Central Olfactory Function and Disorders

**73**

**Chapter 6**

**Abstract**

blood feeding

**1. Introduction**

Neuro-Olfactory Regulation and

Salivary Actions: A Coordinated

Feeding Behavior of Mosquitoes

The synergistic actions of the nongenetic and genetic factors are crucial to shape mosquitoes' feeding behavior. Unlike males, adult female mosquitoes are evolved with unique ability to take blood meals from a vertebrate host for reproductive success which eventually makes them a potential vector. Processing and integration of chemical information in the neuro-olfactory system followed by salivary actions facilitate blood meal uptake process. Thus, deciphering the underlying molecular mechanism of odor sensing through the detection machinery (olfactory system), odor processing and decision-making by decision machinery (brain), and regulation of saliva secretion by the action machinery (salivary gland) is likely to reveal molecular pathways which can be targeted to disrupt mosquitoes' feeding behavior. Here we summarize how smart actions of highly specialized neurosensory systems guide and manage feeding behavior associated complex events of (i) successful navigation to find a suitable host, (ii) making food choice decisions, and (iii)

**Keywords:** mosquito, olfaction, brain, feeding decision, salivary gland, host-seeking,

Mosquitoes that belong to the order Diptera and Culicidae family account for large biomass of insects' community and are one of the most notorious animals on earth which transmit many blood-borne pathogens. It is only the adult female mosquitoes which bite on human and other vertebrate hosts to access the blood and thus have strong impact on epidemiological consequences. So far about 3540 species of mosquitoes have been recognized that are divided into 2 subfamilies and 112 genera [1] which are inhabiting throughout the temperate and tropical regions. *Anopheles* species biodiversity and species richness seem to be one of the dominantly evolved blood-feeding insect species race on earth, impacting millions of lives through transmitting deadliest disease malaria around the globe. In tropical areas, *Anopheles gambiae*, *Aedes aegypti*, and *Culex quinquefasciatus* are the most notorious mosquito vectors of infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, and filariasis, respectively. The main causative agents of malaria are *Plasmodium falciparum* and *Plasmodium* 

Event for Successful Blood-

*Tanwee Das De and Rajnikant Dixit*

regulation of the salivary gland actions in mosquitoes.
