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Montenegro D, Cortés-Cortés G, Balbuena-Alonso MG, Warner C, Camps M. Wolbachia-based emerging strategies for control of vector-transmitted disease. Acta Trop 2024; 260:107410. [PMID: 39349234 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 09/21/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/02/2024]
Abstract
Dengue fever is a mosquito-transmitted disease of great public health importance. Dengue lacks adequate vaccine protection and insecticide-based methods of mosquito control are proving increasingly ineffective. Here we review the emerging use of mosquitoes transinfected with the obligate intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis for vector control. Wolbachia often induces cytoplasmic incompatibility in its mosquito hosts, resulting in infertile progeny between an infected male and an uninfected female. Wolbachia infection also suppresses the replication of pathogens in the mosquito, a process known as "pathogen blocking". Two strategies have emerged. The first one releases Wolbachia carriers (both male and female) to replace the wild mosquito population, a process driven by cytoplasmic incompatibility and that becomes irreversible once a threshold is reached. This suppresses disease transmission mainly by pathogen blocking and frequently requires a single intervention. The second strategy floods the field population with an exclusively male population of Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes to generate infertile hybrid progeny. In this case, transmission suppression depends largely on decreasing the population density of mosquitoes driven by infertility and requires continued mosquito release. The efficacy of both Wolbachia-based approaches has been conclusively demonstrated by randomized and non-randomized studies of deployments across the world. However, results conducted in one setting cannot be directly or easily extrapolated to other settings because dengue incidence is highly affected by the conditions into which the mosquitoes are released. Compared to traditional vector control methods, Wolbachia-based approaches are much more environmentally friendly and can be effective in the medium/long term. On the flip side, they are much more complex and cost-intensive operations, requiring a substantial investment, infrastructure, trained personnel, coordination between agencies, and community engagement. Finally, we discuss recent evidence suggesting that the release of Wolbachia-transinfected mosquitoes has a moderate potential risk of spreading potentially dangerous genes in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Montenegro
- Corporación Innovation Hub, Monteria 230001, Colombia; Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; Grupo de Investigación: Salud y Tecnología 4.0. Fundación Chilloa, Santa Marta 470001, Colombia
| | - Gerardo Cortés-Cortés
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; Posgrado en Microbiología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Ciudad Universitaria, San Manuel, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - María Guadalupe Balbuena-Alonso
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; Posgrado en Microbiología, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Ciudad Universitaria, San Manuel, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Caison Warner
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Manel Camps
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
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Lau MJ, Valdez AR, Jones MJ, Aranson I, Hoffmann AA, McGraw EA. The effect of repeat feeding on dengue virus transmission potential in Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti following extended egg quiescence. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012305. [PMID: 38976758 PMCID: PMC11257391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
As Wolbachia pipientis is more widely being released into field populations of Aedes aegypti for disease control, the ability to select the appropriate strain for differing environments is increasingly important. A previous study revealed that longer-term quiescence in the egg phase reduced the fertility of mosquitoes, especially those harboring the wAlbB Wolbachia strain. This infertility was also associated with a greater biting rate. Here, we attempt to quantify the effect of this heightened biting behavior on the transmission potential of the dengue virus using a combination of assays for fitness, probing behavior, and vector competence, allowing repeat feeding, and incorporate these effects in a model of R0. We show that Wolbachia-infected infertile mosquitoes are more interested in feeding almost immediately after an initial blood meal relative to wild type and Wolbachia-infected fertile mosquitoes and that these differences continue for up to 8 days over the period we measured. As a result, the infertile Wolbachia mosquitoes have higher virus prevalence and loads than Wolbachia-fertile mosquitoes. We saw limited evidence of Wolbachia-mediated blocking in the disseminated tissue (legs) in terms of prevalence but did see reduced viral loads. Using a previously published estimate of the extrinsic incubation period, we demonstrate that the effect of repeat feeding/infertility is insufficient to overcome the effects of Wolbachia-mediated blocking on R0. These estimates are very conservative, however, and we posit that future studies should empirically measure EIP under a repeat feeding model. Our findings echo previous work where periods of extensive egg quiescence affected the reproductive success of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti. Additionally, we show that increased biting behavior in association with this infertility in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes may drive greater vector competence. These relationships require further exploration, given their ability to affect the success of field releases of Wolbachia for human disease reduction in drier climates where longer egg quiescence periods are expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Jia Lau
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Andrés R. Valdez
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew J. Jones
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Igor Aranson
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ary A. Hoffmann
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and The School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A. McGraw
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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3
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Han Y, Pu Q, Fan T, Wei T, Xu Y, Zhao L, Liu S. Long non-coding RNAs as promising targets for controlling disease vector mosquitoes. INSECT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 38783627 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Hematophagous female mosquitoes are important vectors of numerous devastating human diseases, posing a major public health threat. Effective prevention and control of mosquito-borne diseases rely considerably on progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of various life activities, and accordingly, the molecules that regulate the various life activities of mosquitoes are potential targets for implementing future vector control strategies. Many long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in mosquitoes and significant progress has been made in determining their functions. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the research advances on mosquito lncRNAs, including their molecular identification, function, and interaction with other non-coding RNAs, as well as their synergistic regulatory roles in mosquito life activities. We also highlight the potential roles of competitive endogenous RNAs in mosquito growth and development, as well as in insecticide resistance and virus-host interactions. Insights into the biological functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs in mosquito life activities, viral replication, pathogenesis, and transmission will contribute to the development of novel drugs and safe vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujiao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Qian Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Ting Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Tianqi Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Yankun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Lu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Shiping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
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Corrêa-Antônio J, David MR, Couto-Lima D, Garcia GA, Keirsebelik MSG, Maciel-de-Freitas R, Pavan MG. DENV-1 Titer Impacts Viral Blocking in wMel Aedes aegypti with Brazilian Genetic Background. Viruses 2024; 16:214. [PMID: 38399990 PMCID: PMC10891765 DOI: 10.3390/v16020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Several countries have been using Wolbachia deployments to replace highly competent native Aedes aegypti populations with Wolbachia-carrying mosquitoes with lower susceptibility to arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. In Rio de Janeiro, Wolbachia deployments started in 2015 and still present a moderate introgression with a modest reduction in dengue cases in humans (38%). Here, we evaluated the vector competence of wild-type and wMel-infected Ae. aegypti with a Brazilian genetic background to investigate whether virus leakage could contribute to the observed outcomes in Brazil. We collected the specimens in three areas of Rio de Janeiro with distinct frequencies of mosquitoes with wMel strain and two areas with wild Ae. aegypti. The mosquitoes were orally exposed to two titers of DENV-1 and the saliva of DENV-1-infected Ae. aegypti was microinjected into wMel-free mosquitoes to check their infectivity. When infected with the high DENV-1 titer, the presence of wMel did not avoid viral infection in mosquitoes' bodies and saliva but DENV-1-infected wMel mosquitoes produced lower viral loads than wMel-free mosquitoes. On the other hand, wMel mosquitoes infected with the low DENV-1 titer were less susceptible to virus infection than wMel-free mosquitoes, although once infected, wMel and wMel-free mosquitoes exhibited similar viral loads in the body and the saliva. Our results showed viral leakage in 60% of the saliva of wMel mosquitoes with Brazilian background; thus, sustained surveillance is imperative to monitor the presence of other circulating DENV-1 strains capable of overcoming the Wolbachia blocking phenotype, enabling timely implementation of action plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Corrêa-Antônio
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (J.C.-A.); (M.R.D.); (D.C.-L.); (G.A.G.); (M.S.G.K.); (R.M.-d.-F.)
| | - Mariana R. David
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (J.C.-A.); (M.R.D.); (D.C.-L.); (G.A.G.); (M.S.G.K.); (R.M.-d.-F.)
| | - Dinair Couto-Lima
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (J.C.-A.); (M.R.D.); (D.C.-L.); (G.A.G.); (M.S.G.K.); (R.M.-d.-F.)
| | - Gabriela Azambuja Garcia
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (J.C.-A.); (M.R.D.); (D.C.-L.); (G.A.G.); (M.S.G.K.); (R.M.-d.-F.)
| | - Milan S. G. Keirsebelik
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (J.C.-A.); (M.R.D.); (D.C.-L.); (G.A.G.); (M.S.G.K.); (R.M.-d.-F.)
| | - Rafael Maciel-de-Freitas
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (J.C.-A.); (M.R.D.); (D.C.-L.); (G.A.G.); (M.S.G.K.); (R.M.-d.-F.)
- Department of Arbovirology, Bernhard Nocht Institute of Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Márcio Galvão Pavan
- Laboratório de Mosquitos Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (J.C.-A.); (M.R.D.); (D.C.-L.); (G.A.G.); (M.S.G.K.); (R.M.-d.-F.)
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Ledermann JP, Burns PL, Perinet LC, Powers AM, Byers NM. Improved Mosquito Housing and Saliva Collection Method Enhances Safety While Facilitating Longitudinal Assessment of Individual Mosquito Vector Competence for Arboviruses. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2024; 24:55-63. [PMID: 37844065 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Assessing the potential for mosquitoes to transmit medically important arboviruses is essential for understanding their threat to human populations. Currently, vector competence studies are typically performed by collecting saliva using a glass capillary tube system which involves sacrificing the mosquito at the time of saliva collection allowing only a single data point. These techniques also require handling infected mosquitoes and glass capillaries, constituting a safety risk. Materials and Methods: To improve the efficiency and safety of assessing vector competence, a novel containment and saliva collection approach for individually housed mosquitoes was developed. The improved housing, allowing longitudinal tracking of individual mosquitoes, consists of a 12-well Corning polystyrene plate sealed with a three-dimensional printed lid that holds organdy netting firmly against the rims of the wells. Results: This method provides excellent mosquito survival for five species of mosquitoes, with at least 79% of each species tested surviving for more than 2 weeks, comparable to the carton survival rates of ≥76%. When the plate housing system was used to assess vector infection, replication of West Nile virus (WNV) in mosquito tissues was similar to traditional containment mosquito housing. Mosquito saliva was collected using either blotting paper pads or traditional glass capillaries to assay viral transmission. The blotting paper collection showed similar or better sensitivity than the capillary method; in addition, longitudinal saliva samples could be collected from individual mosquitoes housed in the 12-well plates. Conclusions: The improved housing and saliva collection technique described herein provides a safer and more informative method for determining vector competence in mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy P Ledermann
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Paul L Burns
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Lara C Perinet
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Ann M Powers
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Nathaniel M Byers
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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6
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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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7
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Garrigós M, Garrido M, Panisse G, Veiga J, Martínez-de la Puente J. Interactions between West Nile Virus and the Microbiota of Culex pipiens Vectors: A Literature Review. Pathogens 2023; 12:1287. [PMID: 38003752 PMCID: PMC10675824 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12111287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The flavivirus West Nile virus (WNV) naturally circulates between mosquitoes and birds, potentially affecting humans and horses. Different species of mosquitoes play a role as vectors of WNV, with those of the Culex pipiens complex being particularly crucial for its circulation. Different biotic and abiotic factors determine the capacity of mosquitoes for pathogen transmission, with the mosquito gut microbiota being recognized as an important one. Here, we review the published studies on the interactions between the microbiota of the Culex pipiens complex and WNV infections in mosquitoes. Most articles published so far studied the interactions between bacteria of the genus Wolbachia and WNV infections, obtaining variable results regarding the directionality of this relationship. In contrast, only a few studies investigate the role of the whole microbiome or other bacterial taxa in WNV infections. These studies suggest that bacteria of the genera Serratia and Enterobacter may enhance WNV development. Thus, due to the relevance of WNV in human and animal health and the important role of mosquitoes of the Cx. pipiens complex in its transmission, more research is needed to unravel the role of mosquito microbiota and those factors affecting this microbiota on pathogen epidemiology. In this respect, we finally propose future lines of research lines on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Garrigós
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (M.G.); (J.V.); (J.M.-d.l.P.)
| | - Mario Garrido
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (M.G.); (J.V.); (J.M.-d.l.P.)
| | - Guillermo Panisse
- CEPAVE—Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores CONICET-UNLP, La Plata 1900, Argentina;
| | - Jesús Veiga
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (M.G.); (J.V.); (J.M.-d.l.P.)
