Solid-state NMR reveals differential carbohydrate utilization in diapausing Culex pipiens

Culex pipiens is the mosquito that vectors West Nile Virus and other human-pathogenic flavivruses in North America. In response to shortened day length and lower temperatures, female Cx. pipiense prepares for the diapause by actively feeding on carbohydrates to increase the biosynthesis of glycogen and lipid to store energy for overwintering. The effect of feeding different carbohydrates on glycogen and lipid biosynthesis in diapausing mosquitoes was investigated in vivo using 13C solid-state NMR. Diapause-destined adult females and nondiapausing counterparts after adult eclosion were fed with three different carbohydrate sources for 7 days: 1) 10% sucrose, 2) 10% D-[13C6]glucose, and 3) 1% D-[13C6]glucose co-provisioned with 10% sucrose. NMR measurements show that sucrose and glucose are metabolized differently in diapausing mosquitoes. Mosquitoes fed on sucrose primarily accumulate glycogen with increased branching structures, but less of lipids. In contrast, mosquitoes fed exclusively on glucose show accumulation of both glycogen and lipid with increased aliphatic chain length. Glucose is exclusively metabolized for the biosynthesis of triacylglyceride when mosquitoes were co-fed with sucrose. Our findings provide novel insights into the insect carbohydrate metabolism that governs glycogen and lipid biosynthesis during diapause, which is fundamental for the insect survival during inimical environments.