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Vlimant, Michèle
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Vlimant, Michèle
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- PublicationAccès libreMycamoeba gemmipara nov. gen., nov. sp., the First Cultured Member of the Environmental Dermamoebidae Clade LKM74 and its Unusual Life Cycle(2016-8-20)
; ; ; ; ; - PublicationAccès libreQuinine and artesunate inhibit feeding in the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae: the role of gustatory organs within the mouthparts(2014)
; ; - PublicationMétadonnées seulementThe sugar meal of the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae and how deterrent compounds interfere with it: a behavioural and neurophysiological study(2013)
; ; In this study, we show that female African malaria mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae starved for 3-5 h start to engorge on sucrose at concentrations between 50 and 75 mmol l(-1). Half of the feeding response (ED50) is reached at 111 mmol l(-1) and the maximum response (0.4. mg) occurs at 250 mmol l(-1). Two receptor cells in a trichoid sensillum of the labellum, called the 'sucrose' and 'water' neurones, are activated by sucrose and water, respectively. The electrophysiological response of the sucrose receptor cell starts well below the level of sugar necessary to induce engorgement. The sugar receptor cell is most sensitive to small increments in sucrose concentration up to 10 mmol l(-1) with a response plateau from 25 mmol l(-1). Fructose has a mild phagostimulatory effect on A. gambiae, whereas no significant differences in meal sizes between water and glucose were found. However, when 146 mmol. l(-1) fructose plus glucose are mixed, the same engorgement as on 146 mmol l(-1) sucrose is observed. Likewise, even though the sucrose receptor cell is not activated by either fructose or glucose alone, equimolar solutions of fructose plus glucose activate the neurone. We conclude that there is a behavioural and neurophysiological synergism between fructose and glucose, the two hexose sugars of sucrose. We show that some bitter-tasting products for humans have a deterrent effect on feeding in A. gambiae. When 1 mmol l(-1) quinidine, quinine or denatonium benzoate is added to 146 mmol l(-1) sucrose, feeding is almost totally inhibited. The effect of berberine is lower and no significant inhibition on engorgement occurs for caffeine. The deterrent effect depends on the concentration for both quinine and quinidine. Capillary feeding experiments show that contact chemosensilla on the mouthparts are sufficient for the detection of sucrose and bitter products. The feeding assay findings with deterrents correlate with the neurophysiological responses of the sucrose and water labellar neurones, which are both inhibited by the bitter compounds denatonium benzoate, quinine and berberine between 0.01 and 1 mmol l(-1), but not by the same concentrations of caffeine. In conclusion, sucrose stimulates feeding and activates the labellar sucrose neurone, whereas feeding deterrents inhibit both the sucrose and water neurones. This study provides an initial understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved in sugar feeding in A. gambiae and shows how some bitter products interfere with it. - PublicationMétadonnées seulementWater vapour and heat combine to elicit biting and biting persistence in tsetse(2013)
; Background: Tsetse flies are obligatory blood feeders, accessing capillaries by piercing the skin of their hosts with the haustellum to suck blood. However, this behaviour presents a considerable risk as landing flies are exposed to predators as well as the host's own defense reactions such as tail flicking. Achieving a successful blood meal within the shortest time span is therefore at a premium in tsetse, so feeding until replete normally lasts less than a minute. Biting in blood sucking insects is a multi-sensory response involving a range of physical and chemical stimuli. Here we investigated the role of heat and humidity emitted from host skin on the biting responses of Glossina pallidipes, which to our knowledge has not been fully studied in tsetse before. Methods: The onset and duration of the biting response of G. pallidipes was recorded by filming movements of its haustellum in response to rapid increases in temperature and/or relative humidity ( RH) following exposure of the fly to two airflows. The electrophysiological responses of hygroreceptor cells in wall-pore sensilla on the palps of G. pallidipes to drops in RH were recorded using tungsten electrodes and the ultra-structure of these sensory cells was studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Results: Both latency and proportion of tsetse biting are closely correlated to RH when accompanied by an increase of 13.1 degrees C above ambient temperature but not for an increase of just 0.2 degrees C. Biting persistence, as measured by the number of bites and the time spent biting, also increases with increasing RH accompanied by a 13.1 degrees C increase in air temperature. Neurones in wall-pore sensilla on the palps respond to shifts in RH. Conclusions: Our results show that temperature acts synergistically with humidity to increase the rapidity and frequency of the biting response in tsetse above the levels induced by increasing temperature or humidity separately. Palp sensilla housing hygroreceptor cells, described here for the first time in tsetse, are involved in the perception of differences in RH. - PublicationAccès libreThe sugar meal of the African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae and how deterrent compounds interfere with it: a behavioural and neurophysiological study(2013)
; ; In this study, we show that female African malaria mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae starved for 3–5 h start to engorge on sucrose at concentrations between 50 and 75 mmol l−1. Half of the feeding response (ED50) is reached at 111 mmol l−1 and the maximum response (0.4 mg) occurs at 250 mmol l−1. Two receptor cells in a trichoid sensillum of the labellum, called the ‘sucrose’ and ‘water’ neurones, are activated by sucrose and water, respectively. The electrophysiological response of the sucrose receptor cell starts well below the level of sugar necessary to induce engorgement. The sugar receptor cell is most sensitive to small increments in sucrose concentration up to 10 mmol l−1 with a response plateau from 25 mmol l−1. Fructose has a mild phagostimulatory effect on A. gambiae, whereas no significant differences in meal sizes between water and glucose were found. However, when 146 mmol l−1 fructose plus glucose are mixed, the same engorgement as on 146 mmol l−1 sucrose is observed. Likewise, even though the sucrose receptor cell is not activated by either fructose or glucose alone, equimolar solutions of fructose plus glucose activate the neurone. We conclude that there is a behavioural and neurophysiological synergism between fructose and glucose, the two hexose sugars of sucrose. We show that some bitter-tasting products for humans have a deterrent effect on feeding in A. gambiae. When 1 mmol l−1 quinidine, quinine or denatonium benzoate is added to 146 mmol l−1 sucrose, feeding is almost totally inhibited. The effect of berberine is lower and no significant inhibition on engorgement occurs for caffeine. The deterrent effect depends on the concentration for both quinine and quinidine. Capillary feeding experiments show that contact chemosensilla on the mouthparts are sufficient for the detection of sucrose and bitter products. The feeding assay findings with deterrents correlate with the neurophysiological responses of the sucrose and water labellar neurones, which are both inhibited by the bitter compounds denatonium benzoate, quinine and berberine between 0.01 and 1 mmol l−1, but not by the same concentrations of caffeine. In conclusion, sucrose stimulates feeding and activates the labellar sucrose neurone, whereas feeding deterrents inhibit both the sucrose and water neurones. This study provides an initial understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved in sugar feeding in A. gambiae and shows how some bitter products interfere with it. - PublicationAccès libreLight and electron microscopy studies of the midgut and salivary glands of second and third instars of the horse stomach bot, Gasterophilus intestinalis(2010)
; ; ; A morphological study of the midgut and salivary glands of second and third instars of Gasterophilus intestinalis (De Geer) (Diptera: Oestridae) was conducted by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The midgut is anteriorly delimited by a proventriculus, without caeca, and is composed of posterior foregut and anterior midgut tissue from which a double-layered peritrophic matrix is produced. The midgut can be divided into anterior, median and posterior regions on the basis of the structural and physiological variations of the columnar cells which occur along its length. Two other types of cell were identified: regenerative cells scattered throughout the columnar cells, and, more rarely, endocrine cells of two structural types (closed and open). Different secretion mechanisms (merocrine, apocrine and microapocrine) occur along the midgut epithelium. Abundant microorganisms are observed in the