Whole blood and blood components from vertebrates differentially affect egg formation in three species of anautogenous mosquitoes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Most female mosquitoes are anautogenous and must blood feed on a vertebrate host to produce eggs. Prior studies show that the number of eggs females lay per clutch correlates with the volume of blood ingested and that protein is the most important macronutrient for egg formation. In contrast, how whole blood, blood fractions and specific blood proteins from different vertebrates affect egg formation is less clear. Since egg formation is best understood in Aedes aegypti, we examined how blood and blood components from different vertebrates affect this species and two others: the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae and arbovirus vector Culex quinquefasciatus.

Methods

Adult female mosquitoes were fed blood, blood fractions and purified major blood proteins from differen

SUBMITTER: Harrison RE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7905675 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature