Diversity and complexity of auditory representation in the hearing systems of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes
While low-frequency sounds have been reported to stimulate dispersal responses in male and female mosquitoes, only males show attraction to sound. Male attraction to female flight tones is important during courtship; however, groups of males show diverse responses to acoustic stimuli, suggesting auditory processing can vary drastically between the sexes and individual males. To investigate diversity in auditory representation within and between the sexes, we utilised molecular and functional analyses to explore Aedes aegypti mosquito auditory processing. We identified shared and dimorphic neurons connecting mosquito ears to the brains' primary auditory processing center. Calcium imaging from this brain region facilitated definition of multiple neuronal clusters based on auditory stimulation responses. More clusters with greater complexity were identified in males than females, with these clusters highly differentiated amongst males. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses found enrichment of ciliary-related factors in male ears compared to females, potentially underlying sexual dimorphisms in hearing systems. Overall design: RNA-seq profiling of head and pedicel in males and females. Groups of virgin Liverpool male or non-blood fed female mosquitoes were flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen at ZT12 after entrainment in an incubator for two days. Five repeats of pedicels and heads were collected, and RNA extracted from homogenized samples.