Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are major vectors of dengue, chikungunya, and other arboviral diseases. Ae. aegypti ’s capacity to reproduce and to spread disease depends on the female mosquitoes’ ability to obtain blood meals and find water-filled containers in which to lay eggs (oviposit). While humidity sensation (hygrosensation) has been implicated in these behaviors, the specific hygrosensory pathways involved have been unclear. Here, we establish the distinct molecular requirements and anatomical locations of Ae. aegypti Dry Cells and Moist Cells and examine their contributions to behavior. We show that Dry Cell and Moist Cell responses to humidity involve different ionotropic receptor (IR) family sensory receptors, with dry air-activated Dry Cells reliant upon the IR Ir40a , and humid air-activated Moist Cells upon Ir68a . Both classes of hygrosensors innervate multiple antennal sensilla, including sensilla ampullacea near the antennal base as well as two classes of coeloconic sensilla near the tip. Dry Cells and Moist Cells each support behaviors linked to mosquito reproduction but contribute differently: Ir40a -dependent Dry Cells act in parallel with Ir68a -dependent Moist Cells to promote blood feeding, while oviposition site seeking is driven specifically by Ir68a- dependent Moist Cells. Together these findings reveal the importance of distinct hygrosensory pathways in blood feeding and oviposition site seeking and suggest Ir40a- dependent Dry Cells and Ir68a- dependent Moist Cells as potential targets for vector control strategies.

中文翻译：

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蚊子湿度传感的功能剖析揭示了干细胞和湿细胞对血液喂养和产卵的独特贡献


埃及伊蚊是登革热、基孔肯雅热和其他虫媒病毒疾病的主要传播媒介。艾。埃及伊蚊的繁殖和传播疾病的能力取决于雌性蚊子获取血粉和找到装满水的容器产卵（产卵）的能力。虽然湿度感觉（湿度感觉）与这些行为有关，但所涉及的具体湿度感觉途径尚不清楚。在这里，我们建立了 Ae 的独特分子要求和解剖位置。埃及伊蚊干细胞和湿细胞并检查它们对行为的贡献。我们表明，干细胞和湿细胞对湿度的反应涉及不同的离子型受体 (IR) 家族感觉受体，干燥空气激活的干细胞依赖于 IR Ir40a，潮湿空气激活的湿细胞依赖于 Ir68a。这两类湿度传感器都支配多个触角感器，包括触角基部附近的壶腹感器以及靠近尖端的两类腔室感器。干细胞和湿细胞各自支持与蚊子繁殖相关的行为，但贡献不同：Ir40a 依赖性干细胞与 Ir68a 依赖性湿细胞并行作用，促进血液摄食，而产卵地点寻找则由 Ir68a 依赖性湿细胞专门驱动。这些发现共同揭示了不同的湿度感应途径在血液喂养和产卵位点寻找中的重要性，并表明 Ir40a 依赖性干细胞和 Ir68a 依赖性湿细胞作为媒介控制策略的潜在目标。