National Geographic recently issued an article about fruit fly studies. An international team of entomologists led by Kansas State University's Yoonseong Park, recently discovered how to decrease some insects' sexual desire, by shutting off a certain chemical in the brain. The entomologists uncovered the neuropeptide, natalisin, while studying the genomes of red flour beetles and fruit flies. Neuropeptides carry information from one neuron to the next. Park and his colleagues turned off the natalisin, and the insects "turned off" as well. In the study, the researcher's used RNA interference (RNAi), to silence natalisin in the beetles' and flies' genes. The male and female red flour beetles who were suppressed of natalisin laid 50 to 75 percent fewer eggs than the average, but still copulated. For the fruit flies however, the natalisin suppressed males show significant delay in commencing any female pursuit. The natalisin suppressed females displayed extreme elevated levels of grooming, in turn preventing the males from approaching the females for attempted copulation. All together, the study revealed that only about 10 percent of the flies suppressed of natalisin acted busy as usual.
So why interfere? Park hopes his teams findings will lead to environmentally friendly pest control. Genetic pest control has the ability to kill or knock out genes specific to that insect. Natalisin has evolved with insects, meaning that shutting it off could present an extensive form of crop protection that does not affect plants or other animals. For the future, researchers are trying to find out how the neuropeptide works, what it does in other insects, and how to best create a realistic pest control.
I chose this article because we have been working with fruit flies in lab for weeks and it definitely fit the topic. After reading this I found out more about fruit flies than I'd known. The fact that this study is trying to create a pest control as well is an added bonus in a positive direction.
(Article) http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/10/why-genetically-modified-flies-dont-want-sex/
Link: http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/10/why-genetically-modified-flies-dont-want-sex/
This article was very interesting. I didn't realize that an insects sex drive could be "turned off" or decrease significantly. I'm glad to see that scientist are using this information to make more Eco friendly and insect friendly pest control products so it wont hurt the plants or insects being sprayed.
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing study! Sometimes the chemicals used in pest control could be very harsh and only serve to kill off the insects right on site. Insects could be a nuisance to all, but they do serve a purpose by helping help other organisms in the food chain. It would be horrific if we were to hear that specific insects were becoming extinct due to pest control, if anything we don't won't anything to become extinct. If we can provide safer methods in the elimination of insects, then I am all for it! It is funny how the neuropeptide natalisin can "turn off" an insect. I know this may be completely different then pest control, but what if this study could help humans who are turned off. Sex has shown to be beneficial for both the male and female and instead of having to use alternatives such as Viagra and etc., why not try to see what turns us off as humans. Do we have a neuropeptide that turns us off? There are so many directions that this could take us, but this is something that strikes me because it seems to be a reoccurring problem for the older generation.
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