A cell atlas of the larval Aedes aegypti ventral nerve cord

• Published in: Neural development Vol. 19; no. 1; p. 2
• Main Authors: Yin, Chang, Morita, Takeshi, Parrish, Jay Z
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 31.01.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adults; Aedes aegypti; Analysis; Antibodies; Developmental stages; Disease susceptibility; Disease transmission; Gene expression; Health aspects; Host searching behavior; Insects; Larvae; Mosquitoes; Nervous system; Neurons; Neurophysiology; Neurotransmitters; Pathogens; Physiological aspects; Physiology; RNA sequencing; Tropical diseases; Vector-borne diseases; Ventral nerve cord
• DOI: 10.1186/s13064-023-00178-8
• ISSN: 1749-8104

Mosquito-borne diseases account for nearly 1 million human deaths annually, yet we have a limited understanding of developmental events that influence host-seeking behavior and pathogen transmission in mosquitoes. Mosquito-borne pathogens are transmitted during blood meals, hence adult mosquito behavior and physiology have been intensely studied. However, events during larval development shape adult traits, larvae respond to many of the same sensory cues as adults, and larvae are susceptible to infection by many of the same disease-causing agents as adults. Hence, a better understanding of larval physiology will directly inform our understanding of physiological processes in adults. Here, we use single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to provide a comprehensive view of cellular composition in the Aedes aegypti larval ventral nerve cord (VNC), a central hub of sensory inputs and motor outputs which additionally controls multiple aspects of larval physiology. We identify more than 35 VNC cell types defined in part by neurotransmitter and neuropeptide expression. We also explore diversity among monoaminergic and peptidergic neurons that likely control key elements of larval physiology and developmental timing, and identify neuroblasts and immature neurons, providing a view of neuronal differentiation in the VNC. Finally, we find that larval cell composition, number, and position are preserved in the adult abdominal VNC, suggesting studies of larval VNC form and function will likely directly inform our understanding adult mosquito physiology. Altogether, these studies provide a framework for targeted analysis of VNC development and neuronal function in Aedes aegypti larvae.