NEW YORK, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists Wednesday said they have discovered a single gene controls insects' ability to detect smells.
The discovery, reported by researchers at Rockefeller University in the Sept. 2 issue of the journal Neuron, could aid in developing insect repellents that operate by blocking the gene.
Such repellents could help prevent insect-transmitted diseases, such as malaria and West Nile virus, because insects that carry these illnesses locate humans primarily by their sense of smell.
In the study, Leslie Vosshall, head of Rockefeller's laboratory of neurogenetics and behavior, and colleagues, produced fruit flies that lacked a gene called Or83b, which is known to code for a receptor involved in the sense of smell. They found the flies' sense of smell was completely gone, but when the Or83b receptor was restored, their ability to detect odors returned.
The Or83b gene is found in many species of insects, so a repellent that blocks it could be useful in a wide range of settings, the researchers said.
