The Early Sex-Specific Expression of the Fruitless Gene in the Asian Tiger Mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) and Its Functional Conservation in Male Courtship
The Asian tiger mosquito, <i>Aedes albopictus</i>, is an invasive species and a vector for several significant human pathogens. Gaining a deeper understanding of its reproductive biology offers valuable insights into its evolutionary success and may inform the development of sustainable...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Marianna Varone Paola Di Lillo Katerina Nikolouli Ayca Eda Özel Francesca Lucibelli Gennaro Volpe Sarah Maria Mazzucchiello Angela Carfora Serena Aceto Giuseppe Saccone Kostas Bourtzis Marco Salvemini |
| author_facet | Marianna Varone Paola Di Lillo Katerina Nikolouli Ayca Eda Özel Francesca Lucibelli Gennaro Volpe Sarah Maria Mazzucchiello Angela Carfora Serena Aceto Giuseppe Saccone Kostas Bourtzis Marco Salvemini |
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| description | The Asian tiger mosquito, <i>Aedes albopictus</i>, is an invasive species and a vector for several significant human pathogens. Gaining a deeper understanding of its reproductive biology offers valuable insights into its evolutionary success and may inform the development of sustainable strategies to control its spread. This study presents a comprehensive structural and functional characterization of the <i>fruitless</i> gene in <i>Ae. albopictus</i> (<i>Aalfru</i>), a pivotal regulator of sexual behavior in insects. Through in silico analysis combined with molecular and functional genetics approaches, we identified a high degree of conservation in the <i>fru</i> gene structure and its regulation via sex-specific alternative splicing. Differently from <i>Drosophila</i>, <i>Aedes aegypti</i>, and other dipteran <i>fruitless</i> orthologs, <i>Aalfru</i> sex-specific regulation starts in 1-day-old embryos, rather than the late larval stage. Functional analysis using embryonic RNA interference (RNAi) demonstrated that, <i>Ae. albopictus</i> males with transiently disrupted <i>fru</i> expression at the embryonic stage showed significant deficits in adult mating behavior and failed to produce viable progeny. Our findings elucidate the <i>Aalfru</i> gene’s molecular organization, developmental regulation, and critical role in courtship behavior, highlighting its importance in male sexual behavior and reproductive success in <i>Ae. albopictus</i>. |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj-art-c75e6117be894730bb060ca6f55807af2025-08-20T02:11:14ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502025-03-0116328010.3390/insects16030280The Early Sex-Specific Expression of the Fruitless Gene in the Asian Tiger Mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) and Its Functional Conservation in Male CourtshipMarianna Varone0Paola Di Lillo1Katerina Nikolouli2Ayca Eda Özel3Francesca Lucibelli4Gennaro Volpe5Sarah Maria Mazzucchiello6Angela Carfora7Serena Aceto8Giuseppe Saccone9Kostas Bourtzis10Marco Salvemini11Department of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyInsect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, IAEA Laboratories, 2444 Seibersdorf, AustriaInsect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, IAEA Laboratories, 2444 Seibersdorf, AustriaDepartment of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyInsect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, IAEA Laboratories, 2444 Seibersdorf, AustriaDepartment of Biology, University of Study of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, ItalyThe Asian tiger mosquito, <i>Aedes albopictus</i>, is an invasive species and a vector for several significant human pathogens. Gaining a deeper understanding of its reproductive biology offers valuable insights into its evolutionary success and may inform the development of sustainable strategies to control its spread. This study presents a comprehensive structural and functional characterization of the <i>fruitless</i> gene in <i>Ae. albopictus</i> (<i>Aalfru</i>), a pivotal regulator of sexual behavior in insects. Through in silico analysis combined with molecular and functional genetics approaches, we identified a high degree of conservation in the <i>fru</i> gene structure and its regulation via sex-specific alternative splicing. Differently from <i>Drosophila</i>, <i>Aedes aegypti</i>, and other dipteran <i>fruitless</i> orthologs, <i>Aalfru</i> sex-specific regulation starts in 1-day-old embryos, rather than the late larval stage. Functional analysis using embryonic RNA interference (RNAi) demonstrated that, <i>Ae. albopictus</i> males with transiently disrupted <i>fru</i> expression at the embryonic stage showed significant deficits in adult mating behavior and failed to produce viable progeny. Our findings elucidate the <i>Aalfru</i> gene’s molecular organization, developmental regulation, and critical role in courtship behavior, highlighting its importance in male sexual behavior and reproductive success in <i>Ae. albopictus</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/3/280courtship behavior<i>fruitless</i><i>Aedes albopictus</i>sex determinationalternative splicingvector control |
| spellingShingle | Marianna Varone Paola Di Lillo Katerina Nikolouli Ayca Eda Özel Francesca Lucibelli Gennaro Volpe Sarah Maria Mazzucchiello Angela Carfora Serena Aceto Giuseppe Saccone Kostas Bourtzis Marco Salvemini The Early Sex-Specific Expression of the Fruitless Gene in the Asian Tiger Mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) and Its Functional Conservation in Male Courtship Insects courtship behavior <i>fruitless</i> <i>Aedes albopictus</i> sex determination alternative splicing vector control |
| title | The Early Sex-Specific Expression of the Fruitless Gene in the Asian Tiger Mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) and Its Functional Conservation in Male Courtship |
| title_full | The Early Sex-Specific Expression of the Fruitless Gene in the Asian Tiger Mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) and Its Functional Conservation in Male Courtship |
| title_fullStr | The Early Sex-Specific Expression of the Fruitless Gene in the Asian Tiger Mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) and Its Functional Conservation in Male Courtship |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Early Sex-Specific Expression of the Fruitless Gene in the Asian Tiger Mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) and Its Functional Conservation in Male Courtship |
| title_short | The Early Sex-Specific Expression of the Fruitless Gene in the Asian Tiger Mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> (Skuse) and Its Functional Conservation in Male Courtship |
| title_sort | early sex specific expression of the fruitless gene in the asian tiger mosquito i aedes albopictus i skuse and its functional conservation in male courtship |
| topic | courtship behavior <i>fruitless</i> <i>Aedes albopictus</i> sex determination alternative splicing vector control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16/3/280 |
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