Host seeking in tsetse flies and functional genomics of hunger-driven behaviors in anopheles gambiae
| Responsable du projet | Patrick Guerin |
| Résumé |
Host seeking in tsetse flies (1) and functional genomics of
hunger-driven behaviours in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae (2) 1.
Host seeking in tsetse flies: The tsetse fly and the disease it
transmits, African trypanosomiasis, cause a problem for human and
agricultural systems that is unique in that both man and his
livestock are affected. Maintenance of productive cattle in the
presence of tsetse is very difficult, to the extent that tsetse
flies largely remove cattle from farming activities in Africa.
Studies on the host relations of savannah tsetse spp. have led to
the development of reliable attractants that are used in
combination with visual targets for control of G. morsitans
morsitans and G. pallidipes. Riverine species of the palpalis group
(such as the important vectors of disease G. palpalis gambiensis and
G.fuscipes) and the forest species of the fusca group (such as G.
brevipalpis) have not been investigated in detail. Our
neurophysiolohical and behavioural studies on the latter tsetse fly
spp. focuses on their responses to the rich variety of products
regularly evacuated from the rumen of ungulates. This will permit
us to establish chemosensory adaptations that are common to tsetse
fly species. 2. Molecular regulation of Anopheles gambiae
host-seeking and feeding: Anopheles gambiae Giles is the main
vector of human malaria in sub-saharan Africa. Efforts for a better
understanding of disease-vector insects have been enormously
facilitated through the sequencing of the genome of this species.
Our goal is to establish basic elements of the genetic control of
host-seeking and biting behaviors in An. gambiae females – a matter
of primary epidemiological importance. Host cue responses and
feeding behaviors of female An. gambiae are subject to regulation
that depends on the nutritional and hydration state of the insect.
This regulation involves a network of signaling pathways such as
the widely conserved insulin signaling pathway. This research
focuses on the expression level of several genes in the regulation
of host-seeking and feeding behaviors. Gene expression levels and
protein localization (established by immunocytochemistry) are
evaluated in several organs of An. gambiae and show differential
responses depending on the physiological state of the mosquito.
This work will provide an insight into the regulation of
disease-transmitting behaviors in An. gambiae. |
| Mots-clés |
tsetse flies, glossina spp., host seeking, mosquito, anopheles gambiae, functional genomics |
| Type de projet | Recherche fondamentale |
| Domaine de recherche | Zoologie |
| Source de financement | FNS - Encouragement de projets (Div. I-III) |
| Etat | Terminé |
| Début de projet | 1-4-2006 |
| Fin du projet | 30-6-2008 |
| Budget alloué | 161'300.00 |
| Contact | Patrick Guerin |