RIG: Mosquito Circulatory System: Hemolymph Flow and Associated Immune Cells

蚊子是全球重要的生物体，因为它们作为害虫和疾病媒介的作用。 迄今为止，蚊子控制主要是通过化学杀虫剂，其作为接触性毒药或熏蒸剂，通过表皮或气管吸收进入蚊子循环系统。 另一种形式的蚊子控制采用生物制剂，这些生物制剂可以穿透蚊子中肠，并通过压制内源性免疫反应和引起致命败血症而导致死亡。 考虑到蚊子循环系统在这些过程中的重要作用，令人惊讶的是，它几乎没有被研究过。 本研究的目的是从功能和分子上仔细研究蚊子循环系统和与之相关的免疫细胞。目标#1使用光学和电子显微镜来阐明蚊子循环系统的结构，并开发一个全面的地图，详细说明血液流动的方向，速率和速度。 目的#2从形态学和功能上表征被认为参与吞噬抗菌反应的心包细胞和固着血细胞。 最后，目标#3使用分子方法来表征蚊子基因家族，其编码被认为参与微生物吞噬作用的蛋白质。 预计更好地了解蚊子的循环和免疫系统将导致开发新的或改进的害虫控制策略。 该项目还涉及对年轻生物学家（包括代表人数不足的少数民族）的广泛培训，大部分工作由研究生和本科生在主要研究员的直接监督下完成。

Mosquitoes are globally important organisms because of their role as a pest and a disease vector. To date, mosquito control has been primarily via chemical insecticides that act as contact poisons or fumigants that enter the mosquito circulatory system by absorption through the cuticle or tracheoles. Another form of mosquito control employs biological agents that can penetrate the mosquito midgut and cause death by overpowering endogenous immune responses and causing lethal septicemia. Given the important role of the mosquito circulatory system in these processes it is surprising that it has gone virtually unstudied. This research aims to functionally and molecularly scrutinize the mosquito circulatory system and the immune cells associated with it. Objective #1 uses light and electron microscopy to elucidate the structure of the mosquito circulatory system and develop a comprehensive map detailing the direction, rate, and speed of blood flow. Objective #2 morphologically and functionally characterizes pericardial cells and sessile hemocytes that are thought to be involved in phagocytic antimicrobial responses. Lastly, objective #3 uses molecular methodologies to characterize a mosquito gene family that codes proteins believed to be involved in phagocytosis of microbes. It is expected that a better understanding of the mosquito circulatory and immune systems will lead to the development of novel or improved pest control strategies. This project also involves extensive training of young biologists (including underrepresented minorities), and the majority of the work is being done by graduate and undergraduate students under the direct supervision of the principal investigator.