Levels of attraction of aedes aegypti and culex pipiens to nectar of plants amenable to transgenic transformation : potential for the development of mosquitocidal plants.

Controlling mosquito populations is critical for reducing mosquito-borne diseases. Methods such as pesticides and genetic engineering of mosquitoes have drawbacks. We proposed a novel delivery system for controlling mosquito populations: nectar, used as a delivery medium for transgenic proteins. In this project, candidate plant species were judged based on five criteria. First, a survival assay was conducted to investigate the long term nutritional association between candidate plants and mosquitoes. Second, a solo plant attraction assay was used to more precisely observe whether or not mosquitoes ingested nectar from each plant species. Fourth, a plant competition assay was done to investigate mosquitoes’ preference for the target plant in competition with other plant species. Finally, SDS-PAGE analysis of nectar from each plant species was conducted to study the composition and concentration of each protein in the nectar. On all of the levels, Impatiens walleriana was demonstrated to be a superior plant species for a nectar delivery system to control mosquito populations.