Neurogenetic identification of mosquito sensory neurons

Abstract

Anopheles mosquitoes, as vectors for the malaria parasite, are a global threat to human health. To find and bite a human, they utilize neurons within their sensory appendages. However, the identity and quantification of sensory appendage neurons are lacking. Here we use a neurogenetic approach to label all neurons in Anopheles coluzzii mosquitoes. We utilize the Homology Assisted CRISPR Knock-in (HACK) approach to generate a T2A-QF2w knock-in of the synaptic gene bruchpilot. We use a membrane-targeted GFP reporter to visualize the neurons in the brain and to quantify neurons in all major chemosensory appendages (antenna, maxillary palp, labella, tarsi). By comparing labeling of brp>GFP and Orco>GFP mosquitoes, we predict the extent of neurons expressing Ionotropic Receptors or other chemosensory receptors. This work introduces a valuable genetic tool for the functional analysis of Anopheles mosquito neurobiology and initiates characterization of the sensory neurons that guide mosquito behavior. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=178 HEIGHT=200 SRC="FIGDIR/small/517370v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (46K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ebbf69org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@63bcd2org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1bab0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@18799a4_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG