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Yan J, Green K, Noel K, Kim CH, Stone CM. Effects of seasonality and developed land cover on Culex mosquito abundance and microbiome diversity. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1332970. [PMID: 38404602 PMCID: PMC10885804 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1332970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The vectorial capacity of mosquitoes, which influences the dynamics of vector-borne disease transmission, is intricately linked to mosquito abundance and the composition and diversity of their associated microbiomes. However, the influence of environmental factors on mosquito populations and microbiome diversity remains underexplored. Here we examined the effects of seasonality and developed land cover on Culex mosquito abundance and bacterial diversity. Biweekly field sampling of female Culex mosquitoes was conducted using gravid and CDC light traps, spanning summer to autumn across varying developed land cover levels in two urban areas in Central Illinois. Mosquito abundance was assessed by the number of mosquitoes captured per trap night and compared across seasons and developed levels. The mean mosquito abundance for gravid and light traps was 12.96 ± 2.15 and 7.67 ± 1.44, respectively. Notably, higher levels of developed land cover exhibited higher Culex abundance than the low level for light traps, but no significant difference was found between summer and early autumn. In gravid traps, no significant differences were detected across seasons or developed levels. Microbial analysis of the mosquito microbiome revealed that Proteobacteria and Wolbachia, with a mean relative abundance of 80.77 and 52.66% respectively, were identified as the most dominant bacterial phylum and genus. Their relative abundance remained consistent across seasons and developed land cover levels, with negligible variations. Alpha diversity, as measured by observed species, Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson, showed slightly higher values in early-autumn compared to late-summer. A notable pattern of bacterial diversity, as indicated by all four diversity indexes, is evident across varying levels of land development. Significantly, high or intermediate developed levels consistently showed reduced alpha diversity when compared to the lower level. This underscores the pronounced impact of anthropogenic ecological disturbances in shaping mosquito microbiomes. Beta diversity analysis revealed no significant dissimilarities in bacterial community composition across seasons and developed levels, although some separation was noted among different levels of developed land cover. These findings highlight the significant role of environmental factors in shaping mosquito abundance and their associated microbiomes, with potential implications for the vectorial capacity in the transmission of vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayue Yan
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | | | | | | | - Chris M. Stone
- Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
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Pramono AK, Hidayanti AK, Tagami Y, Ando H. Bacterial community and genome analysis of cytoplasmic incompatibility-inducing Wolbachia in American serpentine leafminer, Liriomyza trifolii. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1304401. [PMID: 38380092 PMCID: PMC10877061 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1304401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Liriomyza trifolii, an agricultural pest, is occasionally infected by Wolbachia. A Wolbachia strain present in Liriomyza trifolii is associated with cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) effects, leading to the death of embryos resulting from incompatible crosses between antibiotic-treated or naturally Wolbachia-free strain females and Wolbachia-infected males. In this study, high-throughput sequencing of hypervariable rRNA genes was employed to characterize the bacterial community in Wolbachia-infected L. trifolii without antibiotic treatment. The analysis revealed that Wolbachia dominates the bacterial community in L. trifolii, with minor presence of Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Limnobacter. To elucidate the genetic basis of the CI phenotype, metagenomic sequencing was also conducted to assemble the genome of the Wolbachia strain. The draft-genome of the Wolbachia strain wLtri was 1.35 Mbp with 34% GC content and contained 1,487 predicted genes. Notably, within the wLtri genome, there are three distinct types of cytoplasmic incompatibility factor (cif) genes: Type I, Type III, and Type V cifA;B. These genes are likely responsible for inducing the strong cytoplasmic incompatibility observed in L. trifolii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajeng K. Pramono
- Laboratory of Phage Biologics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Ardhiani K. Hidayanti
- School of Biological Environment, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Yohsuke Tagami
- Laboratory of Applied Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ando
- Laboratory of Phage Biologics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
- Center for One Medicine Innovative Translational Research (COMIT), Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
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Mantilla-Granados JS, Castellanos JE, Velandia-Romero ML. A tangled threesome: understanding arbovirus infection in Aedes spp. and the effect of the mosquito microbiota. