Molecular Basis of Olfactory Chemoreception in the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius.

ABSTRACT: As one of the most notorious ectoparasites, bed bugs rely heavily on human or animal blood sources for survival, mating and reproduction. Chemoreception, mediated by the odorant receptors on the membrane of olfactory sensory neurons, plays a vital role in their host seeking and risk aversion processes. We investigated the responses of odorant receptors to a large spectrum of semiochemicals, including human odorants and plant-released volatiles and found that strong responses were sparse; aldehydes/ketones were the most efficient stimuli, while carboxylic acids and aliphatics/aromatics were comparatively less effective in eliciting responses from bed bug odorant receptors. In bed bugs, both the odorant identity and concentrations play important roles in determining the strength of these res

SUBMITTER: Liu F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5382537 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature