Study of genes related to blood feeding and digestion for anopheline mosquito control

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K18824
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Insect science
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Daisuke Yamamoto 自治医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (90597189)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 吸血 / 発生・分化 / ゲノム編集 / 害虫防除 / ベクターバイオロジー / 性分化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to elucidate genes important for blood feeding and digestion in anopheline mosquitoes, gene expression of the midgut and salivary glands of female that exhibited the dysfunction in blood digestion due to knockout of the sex differentiation gene was analyzed. In the midgut, comprehensive comparative analyses were performed between this females and wild-type females, and genes with the different expression levels were clarified. Among these genes, the aminopeptidase gene, which is predicted to be a digestive enzyme based on the amino structure and homology searches, was subjected to knockout analysis by CRISPR/Cas9 and revealed to be involved in female fertility.

Free Research Field

昆虫発生学・遺伝学、衛生動物学、寄生虫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では血液消化不良をおこすハマダラカ系統を用いることで、血液消化・吸収に関与する可能性のある遺伝子群を明らかにするとともに、これらの遺伝子発現の制御に性分化遺伝子が直接的あるいは間接的に関与することを明らかした。ハマダラカにおいて中腸や唾液腺は血液の消化・吸収や吸血行動に重要なため、これらの組織で発現する遺伝子を制御できれば、吸血不良や消化不良などによる妊性低下や致死により蚊の防除が期待出来る。本研究で明らかになった遺伝子群はマラリアベクター制御のための新しい標的になることが期待できる。