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Browsing by Author "VanderGiessen, Morgen"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Effects of habitat and plant volatiles on mosquito spatial, seasonal, and chemical ecology
    VanderGiessen, Morgen (Virginia Tech, 2021-06-03)
    Mosquitoes, by transmitting vector-borne diseases through their saliva, impact nearly half of the world's population. Mosquito survival is dependent on their sense of smell, or olfaction, which allows a mosquito to differentiate between plant nectar, required for metabolic processes, and host odors, which will help them navigate towards hosts, source of the blood required for producing eggs. Mosquitoes interpret and respond to chemical volatiles very differently depending on their environment (temperature, humidity, time of day, etc.) and species-specific host preferences (humans, mammals, etc.). However, the impact of ecological factors on mosquito prevalence, sugar-feeding, and host seeking is relatively unknown. In an attempt to address this knowledge gap, we first investigate how several ecological factors (i.e., temporal, seasonal, and topographical) affect mosquito sugar feeding and population dynamics. Second, we focused on the anthropophilic mosquito species Aedes aegypti to investigate the role of plant associated compounds in host-seeking behavior, such as those which are commonly found in personal care products (i.e., body washes). Our results demonstrate that several ecological factors alter mosquito prevalence and behavior, including both sugar and host seeking behaviors. We anticipate these results to be a starting point for mosquito control strategies that depend not only on olfactory perception of plant odors, but also on the ecological and species-specific characteristics which shape the dynamics of vector-borne diseases.
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    Odor-Specific Daily Rhythms in the Olfactory Sensitivity and Behavior of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
    Eilerts, Diane F.; VanderGiessen, Morgen; Bose, Elizabeth A.; Broxton, Kyera; Vinauger, Clément (MDPI, 2018-10-23)
    Many biological processes and behaviors in mosquitoes display rhythmic patterns, allowing for fine tuning to cyclic environmental conditions. In mosquitoes, vector-host interactions are primarily mediated by olfactory signals. Previous studies have established that, in the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, rhythmic expression of odorant binding proteins and takeout proteins in the antenna resulted in a corresponding rhythm in olfactory sensitivity to relevant host odors. However, it remained unclear how rhythms observed in olfactory sensitivity affect or explain rhythms in behavioral output, which ultimately impacts disease transmission. In order to address this knowledge gap, we quantified and compared patterns in locomotor activity, olfactory sensitivity, and olfactory behaviors in adult female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Here, we demonstrate an odorant-specific modulation of olfactory sensitivity in Ae. aegypti, decoupled from rhythms in olfactory behavior. Additionally, behavioral assays performed herein represent the first evidence of a time-dependence of the olfactory activation of behavior in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. Results suggest that olfactory behavior of Aedes mosquitoes is modulated at both the peripheral (antenna) and central levels. As such, this work serves as a foundation for future studies aimed at further understanding the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying behavioral plasticity.
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    Soap application alters mosquito-host interactions
    VanderGiessen, Morgen; Tallon, Anaïs K.; Damico, Bryn; Lahondère, Chloé; Vinauger, Clément (Cell Press, 2023-05)
    To find nutrients, mosquitoes use volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants and animal hosts. These resources overlap in their chemical composition, and an important layer of information resides in VOCs’ relative abundance in the headspace of each resource. In addition, a large majority of the human species regularly uses personal care products such as soaps and perfumes, which add plant-related VOCs to their olfactory signature. Using headspace sampling and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we quantified how human odor is modified by soap application. We showed that soaps alter mosquito host selection, with some soaps increasing the attractiveness of the host and some soaps reducing it. Analytical methods revealed the main chemicals associated with these changes. These results provide proof-of-concept that data on host-soap valences can be reverse-engineered to produce chemical blends for artificial baits or mosquito repellents, and evince the impact of personal care products on host selection processes.