2025-10-28 ロックフェラー大学
<関連情報>
- https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/38501-when-it-comes-to-mating-female-mosquitoes-call-the-shots/
- https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01266-7
急速に進化する雌が制御する鍵と鍵穴のメカニズムが、ネッタイシマカの交尾の成功を決定する A rapidly evolving female-controlled lock-and-key mechanism determines Aedes mosquito mating success
Leah Houri-Zeevi ∙ Madison M. Walker ∙ Jacopo Razzauti ∙ Anurag Sharma ∙ H. Amalia Pasolli ∙ Leslie B. Vosshall
Current Biology Published:October 28, 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.09.066
Highlights
- Female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes control mating through elongation of their genital tip
- The female response is “unlocked” by rapidly evolving male genital structures
- A similar mechanism of female control operates in both Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus
- Aedes albopictus males bypass female mating control across species
Summary
Mosquitoes, the world’s deadliest animal, exemplify single-mating systems where females mate only once in their lifetime, making mate choice critically important for reproductive success and mosquito control. Despite this importance, the mechanisms behind mosquito mating and what prevents the female from mating again remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we developed a dual-color fluorescent sperm system in invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and quantified mating patterns, confirming that 86%–96% of females mate only once. Using behavioral tracking of mating pairs, deep learning, and quantitative analysis at increasing resolution, we discovered that females actively control mating initiation through a previously undescribed behavior: genital tip elongation. This female response is triggered by rapidly evolving male genital structures, creating a lock-and-key mechanism that determines mating success. Comparative analysis revealed that Aedes albopictus, separated from Aedes aegypti by ∼35 million years of evolution, employs a similar female-controlled system. Strikingly, we found that Aedes albopictus males bypass female control when attempting cross-species matings with Aedes aegypti females, but not with conspecific females. This “lock-picking” ability, combined with the known sterility induced by cross-species matings, could explain how Aedes albopictus competitively displaces Aedes aegypti populations in overlapping territories. Our findings redefine mosquito reproduction as a female-controlled process and establish a quantitative framework for investigating the molecular and neurobiological mechanisms underlying mating control and species competition in these globally important disease vectors.
