In the laboratory of Dr. Leslie Veschole (Rockefeller University, USA) conducted a study that helped to understand why only female mosquitoes bite. As you know, Komar-Piskun (or ordinary) is common worldwide, even on the most remote islands and continents, where the insect was brought during the great geographical discoveries. Mosquito larvae was kept in barrels with water residues, which later splashed in the reservoirs.
In the female mosquito ordinary two food sources. Vegetable juices containing sugars provide it necessary to maintain the life of energy. Blood (people, mammals, birds) is necessary for the development of eggs - future offspring. Males feed on only vegetable nectars and juices. Their oral apparatus is not able to pierce the skin to access the nutrient fluid.
The results of the research have shown that even in the presence of the same mouth, as in females, the males will not suck blood. They refuse to take it even in laboratory conditions, where they do not need to apply no effort to get food. Dr. Nipun Basrur, a lead author of the study, said that before scientists did not possess information regarding how the mosquito females find their "targets" and make a decision to bite them.
It turned out that insects, regardless of gender, have the same brain structure, neural networks that are needed to search for the owner. At the same time, the males revealed the scientists a special genetic "switch", which simply blocks this function. As a result, they do not have a desire to drink blood, although it is more nutritious compared to vegetable products.
The researchers came to the conclusion that if we subjected this gene to certain mutations, male mosquitoes also begin to respond to a special smell of man and seek to bite it, despite the fact that they have no direct need for blood. Special attention of scientists attracted the infertility gene (Fruitless Gene), which also has drosophil.
The shutdown of this gene in mosquito males expected led to a violation of the function of breeding insects. However, scientists decided to go further and check how it would affect their diet. It turned out that ordinary mosquitoes and mutating still equally refused to drink blood, which they were given in laboratory conditions. However, males mutants showed incredible activity when a person was nearby.
This study showed that if you remove the lock, the mosquitoes have an interest in the human smell. It's all about genetics. This information plan to use in further projects aimed at reducing the spread of various diseases of the mosquitoes.
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