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (M.G.); (J.V.); (J.M.-d.l.P.)
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Boehm EC, Jaeger AS, Ries HJ, Castañeda D, Weiler AM, Valencia CC, Weger-Lucarelli J, Ebel GD, O’Connor SL, Friedrich TC, Zamanian M, Aliota MT. Wolbachia-mediated resistance to Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti is dominated by diverse transcriptional regulation and weak evolutionary pressures. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011674. [PMID: 37782672 PMCID: PMC10569609 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on replacing arbovirus-susceptible Aedes aegypti populations with mosquitoes that have been colonized by the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia and thus have a reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses. This reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses is mediated through a phenomenon referred to as pathogen blocking. Pathogen blocking has primarily been proposed as a tool to control dengue virus (DENV) transmission, however it works against a range of viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Despite years of research, the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen blocking still need to be better understood. Here, we used RNA-seq to characterize mosquito gene transcription dynamics in Ae. aegypti infected with the wMel strain of Wolbachia that are being released by the World Mosquito Program in Medellín, Colombia. Comparative analyses using ZIKV-infected, uninfected tissues, and mosquitoes without Wolbachia revealed that the influence of wMel on mosquito gene transcription is multifactorial. Importantly, because Wolbachia limits, but does not completely prevent, replication of ZIKV and other viruses in coinfected mosquitoes, there is a possibility that these viruses could evolve resistance to pathogen blocking. Therefore, to understand the influence of Wolbachia on within-host ZIKV evolution, we characterized the genetic diversity of molecularly barcoded ZIKV virus populations replicating in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes and found that within-host ZIKV evolution was subject to weak purifying selection and, unexpectedly, loose anatomical bottlenecks in the presence and absence of Wolbachia. Together, these findings suggest that there is no clear transcriptional profile associated with Wolbachia-mediated ZIKV restriction, and that there is no evidence for ZIKV escape from this restriction in our system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Boehm
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Anna S. Jaeger
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Hunter J. Ries
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - David Castañeda
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Andrea M. Weiler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Corina C. Valencia
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - James Weger-Lucarelli
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Gregory D. Ebel
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Shelby L. O’Connor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Thomas C. Friedrich
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Mostafa Zamanian
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Matthew T. Aliota
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota, United States of America
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Johnson RM, Stopard IJ, Byrne HM, Armstrong PM, Brackney DE, Lambert B. Investigating the dose-dependency of the midgut escape barrier using a mechanistic model of within-mosquito dengue virus population dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.28.559904. [PMID: 37808804 PMCID: PMC10557669 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.559904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Flaviviruses are arthropod-borne (arbo)viruses which can emerge rapidly and cause explosive epidemics of severe disease. Some of the most epidemiologically important flaviviruses, including dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and yellow fever virus (YFV), are transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, most notably Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. After a mosquito blood feeds on an infected host, virus enters the midgut and infects the midgut epithelium. The virus must then overcome a series of barriers before reaching the mosquito saliva and being transmitted to a new host. The virus must escape from the midgut (known as the midgut escape barrier; MEB), which is thought to be mediated by transient changes in the permeability of the midgut-surrounding basal lamina layer (BL) following blood feeding. Here, we present a mathematical model of the within-mosquito population dynamics of flaviviruses that includes the interaction of the midgut and BL which can account for the MEB. Our results indicate a dose-dependency of midgut establishment of infection as well as rate of escape from the midgut: collectively, these suggest that the extrinsic incubation period (EIP) - the time taken for DENV virus to be transmissible after infection - is shortened when mosquitoes imbibe more virus. Additionally, our experimental data indicates that multiple blood feeding events, which more closely mimic mosquito-feeding behavior in the wild, can hasten the course of infections, and our model predicts that this effect is sensitive to the amount of virus imbibed. Our model indicates that mutations to the virus which impact its replication rate in the midgut could lead to even shorter EIPs when double-feeding occurs. Mechanistic models of within-vector viral infection dynamics provide a quantitative understanding of infection dynamics and could be used to evaluate novel interventions that target the mosquito stages of the infection. Author summary Aedes mosquitoes are the main vectors of dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and yellow fever virus (YFV), all of which can cause severe disease in humans with dengue alone infecting an estimated 100-400 million people each year. Understanding the processes that affect whether, and at which rate, mosquitoes may transmit such viruses is, hence, paramount. Here, we present a mathematical model of virus dynamics within infected mosquitoes. By combining the model with novel experimental data, we show that the course of infection is sensitive to the initial dose of virus ingested by the mosquito. The data also indicates that mosquitoes which blood feed subsequent to becoming infected may be able to transmit infection earlier, which is reproduced in the model. This is important as many mosquito species feed multiple times during their lifespan and, any reduction in time to dissemination will increase the number of days that a mosquito is infectious and so enhance the risk of transmission. Our study highlights the key and complementary roles played by mathematical models and experimental data for understanding within-mosquito virus dynamics.
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Osorio J, Villa-Arias S, Camargo C, Ramírez-Sánchez LF, Barrientos LM, Bedoya C, Rúa-Uribe G, Dorus S, Alfonso-Parra C, Avila FW. wMel Wolbachia alters female post-mating behaviors and physiology in the dengue vector mosquito Aedes aegypti. Commun Biol 2023; 6:865. [PMID: 37604924 PMCID: PMC10442437 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05180-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Globally invasive Aedes aegypti disseminate numerous arboviruses that impact human health. One promising method to control Ae. aegypti populations is transinfection with Wolbachia pipientis, which naturally infects ~40-52% of insects but not Ae. aegypti. Transinfection of Ae. aegypti with the wMel Wolbachia strain induces cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), allows infected individuals to invade native populations, and inhibits transmission of medically relevant arboviruses by females. Female insects undergo post-mating physiological and behavioral changes-referred to as the female post-mating response (PMR)-required for optimal fertility. PMRs are typically elicited by male seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) transferred with sperm during mating but can be modified by other factors, including microbiome composition. Wolbachia has modest effects on Ae. aegypti fertility, but its influence on other PMRs is unknown. Here, we show that Wolbachia influences female fecundity, fertility, and re-mating incidence and significantly extends the longevity of virgin females. Using proteomic methods to examine the seminal proteome of infected males, we found that Wolbachia moderately affects SFP composition. However, we identified 125 paternally transferred Wolbachia proteins, but the CI factor proteins (Cifs) were not among them. Our findings indicate that Wolbachia infection of Ae. aegypti alters female PMRs, potentially influencing control programs that utilize Wolbachia-infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Osorio
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Sara Villa-Arias
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Colombia
| | - Carolina Camargo
- Centro de Investigación de la caña de azúcar CENICAÑA, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
| | | | - Luisa María Barrientos
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Carolina Bedoya
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | | | - Steve Dorus
- Center for Reproductive Evolution, Syracuse University, Syracuse, USA
| | - Catalina Alfonso-Parra
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
- Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical, Universidad CES, Sabaneta, Colombia.
| | - Frank W Avila
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Mosquito Reproductive Biology, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
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11
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Brown JJ, Pascual M, Wimberly MC, Johnson LR, Murdock CC. Humidity - The overlooked variable in the thermal biology of mosquito-borne disease. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1029-1049. [PMID: 37349261 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases cause significant financial and human loss, with billions of dollars spent on control. Arthropod vectors experience a complex suite of environmental factors that affect fitness, population growth and species interactions across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Temperature and water availability are two of the most important abiotic variables influencing their distributions and abundances. While extensive research on temperature exists, the influence of humidity on vector and pathogen parameters affecting disease dynamics are less understood. Humidity is often underemphasized, and when considered, is often treated as independent of temperature even though desiccation likely contributes to declines in trait performance at warmer temperatures. This Perspectives explores how humidity shapes the thermal performance of mosquito-borne pathogen transmission. We summarize what is known about its effects and propose a conceptual model for how temperature and humidity interact to shape the range of temperatures across which mosquitoes persist and achieve high transmission potential. We discuss how failing to account for these interactions hinders efforts to forecast transmission dynamics and respond to epidemics of mosquito-borne infections. We outline future research areas that will ground the effects of humidity on the thermal biology of pathogen transmission in a theoretical and empirical framework to improve spatial and temporal prediction of vector-borne pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel J Brown
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Mercedes Pascual
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Michael C Wimberly
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Leah R Johnson
- Department of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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12
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Boehm EC, Jaeger AS, Ries HJ, Castañeda D, Weiler AM, Valencia CC, Weger-Lucarelli J, Ebel GD, O’Connor SL, Friedrich TC, Zamanian M, Aliota MT. Wolbachia -mediated resistance to Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti is dominated by diverse transcriptional regulation and weak evolutionary pressures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.26.546271. [PMID: 37425681 PMCID: PMC10327090 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.26.546271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
A promising candidate for arbovirus control and prevention relies on replacing arbovirus-susceptible Aedes aegypti populations with mosquitoes that have been colonized by the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia and thus have a reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses. This reduced capacity to transmit arboviruses is mediated through a phenomenon referred to as pathogen blocking. Pathogen blocking has primarily been proposed as a tool to control dengue virus (DENV) transmission, however it works against a range of viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Despite years of research, the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogen blocking still need to be better understood. Here, we used RNA-seq to characterize mosquito gene transcription dynamics in Ae. aegypti infected with the w Mel strain of Wolbachia that are being released by the World Mosquito Program in Medellín, Colombia. Comparative analyses using ZIKV-infected, uninfected tissues, and mosquitoes without Wolbachia revealed that the influence of w Mel on mosquito gene transcription is multifactorial. Importantly, because Wolbachia limits, but does not completely prevent, replication of ZIKV and other viruses in coinfected mosquitoes, there is a possibility that these viruses could evolve resistance to pathogen blocking. Therefore, to understand the influence of Wolbachia on within-host ZIKV evolution, we characterized the genetic diversity of molecularly barcoded ZIKV virus populations replicating in Wolbachia -infected mosquitoes and found that within-host ZIKV evolution was subject to weak purifying selection and, unexpectedly, loose anatomical bottlenecks in the presence and absence of Wolbachia . Together, these findings suggest that there is no clear transcriptional profile associated with Wolbachia -mediated ZIKV restriction, and that there is no evidence for ZIKV escape from this restriction in our system. Author Summary When Wolbachia bacteria infect Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, they dramatically reduce the mosquitoes' susceptibility to infection with a range of arthropod-borne viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Although this pathogen-blocking effect has been widely recognized, its mechanisms remain unclear. Furthermore, because Wolbachia limits, but does not completely prevent, replication of ZIKV and other viruses in coinfected mosquitoes, there is a possibility that these viruses could evolve resistance to Wolbachia -mediated blocking. Here, we use host transcriptomics and viral genome sequencing to examine the mechanisms of ZIKV pathogen blocking by Wolbachia and viral evolutionary dynamics in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. We find complex transcriptome patterns that do not suggest a single clear mechanism for pathogen blocking. We also find no evidence that Wolbachia exerts detectable selective pressures on ZIKV in coinfected mosquitoes. Together our data suggest that it may be difficult for ZIKV to evolve Wolbachia resistance, perhaps due to the complexity of the pathogen blockade mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Boehm
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Anna S. Jaeger
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Hunter J. Ries
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - David Castañeda
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Andrea M. Weiler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Corina C. Valencia
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | | | | | - Shelby L. O’Connor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Thomas C. Friedrich
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Mostafa Zamanian
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Matthew T. Aliota
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
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13
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Beckmann J, Gillespie J, Tauritz D. Modeling emergence of Wolbachia toxin-antidote protein functions with an evolutionary algorithm. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1116766. [PMID: 37362913 PMCID: PMC10288140 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1116766] [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: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) simulate Darwinian evolution and adeptly mimic natural evolution. Most EA applications in biology encode high levels of abstraction in top-down population ecology models. In contrast, our research merges protein alignment algorithms from bioinformatics into codon based EAs that simulate molecular protein string evolution from the bottom up. We apply our EA to reconcile a problem in the field of Wolbachia induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Wolbachia is a microbial endosymbiont that lives inside insect cells. CI is conditional insect sterility that operates as a toxin antidote (TA) system. Although, CI exhibits complex phenotypes not fully explained under a single discrete model. We instantiate in-silico genes that control CI, CI factors (cifs), as strings within the EA chromosome. We monitor the evolution of their enzymatic activity, binding, and cellular localization by applying selective pressure on their primary amino acid strings. Our model helps rationalize why two distinct mechanisms of CI induction might coexist in nature. We find that nuclear localization signals (NLS) and Type IV secretion system signals (T4SS) are of low complexity and evolve fast, whereas binding interactions have intermediate complexity, and enzymatic activity is the most complex. Our model predicts that as ancestral TA systems evolve into eukaryotic CI systems, the placement of NLS or T4SS signals can stochastically vary, imparting effects that might impact CI induction mechanics. Our model highlights how preconditions and sequence length can bias evolution of cifs toward one mechanism or another.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Beckmann
