1
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Shi H, Yu X, Cheng G. Impact of the microbiome on mosquito-borne diseases. Protein Cell 2023; 14:743-761. [PMID: 37186167 PMCID: PMC10599646 DOI: 10.1093/procel/pwad021] [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: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases present a significant threat to human health, with the possibility of outbreaks of new mosquito-borne diseases always looming. Unfortunately, current measures to combat these diseases such as vaccines and drugs are often either unavailable or ineffective. However, recent studies on microbiomes may reveal promising strategies to fight these diseases. In this review, we examine recent advances in our understanding of the effects of both the mosquito and vertebrate microbiomes on mosquito-borne diseases. We argue that the mosquito microbiome can have direct and indirect impacts on the transmission of these diseases, with mosquito symbiotic microorganisms, particularly Wolbachia bacteria, showing potential for controlling mosquito-borne diseases. Moreover, the skin microbiome of vertebrates plays a significant role in mosquito preferences, while the gut microbiome has an impact on the progression of mosquito-borne diseases in humans. As researchers continue to explore the role of microbiomes in mosquito-borne diseases, we highlight some promising future directions for this field. Ultimately, a better understanding of the interplay between mosquitoes, their hosts, pathogens, and the microbiomes of mosquitoes and hosts may hold the key to preventing and controlling mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huicheng Shi
- Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Xi Yu
- Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Gong Cheng
- Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
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2
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Dodson BL, Pujhari S, Brustolin M, Metz HC, Rasgon JL. Variable effects of Wolbachia on alphavirus infection in Aedes aegypti. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.20.524939. [PMID: 36711723 PMCID: PMC9884506 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.20.524939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis (=Wolbachia) has promise as a tool to suppress virus transmission by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. However, Wolbachia can have variable effects on mosquito-borne viruses. This variation remains poorly characterized, yet the multimodal effects of Wolbachia on diverse pathogens could have important implications for public health. Here, we examine the effects of somatic infection with two strains of Wolbachia (wAlbB and wMel) on the alphaviruses Sindbis virus (SINV), O'nyong-nyong virus (ONNV), and Mayaro virus (MAYV) in Ae. aegypti. We found variable effects of Wolbachia including enhancement and suppression of viral infections, with some effects depending on Wolbachia strain. Both wAlbB- and wMel-infected mosquitoes showed enhancement of SINV infection rates one week post-infection, with wAlbB-infected mosquitoes also having higher viral titers than controls. Infection rates with ONNV were low across all treatments and no significant effects of Wolbachia were observed. The effects of Wolbachia on MAYV infections were strikingly strain-specific; wMel strongly blocked MAYV infections and suppressed viral titers, while wAlbB did not influence MAYV infection. The variable effects of Wolbachia on vector competence underscore the importance of further research into how this bacterium impacts the virome of wild mosquitoes including the emergent human pathogens they transmit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L Dodson
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Sujit Pujhari
- Current address: Department of Pharmacology Physiology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, United States
| | - Marco Brustolin
- Current address: Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hillery C Metz
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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3
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Guo Y, Guo J, Li Y. Wolbachia wPip Blocks Zika Virus Transovarial Transmission in Aedes albopictus. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0263321. [PMID: 35894613 PMCID: PMC9603370 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02633-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is being developed as a biological tool to suppress mosquito populations and/or interfere with their transmitted viruses. Adult males with an artificial Wolbachia infection have been released, successfully yielding population suppression in multiple field trials. The main characteristic of the artificial Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes used in the suppression program is the lower vector competence than that in native infected/uninfected mosquitoes in horizontal and vertical transmission. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the Aedes albopictus HC line infected with a trio of Wolbachia strains exhibited almost complete blockade of dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) in horizontal and vertical transmission. However, the extent to which Wolbachia inhibits virus transovarial transmission is unknown since no studies have been performed to determine whether Wolbachia protects ovarian cells against viral infection. Here, we employed ovarian cells of the Ae. albopictus GUA (a wild-type mosquito line superinfected with two native Wolbachia strains, wAlbA and wAlbB), HC, and GT lines (tetracycline-cured, Wolbachia-uninfected mosquitoes), which exhibit key traits, and compared them to better understand how Wolbachia inhibits ZIKV transovarial transmission. Our results showed that the infection rate of adult GT progeny was significantly higher than that of GUA progeny during the first and second gonotrophic cycles. In contrast, the infection rates of adult GT and GUA progeny were not significantly different during the third gonotrophic cycle. All examined adult HC progeny from three gonotrophic cycles were negative for ZIKV infection. A strong negative linear correlation existed between Wolbachia density and ZIKV load in the ovaries of mosquitoes. Although there is no obvious coexistence area in the ovaries for Wolbachia and ZIKV, host immune responses may play a role in Wolbachia blocking ZIKV expansion and maintenance in the ovaries of Ae. albopictus. These results will aid in understanding Wolbachia-ZIKV interactions in mosquitoes. IMPORTANCE Area-wide application of Wolbachia to suppress mosquito populations and their transmitted viruses has achieved success in multiple countries. However, the mass release of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes involves a potential risk of accidentally releasing fertile females. In this study, we employed ovarian cells of the Ae. albopictus GUA, HC, and GT lines, which exhibit key traits, and compared them to better understand how Wolbachia inhibits ZIKV transovarial transmission. Our results showed an almost complete blockade of ZIKV transmission in HC female mosquitoes. Wolbachia in natively infected GUA mosquitoes negative affected ZIKV, and this interference was shown by slightly lower loads than those in HC mosquitoes. Overall, our work helps show how Wolbachia blocks ZIKV expansion and maintenance in the ovaries of Ae. albopictus and aids in understanding Wolbachia-ZIKV interactions in mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiatian Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of the Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yifeng Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Plant Protection Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Science, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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4
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Ross PA. Designing effective Wolbachia release programs for mosquito and arbovirus control. Acta Trop 2021; 222:106045. [PMID: 34273308 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Mosquitoes carrying endosymbiotic bacteria called Wolbachia are being released in mosquito and arbovirus control programs around the world through two main approaches: population suppression and population replacement. Open field releases of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes have achieved over 95% population suppression by reducing the fertility of wild mosquito populations. The replacement of populations with Wolbachia-infected females is self-sustaining and can greatly reduce local dengue transmission by reducing the vector competence of mosquito populations. Despite many successful interventions, significant questions and challenges lie ahead. Wolbachia, viruses and their mosquito hosts can evolve, leading to uncertainty around the long-term effectiveness of a given Wolbachia strain, while few ecological impacts of Wolbachia releases have been explored. Wolbachia strains are diverse and the choice of strain to release should be made carefully, taking environmental conditions and the release objective into account. Mosquito quality control, thoughtful community awareness programs and long-term monitoring of populations are essential for all types of Wolbachia intervention. Releases of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes show great promise, but existing control measures remain an important way to reduce the burden of mosquito-borne disease.
