Culex quinquefasciatus olfactory receptor 136 (CquiOR136) (CquiOR136)

Culex quinquefasciatus olfactory receptor 136 (CquiOR136) is a specialized chemosensory receptor found in the southern house mosquito, a major vector for diseases such as West Nile virus and lymphatic filariasis (Xu et al., 2014). It belongs to the insect odorant receptor family, which functions as heteromeric ligand-gated ion channels when complexed with the highly conserved co-receptor Orco (Leal, 2014). CquiOR136 is notably recognized as the primary molecular target for the widely used insect repellent DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide), as well as other synthetic repellents like picaridin and IR3535 (Xu et al., 2014). Unlike many other olfactory receptors that are inhibited or masked by DEET, CquiOR136 is directly activated by these compounds, initiating a neural signal that drives the mosquito's avoidance behavior (Leal, 2014). The receptor also exhibits high sensitivity to natural plant-derived repellents such as methyl jasmonate, suggesting it may have evolved to detect plant defensive volatiles (Xu et al., 2014). Understanding the structure and function of CquiOR136 is essential for the rational design of next-generation repellents and vector control strategies aimed at reducing the global burden of mosquito-borne infections (Parasit Vectors, 2025). Research using RNA interference has demonstrated that silencing CquiOR136 leads to a complete loss of DEET-induced repellency in mosquitoes, confirming its critical role in the olfactory response to synthetic repellents (Xu et al., 2014).

Other names

CquiOR136DEET receptorOdorant receptor 136

Direct activation (agonist) of the CquiOR136/CquiOrco heteromeric ion channel complex