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Joe Gillespie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Daniel Tauritz
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
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14
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Mioduchowska M, Konecka E, Gołdyn B, Pinceel T, Brendonck L, Lukić D, Kaczmarek Ł, Namiotko T, Zając K, Zając T, Jastrzębski JP, Bartoszek K. Playing Peekaboo with a Master Manipulator: Metagenetic Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Wolbachia Supergroups in Freshwater Invertebrates. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119400. [PMID: 37298356 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119400] [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: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The infamous "master manipulators"-intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia-infect a broad range of phylogenetically diverse invertebrate hosts in terrestrial ecosystems. Wolbachia has an important impact on the ecology and evolution of their host with documented effects including induced parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nonetheless, data on Wolbachia infections in non-terrestrial invertebrates are scarce. Sampling bias and methodological limitations are some of the reasons limiting the detection of these bacteria in aquatic organisms. In this study, we present a new metagenetic method for detecting the co-occurrence of different Wolbachia strains in freshwater invertebrates host species, i.e., freshwater Arthropoda (Crustacea), Mollusca (Bivalvia), and water bears (Tardigrada) by applying NGS primers designed by us and a Python script that allows the identification of Wolbachia target sequences from the microbiome communities. We also compare the results obtained using the commonly applied NGS primers and the Sanger sequencing approach. Finally, we describe three supergroups of Wolbachia: (i) a new supergroup V identified in Crustacea and Bivalvia hosts; (ii) supergroup A identified in Crustacea, Bivalvia, and Eutardigrada hosts, and (iii) supergroup E infection in the Crustacea host microbiome community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Mioduchowska
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
- Department of Marine Plankton Research, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Edyta Konecka
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Gołdyn
- Department of General Zoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - Dunja Lukić
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Łukasz Kaczmarek
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Namiotko
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Zając
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Zając
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Jan P Jastrzębski
- Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
- Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Bartoszek
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Division of Statistics and Machine Learning, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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15
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Ant TH, Mancini MV, McNamara CJ, Rainey SM, Sinkins SP. Wolbachia-Virus interactions and arbovirus control through population replacement in mosquitoes. Pathog Glob Health 2023; 117:245-258. [PMID: 36205550 PMCID: PMC10081064 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2022.2117939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Following transfer into the primary arbovirus vector Aedes aegypti, several strains of the intracellular bacterium Wolbachia have been shown to inhibit the transmission of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses, important human pathogens that cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In addition to pathogen inhibition, many Wolbachia strains manipulate host reproduction, resulting in an invasive capacity of the bacterium in insect populations. This has led to the deployment of Wolbachia as a dengue control tool, and trials have reported significant reductions in transmission in release areas. Here, we discuss the possible mechanisms of Wolbachia-virus inhibition and the implications for long-term success of dengue control. We also consider the evidence presented in several reports that Wolbachia may cause an enhancement of replication of certain viruses under particular conditions, and conclude that these should not cause any concerns with respect to the application of Wolbachia to arbovirus control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas H Ant
- Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Maria Vittoria Mancini
- Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Polo d’Innovazione di Genomica, Genetica e Biologia, Terni, Italy
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16
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Beckmann J, Gillespie J, Tauritz D. Modelling Emergence of Wolbachia Toxin-Antidote Protein Functions with an Evolutionary Algorithm. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.23.533954. [PMID: 36993585 PMCID: PMC10055314 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.23.533954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) simulate Darwinian evolution and adeptly mimic natural evolution. Most EA applications in biology encode high levels of abstraction in top-down ecological population models. In contrast, our research merges protein alignment algorithms from bioinformatics into codon based EAs that simulate molecular protein string evolution from the bottom up. We apply our EA to reconcile a problem in the field of Wolbachia induced cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Wolbachia is a microbial endosymbiont that lives inside insect cells. CI is conditional insect sterility that operates as a toxin antidote (TA) system. Although, CI exhibits complex phenotypes not fully explained under a single discrete model. We instantiate in-silico genes that control CI, CI factors ( cifs ), as strings within the EA chromosome. We monitor the evolution of their enzymatic activity, binding, and cellular localization by applying selective pressure on their primary amino acid strings. Our model helps rationalize why two distinct mechanisms of CI induction might coexist in nature. We find that nuclear localization signals (NLS) and Type IV secretion system signals (T4SS) are of low complexity and evolve fast, whereas binding interactions have intermediate complexity, and enzymatic activity is the most complex. Our model predicts that as ancestral TA systems evolve into eukaryotic CI systems, the placement of NLS or T4SS signals can stochastically vary, imparting effects that might impact CI induction mechanics. Our model highlights how preconditions, genetic diversity, and sequence length can bias evolution of cifs towards one mechanism or another.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Beckmann
- Auburn University Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology,
301 Funchess Hall, Auburn, AL; 36849
| | - Joe Gillespie
- University of Maryland Baltimore, School of Medicine, Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Baltimore, 685 W. Baltimore St., HSF I Suite 380, Baltimore,
MD 21201
| | - Daniel Tauritz
- Auburn University Department of Computer Science and Software
Engineering, 3101 Shelby Center Auburn, Alabama 36849
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17
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Ribeiro Dos Santos G, Durovni B, Saraceni V, Souza Riback TI, Pinto SB, Anders KL, Moreira LA, Salje H. Estimating the effect of the wMel release programme on the incidence of dengue and chikungunya in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a spatiotemporal modelling study. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 22:1587-1595. [PMID: 36182679 PMCID: PMC9630156 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(22)00436-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Introgression of genetic material from species of the insect bacteria Wolbachia into populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes has been shown in randomised and non-randomised trials to reduce the incidence of dengue; however, evidence for the real-world effectiveness of large-scale deployments of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes for arboviral disease control in endemic settings is still scarce. A large Wolbachia (wMel strain) release programme was implemented in 2017 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We aimed to assess the effect of this programme on the incidence of dengue and chikungunya in the city. METHODS 67 million wMel-infected mosquitoes were released across 28 489 locations over an area of 86·8 km2 in Rio de Janeiro between Aug 29, 2017 and Dec 27, 2019. Following releases, mosquitoes were trapped and the presence of wMel was recorded. In this spatiotemporal modelling study, we assessed the effect of the release programme on the incidence of dengue and chikungunya. We used spatiotemporally explicit mathematical models applied to geocoded dengue cases (N=283 270) from 2010 to 2019 and chikungunya cases (N=57 705) from 2016 to 2019. FINDINGS On average, 32% of mosquitoes collected from the release zones between 1 month and 29 months after the initial release tested positive for wMel. Reduced wMel introgression occurred in locations and seasonal periods in which cases of dengue and chikungunya were historically high, with a decrease to 25% of mosquitoes testing positive for wMel during months in which disease incidence was at its highest. Despite incomplete introgression, we found that the releases were associated with a 38% (95% CI 32-44) reduction in the incidence of dengue and a 10% (4-16) reduction in the incidence of chikungunya. INTERPRETATION Stable establishment of wMel in the geographically diverse, urban setting of Rio de Janeiro seems to be more complicated than has been observed elsewhere. However, even intermediate levels of wMel seem to reduce the incidence of disease caused by two arboviruses. These findings will help to guide future release programmes. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the European Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Betina Durovni
- Centre for Strategic Studies, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; World Mosquito Program, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Sofia B Pinto
- World Mosquito Program, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Katherine L Anders
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Luciano A Moreira
- World Mosquito Program, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto Rene Rachou, Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Henrik Salje
- Pathogen Dynamics Group, Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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18
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Buchori D, Mawan A, Nurhayati I, Aryati A, Kusnanto H, Hadi UK. Risk Assessment on the Release of Wolbachia-Infected Aedes aegypti in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. INSECTS 2022; 13:924. [PMID: 36292872 PMCID: PMC9604481 DOI: 10.3390/insects13100924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti is the latest technology that was developed to eliminate dengue fever. The Ministry of Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kemenristekdikti) established an expert group to identify future potential risks that may occur over a period of 30 years associated with the release of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti. The risk assessment consisted of identifying different hazards that may have impacts on humans and the environment. From the consensus among the experts, there were 56 hazards identified and categorized into 4 components, namely, ecological matters, efficacy in mosquito management, economic and sociocultural issues, and public health standards. There were 19 hazards in the ecological group. The overall likelihood in the ecology of the mosquito is very low (0.05), with moderate consequence (0.74), which resulted in negligible risk. For the efficacy in mosquito management group, there were 12 hazards that resulted in very low likelihood (0.11) with high consequence (0.85). The overall risk for mosquito management efficacy was very low (0.09). There were 14 hazards identified in the public health standard with very low likelihood (0.07), moderate consequence (0.50) and negligible risk (0.04). Lastly, 13 hazards were identified in the economic and sociocultural group with low likelihood (0.01) but of moderate consequence (0.5), which resulted in a very low risk (0.09). The risk severity level of the four components leading to the endpoint risk of "cause more harm" due to releasing Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti is negligible (0.01).
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Affiliation(s)
- Damayanti Buchori
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
- Center for Transdisciplinary and Sustainability Science, Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat, IPB University, Bogor 16153, Indonesia
| | - Amanda Mawan
- JF Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Department of Animal Ecology, University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Indah Nurhayati
- World Mosquito Program Yogyakarta, Centre for Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, University of Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
| | - Aryati Aryati
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University, Surabaya 60286, Indonesia
| | - Hari Kusnanto
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
| | - Upik Kesumawati Hadi
- Division of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
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19
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Association of Midgut Bacteria and Their Metabolic Pathways with Zika Infection and Insecticide Resistance in Colombian Aedes aegypti Populations. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102197. [PMID: 36298752 PMCID: PMC9609292 DOI: 10.3390/v14102197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aedes aegypti is the vector of several arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. In 2015-16, Zika virus (ZIKV) had an outbreak in South America associated with prenatal microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. This mosquito's viral transmission is influenced by microbiota abundance and diversity and its interactions with the vector. The conditions of cocirculation of these three arboviruses, failure in vector control due to insecticide resistance, limitations in dengue management during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lack of effective treatment or vaccines make it necessary to identify changes in mosquito midgut bacterial composition and predict its functions through the infection. Its study is fundamental because it generates knowledge for surveillance of transmission and the risk of outbreaks of these diseases at the local level. METHODS Midgut bacterial compositions of females of Colombian Ae. aegypti populations were analyzed using DADA2 Pipeline, and their functions were predicted with PICRUSt2 analysis. These analyses were done under the condition of natural ZIKV infection and resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin, alone and in combination. One-step RT-PCR determined the percentage of ZIKV-infected females. We also measured the susceptibility to the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin and evaluated the presence of the V1016I mutation in the sodium channel gene. RESULTS We found high ZIKV infection rates in Ae. aegypti females from Colombian rural municipalities with deficient water supply, such as Honda with 63.6%. In the face of natural infection with an arbovirus such as Zika, the diversity between an infective and non-infective form was significantly different. Bacteria associated with a state of infection with ZIKV and lambda-cyhalothrin resistance were detected, such as the genus Bacteroides, which was related to functions of pathogenicity, antimicrobial resistance, and bioremediation of insecticides. We hypothesize that it is a vehicle for virus entry, as it is in human intestinal infections. On the other hand, Bello, the only mosquito population classified as susceptible to lambda-cyhalothrin, was associated with bacteria related to mucin degradation functions in the intestine, belonging to the Lachnospiraceae family, with the genus Dorea being increased in ZIKV-infected females. The Serratia genus presented significantly decreased functions related to phenazine production, potentially associated with infection control, and control mechanism functions for host defense and quorum sensing. Additionally, Pseudomonas was the genus principally associated with functions of the degradation of insecticides related to tryptophan metabolism, ABC transporters with a two-component system, efflux pumps, and alginate synthesis. CONCLUSIONS Microbiota composition may be modulated by ZIKV infection and insecticide resistance in Ae. aegypti Colombian populations. The condition of resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin could be inducing a phenome of dysbiosis in field Ae. aegypti affecting the transmission of arboviruses.
