TY - JOUR
T1 - Acute olfactory response of Culex mosquitoes to a human- and bird-derived attractant
AU - Syed, Zainulabeuddin
AU - Leal, Walter S.
PY - 2009/11/3
Y1 - 2009/11/3
N2 - West Nile virus, which is transmitted by Culex mosquitoes while feeding on birds and humans, has emerged as the dominant vector borne disease in North America. We have identified natural compounds from humans and birds, which are detected with extreme sensitivity by olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) on the antennae of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (Cx. quinquefasciatus). One of these semiochemicals, nonanal, dominates the odorant spectrum of pigeons, chickens, and humans from various ethnic backgrounds. We determined the specificity and sensitivity of all ORN types housed in different sensilla types on Cx. quinquefasciatus antennae. Here, we present a comprehensive map of all antennal ORNs coding natural ligands and their dose-response functions. Nonanal is detected by a large array of sensilla and is by far the most potent stimulus; thus, supporting the assumption that Cx. quinquefasciatus can smell humans and birds. Nonanal and CO2 synergize, thus, leading to significantly higher catches of Culex mosquitoes in traps baited with binary than in those with individual lures.
AB - West Nile virus, which is transmitted by Culex mosquitoes while feeding on birds and humans, has emerged as the dominant vector borne disease in North America. We have identified natural compounds from humans and birds, which are detected with extreme sensitivity by olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) on the antennae of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus (Cx. quinquefasciatus). One of these semiochemicals, nonanal, dominates the odorant spectrum of pigeons, chickens, and humans from various ethnic backgrounds. We determined the specificity and sensitivity of all ORN types housed in different sensilla types on Cx. quinquefasciatus antennae. Here, we present a comprehensive map of all antennal ORNs coding natural ligands and their dose-response functions. Nonanal is detected by a large array of sensilla and is by far the most potent stimulus; thus, supporting the assumption that Cx. quinquefasciatus can smell humans and birds. Nonanal and CO2 synergize, thus, leading to significantly higher catches of Culex mosquitoes in traps baited with binary than in those with individual lures.
KW - Bird odorants
KW - Human odorants across different ethnicities
KW - Nonanal-baited traps
KW - Semiochemicals
KW - Single sensillum recordings
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0906932106
DO - 10.1073/pnas.0906932106
M3 - Article
C2 - 19858490
AN - SCOPUS:73249116414
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 106
SP - 18803
EP - 18808
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 44
ER -