Serotonin signaling regulates insulin-like peptides for growth, reproduction, and metabolism in the disease vector Aedes aegypti.

ABSTRACT: Disease-transmitting female mosquitoes require a vertebrate blood meal to produce their eggs. An obligatory hematophagous lifestyle, rapid reproduction, and existence of a large number of transmittable diseases make mosquitoes the world's deadliest animals. Attaining optimal body size and nutritional status is critical for mosquitoes to become reproductively competent and effective disease vectors. We report that blood feeding boosts serotonin concentration and elevates the serotonin receptor Aa5HT2B (Aedes aegypti 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor, type 2B) transcript level in the fat-body, an insect analog of the vertebrate liver and adipose tissue. Aa5HT2B gene disruption using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing approach led to a decreased body size, postponed development, shortened

SUBMITTER: Ling L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6196551 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature