Abstract
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the primary vectors of numerous viruses that impact human health. As manipulation of reproduction has been proposed to suppress mosquito populations, elucidation of biological processes that enable males and females to successfully reproduce is necessary. One essential process is female sperm storage in specialized structures called spermathecae. Aedes aegypti females typically mate once, requiring them to maintain sperm viably to fertilize eggs they lay over their lifetime. Spermathecal gene products are required for Drosophila sperm storage and sperm viability, and a spermathecal-derived heme peroxidase is required for long-term Anopheles gambiae fertility. Products of the Ae. aegypti spermathecae, and their response to mating, are largely unknown. Further, although female blood-feeding is essential for anautogenous mosquito reproduction, the transcriptional response to blood-ingestion remains undefined in any reproductive tissue. We conducted an RNAseq analysis of spermathecae from unfed virgins, mated only, and mated and blood-fed females at 6, 24, and 72 h post-mating and identified significant differentially expressed genes in each group at each timepoint. A blood-meal following mating induced a greater transcriptional response in the spermathecae than mating alone. This study provides the first view of elicited mRNA changes in the spermathecae by a blood-meal in mated females.
Highlights
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the primary vectors of numerous viruses that impact human health
In the up-regulated dataset, we found 48 significantly overrepresented Gene Ontology (GO) terms (FDR < 0.05) in the Not Blood-Fed (NBF) group (File S7), with the majority related to transport activity
In the BF group, we found 24 overrepresented GO terms related to amino acid metabolic processes, carboxylic acid metabolism, inosine monophosphate (IMP) metabolism and biosynthesis, transport activity and peptidase activity (File S7)
Summary
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the primary vectors of numerous viruses that impact human health. Introduction of transgenic[12] or Wolbachia infected[13,14] Ae. aegypti is currently being tested to suppress or replace native populations To aid such strategies, and to develop complementary methods, it is imperative to identify novel targets to reduce the fertility of this vector species, and to elucidate the biological processes that enable Ae. aegypti males and females to successfully reproduce. During mating in Ae. aegypti, sperm are deposited into the bursa of the female reproductive tract They quickly concentrate at the spermathecal vestibule and migrate to the sperm storage organs (referred to as spermathecae), where they are stored long-term[21]. Transcriptional and proteomic profiles of the sperm storage organs after mating in Drosophila[32,33], Apis[39], Crematogaster[37] and Anopheles[23] have identified molecules involved in the immune response, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, cellular transport and oxidative stress that might play protective roles for sperm and/or mediate female postmating processes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
