Characteriztion of Lsd2 in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

The perilipin homologue, Lipid Storage Droplet 2 (Lsd2) protein plays a major role in lipid and fat accumulation in Drosophila melanogaster. In this study we focused on the characterization of an Lsd2 homologue in the Yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, an important vector of Dengue fever and other diseases. We studied the expression of Lsd2 during postembryonic development of the mosquito and in adult females before and after a blood meal. We used RNA interference to knock down Lsd2 in Aedes aegypti and studied the effect of this knockdown on lipid accumulation and development. The Goal of our study is to manipulate larval lipid storage in order to produce ‘high-nutrient’ mosquitoes that can be used as superior tools in sterile insect technique(SIT)or population replacement strategies aimed at reducing vector populations.