Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Lay Summary
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (8)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Koella, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Paul, R. E. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Koella, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Paul, R. E. L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Behavioral Ecology Vol. 13 No. 6: 816-820
© 2002 International Society for Behavioral Ecology

Stage-specific manipulation of a mosquito's host-seeking behavior by the malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum

Jacob C. Koellaa, Linda Rieua and Richard E. L. Paulb

a Laboratoire de Parasitologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 7103, Université P. & M. Curie, Paris, France b Unité de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire des Insectes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France

Address correspondence to J.C. Koella, Laboratoire de Parasitologie Evolutive, CC237, Université P. & M. Curie, 7 quai Saint Bernard, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France. E-mail: jkoella{at}snv.jussieu.fr.

We present experimental evidence that different stages of the malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum differentially affect the host-seeking behavior of its mosquito vector Aedes aegypti. In uninfected mosquitoes, host-seeking behavior is continued if mosquitoes have ingested less than a threshold volume of blood, whereas a larger blood meal inhibits host seeking. We investigated the parasite's effect on this behavior by feeding infected and uninfected mosquitoes for variable amounts of time and assaying 30-45 min later whether they continued their attempts at blood-feeding. Mosquitoes infected with oocysts (which cannot be transmitted) had a smaller threshold volume and were less likely to return for further probing, whereas individuals infected with transmissible sporozoites increased the threshold volume required to inhibit host-seeking behavior. We conclude that the stage-specific effect of the parasite on host-seeking behavior is likely to be an active manipulation by the parasite to increase its transmission success.

Key words: Aedes aegypti, behavioral manipulation, host-seeking behavior, malaria, Plasmodium gallinaceum.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.