The constant buzz of a mosquito is not just annoying—in many cases, it is the soundtrack of deadly disease. Aedes aegypti, a species that transmits the pathogens that cause yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya, has a particularly voracious appetite for humans. Now, researchers have uncovered that Ae. aegypti females’ ability to detect nearby humans is more complicated than previously assumed. The study, published today (August 18) in the journal Cell, reports that mosquitoes can express multiple chemoreceptors in each of their neurons, which likely ensures they can sniff us out no matter what.
For decades, scientists have assumed that individual olfactory neurons can only express a single chemoreceptor. That’s how it seems to work in humans and mice, after all—interactions between chromosomes ensure just one odorant receptor gene is expressed per neuron. However, the paper finds this “one receptor-one neuron” principle doesn’t apply to Ae. aegypti.
This study tells us ...
