An increased number of individuals of a potential host facilitates non-photic synchronisation in the haematophagous insect Triatoma infestans
Título del documento: An increased number of individuals of a potential host facilitates non-photic synchronisation in the haematophagous insect Triatoma infestans
Revista: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
Base de datos: PERIÓDICA
Número de sistema: 000459452
ISSN: 0074-0276
Autores: 1
1
Instituciones: 1Universidad Nacional de La Rioja, Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y de Transferencia Tecnológica de La Rioja, La Rioja. Argentina
Año:
Volumen: 118
País: Brasil
Idioma: Inglés
Tipo de documento: Artículo
Enfoque: Analítico, descriptivo
Resumen en inglés BACKGROUND Triatoma infestans (Kissing bug) is the main vector of the parasite causative of Chagas disease in Latin-America. This species shows clear activity rhythms easily synchronised to day-night cycles (photic cycle). The haematophagous nature of these insects lead us to think that they may temporally adapt to the particular activity rhythms of potential hosts (non-photic cycle). Our previous data showed that kissing bugs were weakly affected by the activity-inactivity rhythm of a single host. OBJETIVE To determine if by increasing the number of individuals of a potential host, T. infestans could increase the likelihood of synchronisation. METHODS Individual activity rhythms of experimental insects, maintained in constant darkness in light-tight cabinets, localised in a room with 24 rodents, were continuously monitored. Another insect group that served as control was maintained in the same conditions but in a room without rodents. FINDINGS Most of the experimental insects synchronised, expressing a 24 h period coincident with the activity-inactivity rhythms of the rodents, while the controls free ran with a period significantly longer than 24 h. CONCLUSION Analogous to what happens with high vs low light intensity in photic synchronisers, a high number of rodents, in contrast to the previous one-rodent experiment, increased the potency of this non-photic zeitgeber
Disciplinas: Biología
Palabras clave: Insectos,
Parasitología,
Vectores biológicos,
Enfermedad de Chagas,
Mecanismos de infección,
Ritmos biológicos,
Ciclo no-fótico,
Triatoma infestans,
Triatominae
Keyword: Insects,
Parasitology,
Biological vectors,
Chagas disease,
Infection mechanisms,
Non-photic cycle,
Biological rhythms,
Triatoma infestans,
Triatominae
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