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Chotiwan N, Brito-Sierra CA, Ramirez G, Lian E, Grabowski JM, Graham B, Hill CA, Perera R. Expression of fatty acid synthase genes and their role in development and arboviral infection of Aedes aegypti. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:233. [PMID: 35761349 PMCID: PMC9235097 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05336-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fatty acids are the building blocks of complex lipids essential for living organisms. In mosquitoes, fatty acids are involved in cell membrane production, energy conservation and expenditure, innate immunity, development and reproduction. Fatty acids are synthesized by a multifunctional enzyme complex called fatty acid synthase (FAS). Several paralogues of FAS were found in the Aedes aegypti mosquito. However, the molecular characteristics and expression of some of these paralogues have not been investigated. METHODS Genome assemblies of Ae. aegypti were analyzed, and orthologues of human FAS was identified. Phylogenetic analysis and in silico molecular characterization were performed to identify the functional domains of the Ae. aegypti FAS (AaFAS). Quantitative analysis and loss-of-function experiments were performed to determine the significance of different AaFAS transcripts in various stages of development, expression following different diets and the impact of AaFAS on dengue virus, serotype 2 (DENV2) infection and transmission. RESULTS We identified seven putative FAS genes in the Ae. aegypti genome assembly, based on nucleotide similarity to the FAS proteins (tBLASTn) of humans, other mosquitoes and invertebrates. Bioinformatics and molecular analyses suggested that only five of the AaFAS genes produce mRNA and therefore represent complete gene models. Expression levels of AaFAS varied among developmental stages and between male and female Ae. aegypti. Quantitative analyses revealed that expression of AaFAS1, the putative orthologue of the human FAS, was highest in adult females. Transient knockdown (KD) of AaFAS1 did not induce a complete compensation by other AaFAS genes but limited DENV2 infection of Aag2 cells in culture and the midgut of the mosquito. CONCLUSION AaFAS1 is the predominant AaFAS in adult mosquitoes. It has the highest amino acid similarity to human FAS and contains all enzymatic domains typical of human FAS. AaFAS1 also facilitated DENV2 replication in both cell culture and in mosquito midguts. Our data suggest that AaFAS1 may play a role in transmission of dengue viruses and could represent a target for intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunya Chotiwan
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA ,grid.10223.320000 0004 1937 0490Present Address: Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Samut Prakan, Thailand
| | - Carlos A. Brito-Sierra
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IL USA ,grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA ,grid.417540.30000 0000 2220 2544Present Address: Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, IN Indianapolis, USA
| | - Gabriella Ramirez
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Elena Lian
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Grabowski
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IL USA ,grid.417439.c0000 0004 4665 2602Present Address: Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences at the NIH, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Babara Graham
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Catherine A. Hill
- grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IL USA ,grid.169077.e0000 0004 1937 2197Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN USA
| | - Rushika Perera
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA
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Sigle LT, Jones M, Novelo M, Ford SA, Urakova N, Lymperopoulos K, Sayre RT, Xi Z, Rasgon JL, McGraw EA. Assessing Aedes aegypti candidate genes during viral infection and Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blocking. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 31:356-368. [PMID: 35112745 PMCID: PMC9081237 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
One approach to control dengue virus transmission is the symbiont Wolbachia, which limits viral infection in mosquitoes. Despite plans for its widespread use in Aedes aegypti, Wolbachia's mode of action remains poorly understood. Many studies suggest that the mechanism is likely multifaceted, involving aspects of immunity, cellular stress and nutritional competition. A previous study from our group used artificial selection to identify a new mosquito candidate gene related to viral blocking; alpha-mannosidase-2a (alpha-Mann-2a) with a predicted role in protein glycosylation. Protein glycosylation pathways tend to be involved in complex host-viral interactions; however, the function of alpha-mannosidases has not been described in mosquito-virus interactions. We examined alpha-Mann-2a expression in response to virus and Wolbachia infections and whether reduced gene expression, caused by RNA interference, affected viral loads. We show that dengue virus (DENV) infection affects the expression of alpha-Mann-2a in a tissue- and time-dependent manner, whereas Wolbachia infection had no effect. In the midgut, DENV prevalence increased following knockdown of alpha-Mann-2a expression in Wolbachia-free mosquitoes, suggesting that alpha-Mann-2a interferes with infection. Expression knockdown had the same effect on the togavirus chikungunya virus, indicating that alpha-Mann-2a may have broad antivirus effects in the midgut. Interestingly, we were unable to knockdown the expression in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. We also provide evidence that alpha-Mann-2a may affect the transcriptional level of another gene predicted to be involved in viral blocking and cell adhesion; cadherin87a. These data support the hypothesis that glycosylation and adhesion pathways may broadly be involved in viral infection in Ae. aegypti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah T. Sigle
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease DynamicsThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Matthew Jones
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease DynamicsThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Mario Novelo
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease DynamicsThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Suzanne A. Ford
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease DynamicsThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Nadya Urakova
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease DynamicsThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | | | - Zhiyong Xi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Jason L. Rasgon
- Department of Entomology and Center for Infectious Disease DynamicsThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Elizabeth A. McGraw
- Department of Biology and Center for Infectious Disease DynamicsThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
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Wangkeeree J, Suwanchaisri K, Roddee J, Hanboonsong Y. Selective Elimination of Wolbachia from the Leafhopper Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:173. [PMID: 35488963 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02822-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia infections affect the reproductive system and various biological traits of the host insect. There is a high frequency of Wolbachia infection in the leafhopper Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura. To investigate the potential roles of Wolbachia in the host, it is important to generate a non-Wolbachia-infected line. The efficacy of antibiotics in eliminating Wolbachia from Y. flavovittatus remains unknown. This leafhopper harbors the mutualistic bacterium Candidatus Sulcia muelleri, which has an important function in the biological traits. The presence of Ca. S. muelleri raises a major concern regarding the use of antibiotics. We selectively eliminated Wolbachia, considering the influence of antibiotics on leafhopper survival and Ca. S. muelleri prevalence. The effect of artificial diets containing different doses of tetracycline and rifampicin on survival was optimized; high dose (0.5 mg/ml) of antibiotics induces a high mortality. A concentration of 0.2 mg/ml was chosen for the subsequent experiments. Antibiotic treatments significantly reduced the Wolbachia infection, and the Wolbachia density in the treated leafhoppers sharply declined. Wolbachia recurred in tetracycline-treated offspring, regardless of antibiotic exposure. However, Wolbachia is unable to be transmitted and restored in rifampicin-treated offspring. The dose and treatment duration had no significant effect on the infection and density of Ca. S. muelleri in the antibiotic-treated offspring. In conclusion, Wolbachia in Y. flavovittatus was stably eliminated using rifampicin, and the Wolbachia-free line was generated at least two generations after treatment. This report provides additional experimental procedures for removing Wolbachia from insects, particularly in host species with the coexistence of Ca. S. muelleri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jureemart Wangkeeree
- Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Rangsit Centre, Khlong Nueng, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
| | - Kamonrat Suwanchaisri
- Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Rangsit Centre, Khlong Nueng, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Jariya Roddee
- School of Crop Production Technology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Suranaree, Muang, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Yupa Hanboonsong
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Nai Muang, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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Sarma DK, Kumar M, Dhurve J, Pal N, Sharma P, James MM, Das D, Mishra S, Shubham S, Kumawat M, Verma V, Tiwari RR, Nagpal R, Marotta F. Influence of Host Blood Meal Source on Gut Microbiota of Wild Caught Aedes aegypti, a Dominant Arboviral Disease Vector. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020332. [PMID: 35208787 PMCID: PMC8880539 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood feeding is an important behavior of Aedes aegypti, a dominant arboviral disease vector, as it can establish and transmit viruses to humans. Bacteria associated with the mosquito gut can modulate the biological characteristics and behavior of disease vectors. In this study, we characterized the gut microbiota composition of human-blood-fed (HF), non-human-blood-fed (NHF) and non-fed (NF) field-collected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, using a 16S metagenomic approach, to assess any association of bacterial taxa with the blood-feeding behavior of Ae. aegypti. A significant difference in the microbiota composition between the HF and NF mosquito group was observed. A significant association was observed in the relative abundance of families Rhodobacteraceae, Neisseriaceae and Dermacoccaceae in the HF group in contrast to NF and NHF Ae. aegypti mosquitoes, respectively. At the class level, two classes (Rhodobacterales and Neisseriales) were found to be in higher abundance in the HF mosquitoes compared to a single class of bacteria (Caulobacterales) in the NF mosquitoes. These results show that human-blood feeding may change the gut microbiota in wild Ae. aegypti populations. More research is needed to determine how changes in the midgut bacterial communities in response to human-blood-feeding affect the vectorial capacity of Ae. aegypti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devojit Kumar Sarma
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
- Correspondence: (D.K.S.); (F.M.)
| | - Manoj Kumar
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Jigyasa Dhurve
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Namrata Pal
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Poonam Sharma
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Meenu Mariya James
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Deepanker Das
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Sweta Mishra
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Swasti Shubham
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Manoj Kumawat
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Vinod Verma
- Stem Cell Research Centre, Department of Hematology, Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India;
| | - Rajnarayan R. Tiwari
- ICMR—National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhouri, Bhopal 462030, Madhya Pradesh, India; (M.K.); (J.D.); (N.P.); (P.S.); (M.M.J.); (D.D.); (S.M.); (S.S.); (M.K.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Ravinder Nagpal
- Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology, College of Health & Human Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA;
| | - Francesco Marotta
- ReGenera R&D International for Aging Intervention, 20144 Milano, Lombardia, Italy
- Correspondence: (D.K.S.); (F.M.)
