Does Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas, 1909) (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) modify the antennal phenotype of Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) (Hemiptera: Triatominae)?

Abstract

Background Triatoma dimidiata is a vector of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. Phenotypic plasticity allows an organism to adjust its phenotype in response to stimuli or environmental conditions. Understanding the effect of T. cruzi on the phenotypic plasticity of its vectors, known as triatomines, has attracted great interest because of the implications of the parasite–triatomine interactions in the eco-epidemiology and transmission of the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. We investigated if the infection of the vector with T. cruzi may be associated with a change in the antennal phenotype of sylvatic, domestic, and laboratory-reared populations of T. dimidiata. Methods The abundance of each type of sensillum (bristles, basiconic, thick- and thin-walled trichoid) on the antennae of T.cruzi-infected and non-infected T.dimidiata reared in the laboratory or collected in sylvatic and domestic ecotopes were measured under light microscopy and compared using Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric tests and permutational multivariate analysis of variance. Results We found significant differences between sensilla patterns of infected and non-infected insects within sylvatic and domestic populations. Conversely, we found no significant differences between sensilla patterns of infected and non-infected insects within the laboratory-reared population. Besides, for sylvatic and domestic populations, sexual dimorphism tended to be increased in infected insects. Conclusion The differences observed in infected insects could be linked to higher efficiency in the perception of odor molecules related to the search for distant mates and hosts and the flight dispersal in search of new habitats. In addition, these insects could have a positive effect on population dynamics and the transmission of T.cruzi. Graphical Abstract

How to repel a killer; chemical identification and effective repellent activity of commercial essential oils against kissing bugs

“…DEET was more effective than the blend at lower concentrations, but the blend was more effective against bugs at higher concentrations (Figure 4c). T. cruzi infection likely modifies the host's behaviour (Marliére et al, 2015), the sensilla patterns of the kissing bugs (May‐Concha et al, 2022) and thus the sensory ecology of the bug (Latorre‐Estivalis et al, 2017). However, we found that commercial essential oil‐based repellents are effective against both infected and non‐infected kissing bugs, which is the ultimate objective of the ethological control, manipulating insect behaviour to avoid interaction between infected bugs and humans (Rosecrans et al, 2014).…”

Development of Novel Drugs for the Treatment of Chagas Disease

“…Finally, amastigotes differentiate into highly motile blood trypomastigotes, which rupture the cells and are released into the bloodstream. Blood trypomastigotes invade other target cells, such as ganglion or muscle cells, which spreads the infection and increases the probability of transmission to insects [56,58].…”

What Do You Need to Know before Studying Chagas Disease? A Beginner’s Guide

“…As expected, infection with T. cruzi also plays a key role in the sensory ecology of triatomines. An analysis of the antennal phenotype of wild individuals demonstrated significant differences in the antennal sensilla between infected and uninfected individuals [ 89 ]. It is likely that during the process of coevolution between T. cruzi and triatomines, the parasite induced an adaptive manipulation in the vector phenotype to facilitate its transmission, but there is little information available on this topic to date, so our understanding is still limited.…”