Insect model systems such as Drosophila melanogaster have played an essential role in expanding our understanding of biological processes such as development and neurobiology.  Similar approaches may now be extended to insects that have significant impact on global public health through their ability to act as agricultural pests as well as the vectors for many human and animal diseases. In particular, olfaction plays a major role in host seeking and selection behaviors of blood feeding female mosquitoes and as such, constitutes a critical component of the mosquito’s ability to transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue and West Nile encephalitis.

In as much as an increased understanding of these chemosensory mechanisms may be useful in the development of novel control strategies the Zwiebel lab has undertaken a molecular and developmental characterization of olfaction in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Trainees are directly involved in research is centered on an examination of the molecular genetics and developmental biology of the olfactory system and its role in determining anthropophilic host preference in malaria vector mosquitoes.

The main projects in this effort focus on representatives of two previously identified families of genes that help to make up essential elements of the peripheral olfactory signal transduction cascade in An. gambiae. These encode Arrestins and Odorant Receptors that represent the central components of olfactory signal transduction. Zwiebel lab members will assess the extent to which such efforts may be utilized for the design of novel anti-malarial programs.

For more information about Dr. Zwiebel visit his Vanderbilt Faculty Page or his Lab Website

NEWEST PUBLICATIONS

The molecular and cellular basis of olfactory-driven behavior in Anopheles gambiae larvae.  PNAS (2008) 105: 6433-6438

A functional role for Anopheles gambiae Arrestin1 in olfactory signal transduction.  Journal of Insect Physiology (2008) 54: 680-690