Molecular cloning and preliminary function study of iron responsive element binding protein 1 gene from cypermethrin-resistant Culex pipiens pallens

Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of pyrethroid resistance in the CKR strain of Aedes aegypti

Aedes aegypti is an important vector of human viral diseases. This mosquito is distributed globally and thrives in urban environments, making it a serious risk to human health. Pyrethroid insecticides have been the mainstay for control of adult A. aegypti for decades, but resistance has evolved, making control problematic in some areas. One major mechanism of pyrethroid resistance is detoxification by cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs), commonly associated with the overexpression of one or more CYPs. Unfortunately, the molecular basis underlying this mechanism remains unknown. We used a combination of RNA-seq and proteomic analysis to evaluate the molecular basis of pyrethroid resistance in the highly resistant CKR strain of A. aegypti. The CKR strain has the resistance mechanisms from the well-studied Singapore (SP) strain introgressed into the susceptible Rockefeller (ROCK) strain genome. The RNA-seq and proteomics data were complimentary; each offering insights that the other technique did not provide. However, transcriptomic results did not quantitatively mirror results of the proteomics. There were 10 CYPs which had increased expression of both transcripts and proteins. These CYPs appeared to be largely trans-regulated, except for some CYPs for which we could not rule out gene duplication. We identified 65 genes and lncRNAs as potentially being responsible for elevating the expression of CYPs in CKR. Resistance was associated with multiple loci on chromosome 1 and at least one locus on chromosome 3. We also identified five CYPs that were overexpressed only as proteins, suggesting that stabilization of CYP proteins could be a mechanism of resistance. Future studies to increase the resolution of the resistance loci, and to examine the candidate genes and lncRNAs identified here will greatly enhance our understanding of CYP-mediated resistance in A. aegypti.

Mosquito metallomics reveal copper and iron as critical factors for Plasmodium infection

Iron and copper chelation restricts Plasmodium growth in vitro and in mammalian hosts. The parasite alters metal homeostasis in red blood cells to its favor, for example metabolizing hemoglobin to hemozoin. Metal interactions with the mosquito have not, however, been studied. Here, we describe the metallomes of Anopheles albimanus and Aedes aegypti throughout their life cycle and following a blood meal. Consistent with previous reports, we found evidence of maternal iron deposition in embryos of Ae. aegypti, but less so in An. albimanus. Sodium, potassium, iron, and copper are present at higher concentrations during larval developmental stages. Two An. albimanus phenotypes that differ in their susceptibility to Plasmodium berghei infection were studied. The susceptible white stripe (ws) phenotype was named after a dorsal white stripe apparent during larval stages 3, 4, and pupae. During larval stage 3, ws larvae accumulate more iron and copper than the resistant brown stripe (bs) phenotype counterparts. A similar increase in copper and iron accumulation was also observed in the susceptible ws, but not in the resistant bs phenotype following P. berghei infection. Feeding ws mosquitoes with extracellular iron and copper chelators before and after receiving Plasmodium-infected blood protected from infection and simultaneously affected follicular development in the case of iron chelation. Unexpectedly, the application of the iron chelator to the bs strain reverted resistance to infection. Besides a drop in iron, iron-chelated bs mosquitoes experienced a concomitant loss of copper. Thus, the effect of metal chelation on P. berghei infectivity was strain-specific.

Identification of QTLs Conferring Resistance to Deltamethrin in Culex pipiens pallens

Culex pipiens pallens is the most abundant Culex mosquito species in northern China and is an important vector of bancroftian filariasis and West Nile virus. Deltamethrin is an insecticide that is widely used for mosquito control, however resistance to this and other insecticides has become a major challenge in the control of vector-borne diseases that appear to be inherited quantitatively. Furthermore, the genetic basis of insecticide resistance remains poorly understood. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of resistance to deltamethrin was conducted in F₂ intercross segregation populations using bulked segregation analysis (BSA) and amplified fragment length polymorphism markers (AFLP) in Culex pipiens pallens. A genetic linkage map covering 381 cM was constructed and a total of seven QTL responsible for resistance to deltamethrin were detected by composite interval mapping (CIM), which explained 95% of the phenotypic variance. The major QTL in linkage group 2 accounted for 62% of the variance and is worthy of further study. 12 AFLP markers in the map were cloned and the genomic locations of these marker sequences were determined by applying the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) tool to the genome sequence of the closely related Culex quinquefasciatus. Our results suggest that resistance to deltamethrin is a quantitative trait under the control of a major QTL in Culex pipiens pallens. Cloning of related AFLP markers confirm the potential utility for anchoring the genetic map to the physical map. The results provide insight into the genetic architecture of the trait.

Cloning and characterization of a mannose binding C-type lectin gene from salivary gland of Aedes albopictus

Background

The studies on sialomes have shown that hematophagous mosquito saliva consists of a lot of pharmacologically active proteins, in which C-type lectins have been identified and regarded as an important component of saliva. The previous studies showed that C-type lectins play crucial roles not only in innate immunity but also in promoting disease transmission in mammals. However, the function and mechanism of C-type lectins from the mosquito sialome is still elusive.

Methods

A putative C-type lectin gene (Aalb_CTL1) was cloned and expressed from Aedes albopictus by RT-PCR. The deduced amino acid sequence was analyzed by bioinformatic methods. The gene expression profiles in different tissues and various blood-fed stages of Ae. albopictus were examined by Real-Time qRT-PCR and the biological functions of the recombined mature Aalb_CTL1 were tested by hemagglutination and sugar inhibitory agglutination assays. Moreover, the capabilities of rAalb_CTL1 against microorganisms were measured by microbial-agglutination assay.

Results

The full-length Open reading frame (ORF) of Aalb_CTL1 consisted of 462 bp, encoding 153 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence contained a putative signal peptide of 19 amino acids. It also contained a CRD domain with a WND (Trp¹³⁷-Asn¹³⁸-Asp-¹³⁹) motif that needed calcium for the hemagglutinating activity and an imperfect EPS (Glu¹²⁸-Pro¹²⁹-Ser¹³⁰) motif that had a predicted ligand binding specificity for mannose. The mRNA level of Aalb_CTL1 was much higher in female mosquito salivary gland than those in fat body and midgut which was down-regulated in salivary gland after blood feeding. The rAalb_CTL1 contained not only hemagglutinating activity and a high affinity with mannose but also agglutinating activity against yeast C. albicans and Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus in Ca²⁺ dependent manner.

Conclusion

Aalb_CTL1 was a mannose-binding C-type lectin and constituted one of the important components in saliva of Ae. albopictus, which could be involved in the defense against yeast and Gram-positive bacteria infection.