Meeting Abstract

P1.165  Saturday, Jan. 4 15:30  Effects of desiccation stress on gene expression in the mosquito Aedes aegypti HOFFMAN, J.*; SYLLA, M.; GRAY, E.M.; Colorado College; Colorado State University; Colorado College jacob.hoffman@coloradocollege.edu

Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) is the primary disease vector for both Dengue and Yellow Fever. Climate change is likely affecting the distribution of these mosquitoes, yet the extent to which individuals and populations can respond physiologically to the environmental change is unknown. Increasing our understanding of how A. aegypti responds to environmental stressors is an important step in predicting the future distribution of the diseases these mosquitoes transmit. In this research, we investigate the response of individual adult mosquitoes to dehydration stress. Homologs of four genes identified as being differentially expressed in response to desiccation stress (Frost, Desat2, HSP70 and Pepck) in Drosphila and other species are examined in A. aegypti. Aedes mosquitoes are subjected to both chronic and acute desiccation stress and then analyzed via qRT-PCR to determine the extent to which these genes are differentially expressed. These results provide clues as to which physiological mechanisms are likely to mediate survival in desiccating environments.