In the global war against disease-carrying mosquitoes, scientists have long believed that a single molecular door was the key target for insecticide. This door, however, is closing, giving mosquitoes the upper hand.
In this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers led by Michigan State University has discovered a second gateway that could turn the tide against the mosquitoes’ growing advantage.
For many years, pyrethroid insecticides have been deployed in developing countries to fend off diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and more. They’re so effective that they are the only insecticides the World Health Organization uses with their mosquito nets they distribute around the globe.
“Pyrethroids are effective because they eliminate mosquitoes while having few if any side effects on humans,” said Yuzhe Du, MSU electrophysiologist and one of the lead authors. “Our discovery of a second receptor in the mosquitoes’ sodium channel gives us a better understanding of how the insecticide works at a molecular level as well as could lead to ways to stem mosquitoes’ resistance to pyrethroids.”
Receptors on sodium channels act as doorways. Pyrethroids work by propping open the sodium channel. Mosquitoes don’t die from the toxin, per se. They die from sodium overdose. With the door jammed wide open, their cells gulp down sodium, which overexcites their nervous system and eventually leads to paralysis and death.
In the last decade, growing resistance in mosquitoes has been detected in many countries. At the molecular level, resistance appears as mutations in the primary receptor in the sodium channel that allow mosquitoes to survive exposure to the insecticide. The discovery of the second receptor in the sodium channel, however, opens up more avenues to increase pyrethroids’ effectiveness.
“One of the keys to the success of this research was our cloning of a mosquito sodium channel for the first time,” said Ke Dong, MSU insect toxicologist and neurobiologist and the paper’s senior author. “Another lead author of this study, Yoshiko Nomura, dedicated nearly one year to make this happen, which allowed Dr. Du to perform electrophysiological experiments with the clone.”
The team then spent nearly two years to discover the new pyrethroid-binding site, she added.
The revelation not only explains much of pyrethroid resistance found in mosquito populations worldwide, but also helps answer why they affect insects but not humans and other mammals. Since this is a growing issue with cockroaches, bedbugs, fleas, potato beetles and other crop pests, the discovery could lead to benefits for the pest-control industry and farming.
“Our finding may ultimately improve global prediction and monitoring of pyrethroid resistance in mosquitoes and other arthropod pests,” Dong said. “It could have broad impacts in agriculture and medicine that affect people’s lives, especially in developing countries.”
The Latest Bing News on:
Mosquito-borne diseases
- BJP claims uptick in dengue caseson May 1, 2024 at 3:32 pm
Leader of the Opposition in the MCD, Raja Iqbal Singh, claims an increase in mosquito-borne diseases under AAP tenure. BJP alleges lack of preparations by the government, leading to a rise in mosquito ...
- Florida Department Of Health In Pasco County Warns Of Increase In Mosquito-Borne Diseaseon April 29, 2024 at 1:05 pm
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County (DOH-Pasco) is warning residents that in Pasco County. Eastern equine encephalitis virus was detected in a group of sick emus. The risk of transmission ...
- A mosquito-borne disease is spreading as the planet warmson April 29, 2024 at 6:16 am
The number of people contracting dengue has risen dramatically. In 2000 about 20,000 people died of it, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). This year at least 40,000 will perish. By ...
- Changing climate causing mosquito-borne diseases to expand rapidlyon April 26, 2024 at 4:30 am
Our warming planet is meaning mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue, are expanding rapidly, an expert has warned.
- Mosquito-borne diseases are a growing threat in a warming worldon April 25, 2024 at 7:30 am
As our planet warms and urban areas expand, the threat of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue is escalating ...
- Mosquito-Borne Diseases To See 'Increasingly Frequent Outbreaks' Worldwideon April 25, 2024 at 2:15 am
"We must anticipate outbreaks and move to intervene early to prevent diseases from happening in the first place," researchers warn.
- Over half of world's population 'could be at risk of mosquito-borne diseases', scientists warnon April 24, 2024 at 11:29 pm
The global number of mosquito-borne dengue cases alone has increased eight-fold in the last two decades, rising from 500,000 in 2000 to more than five million recorded instances in 2019 ...
- Experts Warn of Spread of Mosquito-Borne Diseases to Previously Untouched Countrieson April 24, 2024 at 8:25 pm
Global warming has made mosquito-borne diseases possible in more countries with unprepared public health systems.
- Mosquito-borne diseases spreading in Europe due to climate crisis, says experton April 24, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Illnesses such as dengue and malaria to reach unaffected parts of northern Europe, America, Asia and Australia, conference to hear ...
- Over half of world's population could be at risk of mosquito-borne diseases, experts warnon April 24, 2024 at 6:26 pm
Researchers are now developing ways to predict when and where malaria and dengue epidemics might occur using disease surveillance and climate change data.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Mosquito-borne diseases
[google_news title=”” keyword=”mosquito-borne diseases” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Pyrethroid resistance
- Meet the Challenge of Protecting Your Crops From Insect Pestson May 1, 2024 at 4:00 am
Soybean, cotton and peanut farmers can get immediate and extended control of insect pests with Intrepid Edge® insecticide.
- New advice for alfalfa weevil managementon April 30, 2024 at 12:02 am
The report, titled “Considerations for Managing Alfalfa Hay in the Face of Insecticide Resistance,” assesses the effectiveness of different weevil control strategies, including early harvest and ...
- Dangerous West African mosquito found in Kenyaon April 28, 2024 at 7:31 pm
Notably, the researchers also uncovered high frequencies of mutations associated with insecticide resistance, particularly to DDT and pyrethroids in the Kenyan populations. “Variants conferring ...
- ‘Super lice’ are becoming more resistant to chemical shampoos. What to use insteadon April 26, 2024 at 12:16 pm
These so-called super lice, fortified with increased resistance to traditional treatments, are proving a challenge for those seeking to rid themselves of the persistent pests.
- Why the fight against malaria is having a ‘Red Queen’ momenton April 25, 2024 at 5:41 am
In the WHO’s latest malaria report, published in November, the agency warned that 87 per cent of countries have reported some resistance to pyrethroid-based insecticides, 82 per cent to ...
- Need for a global crusade against malariaon April 25, 2024 at 1:53 am
In 2022, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases globally, which led to the death of 608,000 individuals ...
- Second-generation mosquito nets prevented 13 million malaria cases in large pilot programson April 18, 2024 at 2:04 pm
But experts know the new nets are a limited solution, as they expect mosquitos to eventually become resistant to the second-generation bed nets. Research on other means of vector control continues to ...
- New types of mosquito bed nets could cut malaria risk by up to half, trial findson April 18, 2024 at 11:21 am
Bed nets, which have been a staple in malaria prevention since the 1990s, contain the effective insecticide pyrethroid. However, mosquitoes have become increasingly resistant to the chemical. During ...
- New malaria nets prevent 13 million infections in sub-Saharan Africaon April 18, 2024 at 9:21 am
The rollout of malaria nets sprayed with a new, highly potent insecticide has prevented at least 13 million cases of the disease in Africa, a recent study has shown.
- New malaria nets prevent 13 million infections in sub-Saharan Africa, study showson April 18, 2024 at 9:21 am
The rollout of malaria nets sprayed with a new, highly potent insecticide has prevented at least 13 million cases of the disease in Africa, a recent study has shown.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Pyrethroid resistance
[google_news title=”” keyword=”pyrethroid resistance” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]