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1287519. [PMID: 38235434 PMCID: PMC10792067 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1287519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Arboviral infections transmitted by Aedes spp. mosquitoes are a major threat to human health, particularly in tropical regions but are expanding to temperate regions. The ability of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus to transmit multiple arboviruses involves a complex relationship between mosquitoes and the virus, with recent discoveries shedding light on it. Furthermore, this relationship is not solely between mosquitoes and arboviruses, but also involves the mosquito microbiome. Here, we aimed to construct a comprehensive review of the latest information about the arbovirus infection process in A. aegypti and A. albopictus, the source of mosquito microbiota, and its interaction with the arbovirus infection process, in terms of its implications for vectorial competence. First, we summarized studies showing a new mechanism for arbovirus infection at the cellular level, recently described innate immunological pathways, and the mechanism of adaptive response in mosquitoes. Second, we addressed the general sources of the Aedes mosquito microbiota (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) during their life cycle, and the geographical reports of the most common microbiota in adults mosquitoes. How the microbiota interacts directly or indirectly with arbovirus transmission, thereby modifying vectorial competence. We highlight the complexity of this tripartite relationship, influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic conditions at different geographical scales, with many gaps to fill and promising directions for developing strategies to control arbovirus transmission and to gain a better understanding of vectorial competence. The interactions between mosquitoes, arboviruses and their associated microbiota are yet to be investigated in depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan S. Mantilla-Granados
- Saneamiento Ecológico, Salud y Medio Ambiente, Universidad El Bosque, Vicerrectoría de Investigaciones, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jaime E. Castellanos
- Grupo de Virología, Universidad El Bosque, Vicerrectoría de Investigaciones, Bogotá, Colombia
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Trouche B, Schrieke H, Duron O, Eren AM, Reveillaud J. Wolbachia populations across organs of individual Culex pipiens: highly conserved intra-individual core pangenome with inter-individual polymorphisms. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae078. [PMID: 38915450 PMCID: PMC11195471 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a maternally inherited intracellular bacterium that infects a wide range of arthropods including mosquitoes. The endosymbiont is widely used in biocontrol strategies due to its capacity to modulate arthropod reproduction and limit pathogen transmission. Wolbachia infections in Culex spp. are generally assumed to be monoclonal but the potential presence of genetically distinct Wolbachia subpopulations within and between individual organs has not been investigated using whole genome sequencing. Here we reconstructed Wolbachia genomes from ovary and midgut metagenomes of single naturally infected Culex pipiens mosquitoes from Southern France to investigate patterns of intra- and inter-individual differences across mosquito organs. Our analyses revealed a remarkable degree of intra-individual conservancy among Wolbachia genomes from distinct organs of the same mosquito both at the level of gene presence-absence signal and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Yet, we identified several synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions between individuals, demonstrating the presence of some level of genomic heterogeneity among Wolbachia that infect the same C. pipiens field population. Overall, the absence of genetic heterogeneity within Wolbachia populations in a single individual confirms the presence of a dominant Wolbachia that is maintained under strong purifying forces of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blandine Trouche
- IRD, MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CNRS, 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Hans Schrieke
- IRD, MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CNRS, 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Olivier Duron
- IRD, MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CNRS, 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - A Murat Eren
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, United States
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Julie Reveillaud
- IRD, MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CNRS, 34394 Montpellier, France
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Côrtes N, Lira A, Prates-Syed W, Dinis Silva J, Vuitika L, Cabral-Miranda W, Durães-Carvalho R, Balan A, Cabral-Marques O, Cabral-Miranda G. Integrated control strategies for dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya virus infections. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1281667. [PMID: 38196945 PMCID: PMC10775689 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1281667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Arboviruses are a major threat to public health in tropical regions, encompassing over 534 distinct species, with 134 capable of causing diseases in humans. These viruses are transmitted through arthropod vectors that cause symptoms such as fever, headache, joint pains, and rash, in addition to more serious cases that can lead to death. Among the arboviruses, dengue virus stands out as the most prevalent, annually affecting approximately 16.2 million individuals solely in the Americas. Furthermore, the re-emergence of the Zika virus and the recurrent outbreaks of chikungunya in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, with one million cases reported annually, underscore the urgency of addressing this public health challenge. In this manuscript we discuss the epidemiology, viral structure, pathogenicity and integrated control strategies to combat arboviruses, and the most used tools, such as vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, treatment, etc., in addition to presenting future perspectives for the control of arboviruses. Currently, specific medications for treating arbovirus infections are lacking, and symptom management remains the primary approach. However, promising advancements have been made in certain treatments, such as Chloroquine, Niclosamide, and Isatin derivatives, which have demonstrated notable antiviral properties against these arboviruses in vitro and in vivo experiments. Additionally, various strategies within vector control approaches have shown significant promise in reducing arbovirus transmission rates. These encompass public education initiatives, targeted insecticide applications, and innovative approaches like manipulating mosquito bacterial symbionts, such as Wolbachia. In conclusion, combatting the global threat of arbovirus diseases needs a comprehensive approach integrating antiviral research, vaccination, and vector control. The continued efforts of research communities, alongside collaborative partnerships with public health authorities, are imperative to effectively address and mitigate the impact of these arboviral infections on public health worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson Côrtes
