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

蚊子是全球重要的生物，因为它们是害虫和疾病媒介。迄今为止，蚊虫控制主要是通过化学杀虫剂，作为接触毒物或熏蒸剂，通过表皮或气管吸收进入蚊子循环系统。另一种控制蚊子的方法是使用生物制剂，这种制剂可以穿透蚊子的中肠，通过压制内源性免疫反应和引起致命的败血症而导致死亡。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，它几乎没有得到研究。这项研究旨在从功能和分子上仔细研究蚊子的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，并绘制出详细说明血液流动方向、速率和速度的综合地图。目的2形态学和功能特征的心包细胞和无底血细胞被认为参与吞噬抗菌反应。最后，目标#3使用分子方法表征蚊子基因家族，该基因家族编码被认为参与微生物吞噬的蛋白质。预计对蚊子循环和免疫系统的更好理解将导致新的或改进的害虫控制策略的发展。该项目还涉及对年轻生物学家（包括代表性不足的少数民族）的广泛培训，大部分工作由研究生和本科生在首席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.