Antennal transcriptome analysis reveals sensory receptors potentially associated with host detection in the livestock pest Lucilia cuprina.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is the main causative agent of flystrike of sheep in Australia and New Zealand. Female flies lay eggs in an open wound or natural orifice, and the developing larvae eat the host's tissues, a condition called myiasis. To improve our understanding of host-seeking behavior, we quantified gene expression in male and female antennae based on their behavior.

Methods

A spatial olfactometer was used to evaluate the olfactory response of L. cuprina mated males and gravid females to fresh or rotting beef. Antennal RNA-Seq analysis was used to identify sensory receptors differentially expressed between groups.

Results

Lucilia cuprina females were more attracted to rotten compared to fresh beef (> fivefold incr

SUBMITTER: Wulff JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11256703 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature