Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gustatory receptor neuron responds to DEET and other insect repellents in the yellow-fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Naturwissenschaften Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Three gustatory receptor neurons were characterized for contact chemoreceptive sensilla on the labella of female yellow-fever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti. The neuron with the smallest amplitude spike responded to the feeding deterrent, quinine, as well as N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide and other insect repellents. Two other neurons with differing spikes responded to salt (NaCl) and sucrose. This is the first report of a gustatory receptor neuron specific for insect repellents in mosquitoes and may provide a tool for screening chemicals to discover novel or improved feeding deterrents and repellents for use in the management of arthropod disease vectors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Bar-Zeev M, Schmidt CH (1959) Action of a repellent as indicated by a radioactive tracer. J Econ Entomol 52:268–269

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boeckh J, Breer H, Geier M et al (1996) Acylated 1,3-aminopropanols as repellents against bloodsucking arthropods. Pestic Sci 48:359–373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bohbot JD, Dickens JC (2010) Insect repellents: modulators of mosquito odorant receptor activity. PLoS One 5(8):e12138. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bohbot JD, Dickens JC (2011) Multiple activities of insect repellents on odorant receptors in mosquitoes. Med Vet Entomol 25:436–444

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown M, Hebert AA (1997) Insect repellents: an overview. J Am Acad Dermatol 36:243–249

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Debboun M, Strickman D (2012) Insect repellents and associated personal protection for a reduction of human disease. Med Vet Entomol. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2915.2012.01020.x

  • Debboun M, Frances SP, Strickman D (2007) Insect repellents: principles, methods, and uses. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 495 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Dethier VG (1972) Sensitivity of the contact chemoreceptors of the blowfly to vapors. Proc Nat Acad Sci (Wash) 69:2189–2192

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ditzen M, Pellegrino M, Vosshall LB (2008) Insect odorant receptors are molecular targets of the insect repellent DEET. Science 319:1838–1841

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster WA (1995) Mosquito sugar feeding and reproductive energetics. Annu Rev Entomol 40:443–474

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fradin MS (1998) Mosquitoes and mosquito repellents: a clinician’s guide. Ann Intern Med 128:239–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Galun R, Avi-dor Y, BarZeev M (1963) Feeding response in Aedes aegypti: stimulation by adenosine triphosphate. Science 142:1674–1675

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grant AJ, Dickens JC (2011) Functional characterization of the octenol receptor neuron on the maxillary palps of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. PLoS One 6(6):e21785. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021785

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hill SR, Smith JJB (1999) Consistent pattern in the placement of taste sensilla on the labellar lobes of Aedes aegypti. Internat J Insect Morphol Embryol 28:281–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson ES, Lettvin JY, Roeder KD (1955) The physiology of a primary chemoreceptor unit. Science 122:417–418

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ignell R, Okawa S, Englund JE, Hill SR (2010) Assessment of diet choice by the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. Physiol Entomol 35:274–286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klun JA, Khrimian A, Debboun M (2006) Repellent and deterrent effects of SS220, picaridin, and Deet suppress human blood feeding by Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Phlebotomus papatasi. J Med Entomol 43:34–39

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kwon Y, Kim SH, Ronderos DS et al (2010) Drosophila TRPA1 channel is required to avoid the naturally occurring insect repellent citronellal. Curr Biol 20:1672–1678

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee RMKW, Craig DA (2009) Fine structure of the sense organs on the labella and labium of the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.). Open Entomol J 3:7–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee Y, Kim SH, Montell C (2010) Avoiding DEET through insect gustatory receptors. Neuron 67:555–561

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Licciardi S, Herve JP, Darriet F et al (2006) Lethal and behavioural effects of three synthetic repellents (DEET, IR3535, and KBR 3023) on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in laboratory assays. Med Vet Entomol 20:288–293

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrino M, Steinbach N, Stensmyr MC et al (2011) A natural polymorphism alters odour and DEET sensitivity in an insect odorant receptor. Nature 478:511–516

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Städler E, Hanson FE (1975) Olfactory capabilities of the “gustatory” chemoreceptors of the tobacco hornworm larvae. J Comp Physiol 104:97–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanczyk NM, Brookfield JFY, Ignell R et al (2010) Behavioral insensitivity to DEET in Aedes aegypti is a genetically determined trait residing in changes in sensillum function. Proc Nat Acad Sci (Wash) 107:8575–8580

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Syed Z, Leal WS (2008) Mosquitoes smell and avoid the insect repellent DEET. Proc Nat Acad Sci (USA) 105:13598–13603

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (2012) Dengue and severe dengue. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs117/en/. Accessed 28 Jul 2012

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Dr. Daniel Strickman, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD, USA and Dr. Richard G. Vogt, University of South Carolina for reviewing the manuscript. This work was supported in part by a grant to JCD from the Deployed War Fighter Protection Research Program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Plant Sciences Institute, Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA

    Jillian L. Sanford & Joseph C. Dickens

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD, USA

    Jillian L. Sanford & Vonnie D. C. Shields

Authors
  1. Jillian L. Sanford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vonnie D. C. Shields
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joseph C. Dickens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph C. Dickens.

Additional information

Communicated by: Sven Thatje

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sanford, J.L., Shields, V.D.C. & Dickens, J.C. Gustatory receptor neuron responds to DEET and other insect repellents in the yellow-fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti . Naturwissenschaften 100, 269–273 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1021-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-013-1021-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation