Brain transcriptome of a Chagas disease vector

The hematophagous bug Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera, Reduviidae: Triatominae) is the second most important vector of Chagas disease in Latin America, especially in Colombia and Venezuela. R. prolixus is a vector of Chagas disease and has become an organism model to study physiology, behavior, and pathogen interaction. Genetic and molecular mechanisms such as gene expression have been studied in many organs and conditions since its genome publication. The identification and gene expression analysis of the precursors of neuropeptides and their receptors in the brain is fundamental to understanding the mechanisms involved with feeding behavior. Here we study the gene expression of the brain of R. prolixus fifth instar nymphs under starving conditions.