TY - JOUR
T1 - Mosquitoes cloak their legs to resist insecticides
AU - Balabanidou, Vasileia
AU - Kefi, Mary
AU - Aivaliotis, Michalis
AU - Koidou, Venetia
AU - Girotti, Juan R.
AU - Mijailovsky, Sergio J.
AU - Patricia Juárez, M.
AU - Papadogiorgaki, Eva
AU - Chalepakis, George
AU - Kampouraki, Anastasia
AU - Nikolaou, Christoforos
AU - Ranson, Hilary
AU - Vontas, John
PY - 2019/7/1
Y1 - 2019/7/1
N2 - Malaria incidence has halved since the year 2000, with 80% of the reduction attributable to the use of insecticides. However, insecticide resistance is now widespread and is rapidly increasing in spectrum and intensity across Africa, and may be contributing to the increase of malaria incidence in 2018. The role of detoxification enzymes and target site mutations has been documented in the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, however, the emergence of striking resistant phenotypes, suggests the occurrence of additional mechanisms. By comparing legs, the most relevant insect tissue for insecticide uptake, we show that resistant mosquitoes largely remodel their leg cuticles via enhanced deposition of cuticular proteins and chitin, corroborating a leg-thickening phenotype. Moreover, we show that resistant female mosquitoes seal their leg cuticles with higher total and different relativeamounts of cuticular hydrocarbons, compared to susceptible ones. Thestructural and functional alterations in Anopheles female mosquito legs are associated with a reduced uptake of insecticides, substantially contributing to the resistance phenotype.
AB - Malaria incidence has halved since the year 2000, with 80% of the reduction attributable to the use of insecticides. However, insecticide resistance is now widespread and is rapidly increasing in spectrum and intensity across Africa, and may be contributing to the increase of malaria incidence in 2018. The role of detoxification enzymes and target site mutations has been documented in the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, however, the emergence of striking resistant phenotypes, suggests the occurrence of additional mechanisms. By comparing legs, the most relevant insect tissue for insecticide uptake, we show that resistant mosquitoes largely remodel their leg cuticles via enhanced deposition of cuticular proteins and chitin, corroborating a leg-thickening phenotype. Moreover, we show that resistant female mosquitoes seal their leg cuticles with higher total and different relativeamounts of cuticular hydrocarbons, compared to susceptible ones. Thestructural and functional alterations in Anopheles female mosquito legs are associated with a reduced uptake of insecticides, substantially contributing to the resistance phenotype.
KW - Cuticle alterations
KW - Insecticide resistance
KW - Legs
U2 - 10.1098/rspb.2019.1091
DO - 10.1098/rspb.2019.1091
M3 - Article
SN - 0962-8452
VL - 286
JO - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
JF - Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
IS - 1907
M1 - 20191091
ER -
