Ammonium transporter AcAmt mutagenesis uncovers reproductive and physiological defects without impacting olfactory responses to ammonia in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles coluzzii.

ABSTRACT: Anopheline mosquitoes are the sole vectors of malaria and rely on olfactory cues for host seeking in which ammonia derived from human sweat plays an essential role. To investigate the function of the Anopheles coluzzii ammonium transporter (AcAmt) in the mosquito olfactory system, we generated an AcAmt null mutant line using CRISPR/Cas9. AcAmt^-/- mutants displayed a series of novel phenotypes compared with wild-type mosquitoes including significantly lower insemination rates during mating and increased mortality during eclosion. Furthermore, AcAmt^-/- males showed significantly lower sugar consumption while AcAmt^-/- females and pupae displayed significantly higher ammonia levels than their wild-type counterparts. Surprisingly, in contrast to previous studies

SUBMITTER: Ye Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8187335 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature