Title | Genes and Odors Underlying the Recent Evolution of Mosquito Preference for Humans. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2016 |
Authors | McBride, CS |
Journal | Curr Biol |
Volume | 26 |
Issue | 1 |
Pagination | R41-6 |
Date Published | 2016 Jan 11 |
ISSN | 1879-0445 |
Keywords | Animals, Biological Evolution, Culicidae, Evolution, Molecular, Humans, Insect Bites and Stings, Insect Vectors, Odorants, Olfactory Perception, Species Specificity |
Abstract | <p>Mosquito species that specialize in biting humans are few but dangerous. They include the African malaria vectors Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii, as well as Aedes aegypti, the cosmopolitan vector of dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. These mosquitoes have evolved a remarkable innate preference for human odor that helps them find and bite us. Here I review what is known about this important evolutionary adaptation, from its historical documentation to its chemical and molecular basis.</p> |
DOI | 10.1016/j.cub.2015.11.032 |
Alternate Journal | Curr Biol |
PubMed ID | 26766234 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC4714039 |
Grant List | R00 DC012069 / DC / NIDCD NIH HHS / United States |