Disruption of Mosquito Olfaction

Abstract The African malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae and yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti are dangerous vectors for blood-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue, and chikungunya, because of an innate preference of these mosquito species to blood-feed on humans. Given this relationship, identifying the chemosensory cues and neural circuits that act in concert to guide these mosquito species toward humans may help to devise powerful strategies that halt pathogen transmission. In part, mosquitoes are thought to target vertebrate hosts by using their sense of smell. Comparative studies on the genetics of olfaction in Drosophila and mosquitoes as well as recent technical advances in heterologous expression and genome-editing systems provide a robust framework to identify mosquito genes contributing to host-seeking behavior. An improved understanding of the molecular and cellular pathways driving mosquito attraction to humans stands to inform the development of both chemical and genetic strategies to control dengue and malaria.