A single scent gene switches mosquitoes from flowers to blood
Nalikkaramal S, Pelletier J, Tallon AK, Wondwosen B, Caballero-Vidal G
Plant Signaling
The lantana bush blooming in your yard isn't just pretty, it's a mosquito buffet, and understanding why young mosquitoes crave its camphor scent could lead to smarter, plant-based traps instead of pesticide sprays.
Young female mosquitoes actually prefer flower nectar over blood, and this study found the exact gene, called Or117, that lets them smell camphor, a scent compound found in lantana flowers, to find that nectar. As the mosquitoes get older or mate, this gene quiets down, and the mosquitoes lose interest in flowers and start hunting for a blood meal instead. Knowing this molecular 'switch' could help researchers design new lures or traps that exploit mosquitoes' early sweet tooth.
Key Findings
Or117 is an odorant receptor that detects camphor, a compound found in the headspace of Lantana camara, the mosquito's preferred nectar-source plant.
CRISPR-Cas9 knockout of Or117, or removal of camphor from synthetic floral odor blends, eliminated teneral (newly emerged) female mosquitoes' attraction to floral scent and their antennal response to it.
As females age and mate, sensitivity to camphor and other floral odor components declines, correlating with reduced floral attraction and a behavioral shift toward host-seeking.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found the specific 'smell receptor' that lets young mosquitoes sniff out flowers for a sugar meal. As mosquitoes age or mate, that receptor's activity fades, which flips their attraction from flowers to blood-hosts like humans.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Odorant receptor Or117 detects camphor to induce floral seeking by the mosquito Aedes aegypti.
Female mosquitoes display distinct, staged, and dynamic resource-seeking behaviors to sustain energy and reproductive demands. Teneral females are attracted to floral odors due to innate energy req...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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