Dr. Jimena Leyria’s paper (PDF, Lange & Orchard Lab) published in Insect Biochemstry and Molecular Biology

Dr. Jimena Leyria’s paper (PDF, Lange & Orchard Lab) was published by Insect Biochemstry and Molecular Biology: The involvement of insulin/ToR signaling pathway in reproductive performance of Rhodnius prolixus

Chagas disease, one of the most neglected tropical diseases, is caused by a protozoan which is transmitted to mammalian hosts primarily by blood-feeding insects, the triatomines. This disease affects 6–7 million people, mostly in Latin America, but because of migration the disease has spread to other continents. The kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus is one of the vectors with high epidemiological relevance for easily colonizing domestic habitats. In this paper, we report a mechanism by which the nutritional signaling mediated through the conserved insulin/ToR signaling pathway regulates the reproductive performance in R. prolixus, influencing the numbers of eggs laid per female. As reproduction is an event responsible for propagation of insect populations, the functional characterization of factors that drive successful reproductive biology of triatomines is important to not only answer fundamental biological questions, but also to assist in the development of innovative biocontrol methods.