Mosquitoes smell and avoid the insect repellent DEET.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Zainulabeuddin Syed, Walter S Leal

Abstract

The insect repellent DEET is effective against a variety of medically important pests, but its mode of action still draws considerable debate. The widely accepted hypothesis that DEET interferes with the detection of lactic acid has been challenged by demonstrated DEET-induced repellency in the absence of lactic acid. The most recent hypothesis suggests that DEET masks or jams the olfactory system by attenuating electrophysiological responses to 1-octen-3-ol. Our research shows that mosquitoes smell DEET directly and avoid it. We performed single-unit recordings from all functional ORNs on the antenna and maxillary palps of Culex quinquefasciatus and found an ORN in a short trichoid sensillum responding to DEET in a dose-dependent manner. The same ORN responded with higher sensitivity to terpenoid compounds. SPME and GC analysis showed that odorants were trapped in conventional stimulus cartridges upon addition of a DEET-impregnated filter paper strip thus leading to the observed reduced electrophysiological responses, as reported elsewhere. With a new stimulus delivery method releasing equal amounts of 1-octen-3-ol alone or in combination with DEET we found no difference in neuronal responses. When applied to human skin, DEET ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Feb 2, 2010·Journal of Chemical Ecology·John A PickettWalter S Leal
Jul 14, 2010·Journal of Chemical Ecology·David T HughesWalter S Leal
Jun 4, 2011·Nature·Stephanie Lynn TurnerAnandasankar Ray
Sep 23, 2011·Nature·Maurizio PellegrinoLeslie B Vosshall
Oct 4, 2013·Nature·Pinky KainAnandasankar Ray
Sep 6, 2008·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·John A PickettJames G Logan
Oct 28, 2009·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Zainulabeuddin Syed, Walter S Leal
Mar 9, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Chih-Ying SuJohn R Carlson
Jul 13, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Allison F Carey, John R Carlson
Jun 16, 2009·Chemical Senses·Johannes Reisert, Diego Restrepo
Mar 1, 2012·Chemical Senses·Martin N AnderssonTeun Dekker
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Oct 30, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Walter S LealCarlos Ueira-Vieira
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Oct 29, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Pingxi XuWalter S Leal
Apr 13, 2013·Molecules : a Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry·Hamidou F SakhanokhoJames M Spiers
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Aug 11, 2012·Life Sciences·Melissa A Fowler, Craig Montell
Jan 25, 2012·Neuropharmacology·Jonathan D Bohbot, Joseph C Dickens

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