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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Invasive Insect Biocontrol & Behavior Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #308015

Title: Olfactory disruption: towards controlling important insect vectors of disease

Author
item Sparks, Jackson
item Bohbot, Jonathan
item Dickens, Joseph

Submitted to: Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/23/2014
Publication Date: 1/1/2015
Citation: Sparks, J.T., Bohbot, J.D., Dickens, J.C. 2015. Olfactory disruption: towards controlling important insect vectors of disease. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science. New York, NY: Elsevier Academic Press. p. 81-108.

Interpretive Summary: Insect repellents provide protection against insect vectored diseases by decreasing contacts between humans and the insect vectors. Recent studies have identified potential molecular targets for repellents and provided a better understanding of how repellents exert their effects. Here we discuss current knowledge of the senses of taste and smell in insect disease disease vectors, and examine how this understanding of these senses might be used to discover of new chemicals with novel or enhanced repellent activity. This new synthesis of knowledge and approaches can used by molecular entomologists and chemists to devise strategies aimed at discovery of novel repellents with new or improved modes of action for the protection of humans against biting insects and the diseases vectored by them.

Technical Abstract: Chemical repellents are used to decrease contacts between insect disease vectors and their hosts, thus reducing the probability of disease transmission. The molecular mechanisms by which repellents have their effects are poorly understood and remain a controversial topic. Here we present recent results of studies aimed at a more thorough understanding of the mode of action of repellents and discuss the implications of these findings for future research and development of novel or improved repellents.