Differential mosquito attraction to humans is associated with skin-derived carboxylic acid levels.

ABSTRACT: Some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others, but the mechanistic basis of this phenomenon is poorly understood. We tested mosquito attraction to human skin odor and identified people who are exceptionally attractive or unattractive to mosquitoes. These differences were stable over several years. Chemical analysis revealed that highly attractive people produce significantly more carboxylic acids in their skin emanations. Mutant mosquitoes lacking the chemosensory co-receptors Ir8a, Ir25a, or Ir76b were severely impaired in attraction to human scent, but retained the ability to differentiate highly and weakly attractive people. The link between elevated carboxylic acids in "mosquito-magnet" human skin odor and phenotypes of genetic mutations in carboxylic acid receptors suggest

SUBMITTER: De Obaldia ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10069481 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature