Juvenile hormone regulation of microRNAs is mediated by E75 in the Dengue vector mosquito <i>Aedes aegypti</i>
Emre Aksoy, Alexander S. Raikhel
Abstract
Significance Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit numerous viral pathogens to humans. Targeting mosquito reproduction could be critical in controlling the spread of these pathogens. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control key physiological processes during mosquito reproduction. The insect hormone juvenile hormone (JH) is essential for a mosquito to achieve reproductive competence. JH governs expression of several miRNAs through the transcription factor Ecdysone-induced protein 75 (E75-RD). Blocking E75 by RNA interference impairs miR-2940, which in turn affects ovarian follicle formation and egg maturation. We identified the messenger RNA of the glutamate receptor Clumsy as a miR-2940 target and showed its involvement in reproduction. This study establishes E75-RD to be an intermediate factor within the JH hierarchical network that is involved in regulation of miRNAs in mosquitoes.