Su, MP;
Andrés, M;
Boyd-Gibbins, N;
Somers, J;
Albert, JT;
(2018)
Sex and species specific hearing mechanisms in mosquito flagellar ears.
Nature Communications
, 9
, Article 3911. 10.1038/s41467-018-06388-7.
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Abstract
Hearing is essential for the courtship of one of the major carriers of human disease, the mosquito. Males locate females through flight-tone recognition and both sexes engage in mid-air acoustic communications, which can take place within swarms containing thousands of individuals. Despite the importance of hearing for mosquitoes, its mechanisms are still largely unclear. We here report a multilevel analysis of auditory function across three disease-transmitting mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti, Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus). All ears tested display transduction-dependent power gain. Quantitative analyses of mechanotransducer function reveal sex-specific and species-specific variations, including male-specific, highly sensitive transducer populations. Systemic blocks of neurotransmission result in large-amplitude oscillations only in male flagellar receivers, indicating sexually dimorphic auditory gain control mechanisms. Our findings identify modifications of auditory function as a key feature in mosquito evolution. We propose that intra-swarm communication has been a driving force behind the observed sex-specific and species-specific diversity.
Type: | Article |
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Title: | Sex and species specific hearing mechanisms in mosquito flagellar ears |
Location: | England |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-018-06388-7 |
Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06388-7 |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | © The Author(s) 2018. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Auditory system, Evolutionary ecology, Sexual dimorphism |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > The Ear Institute |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10057234 |
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