Data from: Immune response and insulin signalling alter mosquito feeding behaviour to enhance malaria transmission potential

Malaria parasites alter mosquito feeding behaviour in a way that enhances parasite transmission. This is widely considered a prime example of manipulation of host behaviour to increase onward transmission, but transient immune challenge in the absence of parasites can induce the same behavioural phenotype. Here, we show that alterations in feeding behaviour depend on the timing and dose of immune challenge relative to blood ingestion and that these changes are functionally linked to changes in insulin signalling in the mosquito gut. These results suggest that altered phenotypes derive from insulin signalling-dependent host resource allocation among immunity, blood feeding, and reproduction in a manner that is not specific to malaria parasite infection. We measured large increases in mosquito survival and subsequent transmission potential when feeding patterns are altered. Leveraging these changes in physiology, behaviour and life history could promote effective and sustainable control of female mosquitoes responsible for transmission.

疟原虫可通过改变蚊子的取食行为来提升自身的传播效率。这一现象长期被视为操控宿主行为以提升后续传播能力的经典范例，但在无寄生虫存在的情况下，一过性免疫刺激同样可诱导出相同的行为表型。本研究证实，蚊子取食行为的改变取决于免疫刺激相对于吸血的时机与剂量，且此类行为变化与蚊子肠道内的胰岛素信号通路（insulin signalling）变化存在功能关联。上述结果表明，行为表型的改变源于宿主在免疫、取食与繁殖之间进行的、依赖胰岛素信号通路的资源分配，且该分配模式并非特异性针对疟原虫感染。研究团队观测到，当取食模式发生改变时，蚊子的存活率及其后续传播潜力均出现显著提升。利用这些在生理、行为与生活史层面发生的改变，有望实现对负责传播疟原虫的雌蚊的高效且可持续的防控。