Are divergent mosquito odorant receptors conserved behavioural regulators?

The olfactory system of mosquitoes is under strong selective pressure to use the same set of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and likely neural pathways, as signals for finding and discriminating among essential resources, e.g., nectar sources, vertebrate hosts and oviposition sites. Mosquitoes must respond to these VOCs at the correct moment, which is done by modulating the olfactory system according to their physiological state, upon interaction with the environment. These staged behavioural phenotypes of female mosquitoes are correlated with overall, as well as differential, changes in expression of odorant receptors. This project will adopt a state-of-the-art technology and structure-functional modelling such as CRISPR-Cas9 editing in combination with previous deep understanding of the VOCs involved in regulating mosquito behaviour such as physiological and phenotyping. The project will greatly improve our understanding of how natural selection shapes and modulates odour-mediated behaviours.

Project details

Basic Science
Vector Control

Jan 2023 — Dec 2025

$258,669

Sweden