The Neurogenetics of Innate Behaviors

Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series Female mosquitoes require a blood meal to complete egg development. In carrying out this innate behavior, mosquitoes spread dangerous infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever. Humans attract mosquitoes via multiple sensory cues including emitted body odor, heat, and carbon dioxide in the breath. The mosquito perceives differences in these cues, both between and within species, to determine which animal or human to target for blood-feeding. This strong attraction to humans is strongly attenuated for up to 4 days after the female takes a blood-meal, suggesting the existence of a reversible blood-meal-induced behavioral switch. We have recently obtained evidence that neuropeptide signaling is an important factor in host-seeking suppression. We have identified human neuropeptide receptor agonists and antagonists that show dose-dependent modulation of host-seeking suppression, and have begun to link these drugs to endogenous Aedes aegypti neuropeptide receptors. Recent advances from my group in analyzing the molecular biology of host-seeking behavior and its modulation by neuropeptides will be discussed.For more information go to http://wals.od.nih.govAir date: 9/17/2014 3:00:00 PM
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