The effect of La Crosse virus infection on the production of serotonin in Aedes triseriatus and Aedes albopictus

Adaptive evolution enables a pathogen to alter its vectors’ behavior to increase host-to-host transmission or to ensure that the parasite is released in an appropriate location. Several arboviruses have been shown alter the blood feeding behavior of the mosquito vector.  La Crosse virus (LACV) infected Aedes triseriatus and Aedes albopictus have been shown to probe more frequently and to take smaller blood meals than uninfected siblings but the mechanism has not been elucidated. The depletion of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, inhibits blood feeding in Ae. triseriatus. Also, serotonergic axons have been found in the central and peripheral nervous systems of moquitoes as well as in the mouthparts. Thus, it is reasonable to hypothesize that modulation of serotonin levels may be a mechanism for altering blood feeding behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of LACV infection on serotonin production by Ae. triseriatus and Ae. albopictus.