Genome-wide profiling of diel and circadian gene expression in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae

Abstract

Anopheles gambiae, the primary African vector of malaria parasites, exhibits numerous rhythmic behaviors including flight activity, swarming, mating, host seeking, egg laying, and sugar feeding. However, little work has been performed to elucidate the molecular basis for these daily rhythms. To study how gene expression is regulated globally by diel and circadian mechanisms, we have undertaken a DNA microarray analysis of An. gambiae under light/ dark cycle (LD) and constant dark (DD) conditions. Adult mated, non-blood-fed female mosquitoes were collected every 4 h for 48 h, and samples were processed with DNA microarrays. Using a cosine wave-fitting algorithm, we identified 1,293 and 600 rhythmic genes with a period length of 20-28 h in the head and body, respectively, under LD conditions, representing 9.7 and 4.5% of the An. gambiae gene set. A majority of these genes was specific to heads or bodies. Examination of mosquitoes under DD conditions revealed that rhythmic programming of the transcriptome is dependent on an interaction between the endogenous clock and extrinsic regulation by the LD cycle. A subset of genes, including the canonical clock components, was expressed rhythmically under both environmental conditions. A majority of genes had peak expression clustered around the day/night transitions, anticipating dawn and dusk. Genes cover diverse biological processes such as transcription/translation, metabolism, detoxification, olfaction, vision, cuticle regulation, and immunity, and include rate-limiting steps in the pathways. This study highlights the fundamental roles that both the circadian clock and light play in the physiology of this important insect vector and suggests targets for intervention.

bHLH-PAS heterodimer of methoprene-tolerant and Cycle mediates circadian expression of juvenile hormone-induced mosquito genes

“…We have shown here that, in A. aegypti female mosquitoes, expression of JH-dependent Kr-h1 and Hairy genes requires light/dark daily rhythms and oscillated, gradually rising to the maximal level by the fourth day of PE development. Genomewide profiling of PE females of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae has demonstrated that at least 16% of genes with various biological functions are under light/dark rhythm control (24). However, whether JH III is involved in this in Aedes mosquitoes has not been identified.…”

Considerations for RNA-seq Analysis of Circadian Rhythms

“…To identify CCGs and understand the mechanism of their regulation, microarrays have been used to profile rhythmic gene expression systematically in cyanobacteria, plants, insects, fungi, mice, and cellular models (Atwood et al, 2011;Covington, Maloof, Straume, Kay, & Harmer, 2008;Hughes et al, 2009;Hughes, Hong, et al, 2012;Keegan, Pradhan, Wang, & Allada, 2007;Kornmann, Schaad, Bujard, Takahashi, & Schibler, 2007;McGlincy et al, 2012;Menger et al, 2007;Rund, Hou, Ward, Collins, & Duffield, 2011;Vollmers et al, 2009;Xu, DiAngelo, Hughes, Hogenesch, & Sehgal, 2011). These studies have contributed significantly to our understanding of circadian output in wild-type animals, and over time they have matured into investigations of more focused tissues and cell types (Collins, Kane, Reeves, Akabas, & Blau, 2012;Kula-Eversole et al, 2010).…”

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from crepuscular period in an Atlantic Forest area in Southern Brazil

“…The brightness changing unleash the gene expression that control the mosquitoes activities (Ptitsyn et al, 2011;Rund et al, 2011).…”