Sex and species specific hearing mechanisms in mosquito flagellar ears

Matthew P. Su, Marta Andrés, Nicholas Boyd-Gibbins, Jason Somers and Joerg T. Albert ()
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Matthew P. Su: University College London
Marta Andrés: University College London
Nicholas Boyd-Gibbins: University College London
Jason Somers: University College London
Joerg T. Albert: University College London

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Hearing is essential for the courtship of one of the major carriers of human disease, the mosquito. Males locate females through flight-tone recognition and both sexes engage in mid-air acoustic communications, which can take place within swarms containing thousands of individuals. Despite the importance of hearing for mosquitoes, its mechanisms are still largely unclear. We here report a multilevel analysis of auditory function across three disease-transmitting mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus). All ears tested display transduction-dependent power gain. Quantitative analyses of mechanotransducer function reveal sex-specific and species-specific variations, including male-specific, highly sensitive transducer populations. Systemic blocks of neurotransmission result in large-amplitude oscillations only in male flagellar receivers, indicating sexually dimorphic auditory gain control mechanisms. Our findings identify modifications of auditory function as a key feature in mosquito evolution. We propose that intra-swarm communication has been a driving force behind the observed sex-specific and species-specific diversity.

Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-06388-7

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06388-7

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