Experience-dependent modulation of the attraction to faeces in the kissing bug Triatoma infestans

Mengoni, Sofía L.; Lorenzo-Figueiras, Alicia N.; Minoli, Sebastián

doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2016.10.018

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Several other studies support the hypothesis of the presence of a contact sex pheromone that could be used for sex and conspecific recognition [60], but the chemical composition of these substances has yet to be determined, and whether these behaviors can be modulated by previous experience remains an open question in mosquitoes. However, in other haematophagous insects such as the gregarious species Triatoma infestans , the attraction to aggregation pheromones is modulated by previous experience [61]. Their innate attraction to this latter could even be switched to a learned aversion after associative conditioning [61].…”

Section: Olfactory Learning and Behavior In Adult Disease Vector Mosqmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, in other haematophagous insects such as the gregarious species Triatoma infestans , the attraction to aggregation pheromones is modulated by previous experience [61]. Their innate attraction to this latter could even be switched to a learned aversion after associative conditioning [61]. …”

Section: Olfactory Learning and Behavior In Adult Disease Vector Mosqmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Olfactory learning and chemical ecology of olfaction in disease vector mosquitoes: a life history perspective

Lutz

Lahondère

Vinauger

et al. 2017

Current Opinion in Insect Science

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Mosquitoes transmit many debilitating diseases including malaria, dengue and Zika. Odors mediate behaviors that directly impact disease transmission (blood-feeding) as well as life history events that contribute to mosquito survival and fitness (mating and oviposition, nectar foraging, larval foraging and predator avoidance). In addition to innate olfaction-mediated behaviors, mosquitoes rely on olfactory experience throughout their life to inform advantageous choices in many of these important behaviors. Previous reviews have addressed either the chemical ecology of mosquitoes, or olfactory-driven behaviors including host-feeding or oviposition. Adding to this literature, we use a holistic life history perspective to integrate and compare innate and learned olfactory behavior at various stages of mosquito development.

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Section: Olfactory Learning and Behavior In Adult Disease Vector Mosqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Olfactory Learning and Behavior In Adult Disease Vector Mosqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Olfactory learning and chemical ecology of olfaction in disease vector mosquitoes: a life history perspective

Lutz

Lahondère

Vinauger

et al. 2017

Current Opinion in Insect Science

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“…Indeed, after an aversive operant conditioning, the behaviour of R. prolixus changed from avoidance to indifference or even to preference, according with the protocol applied (Asparch et al ., 2016). In a completely different behavioural context, Mengoni and collaborators (2017) showed that the innate attractive response to faeces of the kissing bug Triatoma infestans can be switched to avoidance if an aversive conditioning protocol is applied. Finally, Minoli and collaborators (2018) were able to demonstrate that the learning efficiency of R. prolixus under an aversive operant conditioning tested over a spatial preference walking arena, is highly dependent on the sensory modality of the conditioned stimulus.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception of aversive stimuli of different gustatory modalities in an haematophagous insect,Rhodnius prolixus

