibit normal odor-dependent behaviors

Kythreoti

Sdralia

Tsitoura

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Odorant-dependent behaviors in insects are triggered by the binding of odorant ligands to the variable subunits of heteromeric olfactory receptors. Previous studies have shown, however, that specific odor binding to ORco, the common subunit of odorant receptor heteromers, may alter allosterically olfactory receptor function and affect profoundly subsequent behavioral responses. Here we report on the identification of several antagonists of the odorant receptor co-receptor of the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, AgamORco, in a small collection of natural volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using a relevant insect cell-based screening platform. Because some of the identified antagonists were previously shown to strongly repel Anopheles and Culex mosquitoes, here we examined the bioactivities of the identified antagonists against Aedes, the third major genus of the Culicidae family. The tested antagonists were found to inhibit the function of Ae. aegypti ORco ex vivo and repel Asian tiger, Ae. albopictus, adult mosquitoes. Specific antagonist binary mixtures elicited higher repellency than single antagonists. Binding competition assays suggested antagonist binding to distinct ORco sites as a likely cause for the enhanced repellence of the blends. These findings demonstrate that a simple screening assay may be used for the identification of allosteric modifiers of olfactory-driven 2 behaviors capable of providing enhanced indoor and outdoor protection against multiple mosquito borne infectious diseases.

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Evolutionarily conserved odorant receptor function questions ecological context of octenol role in mosquitoes

Cited by 34 publications

References 53 publications

Species and sex-specific chemosensory gene expression in Anopheles coluzzii and An. quadriannulatus antennae

Species and sex-specific chemosensory gene expression in Anopheles coluzzii and An. quadriannulatus antennae

Volatile allosteric antagonists of mosquito odorant receptors inhibit human-host attraction

Volatile allosteric antagonists of mosquito odorant receptors inhibit normal odor-dependent behaviors

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