A Neuropeptide Signaling System That Rapidly Enforces Paternity In The Aedes aegypti Mosquito

Female Dengue and Zika vector mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) generally mate once, with sperm from this male fertilizing all eggs produced in her lifetime. Here we implicate HP-I, an Aedes- and male-specific neuropeptide transferred to females, and its cognate receptor in the female, NPYLR1, in rapid enforcement of paternity. HP-I mutant males were ineffective in enforcing paternity when a second male was given access to the female within 1 hour. NPYLR1 mutant females produced mixed paternity offspring at high frequency. Synthetic HP-I injected into wild-type virgins reduced successful matings, but had no effect on NPYLR1 mutant females. Asian tiger mosquito (Ae. albopictus) HP-I potently activated Ae. aegypti NPYLR1. Invasive Ae. albopictus males are known to copulate with and sterilize Ae. aegypti females, and cross-species transfer of HP-I may contribute to this phenomenon. This neuropeptide system promotes rapid paternity enforcement within Ae. aegypti, but may promote local extinction in areas where they compete with Ae. albopictus.