Neurobiological study reveals mutual signal amplification among carbon dioxide-sensing neurons in mosquitoes, suggesting a mechanism for their heightened host-seeking sensitivity.
Key Points
To determine how mosquitoes achieve extreme sensitivity when detecting carbon dioxide cues to locate human hosts.
Examined signal transmission and intercellular interactions among carbon dioxide-sensing olfactory neurons in mosquitoes.
Carbon dioxide-detecting sensory neurons mutually amplify their activity, generating an internal neural echo chamber.
Interneuronal amplification qualitatively accounts for the mosquito's heightened sensory threshold and ability to track faint human odor plumes.