An Investigation of Deet- Insensitivity in Aedes Aegypti
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AN INVESTIGATION OF DEET- INSENSITIVITY IN AEDES AEGYPTI NINA STANCZYK, BSc. Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2011 1 Abstract N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) is one of the most effective and commonly used mosquito repellents. However, during laboratory trials a small proportion of mosquitoes are still attracted by human odours despite the presence of DEET. In this study behavioural assays identified Aedes aegypti females that were insensitive to DEET. The selection of either sensitive or insensitive groups of females with males of unknown sensitivity over several generations resulted in two populations with different proportions of insensitive females. Crossing experiments showed the ‘DEET-insensitivity’ trait to be dominant. In addition to the finding of heritable DEET-insensitivity, unselected culture mosquitoes were shown to change their sensitivity to DEET after brief pre-exposure to the repellent. Female mosquitoes that were sensitive to DEET when first tested became insensitive when retested. Electroantennography showed that mosquitoes that were insensitive to DEET had a reduced response to DEET compared with mosquitoes that were sensitive to it. This was the case both for culture mosquitoes displaying insensitivity to DEET after brief pre-exposure to it, and for the sensitive and insensitive lines selected for several generations. Single sensillum recordings of the selected lines identified DEET-sensitive sensilla in the sensitive line that did not respond to DEET in the insensitive line. This study suggests that behavioural insensitivity to DEET in Ae. aegypti is a genetically determined dominant trait, which can also be temporarily induced by pre-exposure, and resides in changes in sensillum function. These results highlight the necessity for careful monitoring of DEET- insensitivity in the field, and caution when designing laboratory methods for repellency assays. 2 Acknowledgements Firstly I would like to thank my supervisors John Brookfield, James Logan and Lin Field for their sheer enthusiasm, unfailing support and sage advice through this project. I came out of every meeting with the three of them feeling inspired and excited (if also occasionally panicked), which I think is the best effect supervisors can have. I would also like to thank Rickard Ignell for his invaluable expertise and the opportunity to do single sensillum recordings at SLU in Alnarp, Sweden, and everyone in the lab there, particularly Sharon Hill for her patience in teaching me SSR and being a sympathetic ear when I got frustrated. I would like to acknowledge Sue Welham, Suzanne Clark and Elisa Loza at Rothamsted Research for statistical advice. Also Lynda Castle in VCU, for excellent diagrams, and Jean Devonshire, for the fantastic SEM pictures. A massive thank you to all of my past and present colleagues at Rothamsted who were willing to answer questions, demonstrate techniques and exchange ideas, particularly Sarah Dewhirst, Christine Woodcock and Lynda Ireland. I’ve had a brilliant time working at Rothamsted, due in no small part to the people I work with, so thanks to Mary Hamilton, Emma Weeks, John Caulfield and Ben Webster for all of those pub lunches! Thanks to James Cook for his consistent mocking throughout this project, without which my world would have been all askew. And finally, thank you to my parents for their help, support, and constant love – I dare you to try and read all of this and understand it. 3 Contents Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 3 Contents ............................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter 1. General Introduction 1.1 Mosquitoes as vectors of disease ............................................................................. 8 1.2 Current mosquito control ....................................................................................... 10 1.2.1 Repellents......................................................................................................... 12 1.3 Mosquito biology .................................................................................................... 15 1.3.1 Life-cycle .......................................................................................................... 15 1.3.2 Host location .................................................................................................... 17 1.3.3 Mosquito peripheral olfaction ......................................................................... 18 1.4 DEET ......................................................................................................................... 20 1.4.1 The mode of action of DEET ............................................................................. 20 1.4.2 DEET Insensitivity ............................................................................................. 22 1.5 Aims of this study .................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 2. Selection of DEET-Insensitivity and Crossing Experiments 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 25 2.2 Methods ................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.1 Predictions of genetic inheritance of DEET-insensitivity ................................. 27 2.2.2 Insects .............................................................................................................. 27 2.2.3 Repellency bioassay for selection of DEET-insensitive mosquitoes................. 28 2.2.4 60% penetrance explanations .......................................................................... 29 2.2.5 Fitness of selected lines ................................................................................... 30 2.2.6 Crossing ............................................................................................................ 30 2.2.7 Statistics ........................................................................................................... 30 2.3 Results ...................................................................................................................... 32 2.3.1 Predictions of genetic inheritance of DEET-insensitivity ................................. 32 2.3.2 Selection of DEET-insensitive mosquitoes ....................................................... 33 2.3.3 60% penetrance explanations .......................................................................... 35 4 Contents 2.3.4 Fitness of selected lines ................................................................................... 37 2.3.5 Crossing ............................................................................................................ 39 2.4 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 40 2.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 44 Chapter 3. Using Electroantennography to Characterise DEET-Insensitivity 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 45 3.2 Methods ................................................................................................................... 47 3.2.1 Insects .............................................................................................................. 47 3.2.2 Preparation ...................................................................................................... 47 3.2.3 Stimulus Delivery ............................................................................................. 47 3.2.4 Treatments ....................................................................................................... 49 3.2.5 Air entrainment of pipette cartridge ............................................................... 50 3.2.6 Statistical Analyses ........................................................................................... 51 3.3 Results ...................................................................................................................... 52 3.3.1 EAG dose-response experiments ..................................................................... 52 3.3.2 EAG recordings from selected lines (generations F0-F8) .................................. 54 3.3.3 EAG with selected lines (F9) ............................................................................. 59 3.3.4 Pipette air entrainments .................................................................................. 60 3.4 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 61 3.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 65 Chapter 4. Single Sensillum Recordings from DEET-Sensitive and DEET-Insensitive Individuals 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 66 4.2 Methods ..................................................................................................................