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- The Interunits Graduate Program in Biotechnology of the University of São Paulo, the Butantan Institute and the Technological Research Institute of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline Lira
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- The Interunits Graduate Program in Biotechnology of the University of São Paulo, the Butantan Institute and the Technological Research Institute of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Wasim Prates-Syed
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- The Interunits Graduate Program in Biotechnology of the University of São Paulo, the Butantan Institute and the Technological Research Institute of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Dinis Silva
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- The Graduate Program in Pathophysiology and Toxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa Vuitika
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Durães-Carvalho
- São Paulo School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andrea Balan
- The Interunits Graduate Program in Biotechnology of the University of São Paulo, the Butantan Institute and the Technological Research Institute of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Applied Structural Biology Laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Otavio Cabral-Marques
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- The Graduate Program in Pathophysiology and Toxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Cabral-Miranda
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- The Interunits Graduate Program in Biotechnology of the University of São Paulo, the Butantan Institute and the Technological Research Institute of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- The Graduate Program in Pathophysiology and Toxicology, Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Griffin CD, Weber DE, Seabourn P, Waianuhea LK, Medeiros MCI. Filtration of environmentally sourced aquatic media impacts laboratory-colonised Aedes albopictus early development and adult bacteriome composition. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 37:693-704. [PMID: 37340616 PMCID: PMC10650568 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms form close associations with metazoan hosts forming symbiotic communities, known as microbiomes, that modulate host physiological processes. Mosquitoes are of special interest in exploring microbe-modulated host processes due to their oversized impact on human health. However, most mosquito work is done under controlled laboratory conditions where natural microbiomes are not present and inferences from these studies may not extend to natural populations. Here we attempt to assemble a wild-resembling bacteriome under laboratory conditions in an established laboratory colony of Aedes albopictus using aquatic media from environmentally-exposed and differentially filtered larval habitats. While we did not successfully replicate a wild bacteriome using these filtrations, we show that these manipulations alter the bacteriomes of mosquitoes, generating a unique composition not seen in wild populations collected from and near our source water or in our laboratory colony. We also demonstrate that our filtration regimens impact larval development times, as well as impact adult survival on different carbohydrate diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chasen D Griffin
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Danya E Weber
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Priscilla Seabourn
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Lorraine K Waianuhea
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Matthew C I Medeiros
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Center for Microbiome Analysis through Island Knowledge and Investigation, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Hyde J, Brackney DE, Steven B. Three species of axenic mosquito larvae recruit a shared core of bacteria in a common garden experiment. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0077823. [PMID: 37681948 PMCID: PMC10537770 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00778-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we describe the generation of two new species of axenic mosquito, Aedes albopictus and Aedes triseriatus. Along with Aedes aegypti, axenic larvae of these three species were exposed to an environmental water source to document the assembly of the microbiome in a common garden experiment. Additionally, the larvae were reared either individually or combinatorially with the other species to characterize the effects of co-rearing on the composition of the microbiome. We found that the microbiome of the larvae was composed of a relatively low-diversity collection of bacteria from the colonizing water. The abundance of bacteria in the water was a poor predictor of their abundance in the larvae, suggesting the larval microbiome is made up of a subset of relatively rare aquatic bacteria. We found 11 bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) that were conserved among ≥90% of the mosquitoes sampled, including 2 found in 100% of the larvae, pointing to a conserved core of bacteria capable of colonizing all three species of mosquito. Yet, the abundance of these ASVs varied widely between larvae, suggesting individuals harbored largely unique microbiome structures, even if they overlapped in membership. Finally, larvae reared in a tripartite mix of the host-species consistently showed a convergence in the structure of their microbiome, indicating that multi-species interactions between hosts potentially lead to shifts in the composition of their respective microbiomes. IMPORTANCE This study is the first report of the axenic (free of external microbes) rearing of two species of mosquito, Aedes albopictus and Aedes triseriatus. Our previous report of axenic Aedes aegypti brings the number of axenic species to three. We designed a method to perform a common garden experiment to characterize the bacteria the three species of axenic larvae assemble from their surroundings. Furthermore, species could be reared in isolation or in multi-species combinations to assess how host-species interactions influence the composition of the microbiome. We found all three species recruited a common core of bacteria from their rearing water, with a large contingent of rare and sporadically detected bacteria. Finally, we also show that co-rearing of mosquito larvae leads to a coalescence in the composition of their microbiome, indicating that host-species interactions potentially influence the composition of the microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Hyde
- Department of Environmental Science and Forestry, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Doug E. Brackney
- Department of Entomology, Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Blaire Steven
- Department of Environmental Science and Forestry, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Seabourn PS, Weber DE, Spafford H, Medeiros MCI. Aedes albopictus microbiome derives from environmental sources and partitions across distinct host tissues. Microbiologyopen 2023; 12:e1364. [PMID: 37379424 PMCID: PMC10261752 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The mosquito microbiome consists of a consortium of interacting microorganisms that reside on and within culicid hosts. Mosquitoes acquire most of their microbial diversity from the environment over their life cycle. Once present within the mosquito host, the microbes colonize distinct tissues, and these symbiotic relationships are maintained by immune-related mechanisms, environmental filtering, and trait selection. The processes that govern how environmental microbes assemble across the tissues within mosquitoes remain poorly resolved. We use ecological network analyses to examine how environmental bacteria assemble to form bacteriomes among Aedes albopictus host tissues. Mosquitoes, water, soil, and plant nectar were collected from 20 sites in the Mānoa Valley, Oahu. DNA was extracted and associated bacteriomes were inventoried using Earth Microbiome Project protocols. We find that the bacteriomes of A. albopictus tissues were compositional taxonomic subsets of environmental bacteriomes and suggest that the environmental microbiome serves as a source pool that supports mosquito microbiome diversity. Within the mosquito, the microbiomes of the crop, midgut, Malpighian tubules, and ovaries differed in composition. This microbial diversity partitioned among host tissues formed two specialized modules: one in the crop and midgut, and another in the Malpighian tubules and ovaries. The specialized modules may form based on microbe niche preferences and/or selection of mosquito tissues for specific microbes that aid unique biological functions of the tissue types. A strong niche-driven assembly of tissue-specific microbiotas from the environmental species pool suggests that each tissue has specialized associations with microbes, which derive from host-mediated microbe selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla S. Seabourn
- Plant and Environmental Protection SciencesHonoluluHawaiiUSA
- Pacific Biosciences Research CenterUniversity of HawaiiHonoluluHawaiiUSA
| | - Danya E. Weber
- Pacific Biosciences Research CenterUniversity of HawaiiHonoluluHawaiiUSA
| | - Helen Spafford
- Plant and Environmental Protection SciencesHonoluluHawaiiUSA
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentSouth PerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Matthew C. I. Medeiros
- Pacific Biosciences Research CenterUniversity of HawaiiHonoluluHawaiiUSA
- Center for Microbiome Analysis through Island Knowledge and InvestigationUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaHonoluluHawaiiUSA
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Abstract
The mosquito microbiota has a profound impact on multiple biological processes ranging from reproduction to disease transmission. Interestingly, the adult mosquito microbiota is largely derived from the larval microbiota, which in turn is dependent on the microbiota of their water habitat. The larval microbiota not only plays a crucial role in larval development but also has a significant impact on the adult stage of the mosquito. By precisely engineering the larval microbiota, it is feasible to alter larval development and other life history traits of the mosquitoes. Bacteriophages, given their host specificity, can serve as a tool for modulating the microbiota. For this proof-of-principle study, we selected representative strains of five common Anopheles mosquito-associated bacterial genera, namely, Enterobacter, Serratia, Pseudomonas, Elizabethkingia, and Asaia. Our results with monoaxenic cultures showed that Anopheles larvae with Enterobacter and Pseudomonas displayed normal larval development with no significant mortality. However, monoaxenic Anopheles larvae with Elizabethkingia showed delayed larval development and higher mortality. Serratia and Asaia gnotobiotic larvae failed to develop past the first instar. We isolated and characterized three novel bacteriophages (EP1, SP1, and EKP1) targeting Enterobacter, Serratia, and Elizabethkingia, respectively, and utilized a previously characterized bacteriophage (GH1) targeting Pseudomonas to modulate larval water microbiota. Gnotobiotic Anopheles larvae with all five bacterial genera showed reduced survival and larval development with the addition of bacteriophages EP1 and GH1, targeting Enterobacter and Pseudomonas, respectively. The effect was synergistic when both EP1 and GH1 were added together. Our results demonstrate a novel application of bacteriophages for mosquito control. IMPORTANCE Mosquitoes are efficient vectors of multiple human and animal pathogens. The biology of mosquitoes is strongly affected by their associated microbiota. Because of the important role of the larval microbiota in mosquito biology, the microbiota can potentially serve as a target for altering mosquito life-history traits. Our study provides proof of principle that bacteriophages can be used as tools to modulate the mosquito larval habitat microbiota and can, in turn, affect larval development and survival. These results highlight the utility of bacteriophages in mosquito microbiota research and also provide a new potential mosquito control tool.
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