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Wangkeeree J, Sanit P, Roddee J, Hanboonsong Y. Population Dynamics of Wolbachia in the Leafhopper Vector Yamatotettix flavovittatus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2021; 21:6449197. [PMID: 34865032 PMCID: PMC8643989 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Alphaproteobacteria) infections induce abnormalities in the reproductive system and affect various biological traits of the host insects. The density of Wolbachia is one of the major parameters that influence induced phenotypes and interactions with the hosts. Wolbachia occurs naturally in populations of the leafhopper Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), which transmits phytoplasma that cause white leaf disease in sugarcane. However, the quantity and dynamics of Wolbachia in this leafhopper are not well understood. In the current study, we estimated the number of Wolbachia by absolute quantification of the copy number of wsp, which encodes the outer surface protein, using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This investigation was performed using natural populations and laboratory colonies from three lineages of leafhoppers (designated as UD, KK, and SK). There was no significant difference in the number of wsp copies in most of field-collected adults. During the immature developmental stages, there were differences in the dynamics of Wolbachia infection between the UD lineage and the other two lineages. However, the number of wsp copies increased in the early instar and plateaued in the later nymphal instars. Sex had no influence on the number of Wolbachia within the same lineages. The number of Wolbachia was relatively constant during the adult stage in the UD lineage but fluctuated in the other two lineages. In conclusion, the present data provide a framework for exploring the relationship between Wolbachia and the leafhopper and could facilitate future research into management strategies using Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jureemart Wangkeeree
- Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University Rangsit Centre, Khlong Nueng, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Piyatida Sanit
- Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University Rangsit Centre, Khlong Nueng, Klong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Jariya Roddee
- School of Crop Production Technology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Suranaree, Muang, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Yupa Hanboonsong
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Nai Muang, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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Kumar S, Hol FJH, Pujhari S, Ellington C, Narayanan HV, Li H, Rasgon JL, Prakash M. A microfluidic platform for highly parallel bite by bite profiling of mosquito-borne pathogen transmission. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6018. [PMID: 34650045 PMCID: PMC8516912 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26300-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito bites transmit a number of pathogens via salivary droplets deposited during blood-feeding, resulting in potentially fatal diseases. Little is known about the genomic content of these nanodroplets, including the transmission dynamics of live pathogens. Here we introduce Vectorchip, a low-cost, scalable microfluidic platform enabling high-throughput molecular interrogation of individual mosquito bites. We introduce an ultra-thin PDMS membrane which acts as a biting interface to arrays of micro-wells. Freely-behaving mosquitoes deposit saliva droplets by biting into these micro-wells. By modulating membrane thickness, we observe species-dependent differences in mosquito biting capacity, utilizable for selective sample collection. We demonstrate RT-PCR and focus-forming assays on-chip to detect mosquito DNA, Zika virus RNA, as well as quantify infectious Mayaro virus particles transmitted from single mosquito bites. The Vectorchip presents a promising approach for single-bite-resolution laboratory and field characterization of vector-pathogen communities, and could serve as a powerful early warning sentinel for mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailabh Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Felix J H Hol
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Insect Virus Interactions Unit, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, UMR2000, CNRS, Paris, France.,Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity, U1284 INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Sujit Pujhari
- Department of Entomology, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Clayton Ellington
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Hongquan Li
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Manu Prakash
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Releasing incompatible males drives strong suppression across populations of wild and Wolbachia-carrying Aedes aegypti in Australia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2106828118. [PMID: 34607949 PMCID: PMC8521666 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106828118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With over 40% of humans at risk from mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya, and Zika, the development of environmentally friendly mosquito-control tools is critical. The release of reproductively incompatible male mosquitoes carrying a Wolbachia bacterium can drive mating events that kill the eggs. Through replicated treatment and control experiments in northern Australia, regular releases of Aedes aegypti males infected with a Wolbachia from Aedes albopictus was shown to drive strong population suppression in mosaic populations of wild-type (no Wolbachia) and wMel-Wolbachia–carrying Ae. aegypti. In a demonstration of bidirectional incompatibility between different Wolbachia strains in the field, we also demonstrate that one season’s suppression experiment can also show an ongoing effect into the following season. Releasing sterile or incompatible male insects is a proven method of population management in agricultural systems with the potential to revolutionize mosquito control. Through a collaborative venture with the “Debug” Verily Life Sciences team, we assessed the incompatible insect technique (IIT) with the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti in northern Australia in a replicated treatment control field trial. Backcrossing a US strain of Ae. aegypti carrying Wolbachia wAlbB from Aedes albopictus with a local strain, we generated a wAlbB2-F4 strain incompatible with both the wild-type (no Wolbachia) and wMel-Wolbachia Ae. aegypti now extant in North Queensland. The wAlbB2-F4 strain was manually mass reared with males separated from females using Verily sex-sorting technologies to obtain no detectable female contamination in the field. With community consent, we delivered a total of three million IIT males into three isolated landscapes of over 200 houses each, releasing ∼50 males per house three times a week over 20 wk. Detecting initial overflooding ratios of between 5:1 and 10:1, strong population declines well beyond 80% were detected across all treatment landscapes when compared to controls. Monitoring through the following season to observe the ongoing effect saw one treatment landscape devoid of adult Ae. aegypti early in the season. A second landscape showed reduced adults, and the third recovered fully. These encouraging results in suppressing both wild-type and wMel-Ae. aegypti confirms the utility of bidirectional incompatibility in the field setting, show the IIT to be robust, and indicate that the removal of this arbovirus vector from human-occupied landscapes may be achievable.
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Assessment of fitness and vector competence of a New Caledonia wMel Aedes aegypti strain before field-release. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009752. [PMID: 34492017 PMCID: PMC8448375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Biological control programs involving Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti are currently deployed in different epidemiological settings. New Caledonia (NC) is an ideal location for the implementation and evaluation of such a strategy as the only proven vector for dengue virus (DENV) is Ae. aegypti and dengue outbreaks frequency and severity are increasing. We report the generation of a NC Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti strain and the results of experiments to assess the vector competence and fitness of this strain for future implementation as a disease control strategy in Noumea, NC. Methods/principal findings The NC Wolbachia strain (NC-wMel) was obtained by backcrossing Australian AUS-wMel females with New Caledonian Wild-Type (NC-WT) males. Blocking of DENV, chikungunya (CHIKV), and Zika (ZIKV) viruses were evaluated via mosquito oral feeding experiments and intrathoracic DENV challenge. Significant reduction in infection rates were observed for NC-wMel Ae. aegypti compared to WT Ae. aegypti. No transmission was observed for NC-wMel Ae. aegypti. Maternal transmission, cytoplasmic incompatibility, fertility, fecundity, wing length, and insecticide resistance were also assessed in laboratory experiments. Ae. aegypti NC-wMel showed complete cytoplasmic incompatibility and a strong maternal transmission. Ae. aegypti NC-wMel fitness seemed to be reduced compared to NC-WT Ae. aegypti and AUS-wMel Ae. aegypti regarding fertility and fecundity. However further experiments are required to assess it accurately. Conclusions/significance Our results demonstrated that the NC-wMel Ae. aegypti strain is a strong inhibitor of DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV infection and prevents transmission of infectious viral particles in mosquito saliva. Furthermore, our NC-wMel Ae. aegypti strain induces reproductive cytoplasmic incompatibility with minimal apparent fitness costs and high maternal transmission, supporting field-releases in Noumea, NC. Dengue represents a risk for almost half of the world’s population, especially throughout the tropics. In New Caledonia, dengue outbreaks have become more frequent in the past decade along with the recent circulation of chikungunya and Zika viruses. The opportunity to use the biocontrol method involving the release of Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes has been investigated as an alternative solution to the traditional control methods, like elimination of larval habitats and pyrethroid insecticide application to kill adults, which are becoming insufficient. A local strain of Ae. aegypti carrying Wolbachia (NC-wMel) has been generated and tested to evaluate its pathogen blocking capacity for the four dengue virus serotypes as well as chikungunya and Zika viruses. The fitness of NC-wMel strain has also been assessed to estimate its ability to compete with the wild-type strain in the field. Noumea city, where a third of the population of New Caledonia resides, has been chosen as the first site to implement the method in New Caledonia. As Ae. aegypti is the only proven vector in New Caledonia, we expect a significant impact on dengue outbreaks occurring in Noumea as soon as a high frequency of NC-wMel is established in the population.
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Pinto SB, Riback TIS, Sylvestre G, Costa G, Peixoto J, Dias FBS, Tanamas SK, Simmons CP, Dufault SM, Ryan PA, O’Neill SL, Muzzi FC, Kutcher S, Montgomery J, Green BR, Smithyman R, Eppinghaus A, Saraceni V, Durovni B, Anders KL, Moreira LA. Effectiveness of Wolbachia-infected mosquito deployments in reducing the incidence of dengue and other Aedes-borne diseases in Niterói, Brazil: A quasi-experimental study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009556. [PMID: 34252106 PMCID: PMC8297942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The introduction of the bacterium Wolbachia (wMel strain) into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes reduces their capacity to transmit dengue and other arboviruses. Evidence of a reduction in dengue case incidence following field releases of wMel-infected Ae. aegypti has been reported previously from a cluster randomised controlled trial in Indonesia, and quasi-experimental studies in Indonesia and northern Australia. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Following pilot releases in 2015-2016 and a period of intensive community engagement, deployments of adult wMel-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes were conducted in Niterói, Brazil during 2017-2019. Deployments were phased across four release zones, with a total area of 83 km2 and a residential population of approximately 373,000. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of wMel deployments in reducing dengue, chikungunya and Zika incidence. An untreated control zone was pre-defined, which was comparable to the intervention area in historical dengue trends. The wMel intervention effect was estimated by controlled interrupted time series analysis of monthly dengue, chikungunya and Zika case notifications to the public health surveillance system before, during and after releases, from release zones and the control zone. Three years after commencement of releases, wMel introgression into local Ae. aegypti populations was heterogeneous throughout Niterói, reaching a high prevalence (>80%) in the earliest release zone, and more moderate levels (prevalence 40-70%) elsewhere. Despite this spatial heterogeneity in entomological outcomes, the wMel intervention was associated with a 69% reduction in dengue incidence (95% confidence interval 54%, 79%), a 56% reduction in chikungunya incidence (95%CI 16%, 77%) and a 37% reduction in Zika incidence (95%CI 1%, 60%), in the aggregate release area compared with the pre-defined control area. This significant intervention effect on dengue was replicated across all four release zones, and in three of four zones for chikungunya, though not in individual release zones for Zika. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We demonstrate that wMel Wolbachia can be successfully introgressed into Ae. aegypti populations in a large and complex urban setting, and that a significant public health benefit from reduced incidence of Aedes-borne disease accrues even where the prevalence of wMel in local mosquito populations is moderate and spatially heterogeneous. These findings are consistent with the results of randomised and non-randomised field trials in Indonesia and northern Australia, and are supportive of the Wolbachia biocontrol method as a multivalent intervention against dengue, chikungunya and Zika.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Julia Peixoto
- World Mosquito Program, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernando B. S. Dias
- World Mosquito Program, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Gabinete da Presidência, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Stephanie K. Tanamas
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Cameron P. Simmons
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Suzanne M. Dufault
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Peter A. Ryan
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Scott L. O’Neill
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Frederico C. Muzzi
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Simon Kutcher
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jacqui Montgomery
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Benjamin R. Green
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Ruth Smithyman
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | | | | | - Betina Durovni
- World Mosquito Program, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Centre for Strategic Studies, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Katherine L. Anders
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Luciano A. Moreira
- World Mosquito Program, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Rene Rachou, Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Abstract
Recent field trials have demonstrated that dengue incidence can be substantially reduced by introgressing strains of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquito populations. This strategy relies on Wolbachia reducing the susceptibility of Ae. aegypti to disseminated infection by positive-sense RNA viruses like dengue. However, RNA viruses are well known to adapt to antiviral pressures. Here, we review the viral infection stages where selection for Wolbachia-resistant virus variants could occur. We also consider the genetic constraints imposed on viruses that alternate between vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, and the likely selection pressures to which dengue virus might adapt in order to be effectively transmitted by Ae. aegypti that carry Wolbachia. While there are hurdles to dengue viruses developing resistance to Wolbachia, we suggest that long-term surveillance for resistant viruses should be an integral component of Wolbachia-introgression biocontrol programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather A. Flores
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cameron P. Simmons
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Johanna E. Fraser
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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Cansado-Utrilla C, Zhao SY, McCall PJ, Coon KL, Hughes GL. The microbiome and mosquito vectorial capacity: rich potential for discovery and translation. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:111. [PMID: 34006334 PMCID: PMC8132434 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01073-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Microbiome research has gained considerable interest due to the emerging evidence of its impact on human and animal health. As in other animals, the gut-associated microbiota of mosquitoes affect host fitness and other phenotypes. It is now well established that microbes can alter pathogen transmission in mosquitoes, either positively or negatively, and avenues are being explored to exploit microbes for vector control. However, less attention has been paid to how microbiota affect phenotypes that impact vectorial capacity. Several mosquito and pathogen components, such as vector density, biting rate, survival, vector competence, and the pathogen extrinsic incubation period all influence pathogen transmission. Recent studies also indicate that mosquito gut-associated microbes can impact each of these components, and therefore ultimately modulate vectorial capacity. Promisingly, this expands the options available to exploit microbes for vector control by also targeting parameters that affect vectorial capacity. However, there are still many knowledge gaps regarding mosquito-microbe interactions that need to be addressed in order to exploit them efficiently. Here, we review current evidence of impacts of the microbiome on aspects of vectorial capacity, and we highlight likely opportunities for novel vector control strategies and areas where further studies are required. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cintia Cansado-Utrilla
- Departments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Serena Y Zhao
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Philip J McCall
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Kerri L Coon
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Grant L Hughes
- Departments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
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31
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Guissou E, Waite JL, Jones M, Bell AS, Suh E, Yameogo KB, Djègbè N, Da DF, Hien DFDS, Yerbanga RS, Ouedraogo AG, Dabiré KR, Cohuet A, Thomas MB, Lefèvre T. A non-destructive sugar-feeding assay for parasite detection and estimating the extrinsic incubation period of Plasmodium falciparum in individual mosquito vectors. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9344. [PMID: 33927245 PMCID: PMC8085177 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88659-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite its epidemiological importance, the time Plasmodium parasites take to achieve development in the vector mosquito (the extrinsic incubation period, EIP) remains poorly characterized. A novel non-destructive assay designed to estimate EIP in single mosquitoes, and more broadly to study Plasmodium-Anopheles vectors interactions, is presented. The assay uses small pieces of cotton wool soaked in sugar solution to collect malaria sporozoites from individual mosquitoes during sugar feeding to monitor infection status over time. This technique has been tested across four natural malaria mosquito species of Africa and Asia, infected with Plasmodium falciparum (six field isolates from gametocyte-infected patients in Burkina Faso and the NF54 strain) and across a range of temperatures relevant to malaria transmission in field conditions. Monitoring individual infectious mosquitoes was feasible. The estimated median EIP of P. falciparum at 27 °C was 11 to 14 days depending on mosquito species and parasite isolate. Long-term individual tracking revealed that sporozoites transfer onto cotton wool can occur at least until day 40 post-infection. Short individual EIP were associated with short mosquito lifespan. Correlations between mosquito/parasite traits often reveal trade-offs and constraints and have important implications for understanding the evolution of parasite transmission strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwige Guissou
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
- MIVEGEC, Montpellier University, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France.
