Neuroendocrine systems regulating physiological processes in blood-feeding arthropods

昆虫和其他陆生节肢动物是地球上数量最多的生物群体，它们在几乎所有可用的栖息地繁衍生息，并依靠生存所需的各种资源采取多种摄食策略。在节肢动物中，噬血（即吸血）已经进化了好几次，已知有超过14,000种节肢动物使用这种进食策略。蚊子和蜱虫是利用血液噬噬的动物的两个例子，我们的研究主要集中在了解这些生物的基本生物学。我们探索来自神经系统的信号分子的生理作用，特别关注神经肽，它作为激素释放到循环中，通过控制包括胃肠道和生殖器官在内的内脏器官的活动来调节许多生理过程。我们的研究旨在发现和表征控制吸血节肢动物（包括蚊子和蜱虫）摄食、消化、代谢、排泄、水矿物质平衡、繁殖和生长等过程的神经激素系统。一种综合的方法被用于研究神经内分泌系统在多个复杂水平，这使得复杂的细节更容易实现，然后整合到整个生物体的背景。我们结合了大量的技术来定位这些神经激素的受体，因为靶器官的识别有助于认识这些激素的作用。

Insects and other terrestrial arthropods are the most abundant group of organisms on our planet thriving in almost every available habitat and using a number of feeding strategies dependent on a diverse range of resources necessary for their survival. Haematophagy (i.e. blood-feeding) has evolved several times among the arthropods with over 14,000 species known to utilize this feeding strategy. Mosquitoes and ticks are two examples of animals utilizing haematophagy and our research primarily focuses on understanding the fundamental biology of these organisms. We explore the physiological roles of signaling molecules derived from the nervous system, with a particular focus on neuropeptides, which are released into circulation as hormones and regulate numerous physiological processes by controlling the activity of visceral organs including the gastrointestinal tract and reproductive organs. Our research aims to discover and characterize neurohormone systems controlling processes related to feeding, digestion, metabolism, excretion, hydromineral balance, reproduction and growth in blood-feeding arthropods including mosquitoes and ticks. An integrative approach is utilized investigating neuroendocrine systems at multiple levels of complexity, which allows the intricate details to be more readily realized and then integrated into the context of the whole organism. We combine a plethora of techniques to localize the receptors of these neurohormones since target organ identification helps to realize the roles of these hormones. Our recent progress has greatly advanced our understanding of the regulation of key physiological processes including desiccation tolerance and gametogenesis. To comprehensively understand these neuroendocrine signaling networks, we use heterologous systems to validate hormone ligand and receptor coupling to deduce intracellular signaling and mechanisms of action. Further, analogs of natural hormones are tested to determine key structural features necessary for ligand-receptor specificity, which helps to identify possible lead compounds useful for improved control strategies that are species-specific and environmentally benign, reducing our reliance on heavily-utilized non-selective insecticides that often do more harm than good. Given many hormones originate in the nervous system, we seek to identify the stimuli (i.e. input) and regulatory networks (i.e. integration) that are involved in the release of these neurohormones (i.e. output). Once particular neuroendocrine systems are elucidated, we examine how target organs interpret the information, which results in a physiological response leading to behavior. Leveraging our advanced knowledge on the biology of these blood-feeding arthropods and exploiting hormone analogs capable of interfering with endogenous neuroendocrine systems, may allow us to revolutionize control strategies in the future to lessen the burden of these medically-important vectors of disease.