Casey, T. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

Advancing the design of the kissing bug kill trap for surveillance of triatomines

Standardized surveillance and control of kissing bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae), the insect vectors of the Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease, remains difficult. The Kissing Bug Kill Trap consists of solar powered LED lights mounted over a column of black funnels. It operates autonomously to capture, kill and preserve adult triatomines. We conducted experiments from 2022-2024 testing potential ways to improve trap performance, ease of deployment, and minimize cost. Thirteen prototypes evaluated in Texas, Guatemala, and Mexico captured 1,531 triatomines. In 2022-2023 we selected a six-funnel trap suspended from a single support pole with an angle bracket, and with four LED lights and a solar panel mounted above the rain-guard, as a reference trap. In 2023, traps with smaller funnels, blue funnels, and blue lights were inferior to the reference trap based on high by-catch of other arthropods and/or fewer triatomines caught per day. In 2024, traps with more or fewer than six funnels or with LED lights mounted on or below the rain guard did not outperform the reference trap. The experiments added five new triatomine species to the four already known to be caught by the Kissing Bug Kill Trap and revealed differences and similarities in phenology of dispersal flights of Triatoma gerstaeckeri over a three-year period in Texas. The reference trap was selected as the pre-commercial prototype, based on its suitability for triatomine surveillance and potential for reducing the risk of T. cruzi infection by intercepting dispersing adult triatomines before they reach human habitats.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Core circadian clock transcription factor BMAL1 regulates mammary epithelial cell growth, differentiation, and milk component synthesis

The role the mammary epithelial circadian clock plays in gland development and lactation is unknown. We hypothesized that mammary epithelial clocks function to regulate mammogenesis and lactogenesis, and propose the core clock transcription factor BMAL1:CLOCK regulates genes that control mammary epithelial development and milk synthesis. Our objective was to identify transcriptional targets of BMAL1 in undifferentiated (UNDIFF) and lactogen differentiated (DIFF) mammary epithelial cells (HC11) using ChIP-seq. Ensembl gene IDs with the nearest transcriptional start site to peaks were explored as potential targets, and represented 846 protein coding genes common to UNDIFF and DIFF cells and 2773 unique to DIFF samples. Genes with overlapping peaks between samples (1343) enriched cell-cell adhesion, membrane transporters and lipid metabolism categories. To functionally verify targets, an HC11 line with Bmal1 gene knocked out (BMAL1-KO) using CRISPR-CAS was created. BMAL1-KO cultures had lower cell densities over an eight-day growth curve, which was associated with increased (p<0.05) levels of reactive oxygen species and lower expression of superoxide dismutase 3 (Sod3). Q-PCR analysis also found lower expression of the putative targets, prolactin receptor (Prlr), Ppara, and beta-casein (Csn2). Findings support our hypothesis and highlight potential importance of clock in mammary development and substrate transport.

cell biology↗