Rewiring the Vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites Alter the Antennae of Their Triatomine Hosts
ABSTRACT This study investigates the antennal phenotype of the kissing bug Triatoma pallidipennis (Stål), a primary vector of Chagas disease, by comparing Trypanosoma cruzi‐infected and noninfected individuals. We examined the antennae of infected and noninfected N5 nymphs, as well as adult females...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71164 |
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| author | Jose D. Rivera‐Duarte Irving Jesús May‐Concha Reyna Vargas‐Abasolo Mayab X. Martínez‐Castaneira Manuel Edday Farfán‐Beltrán Berenit Mendoza‐Garfias Any Laura Flores‐Villegas Alex Córdoba‐Aguilar |
| author_facet | Jose D. Rivera‐Duarte Irving Jesús May‐Concha Reyna Vargas‐Abasolo Mayab X. Martínez‐Castaneira Manuel Edday Farfán‐Beltrán Berenit Mendoza‐Garfias Any Laura Flores‐Villegas Alex Córdoba‐Aguilar |
| author_sort | Jose D. Rivera‐Duarte |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT This study investigates the antennal phenotype of the kissing bug Triatoma pallidipennis (Stål), a primary vector of Chagas disease, by comparing Trypanosoma cruzi‐infected and noninfected individuals. We examined the antennae of infected and noninfected N5 nymphs, as well as adult females and males, focusing on four types of sensilla (bristles, basiconic, thin‐walled trichoid, and thick‐walled trichoid) across three antenna segments (pedicel, proximal flagellum, and distal flagellum). We found differences in sensilla abundance across the antennal segments, with the proximal flagellum showing the highest abundance, followed by the distal flagellum, and the pedicel having the least. Infection demonstrated that males had more chemosensilla than females. We observed a trend in the infected males and nymphs with an increased variation in sensilla types. These antennal modifications are related to previous results in this species whereby infected bugs were found to be more active and capable of finding a human odor compared to noninfected animals. Thus, infection‐related changes in antennal phenotype may underlie T. pallidipennis' sensory capabilities, which may indirectly facilitate the spread of the parasite. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7ca6a776b0248e08cce0a1c99078a96 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-b7ca6a776b0248e08cce0a1c99078a962025-08-20T03:52:25ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-03-01153n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71164Rewiring the Vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites Alter the Antennae of Their Triatomine HostsJose D. Rivera‐Duarte0Irving Jesús May‐Concha1Reyna Vargas‐Abasolo2Mayab X. Martínez‐Castaneira3Manuel Edday Farfán‐Beltrán4Berenit Mendoza‐Garfias5Any Laura Flores‐Villegas6Alex Córdoba‐Aguilar7Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México MexicoSECIHTI, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán Mérida MexicoDepartamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México MexicoDepartamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México MexicoDepartamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México MexicoLMF 1‐LANABIO, Instituto de Biología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México MexicoDepartamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México MexicoDepartamento de Ecología Evolutiva Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria Ciudad de México MexicoABSTRACT This study investigates the antennal phenotype of the kissing bug Triatoma pallidipennis (Stål), a primary vector of Chagas disease, by comparing Trypanosoma cruzi‐infected and noninfected individuals. We examined the antennae of infected and noninfected N5 nymphs, as well as adult females and males, focusing on four types of sensilla (bristles, basiconic, thin‐walled trichoid, and thick‐walled trichoid) across three antenna segments (pedicel, proximal flagellum, and distal flagellum). We found differences in sensilla abundance across the antennal segments, with the proximal flagellum showing the highest abundance, followed by the distal flagellum, and the pedicel having the least. Infection demonstrated that males had more chemosensilla than females. We observed a trend in the infected males and nymphs with an increased variation in sensilla types. These antennal modifications are related to previous results in this species whereby infected bugs were found to be more active and capable of finding a human odor compared to noninfected animals. Thus, infection‐related changes in antennal phenotype may underlie T. pallidipennis' sensory capabilities, which may indirectly facilitate the spread of the parasite.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71164antennal phenotypechagas diseaseparasite‐host relationshipsensory mechanismsTriatominae |
| spellingShingle | Jose D. Rivera‐Duarte Irving Jesús May‐Concha Reyna Vargas‐Abasolo Mayab X. Martínez‐Castaneira Manuel Edday Farfán‐Beltrán Berenit Mendoza‐Garfias Any Laura Flores‐Villegas Alex Córdoba‐Aguilar Rewiring the Vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites Alter the Antennae of Their Triatomine Hosts Ecology and Evolution antennal phenotype chagas disease parasite‐host relationship sensory mechanisms Triatominae |
| title | Rewiring the Vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites Alter the Antennae of Their Triatomine Hosts |
| title_full | Rewiring the Vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites Alter the Antennae of Their Triatomine Hosts |
| title_fullStr | Rewiring the Vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites Alter the Antennae of Their Triatomine Hosts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rewiring the Vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites Alter the Antennae of Their Triatomine Hosts |
| title_short | Rewiring the Vehicle: Trypanosoma cruzi Parasites Alter the Antennae of Their Triatomine Hosts |
| title_sort | rewiring the vehicle trypanosoma cruzi parasites alter the antennae of their triatomine hosts |
| topic | antennal phenotype chagas disease parasite‐host relationship sensory mechanisms Triatominae |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71164 |
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