- Laboratoire mixte international sur les vecteurs (LAMIVECT), Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
- Université Nazi Boni, Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
| | - Jessica L Waite
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Green Mountain Antibodies, Inc. 1 Mill St. Suites 1-7, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
| | - Matthew Jones
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Andrew S Bell
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Eunho Suh
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | | | - Nicaise Djègbè
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Dari F Da
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Domonbabele F D S Hien
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- Laboratoire mixte international sur les vecteurs (LAMIVECT), Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Rakiswende S Yerbanga
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- Laboratoire mixte international sur les vecteurs (LAMIVECT), Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Kounbobr Roch Dabiré
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- Laboratoire mixte international sur les vecteurs (LAMIVECT), Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Anna Cohuet
- MIVEGEC, Montpellier University, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Laboratoire mixte international sur les vecteurs (LAMIVECT), Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Matthew B Thomas
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- York Environmental Sustainability Institute and Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Thierry Lefèvre
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- MIVEGEC, Montpellier University, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Laboratoire mixte international sur les vecteurs (LAMIVECT), Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
- Centre de Recherche en Écologie et Évolution de la Santé (CREES), Montpellier, France
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Phylogeny and Strain Typing of Wolbachia from Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura Leafhoppers. Curr Microbiol 2021; 78:1367-1376. [PMID: 33646378 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-021-02405-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a maternally inherited bacterium of insects that can alter the reproduction, biology, and fitness of the hosts. It was detected in natural populations of the Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura leafhoppers, the vector of phytoplasma, which is responsible for sugarcane white leaf disease. Wolbachia infection prolongs the longevity of female leafhoppers and promotes a strong reproductive incompatibility; importantly, highly maternal transmission rate was observed. However, limited data on the diversity or strain typing of Wolbachia in Y. flavovittatus are available. We aimed here to detect the presence of Wolbachia in different populations by amplification of the wsp gene, which was then sequenced. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was also performed to explore the diversity of the Wolbachia strains. Based on the wsp sequences, Wolbachia in the Y. flavovittatus leafhoppers belonged to supergroup B, and formed a distinct evolutionary lineage; therefore, we designated this new specific strain as wYfla. The MLST profiles revealed ten potential new sequence types (STs) in different leafhopper populations. Multiple STs were detected in individual leafhoppers, among which the ST-wYfla1 strain was predominant. Furthermore, we obtained congruent results for the phylogenetic analyses using the wsp gene and MLST loci. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study characterizing Wolbachia strains in Y. flavovittatus. Our results reveal a novel strain and multiple STs of Wolbachia, and these data may prove useful in the exploitation of Wolbachia as a biological Y. flavovittatus control agent.
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Costa GB, Smithyman R, O'Neill SL, Moreira LA. How to engage communities on a large scale? Lessons from World Mosquito Program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gates Open Res 2021; 4:109. [PMID: 33103066 PMCID: PMC7569240 DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13153.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the pillars of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Vector Control Response 2017–2030 strategy is the engagement of communities. Among the priority activities, defined by 2022 by the WHO, is the development of plans for the effective engagement and mobilisation of communities in vector control. Novel technologies for arboviruses control are being developed, such as the
Wolbachia method, implemented by the World Mosquito Program (WMP). Here we discuss and analyse the framework for community engagement implemented by the WMP in Brazil, during the large-scale deployment of the method in the municipalities of Niterói and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our experience indicates that the community engagement work for arboviruses control should be understood as an opportunity for local development. It is necessary, based on an integrated analysis of the territory, to understand that the actions for arboviruses control could be a catalyst for the necessary socioenvironmental, cultural and public health changes. Furthermore, it is essential to understand that community engagement goes beyond informing or asking for population consent, but it constitutes a possibility for dialogue and exchange between the various stakeholders present in the territories, to build on cooperation for mosquito-borne disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme B Costa
- World Mosquito Program Brasil, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20930-040, Brazil
| | - Ruth Smithyman
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Scott L O'Neill
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Luciano A Moreira
- Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno-Vetor, Instituto René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30190-002, Brazil
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Costa GB, Smithyman R, O'Neill SL, Moreira LA. How to engage communities on a large scale? Lessons from World Mosquito Program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gates Open Res 2021; 4:109. [PMID: 33103066 DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13153.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the pillars of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Vector Control Response 2017-2030 strategy is the engagement of communities. Among the priority activities, defined by 2022 by the WHO, is the development of plans for the effective engagement and mobilisation of communities in vector control. Novel technologies for arboviruses control are being developed, such as the Wolbachia method, implemented by the World Mosquito Program (WMP). Here we discuss and analyse the framework for community engagement implemented by the WMP in Brazil, during the large-scale deployment of the method in the municipalities of Niterói and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our experience indicates that the community engagement work for arboviruses control should be understood as an opportunity for local development. It is necessary, based on an integrated analysis of the territory, to understand that the actions for arboviruses control could be a catalyst for the necessary socioenvironmental, cultural and public health changes. Furthermore, it is essential to understand that community engagement goes beyond informing or asking for population consent, but it constitutes a possibility for dialogue and exchange between the various stakeholders present in the territories, to build on cooperation for mosquito-borne disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme B Costa
- World Mosquito Program Brasil, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 20930-040, Brazil
| | - Ruth Smithyman
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Scott L O'Neill
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Luciano A Moreira
- Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno-Vetor, Instituto René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30190-002, Brazil
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Scolari F, Sandionigi A, Carlassara M, Bruno A, Casiraghi M, Bonizzoni M. Exploring Changes in the Microbiota of Aedes albopictus: Comparison Among Breeding Site Water, Larvae, and Adults. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:624170. [PMID: 33584626 PMCID: PMC7876458 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.624170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The mosquito body hosts highly diverse microbes, which influence different physiological traits of both larvae and adults. The composition of adult mosquito microbiota is tightly linked to that of larvae, which are aquatic and feed on organic detritus, algae and prokaryotic microorganisms present in their breeding sites. Unraveling the ecological features of larval habitats that shape the structure of bacterial communities and their interactions with the mosquito host is still a poorly investigated topic in the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, a highly invasive species that is vector of numerous arboviruses, including Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses. In this study, we investigated the composition of the bacterial community present in the water from a natural larval breeding site in which we separately reared wild-collected larvae and hatched eggs of the Foshan reference laboratory strain. Using sequence analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons, we comparatively analyzed the microbiota of the larvae and that of adult mosquitoes, deriving information about the relative impact of the breeding site water on shaping mosquito microbiota. We observed a higher bacterial diversity in breeding site water than in larvae or adults, irrespective of the origin of the sample. Moreover, larvae displayed a significantly different and most diversified microbial community than newly emerged adults, which appeared to be dominated by Proteobacteria. The microbiota of breeding site water significantly increased its diversity over time, suggesting the presence of a dynamic interaction among bacterial communities, breeding sites and mosquito hosts. The analysis of Wolbachia prevalence in adults from Foshan and five additional strains with different geographic origins confirmed the described pattern of dual wAlbA and wAlbB strain infection. However, differences in Wolbachia prevalence were detected, with one strain from La Reunion Island showing up to 18% uninfected individuals. These findings contribute in further understanding the dynamic interactions between the ecology of larval habitats and the structure of host microbiota, as well as providing additional information relative to the patterns of Wolbachia infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Scolari
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Sandionigi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Carlassara
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonia Bruno
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Maurizio Casiraghi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Inácio da Silva LM, Dezordi FZ, Paiva MHS, Wallau GL. Systematic Review of Wolbachia Symbiont Detection in Mosquitoes: An Entangled Topic about Methodological Power and True Symbiosis. Pathogens 2021; 10:39. [PMID: 33419044 PMCID: PMC7825316 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium that naturally infects several arthropods and nematode species. Wolbachia gained particular attention due to its impact on their host fitness and the capacity of specific Wolbachia strains in reducing pathogen vector and agricultural pest populations and pathogens transmission. Despite the success of mosquito/pathogen control programs using Wolbachia-infected mosquito release, little is known about the abundance and distribution of Wolbachia in most mosquito species, a crucial knowledge for planning and deployment of mosquito control programs and that can further improve our basic biology understanding of Wolbachia and host relationships. In this systematic review, Wolbachia was detected in only 30% of the mosquito species investigated. Fourteen percent of the species were considered positive by some studies and negative by others in different geographical regions, suggesting a variable infection rate and/or limitations of the Wolbachia detection methods employed. Eighty-three percent of the studies screened Wolbachia with only one technique. Our findings highlight that the assessment of Wolbachia using a single approach limited the inference of true Wolbachia infection in most of the studied species and that researchers should carefully choose complementary methodologies and consider different Wolbachia-mosquito population dynamics that may be a source of bias to ascertain the correct infectious status of the host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luísa Maria Inácio da Silva
- Departamento de Entomologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães (IAM), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Av. Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Campus da UFPE, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50740-465, Brazil; (L.M.I.d.S.); (F.Z.D.)
| | - Filipe Zimmer Dezordi
- Departamento de Entomologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães (IAM), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Av. Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Campus da UFPE, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50740-465, Brazil; (L.M.I.d.S.); (F.Z.D.)
- Núcleo de Bioinformática (NBI), Instituto Aggeu Magalhães (IAM), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Recife 50670-420, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Henrique Santos Paiva
- Departamento de Entomologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães (IAM), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Av. Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Campus da UFPE, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50740-465, Brazil; (L.M.I.d.S.); (F.Z.D.)
- Núcleo de Ciências da Vida, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Centro Acadêmico do Agreste-Rodovia BR-104, km 59-Nova Caruaru, Caruaru 55002-970, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Luz Wallau
- Departamento de Entomologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães (IAM), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Av. Professor Moraes Rego, s/n, Campus da UFPE, Cidade Universitária, Recife 50740-465, Brazil; (L.M.I.d.S.); (F.Z.D.)