endoperitrophic space of the anterior midgut. The origin and nature of these microorganisms remain unknown. No structural differences are observed between the second and third instar midguts. The salivary glands of G. intestinalis second and third instars consist of a pair of elongated tubular structures connected to efferent ducts which unite to form a single deferent duct linked dorsally to the pharynx. Several intermediate cells, without cuticle, make the junction with the salivary gland epithelium layer. Cytological characteristics of the gland epithelial cells demonstrate high cellular activity and some structural variations are noticed between the two larval stages. - PublicationAccès libreUltrastructure and receptor cell responses of the antennal grooved peg sensilla of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera : Reduviidae)(2003)
; ; - PublicationAccès libreDarkness induces mobility, and saturation deficit limits questing duration, in the tick Ixodes ricinus(2003)
; ; ; The behaviour of Ixodes ricinus nymphs was recorded in 10-day experiments using computer-assisted video-tracking, in the absence of any host stimuli. These ticks switch spontaneously from questing in a desiccating atmosphere to quiescence in a water-saturated atmosphere after dark. Quantification of both questing and quiescence duration demonstrates that questing duration is inversely related to saturation deficit whereas quiescence duration is not. Distance walked after quiescence increased with desiccating conditions, while the distance walked after questing remained unchanged. Almost all locomotor activities of I. ricinus occurred during darkness under either a 14 h:10 h L:D or a 8 h:4 h L:D cycle. We established that all life stages of I. ricinus are equipped to sense shifts in light intensity with bilaterally placed strings of photoreceptors. This permits I. ricinus to use onset of darkness to trigger mobility when desiccation risk is reduced in nature. - PublicationAccès libreUltrastructure and receptor cell responses of the antennal grooved peg sensilla of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)(2003)
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Electrophysiological recordings from the GP sensilla indicate that they house NH3, short-chain carboxylic acid and short-chain aliphatic amine receptor cells and can be divided into three functional sub-types (GP 1–3). All GP sensilla carry a receptor cell excited by aliphatic amines, such as isobutylamine, a compound associated with vertebrate odour. GP type 1 and 2 sensilla house, in addition, an NH3-excited cell whereas the type 2 sensilla also contains a short-chain carboxylic acid receptor. No cell particularly sensitive to either NH3 or carboxylic acids was found in the grooved-peg type 3 sensilla. GP types 1, 2 and 3 represent ca. 36, 10 and 43% of the GP sensilla, respectively, whereas the remaining 11% contain receptor cells that manifest normal spontaneous activity but do not respond to any of the afore mentioned stimuli. - PublicationAccès libreBehavioural and chemoreceptor cell responses of the tick, Ixodes ricinus, to its own faeces and faecal constituentsTicks are ectoparasites of vertebrates and utilize a variety ofinfochemicals for host finding and acceptance as well as for intraspecific aggregation and mating responses. Individual male and female Ixodes ricinus, the vector of Lyme disease in Europe, readily arrest onfilter paper strips contaminated with their own faeces. I. ricinus also responds, but to a lesser degree, tofaeces-contaminated papers enclosed in metal mesh envelopes, i.e. without directly contacting the faeces, suggesting a role for volatiles in the arrestment response. The faecal constituents guanine, xanthine, uric acid and 8-azaguanine (a bacterial breakdown product of guanine) also caused arrestment of individual I.ricinus males and females. However, mixtures of these products induced arrestment of I. ricinus at doses one hundred fold lower than the lowest active dose of any of them tested singly. Saline extracts of faeces activated receptor cells in terminal pore sensilla on the first legtarsi of I. ricinus. One cell in these sensilla responded in a similar dose dependent manner to guanine and 8-azaguanine, whereas a second cell was more sensitive to lower doses of 8-azaguanine. The response threshold approached 100 fM for both cells. These findings suggest that faeces and faecal breakdown products are implicated in aggregation responses of I. ricinus. This may account for the clumped distribution of this ectoparasite on the ground and contribute to the high proportion of mated individuals recorded prior to host colonization.