The cation channel TRPA1 tunes mosquito thermotaxis to host temperatures
نویسندگان
چکیده
While most animals thermotax only to regulate their temperature, female mosquitoes are attracted to human body heat during pursuit of a blood meal. Here we elucidate the basic rules of Aedes aegypti thermotaxis and test the function of candidate thermoreceptors in this important behavior. We show that host-seeking mosquitoes are maximally attracted to thermal stimuli approximating host body temperatures, seeking relative warmth while avoiding both relative cool and stimuli exceeding host body temperature. We found that the cation channel TRPA1, in addition to playing a conserved role in thermoregulation and chemosensation, is required for this specialized host-selective thermotaxis in mosquitoes. During host-seeking, AaegTRPA1(-/-) mutants failed to avoid stimuli exceeding host temperature, and were unable to discriminate between host-temperature and high-temperature stimuli. TRPA1-dependent tuning of thermotaxis is likely critical for mosquitoes host-seeking in a complex thermal environment in which humans are warmer than ambient air, but cooler than surrounding sun-warmed surfaces.
منابع مشابه
TRPA1 tunes mosquito thermotaxis to host temperatures
Thermotaxis is a sensory-motor behavior that guides animals toward a preferred temperature. This type of sensory navigation allows animals to avoid environments of noxious cold and heat, with the goal of remaining in physiologically suitable ambient temperatures. For ectotherms such as insects, thermotaxis behavior is the primary method of thermoregulation. Many invertebrates are vulnerable to ...
متن کاملThe Drosophila ortholog of vertebrate TRPA1 regulates thermotaxis.
Thermotaxis is important for animal survival, but the molecular identities of temperature sensors controlling this behavior have not been determined. We demonstrate dTRPA1, a heat-activated Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family ion channel, is essential for thermotaxis in Drosophila. dTrpA1 knockdown eliminates avoidance of elevated temperatures along a thermal gradient. We observe dTRPA1 e...
متن کاملTRPM8 Is Required for Cold Sensation in Mice
ThermoTRPs, a subset of the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family of cation channels, have been implicated in sensing temperature. TRPM8 and TRPA1 are both activated by cooling; however, it is unclear whether either ion channel is required for thermosensation in vivo. We show that mice lacking TRPM8 have severe behavioral deficits in response to cold stimuli. In thermotaxis assays of temper...
متن کاملTake a TRP to beat the heat.
Temperature is a ubiquitous physical variable with a profound impact on living organisms. Obviously, because of its detrimental effects on cellular biochemistry and integrity, extreme temperature must be detected and avoided. Even subtle differences in environmental temperature, however, can provide valuable information regarding the presence of food, companions, predators, or just a cozy place...
متن کاملDrosophila TRPA1 Channel Is Required to Avoid the Naturally Occurring Insect Repellent Citronellal
Plants produce insect repellents, such as citronellal, which is the main component of citronellal oil. However, the molecular pathways through which insects sense botanical repellents are unknown. Here, we show that Drosophila use two pathways for direct avoidance of citronellal. The olfactory coreceptor OR83b contributes to citronellal repulsion and is essential for citronellal-evoked action p...
متن کامل