- Núcleo de Bioinformática (NBI), Instituto Aggeu Magalhães (IAM), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Recife 50670-420, Brazil
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37
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Multiplexed Diagnosis of Four Serotypes of Dengue Virus by Real-time RT-PCR. BIOCHIP JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13206-020-4409-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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38
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Hustedt J, Doum D, Keo V, Ly S, Sam B, Chan V, Boyer S, Liverani M, Alexander N, Bradley J, Prasetyo DB, Rachmat A, Lopes S, Leang R, Hii J. Ability of the Premise Condition Index to Identify Premises with Adult and Immature Aedes Mosquitoes in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:1432-1439. [PMID: 32274992 PMCID: PMC7253129 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes-transmitted diseases, especially dengue, are increasing throughout the world and the main preventive methods include vector control and the avoidance of mosquito bites. A simple Premise Condition Index (PCI) categorizing shade, house, and yard conditions was previously developed to help prioritize households or geographical areas where resources are limited. However, evidence about the accuracy of the PCI is mixed. The current study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the relevance by collecting data from 2,400 premises at four time points over 1 year in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. Regression models were then used to identify associations between PCI and Aedes adult female mosquitoes and pupae. In addition, receiver operating characteristic curves were used to measure the ability of PCI to identify premises in the top quartile of mosquito abundance. The density of adult Aedes females was positively associated with PCI at the household (ratio of means = 1.16 per point on the PCI scale) and cluster level (ratio of means = 1.54). However, the number of Aedes pupae was negatively associated with PCI at the household level (rate ratio = 0.74) and did not have a statistically significant association at the cluster level. Receiver operating characteristic curves suggest the PCI score had “rather low accuracy” (area under the ROC curve = 0.52 and 0.54) at identifying top-quartile premises in terms of adult female Aedes and pupae, respectively. These results suggest that caution is warranted in the programmatic use of PCI in areas of similar geography and mosquito abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Hustedt
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.,Malaria Consortium, Phnom Penh Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Dyna Doum
- Malaria Consortium, Phnom Penh Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Vanney Keo
- Malaria Consortium, Phnom Penh Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Sokha Ly
- Cambodian National Dengue Control Program, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - BunLeng Sam
- Cambodian National Dengue Control Program, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Vibol Chan
- World Health Organization, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | | | - Marco Liverani
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Neal Alexander
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Bradley
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Agus Rachmat
- US Naval Medical Research Unit-2, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Sergio Lopes
- Malaria Consortium, Phnom Penh Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Rithea Leang
- Cambodian National Dengue Control Program, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Jeffrey Hii
- Malaria Consortium, Phnom Penh Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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39
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Chen H, Zhang M, Hochstrasser M. The Biochemistry of Cytoplasmic Incompatibility Caused by Endosymbiotic Bacteria. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11080852. [PMID: 32722516 PMCID: PMC7465683 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species of arthropods carry maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts that can influence host sexual reproduction to benefit the bacterium. The most well-known of such reproductive parasites is Wolbachia pipientis. Wolbachia are obligate intracellular α-proteobacteria found in nearly half of all arthropod species. This success has been attributed in part to their ability to manipulate host reproduction to favor infected females. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), a phenomenon wherein Wolbachia infection renders males sterile when they mate with uninfected females, but not infected females (the rescue mating), appears to be the most common. CI provides a reproductive advantage to infected females in the presence of a threshold level of infected males. The molecular mechanisms of CI and other reproductive manipulations, such as male killing, parthenogenesis, and feminization, have remained mysterious for many decades. It had been proposed by Werren more than two decades ago that CI is caused by a Wolbachia-mediated sperm modification and that rescue is achieved by a Wolbachia-encoded rescue factor in the infected egg. In the past few years, new research has highlighted a set of syntenic Wolbachia gene pairs encoding CI-inducing factors (Cifs) as the key players for the induction of CI and its rescue. Within each Cif pair, the protein encoded by the upstream gene is denoted A and the downstream gene B. To date, two types of Cifs have been characterized based on the enzymatic activity identified in the B protein of each protein pair; one type encodes a deubiquitylase (thus named CI-inducing deubiquitylase or cid), and a second type encodes a nuclease (named CI-inducing nuclease or cin). The CidA and CinA proteins bind tightly and specifically to their respective CidB and CinB partners. In transgenic Drosophila melanogaster, the expression of either the Cid or Cin protein pair in the male germline induces CI and the expression of the cognate A protein in females is sufficient for rescue. With the identity of the Wolbachia CI induction and rescue factors now known, research in the field has turned to directed studies on the molecular mechanisms of CI, which we review here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Chen
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; (H.C.); (M.Z.)
| | - Mengwen Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; (H.C.); (M.Z.)
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Mark Hochstrasser
- Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; (H.C.); (M.Z.)
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Correspondence:
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40
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Ford SA, Albert I, Allen SL, Chenoweth SF, Jones M, Koh C, Sebastian A, Sigle LT, McGraw EA. Artificial Selection Finds New Hypotheses for the Mechanism of Wolbachia-Mediated Dengue Blocking in Mosquitoes. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1456. [PMID: 32733407 PMCID: PMC7358395 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is an intracellular bacterium that blocks virus replication in insects and has been introduced into the mosquito, Aedes aegypti for the biocontrol of arboviruses including dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Despite ongoing research, the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking remains unclear. We recently used experimental evolution to reveal that Wolbachia-mediated dengue blocking could be selected upon in the A. aegypti host and showed evidence that strong levels of blocking could be maintained by natural selection. In this study, we investigate the genetic variation associated with blocking and use these analyses to generate testable hypotheses surrounding the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated dengue blocking. From our results, we hypothesize that Wolbachia may block virus replication by increasing the regeneration rate of mosquito cells via the Notch signaling pathway. We also propose that Wolbachia modulates the host’s transcriptional pausing pathway either to prime the host’s anti-viral response or to directly inhibit viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne A Ford
- Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Istvan Albert
- Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Scott L Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Institut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stephen F Chenoweth
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Matthew Jones
- Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Cassandra Koh
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Aswathy Sebastian
- Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Leah T Sigle
- Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Elizabeth A McGraw
- Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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41
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Fraser JE, O’Donnell TB, Duyvestyn JM, O’Neill SL, Simmons CP, Flores HA. Novel phenotype of Wolbachia strain wPip in Aedes aegypti challenges assumptions on mechanisms of Wolbachia-mediated dengue virus inhibition. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008410. [PMID: 32726353 PMCID: PMC7416964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia is a biocontrol tool that inhibits the ability of the Aedes aegypti mosquito to transmit positive-sense RNA viruses such as dengue and Zika. Growing evidence indicates that when Wolbachia strains wMel or wAlbB are introduced into local mosquito populations, human dengue incidence is reduced. Despite the success of this novel intervention, we still do not fully understand how Wolbachia protects mosquitoes from viral infection. Here, we demonstrate that the Wolbachia strain wPip does not inhibit virus infection in Ae. aegypti. We have leveraged this novel finding, and a panel of Ae. aegypti lines carrying virus-inhibitory (wMel and wAlbB) and non-inhibitory (wPip) strains in a common genetic background, to rigorously test a number of hypotheses about the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated virus inhibition. We demonstrate that, contrary to previous suggestions, there is no association between a strain's ability to inhibit dengue infection in the mosquito and either its typical density in the midgut or salivary glands, or the degree to which it elevates innate immune response pathways in the mosquito. These findings, and the experimental platform provided by this panel of genetically comparable mosquito lines, clear the way for future investigations to define how Wolbachia prevents Ae. aegypti from transmitting viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna E. Fraser
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Tanya B. O’Donnell
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Johanna M. Duyvestyn
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Scott L. O’Neill
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Cameron P. Simmons
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Heather A. Flores
- World Mosquito Program, Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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42
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Kaur R, Martinez J, Rota-Stabelli O, Jiggins FM, Miller WJ. Age, tissue, genotype and virus infection regulate Wolbachia levels in Drosophila. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2063-2079. [PMID: 32391935 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The bacterial symbiont Wolbachia can protect insects against viral pathogens, and the varying levels of antiviral protection are correlated with the endosymbiont load within the insects. To understand why Wolbachia strains differ in their antiviral effects, we investigated the factors controlling Wolbachia density in five closely related strains in their natural Drosophila hosts. We found that Wolbachia density varied greatly across different tissues and between flies of different ages, and these effects depended on the host-symbiont association. Some endosymbionts maintained largely stable densities as flies aged while others increased, and these effects in turn depended on the tissue being examined. Measuring Wolbachia rRNA levels in response to viral infection, we found that viral infection itself also altered Wolbachia levels, with Flock House virus causing substantial reductions in symbiont loads late in the infection. This effect, however, was virus-specific as Drosophila C virus had little impact on Wolbachia in all of the five host systems. Because viruses have strong tissue tropisms and antiviral protection is thought to be cell-autonomous, these effects are likely to affect the virus-blocking phenomenon. However, we were unable to find any evidence of a correlation between Wolbachia and viral titres within the same tissues. We conclude that Wolbachia levels within flies are regulated in a complex host-symbiont-virus-dependent manner and this trinity is likely to influence the antiviral effects of Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupinder Kaur
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Sustainable Agro-Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy.,Department of Neurobiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Julien Martinez
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Omar Rota-Stabelli
- Department of Sustainable Agro-Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | | | - Wolfgang J Miller
- Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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43
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Wangkeeree J, Tewaruxsa P, Roddee J, Hanboonsong Y. Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Alphaproteobacteria) Infection in the Leafhopper Vector of Sugarcane White Leaf Disease. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2020; 20:5860036. [PMID: 32559297 PMCID: PMC7304560 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a maternally inherited bacterium ubiquitous in insects that has attracted interest as a prospective insect pest-control agent. Here, we detected and characterized Wolbachia in the leafhoppers Matsumuratettix hiroglyphicus (Matsumura) (Cicadellidae: Hemiptera) and Yamatotettix flavovittatus Matsumura (Cicadellidae: Hemiptera), insect vectors of the phytoplasma that cause white leaf disease in sugarcane. The 16S rRNA and wsp gene markers revealed that Wolbachia was not present in the M. hiroglyphicus but naturally occurs in Y. flavovittatus. Additionally, the infection rates in adult leafhoppers ranged from 0 to 100% depending on geographic location. Moreover, Wolbachia was detected in the eggs and first- to fifth-instar nymphs of Y. flavovittatus. A phylogenic tree of Wolbachia indicated that it resided in the monophyletic supergroup B clade and clustered in the Ori subgroup. Furthermore, fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that Wolbachia localized to the egg apices, randomly distributed in the egg cytoplasm, and was concentrated in the nymph and adult bacteriomes, as well as occasional detection in the thorax and abdomen. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate the prevalence of Wolbachia in the leafhopper Y. flavovittatus. The obtained results would provide useful information for the future development of Wolbachia as a biological control agent for the leafhopper vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jureemart Wangkeeree
- Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University Rangsit Centre, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Panida Tewaruxsa
- Department of Agricultural Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University Rangsit Centre, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Jariya Roddee
- School of Crop Production Technology, Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Suranaree, Muang, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Yupa Hanboonsong
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Nai Muang, Muang, Khon Kaen, Thailand
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44
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Ryan PA, Turley AP, Wilson G, Hurst TP, Retzki K, Brown-Kenyon J, Hodgson L, Kenny N, Cook H, Montgomery BL, Paton CJ, Ritchie SA, Hoffmann AA, Jewell NP, Tanamas SK, Anders KL, Simmons CP, O'Neill SL. Establishment of wMel Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and reduction of local dengue transmission in Cairns and surrounding locations in northern Queensland, Australia. Gates Open Res 2020; 3:1547. [PMID: 31667465 DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13061.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The wMel strain of Wolbachia has been successfully introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and subsequently shown in laboratory studies to reduce transmission of a range of viruses including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Mayaro viruses that cause human disease. Here we report the entomological and epidemiological outcomes of staged deployment of Wolbachia across nearly all significant dengue transmission risk areas in Australia. Methods: The wMel strain of Wolbachia was backcrossed into the local Aedes aegypti genotype (Cairns and Townsville backgrounds) and mosquitoes were released in the field by staff or via community assisted methods. Mosquito monitoring was undertaken and mosquitoes were screened for the presence of Wolbachia. Dengue case notifications were used to track dengue incidence in each location before and after releases. Results: Empirical analyses of the Wolbachia mosquito releases, including data on the density, frequency and duration of Wolbachia mosquito releases, indicate that Wolbachia can be readily established in local mosquito populations, using a variety of deployment options and over short release durations (mean release period 11 weeks, range 2-22 weeks). Importantly, Wolbachia frequencies have remained stable in mosquito populations since releases for up to 8 years. Analysis of dengue case notifications data demonstrates near-elimination of local dengue transmission for the past five years in locations where Wolbachia has been established. The regression model estimate of Wolbachia intervention effect from interrupted time series analyses of case notifications data prior to and after releases, indicated a 96% reduction in dengue incidence in Wolbachia treated populations (95% confidence interval: 84 - 99%). Conclusion: Deployment of the wMel strain of Wolbachia into local Ae. aegypti populations across the Australian regional cities of Cairns and most smaller regional communities with a past history of dengue has resulted in the reduction of local dengue transmission across all deployment areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Ryan