Masagué

Cano

Asparch

et al. 2019

Preprint

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23 24 25 2 Summary statement 26 27Kissing-bugs use contact chemo-perception to avoid aversive substrates. 28 They can sensory distinguish between salty (sodium chloride) and bitter (caffeine) 29 tastes, but not between different salts (sodium and potassium chloride). Abstract 33Sensory aversion is an essential link for avoiding potential dangers. Here, 34 we studied the chemical perception of aversive compounds of different gustatory 35 modalities (salty and bitter) in the haematophagous kissing bug, Rhodnius prolixus. 36 Over a walking arena, insects preferred a substrate embedded with 0.3 M NaCl or 37 KCl rather than with distilled water. Same salts were avoided when prepared at 1 M. 38When NaCl and KCl were confronted, no preferences were evinced by insects. A 39 pre-exposure to amiloride interfered with the repellency of NaCl and KCl equally, 40 suggesting that amiloride-sensitive receptors are involved in the detection of both 41 salts. Discriminative experiments were then performed to determine if R. prolixus 42 can distinguish between these salts. An aversive operant conditioning involving 43 either NaCl or KCl modulated the repellency of the conditioned salt, but also of the 44 novel salt. A chemical pre-exposure to the salts did not to modify their repellency 45 levels. When we crossed gustatory modalities by confronting NaCl to caffeine (i.e. a 46 bitter stimulus) no innate preferences were evinced. Aversive operant conditionings 47 with either NaCl or Caf rendered unspecific changes in the repellency of both 48 compounds. A chemical pre-exposure to Caf modulated the response to Caf but not 49to NaCl, suggesting the existence of two independent neural pathways for the 50 detection of salts and bitter compounds. Overall results suggest that R. prolixus 51 cannot distinguish between NaCl and KCl but can distinguish between NaCl and Caf 52 and generalizes the response between these two aversive stimuli of different 53 gustatory modality. 54 3 1. Introduction 55 56Innate aversion is a highly adaptive behaviour that plays a key role in the 57 survival of animals, as it can prevent them from suffering critical damages. Aversive 58 stimuli can promote avoidance or escape in an individual by directly provoking pain 59 (e.g. electric shock) or by alerting of the presence of a potential danger (e.g. alarm 60 pheromone). In both cases, the peripheral sensory system is in charge of 61 communicating the presence of a danger to the brain. Among the different sensory 62 modalities, gustatory aversiveness acquires a high relevance, as it can help in 63 preventing the ingestion of large quantities of toxic or harmful compounds that might 64 be present in food. Taste is a quite simple system that allows the detection and 65 differentiation of relative low number of stimuli as compared with the olfactory sense. 66For example, animals can detect more than thousands of different olfactory 67 molecules, but they can only differentiate a dozen or less flavours (Liman et al., 68 2014; McGann, 2017).69 70In insec...

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“…Indeed, after an aversive operant conditioning, bugs’ behavior changed from avoidance to indifference or even to preference, according with the protocol applied ( Asparch et al, 2016 ). In another work, Mengoni et al (2017) studied the experience-dependent plasticity of the innate attractive response of kissing bugs to feces. These authors describe that after pre-exposing bugs to feces for 24 h, insects were no longer attracted to feces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Spatial Aversion Is Sensory-Specific in the Hematophagous Insect Rhodnius prolixus

et al. 2018

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Even though innate behaviors are essential for assuring quick responses to expected stimuli, experience-dependent behavioral plasticity confers an advantage when unexpected conditions arise. As being rigidly responsive to too many stimuli can be biologically expensive, adapting preferences to time-dependent relevant environmental conditions provide a cheaper and wider behavioral reactivity. According to their specific life habits, animals prioritize different sensory modalities to maximize environment exploitation. Besides, when mediating learning processes, the salience of a stimulus usually plays a relevant role in determining the intensity of an association. Then, sensory prioritization might reflect an heterogeneity in the cognitive abilities of an individual. Here, we analyze in the kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus if stimuli from different sensory modalities generate different cognitive capacities under an operant aversive paradigm. In a 2-choice walking arena, by registering the spatial distribution of insects over an experimental arena, we evaluated firstly the innate responses of bugs confronted to mechanical (rough substrate), visual (green light), thermal (32°C heated plate), hygric (humidified substrate), gustatory (sodium chloride), and olfactory (isobutyric acid) stimuli. In further experimental series bugs were submitted to an aversive operant conditioning by pairing each stimulus with a negative reinforcement. Subsequent tests allowed us to analyze if the innate behaviors were modulated by such previous aversive experience. In our experimental setup mechanical and visual stimuli were neutral, the thermal cue was attractive, and the hygric, gustatory and olfactory ones were innately aversive. After the aversive conditioning, responses to the mechanical, the visual, the hygric and the gustatory stimuli were modulated while responses to the thermal and the olfactory stimuli remained rigid. We present evidences that the spatial learning capacities of R. prolixus are dependent on the sensory modality of the conditioned stimulus, regardless their innate valence (i.e., neutral, attractive, or aversive). These differences might be given by the biological relevance of the stimuli and/or by evolutionary aspects of the life traits of this hematophagous insect.

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Experience-dependent modulation of the attraction to faeces in the kissing bug Triatoma infestans

Cited by 11 publications

References 43 publications

Olfactory learning and chemical ecology of olfaction in disease vector mosquitoes: a life history perspective

Olfactory learning and chemical ecology of olfaction in disease vector mosquitoes: a life history perspective

Perception of aversive stimuli of different gustatory modalities in an haematophagous insect,Rhodnius prolixus

Learning Spatial Aversion Is Sensory-Specific in the Hematophagous Insect Rhodnius prolixus

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