New insecticides with novel modes of action are urgently needed to improve public health in many countries around the world. This project addresses several important questions regarding nutrient transport and signaling pathways in the fat body of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. We will characterize the mode of action of two essential mosquito cationic amino acid transporters and test and improve promising compounds to inhibit cationic amino acid transport. We will complement these approaches with the development of an in silico mosquito fat body gene knowledge network designed to identify genes in the amino acid signaling and transport cascades downstream of cationic amino acid transporters. The proposed work will prove significant for human health through the significant gain of knowledge on amino acid transport and signaling in mosquitoes. Amino acid transport inhibitors have the potential to give rise to a new generation of public health insecticides. In addition, this study will expand our knowledge of the functional mechanism of cationic amino acid transporter in insects with implications for understanding essential amino acid transporters in humans and other model systems.

Public Health Relevance

This project addresses the mode of action and inhibition of essential cationic amino acid transporters in the fat body of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti and the role of these transporters in amino acid signaling pathways.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Enhancement Award (SC1)
Project #
5SC1AI109055-03
Application #
8874101
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZGM1)
Program Officer
Costero-Saint Denis, Adriana
Project Start
2013-07-09
Project End
2016-06-30
Budget Start
2015-07-01
Budget End
2016-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
New Mexico State University Las Cruces
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
173851965
City
Las Cruces
State
NM
Country
United States
Zip Code
88003
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Li, Yiyi; Piermarini, Peter M; Esquivel, Carlos J et al. (2017) RNA-Seq Comparison of Larval and Adult Malpighian Tubules of the Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti Reveals Life Stage-Specific Changes in Renal Function. Front Physiol 8:283
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