Researchers identify gene key to mating of yellow fever mosquitos

NAGOYA (Kyodo) - Researchers from Japanese and U.S. universities have pinpointed a gene in yellow fever mosquitoes that plays a crucial role in their mating process, according to a study published in PLOS Biology on Wednesday. The gene, called the fruitless gene, is responsible for males being drawn to the wingbeat sounds produced by females. When this gene is mutated in males, they become unable to locate and mate with females, as reported by the research team from Nagoya University and the University of Iowa.

The yellow fever mosquito is also known to transmit diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus. The fruitless gene is known to generate sex differences in neural function in fruit flies. The mutation of this gene in mosquitoes led to impaired hearing function and prevented them from forming swarms and responding to females' wingbeats. As explained by Azusa Kamikochi, a neuroscience professor at Nagoya University, targeting this gene could potentially lead to new strategies for controlling mosquito reproduction.

Male yellow fever mosquitoes typically gather in swarms at dusk, where they detect females by picking up their relatively low-pitched wingbeats, approximately 450 hertz. After mating, females search for hosts to feed on their blood and lay eggs. The detailed mechanism behind this mating behavior had not been fully understood until now.