# Olfactory protein-based screening of oviposition attractant

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2020 · $414,595

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Mosquitoes are vectors of pathogens and arboviruses, including malaria, dengue, chikungunya,
West Nile virus, and the Zika virus. With the growing concerns regarding insecticide spraying
into the environment and given the increasing cases of mosquitoes’ resistance to pesticides,
environmentally friendly strategies for monitoring, surveillance, and controlling populations of
mosquitoes are sorely needed. One such strategy is the use of oviposition attractants as lures for
surveillance, monitoring, and potentially controlling mosquito populations when combined
with a toxic agent. This project is aimed at advancing our understanding of the molecular basis
of mosquito olfaction, specifically, how inhibitory compounds may interfere with the reception
of oviposition attractants and other odorants, and at using odorant receptors to guide isolation
and identification of oviposition attractants from natural sources. The proposed research will
strengthen existing collaboration among vector biologists addressing fundamental questions in
olfaction and those with hands-on experience, including colleagues involved in controlling
populations of the southern house mosquito and the invasive yellow fever mosquito in areas
where the Zika virus is currently causing or threatens to cause an infectious epidemic. In Aim
#1, we will investigate both whether agonists and inhibitory compounds act on different binding
sites of “inhibitory” odorant receptors (ORs) and the mechanism(s) of receptor inhibition. Aim
#2 will address whether ORs, including “inhibitory” ORs, are co-expressed in antennal neurons,
and whether these “inhibitory” receptors affect the behavior of neurons, particularly those
responding to oviposition attractants. In Aim #3, we will search the genomes of the yellow fever
mosquito and the southern house mosquito for orthologs and other “inhibitory” receptors. In
Aim #4, we will use odorant receptors, particularly those sensitive to oviposition attractants, to
prospect for novel attracts from natural sources, including essential oils and extracts from
conspecific larvae. OR-guided isolation of active ingredients will be followed by chemical
characterization and synthesis. The new lures will be tested first in indoor behavioral assays and
subsequently in the fields in Clovis, California and in Recife, Brazil, the epicenter of the Zika
epidemic.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9931095
- **Project number:** 5R01AI095514-08
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Walter S Leal
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $414,595
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-12-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9931095

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9931095, Olfactory protein-based screening of oviposition attractant (5R01AI095514-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9931095. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*