Effects of diet on aquaporin abundance in the disease-vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti


SOCIETY FOR INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
2021 VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING (VAM)
January 3 – Febuary 28, 2021

Meeting Abstract


83-5  Sat Jan 2  Effects of diet on aquaporin abundance in the disease-vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti Picinic, BN*; Paluzzi, JP; Donini, A; York University britneyp@my.yorku.ca

The mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world and is a vector for arboviral diseases such as Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika. The adults of this species are terrestrial while the larvae are aquatic, thus they face different challenges to the maintenance of appropriate salt and water levels in body fluids (osmoregulation). Female adult A. aegypti require a blood meal to obtain the necessary proteins and amino acids for egg development. Upon engorging a blood meal, the female must deal with incoming water from the blood plasma, while also absorbing essential nutrients from the blood proteins. Osmoregulation involves the water and ion-flux across the epithelia of osmoregulatory organs and in A. aegypti these include the midgut, Malpighian tubules, and hindgut. The transport of water across the epithelial tissue involves transmembrane proteins known as aquaporins (AQPs), which function as selective channels to facilitate the movement of water. Due to the effects of feeding in A. aegypti, including but not limited to excess water, it has been hypothesized that the AQP abundance is affected by the intake and digestion of the blood meal for females and by sugar feeding for both males and females. In this study AQP1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 have been localized in the adult female and male A. aegypti using immunohistochemistry. Immunolocalization of the AQPs has identified that a blood meal may increase the abundance of select AQPs in the Malpighian tubules and fat body of females. However, AQP1 abundance assessed using Western blot analysis in the female Malpighian tubules demonstrates that there is a significant decrease in protein abundance 24hr post blood meal. Western blot analysis for protein abundance of other AQPs is the subject of continuing work.

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