2023 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Investigating the influence of two major Ionotropic Receptors on Aedes aegypti mosquito acoustic behaviors
| Project/Area Number |
22K15159
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| Research Institution | Nagoya University |
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Principal Investigator |
SU Matthew 名古屋大学, 高等研究院(理), 特任助教 (00885981)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-04-01 – 2025-03-31
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| Keywords | Mosquito / Hearing / Ionotropic receptor / Acoustic behavior / Electrophysiology |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Working with national and international collaborators, I investigated the role played by two ionotropic receptors (IR21a and IR25a) in influencing mosquito hearing function behaviors. Working with colleagues at the ITbM at Nagoya University, I conducted transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of different mosquito tissues to identify expression patterns of these (and other receptors). Working with collaborators at the NHRI, Taiwan, I generated a knockout mutant for one of these receptors (IR21a) as well as several antibodies for western blotting. Finally, working in Nagoya, I tested the effect of gene knockout on mosquito hearing function using novel assays. Though IR21s appears expressed in the ear, I found no effect of IR21a knockout on hearing function.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
I have successfully generated one of the two mutants I originally planned to target, although gene knockout does not seem to influence hearing function. I am currently working to generate the other knockout mutant and believe it should be completed in several months. My transcriptomic and proteomic screens of different tissues identified many more IRs that could be the target of further research, broadening the scope of my project. Via national and international collaborations, I was able to interact with new researchers and discuss novel ideas for future projects.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
This year I will complete generation of the other knockout mutant (IR25a) and test the effect of this knockout on hearing function and behavior in different environments. I will also look to generate further IR knockout mutants and IR antibodies with my international collaborators to test if they influence hearing function. My experimental pipeline is now streamlined and I believe these experiments should be completed promptly.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Changes in the experimental schedule resulting from earlier results mean that some experiments (and therefore some costs) have been shifted to the final year. I will use the transferred money to support these experiments and then subsequent publications.
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