Comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the Chagas disease vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius brethesi.
American trypanosomiasis, or Chagas disease, is transmitted by both domestic and sylvatic species of Triatominae which use sensory cues to locate their vertebrate hosts. Among them, odorants have been shown to play a key role. Previous work revealed morphological differences in the sensory apparatus...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-04-01
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| Series: | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009098 |
| _version_ | 1818314732286771200 |
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| author | Florencia Campetella Rickard Ignell Rolf Beutel Bill S Hansson Silke Sachse |
| author_facet | Florencia Campetella Rickard Ignell Rolf Beutel Bill S Hansson Silke Sachse |
| author_sort | Florencia Campetella |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | American trypanosomiasis, or Chagas disease, is transmitted by both domestic and sylvatic species of Triatominae which use sensory cues to locate their vertebrate hosts. Among them, odorants have been shown to play a key role. Previous work revealed morphological differences in the sensory apparatus of different species of Triatomines, but to date a comparative functional study of the olfactory system is lacking. After examining the antennal sensilla with scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), we compared olfactory responses of Rhodnius prolixus and the sylvatic Rhodnius brethesi using an electrophysiological approach. In electroantennogram (EAG) recordings, we first showed that the antenna of R. prolixus is highly responsive to carboxylic acids, compounds found in their habitat and the headspace of their vertebrate hosts. We then compared responses from olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) housed in the grooved peg sensilla of both species, as these are tuned to these compounds using single-sensillum recordings (SSRs). In R. prolixus, the SSR responses revealed a narrower tuning breath than its sylvatic sibling, with the latter showing responses to a broader range of chemical classes. Additionally, we observed significant differences between these two species in their response to particular volatiles, such as amyl acetate and butyryl chloride. In summary, the closely related, but ecologically differentiated R. prolixus and R. brethesi display distinct differences in their olfactory functions. Considering the ongoing rapid destruction of the natural habitat of sylvatic species and the likely shift towards environments shaped by humans, we expect that our results will contribute to the design of efficient vector control strategies in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:54:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d9f47752018e48d6860561a6cb659cf2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1935-2727 1935-2735 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:54:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-d9f47752018e48d6860561a6cb659cf22022-12-21T23:53:19ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352021-04-01154e000909810.1371/journal.pntd.0009098Comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the Chagas disease vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius brethesi.Florencia CampetellaRickard IgnellRolf BeutelBill S HanssonSilke SachseAmerican trypanosomiasis, or Chagas disease, is transmitted by both domestic and sylvatic species of Triatominae which use sensory cues to locate their vertebrate hosts. Among them, odorants have been shown to play a key role. Previous work revealed morphological differences in the sensory apparatus of different species of Triatomines, but to date a comparative functional study of the olfactory system is lacking. After examining the antennal sensilla with scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), we compared olfactory responses of Rhodnius prolixus and the sylvatic Rhodnius brethesi using an electrophysiological approach. In electroantennogram (EAG) recordings, we first showed that the antenna of R. prolixus is highly responsive to carboxylic acids, compounds found in their habitat and the headspace of their vertebrate hosts. We then compared responses from olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) housed in the grooved peg sensilla of both species, as these are tuned to these compounds using single-sensillum recordings (SSRs). In R. prolixus, the SSR responses revealed a narrower tuning breath than its sylvatic sibling, with the latter showing responses to a broader range of chemical classes. Additionally, we observed significant differences between these two species in their response to particular volatiles, such as amyl acetate and butyryl chloride. In summary, the closely related, but ecologically differentiated R. prolixus and R. brethesi display distinct differences in their olfactory functions. Considering the ongoing rapid destruction of the natural habitat of sylvatic species and the likely shift towards environments shaped by humans, we expect that our results will contribute to the design of efficient vector control strategies in the future.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009098 |
| spellingShingle | Florencia Campetella Rickard Ignell Rolf Beutel Bill S Hansson Silke Sachse Comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the Chagas disease vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius brethesi. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
| title | Comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the Chagas disease vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius brethesi. |
| title_full | Comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the Chagas disease vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius brethesi. |
| title_fullStr | Comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the Chagas disease vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius brethesi. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the Chagas disease vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius brethesi. |
| title_short | Comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the Chagas disease vectors Rhodnius prolixus and Rhodnius brethesi. |
| title_sort | comparative dissection of the peripheral olfactory system of the chagas disease vectors rhodnius prolixus and rhodnius brethesi |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009098 |
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