Microbial by-products serve as a mechanism regulating mosquito behavior: Case examples of interkingdom interaction

Microbes play important roles regulating animal behavior. Data presented will demonstrate microbial compounds serve as a mechanism regulating behavioral responses of mosquitos seeking resources (e.g., blood-meal, oviposition site). In many cases, compounds produced by microbes are quorum sensing related indicating mosquitoes are responding to the molecules regulating decision-making processes of microbes (i.e., public information). Data being presented indicate disruption of quorum sensing by bacteria impacts mosquito response to potential hosts and ovipositor sites. Two case examples examples will be presented. The first will explore demonstrate this process with a microbe associated with human epidermis. The second example provides greater context to this relationship as related to disease ecology. We examined the toxin produced by the environmental pathogen, Mycobacterium ulcerous, the causative agent for Buruli ulcer. Historically, the ecological relevance of this toxin was not known. We demonstrate it can serve as a mechanism regulating mosquito behavior to potential blood-meal as well as an oviposition site. Both studies demonstrate the relevance of microbial metabolites to mosquito ecology and present an unique opportunity for developing novel control strategies for mosquitoes as well as other vectors.