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Andrew P Turley
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Geoff Wilson
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Tim P Hurst
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Biosecurity and Agricultural Services, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Victoria State Government, Atwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kate Retzki
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Jack Brown-Kenyon
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Lauren Hodgson
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Nichola Kenny
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Helen Cook
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Brian L Montgomery
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Metro South Public Health Unit, Queensland Health, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christopher J Paton
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Scott A Ritchie
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- School of Biosciences, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas P Jewell
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Stephanie K Tanamas
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Katherine L Anders
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Cameron P Simmons
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Scott L O'Neill
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
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45
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Ryan PA, Turley AP, Wilson G, Hurst TP, Retzki K, Brown-Kenyon J, Hodgson L, Kenny N, Cook H, Montgomery BL, Paton CJ, Ritchie SA, Hoffmann AA, Jewell NP, Tanamas SK, Anders KL, Simmons CP, O'Neill SL. Establishment of wMel Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and reduction of local dengue transmission in Cairns and surrounding locations in northern Queensland, Australia. Gates Open Res 2020; 3:1547. [PMID: 31667465 PMCID: PMC6801363 DOI: 10.12688/gatesopenres.13061.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The
wMel strain of
Wolbachia has been successfully introduced into
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and subsequently shown in laboratory studies to reduce transmission of a range of viruses including dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Mayaro viruses that cause human disease. Here we report the entomological and epidemiological outcomes of staged deployment of
Wolbachia across nearly all significant dengue transmission risk areas in Australia. Methods: The
wMel strain of
Wolbachia was backcrossed into the local
Aedes aegypti genotype (Cairns and Townsville backgrounds) and mosquitoes were released in the field by staff or via community assisted methods. Mosquito monitoring was undertaken and mosquitoes were screened for the presence of
Wolbachia. Dengue case notifications were used to track dengue incidence in each location before and after releases. Results: Empirical analyses of the
Wolbachia mosquito releases, including data on the density, frequency and duration of
Wolbachia mosquito releases, indicate that
Wolbachia can be readily established in local mosquito populations, using a variety of deployment options and over short release durations (mean release period 11 weeks, range 2-22 weeks). Importantly,
Wolbachia frequencies have remained stable in mosquito populations since releases for up to 8 years. Analysis of dengue case notifications data demonstrates near-elimination of local dengue transmission for the past five years in locations where
Wolbachia has been established. The regression model estimate of
Wolbachia intervention effect from interrupted time series analyses of case notifications data prior to and after releases, indicated a 96% reduction in dengue incidence in
Wolbachia treated populations (95% confidence interval: 84 – 99%). Conclusion: Deployment of the
wMel strain of
Wolbachia into local
Ae. aegypti populations across the Australian regional cities of Cairns and most smaller regional communities with a past history of dengue has resulted in the reduction of local dengue transmission across all deployment areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Ryan
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Andrew P Turley
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Geoff Wilson
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Tim P Hurst
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Biosecurity and Agricultural Services, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Victoria State Government, Atwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kate Retzki
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Jack Brown-Kenyon
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Lauren Hodgson
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Nichola Kenny
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Helen Cook
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Brian L Montgomery
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Metro South Public Health Unit, Queensland Health, Coopers Plains, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christopher J Paton
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Scott A Ritchie
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- School of Biosciences, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicholas P Jewell
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.,Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Stephanie K Tanamas
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Katherine L Anders
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Cameron P Simmons
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia.,Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Scott L O'Neill
- Institute of Vector-Borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia
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46
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Ekwudu O, Devine GJ, Aaskov JG, Frentiu FD. Wolbachia strain wAlbB blocks replication of flaviviruses and alphaviruses in mosquito cell culture. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:54. [PMID: 32041638 PMCID: PMC7011541 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3936-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia pipientis are bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods currently being implemented as biocontrol agents to reduce the global burden of arboviral diseases. Some strains of Wolbachia, when introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, reduce or block the replication of RNA viruses pathogenic to humans. The wAlbB strain of Wolbachia was originally isolated from Aedes albopictus, and when transinfected into Ae. aegypti, persists in mosquitoes under high temperature conditions longer than other strains. The utility of wAlbB to block a broad spectrum of RNA viruses has received limited attention. Here we test the ability of wAlbB to reduce or block the replication of a range of Flavivirus and Alphavirus species in cell culture. Methods The C6/36 mosquito cell line was stably infected with the wAlbB strain using the shell-vial technique. The replication of dengue, West Nile and three strains of Zika (genus Flavivirus), and Ross River, Barmah Forest and Sindbis (genus Alphavirus) viruses was compared in wAlbB-infected cells with Wolbachia-free controls. Infectious virus titres were determined using either immunofocus or plaque assays. A general linear model was used to test for significant differences in replication between flaviviruses and alphaviruses. Results Titres of all viruses were significantly reduced in cell cultures infected with wAlbB versus Wolbachia-free controls. The magnitude of reduction in virus yields varied among virus species and, within species, also among the strains utilized. Conclusion Our results suggest that wAlbB infection of arthropods could be used to reduce transmission of a wide range of pathogenic RNA viruses.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- O'mezie Ekwudu
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia.,Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Nigeria.,Mosquito Control Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Gregor J Devine
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - John G Aaskov
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Francesca D Frentiu
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia.
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Buchman A, Gamez S, Li M, Antoshechkin I, Li HH, Wang HW, Chen CH, Klein MJ, Duchemin JB, Crowe JE, Paradkar PN, Akbari OS. Broad dengue neutralization in mosquitoes expressing an engineered antibody. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008103. [PMID: 31945137 PMCID: PMC6964813 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
With dengue virus (DENV) becoming endemic in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, there is a pressing global demand for effective strategies to control the mosquitoes that spread this disease. Recent advances in genetic engineering technologies have made it possible to create mosquitoes with reduced vector competence, limiting their ability to acquire and transmit pathogens. Here we describe the development of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes synthetically engineered to impede vector competence to DENV. These mosquitoes express a gene encoding an engineered single-chain variable fragment derived from a broadly neutralizing DENV human monoclonal antibody and have significantly reduced viral infection, dissemination, and transmission rates for all four major antigenically distinct DENV serotypes. Importantly, this is the first engineered approach that targets all DENV serotypes, which is crucial for effective disease suppression. These results provide a compelling route for developing effective genetic-based DENV control strategies, which could be extended to curtail other arboviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Buchman
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Stephanie Gamez
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Ming Li
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Igor Antoshechkin
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Hsing-Han Li
- Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Wei Wang
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hong Chen
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Melissa J. Klein
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Jean-Bernard Duchemin
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - James E. Crowe
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Departments of Pediatrics, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Prasad N. Paradkar
- CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Omar S. Akbari
- Section of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Tata Institute for Genetics and Society-UCSD, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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48
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Martinez B, Reaser JK, Dehgan A, Zamft B, Baisch D, McCormick C, Giordano AJ, Aicher R, Selbe S. Technology innovation: advancing capacities for the early detection of and rapid response to invasive species. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02146-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
AbstractThe 2016–2018National Invasive Species Council (NISC) Management Plan and Executive Order 13751 call for US federal agencies to foster technology development and application to address invasive species and their impacts. This paper complements and draws on an Innovation Summit, review of advanced biotechnologies applicable to invasive species management, and a survey of federal agencies that respond to these high-level directives. We provide an assessment of federal government capacities for the early detection of and rapid response to invasive species (EDRR) through advances in technology application; examples of emerging technologies for the detection, identification, reporting, and response to invasive species; and guidance for fostering further advancements in applicable technologies. Throughout the paper, we provide examples of how federal agencies are applying technologies to improve programmatic effectiveness and cost-efficiencies. We also highlight the outstanding technology-related needs identified by federal agencies to overcome barriers to enacting EDRR. Examples include improvements in research facility infrastructure, data mobilization across a wide range of invasive species parameters (from genetic to landscape scales), promotion of and support for filling key gaps in technological capacity (e.g., portable, field-ready devices with automated capacities), and greater investments in technology prizes and challenge competitions.
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49
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Novelo M, Hall MD, Pak D, Young PR, Holmes EC, McGraw EA. Intra-host growth kinetics of dengue virus in the mosquito Aedes aegypti. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008218. [PMID: 31790509 PMCID: PMC6907869 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) transmission by mosquitoes is a time-dependent process that begins with the consumption of an infectious blood-meal. DENV infection then proceeds stepwise through the mosquito from the midgut to the carcass, and ultimately to the salivary glands, where it is secreted into saliva and then transmitted anew on a subsequent bite. We examined viral kinetics in tissues of the Aedes aegypti mosquito over a finely graded time course, and as per previous studies, found that initial viral dose and serotype strain diversity control infectivity. We also found that a threshold level of virus is required to establish body-wide infections and that replication kinetics in the early and intermediate tissues do not predict those of the salivary glands. Our findings have implications for mosquito GMO design, modeling the contribution of transmission to vector competence and the role of mosquito kinetics in the overall DENV epidemiological landscape. DENV infection in the mosquito is a complex and dynamic process. Following ingestion of an infected blood meal, DENV enters the mosquito midgut epithelial cells, where it replicates. Subsequently, the virus disseminates and infects other tissues, including hemocytes, fat body and reproductive organs, ultimately reaching the salivary glands. The kinetics of infection are influenced by genetic variation in the virus. Comparisons between strains within single serotypes, have revealed variation in infection rates in mosquitoes. To explore the role of infectious dose, serotype and tissue in viral infection kinetics we sampled DENV loads in populations of infected mosquitoes over numerous, sequential time-points. We reveal that the kinetics of DENV infection in the midgut, carcass and salivary glands of the mosquito Aedes aegypti are strikingly different among the strains selected for this study, and that these differences are also driven by the initial infectious dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Novelo
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Entomology, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew D. Hall
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Damie Pak
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Paul R. Young
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Edward C. Holmes
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Charles Perkins Centre, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A. McGraw
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Entomology, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Beckmann JF, Sharma GD, Mendez L, Chen H, Hochstrasser M. The Wolbachia cytoplasmic incompatibility enzyme CidB targets nuclear import and protamine-histone exchange factors. eLife 2019; 8:e50026. [PMID: 31774393 PMCID: PMC6881146 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular Wolbachia bacteria manipulate arthropod reproduction to promote their own inheritance. The most prevalent mechanism, cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), traces to a Wolbachia deubiquitylase, CidB, and CidA. CidB has properties of a toxin, while CidA binds CidB and rescues embryonic viability. CidB is also toxic to yeast where we identified both host effects and high-copy suppressors of toxicity. The strongest suppressor was karyopherin-α, a nuclear-import receptor; this required nuclear localization-signal binding. A protein-interaction screen of Drosophila extracts using a substrate-trapping catalytic mutant, CidB*, also identified karyopherin-α; the P32 protamine-histone exchange factor bound as well. When CidB* bound CidA, these host protein interactions disappeared. These associations would place CidB at the zygotic male pronucleus where CI defects first manifest. Overexpression of karyopherin-α, P32, or CidA in female flies suppressed CI. We propose that CidB targets nuclear-protein import and protamine-histone exchange and that CidA rescues embryos by restricting CidB access to its targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gagan Deep Sharma
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyAuburn UniversityAuburnUnited States
| | - Luis Mendez
- Department of Entomology and Plant PathologyAuburn UniversityAuburnUnited States
| | - Hongli Chen
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and BiochemistryYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Mark Hochstrasser
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and BiochemistryYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental BiologyYale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
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