Identifying Novel Transcriptional Effectors of the Juvenile Hormone Pathway in Aedes aegypti

Abstract

Aedes aegypti is the primary vector for dengue, zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses. Disease transmission through this mosquito places over 40% of the world's population at risk of contracting one or more of these pathogens. Current control strategies such as insecticide application have failed or carry additional burdens, such as off-target toxicity to mammals and birds. Our lab proposes utilizing a conserved arthropod hormone pathway, juvenile hormone (JH), related to growth and reproduction to curb these vector populations and reduce disease transmission. Additionally, JH is nontoxic to birds and mammals; it requires incredibly high doses to have lethal effects. We hypothesize that JH-responsive genes expressed early in the adult are responsible for her reproductive capacity and by manipulating the signaling downstream of the receptor, we will be able to decrease the female's fecundity and limit vector populations.

Via bioinformatics screening of RNA-sequencing data using the New Tuxedo pipeline, we identified 47 potential transcription factor candidates. With the use of in vitro culturing of the mosquito's reproductive tissues in the presence of a translation inhibitor, we identified two early JH responsive gene candidates, FoxA and zinc finger 519, p-value <0.05. The functional characterization of these two remains to be seen, however, in Drosophila melanogaster, they both have roles in chromatin remodeling and require protein partners to carry out long range interactions.