Cyphers and cycles - A chemical basis of the differential attraction of mosquitoes to human odor.

Anthropophilic mosquitoes, such as the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, not only exhibit a robust host preference for humans but are also known to favor certain individuals over others, which has been attributed to variations in individual body odor. The underpinning chemical drivers, however, remain largely unidentified. Here, we assessed the differential attractiveness of 42 female participants to host-seeking Ae. aegypti, demonstrating that pregnancy or menstrual cycle phase significantly contributed to the individual level of attractiveness. Chemical and electrophysiological analyses of whole body odor samples identified 27 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) potentially involved in regulating the level of human attractiveness to mosquitoes. Behavioral assays further demonstrated that 1-octen-3-ol-present in the body odor of highly attractive participants and pregnant individuals-and the overall blend ratio of VOCs are sufficient to modulate mosquito preferences. Our findings suggest that multiple chemical motifs contribute to the heterogeneity in human attractiveness to mosquitoes.