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5
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Aedes fluviatilis cell lines as new tools to study metabolic and immune interactions in mosquito-Wolbachia symbiosis. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19202. [PMID: 34584163 PMCID: PMC8478883 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98738-7] [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: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present work, we established two novel embryonic cell lines from the mosquito Aedes fluviatilis containing or not the naturally occurring symbiont bacteria Wolbachia, which were called wAflu1 and Aflu2, respectively. We also obtained wAflu1 without Wolbachia after tetracycline treatment, named wAflu1.tet. Morphofunctional characterization was performed to help elucidate the symbiont-host interaction in the context of energy metabolism regulation and molecular mechanisms of the immune responses involved. The presence of Wolbachia pipientis improves energy performance in A. fluviatilis cells; it affects the regulation of key energy sources such as lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, making the distribution of actin more peripheral and with extensions that come into contact with neighboring cells. Additionally, innate immunity mechanisms were activated, showing that the wAflu1 and wAflu1.tet cells are responsive after the stimulus using Gram negative bacteria. Therefore, this work confirms the natural, mutually co-regulating symbiotic relationship between W. pipientis and A. fluviatilis, modulating the host metabolism and immune pathway activation. The results presented here add important resources to the current knowledge of Wolbachia-arthropod interactions.
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6
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Culex quinquefasciatus carrying Wolbachia is less susceptible to entomopathogenic bacteria. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1094. [PMID: 33441735 PMCID: PMC7806911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80034-5] [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] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In an attempt to evaluate the susceptibility of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus to bacterial agents, a population naturally infected with a Wolbachia pipientis wPipSJ native strain was tested against the action of three bacterial mosquitocides, Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, Bacillus wiedmannii biovar thuringiensis and Lysinibacillus sphaericus. Tests were carried out on mosquito larvae with and without Wolbachia (controls). Cx. quinquefasciatus naturally infected with the native wPipSJ strain proved to be more resistant to the pathogenic action of the three mosquitocidal bacterial strains. Additionally, wPipSJ was fully characterised using metagenome-assembled genomics, PCR-RFLP (PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) and MLST (MultiLocus Sequence Typing) analyses. This Wolbachia strain wPipSJ belongs to haplotype I, group wPip-III and supergroup B, clustering with other mosquito wPip strains, such as wPip PEL, wPip JHB, wPip Mol, and wAlbB; showing the southernmost distribution in America. The cytoplasmic incompatibility phenotype of this strain was revealed via crosses between wildtype (Wolbachia+) and antibiotic treated mosquito populations. The results of the tests with the bacterial agents suggest that Cx. quinquefasciatus naturally infected with wPipSJ is less susceptible to the pathogenic action of mosquitocidal bacterial strains when compared with the antibiotic-treated mosquito isoline, and is more susceptible to B. thuringiensis subsp. israelensis than to the other two mosquitocidal agents.
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7
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Shropshire JD, Leigh B, Bordenstein SR. Symbiont-mediated cytoplasmic incompatibility: what have we learned in 50 years? eLife 2020; 9:61989. [PMID: 32975515 PMCID: PMC7518888 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is the most common symbiont-induced reproductive manipulation. Specifically, symbiont-induced sperm modifications cause catastrophic mitotic defects in the fertilized embryo and ensuing lethality in crosses between symbiotic males and either aposymbiotic females or females harboring a different symbiont strain. However, if the female carries the same symbiont strain, then embryos develop properly, thereby imparting a relative fitness benefit to symbiont-transmitting mothers. Thus, CI drives maternally-transmitted bacteria to high frequencies in arthropods worldwide. In the past two decades, CI experienced a boom in interest due to its (i) deployment in worldwide efforts to curb mosquito-borne diseases, (ii) causation by bacteriophage genes, cifA and cifB, that modify sexual reproduction, and (iii) important impacts on arthropod speciation. This review serves as a gateway to experimental, conceptual, and quantitative themes of CI and outlines significant gaps in understanding CI’s mechanism that are ripe for investigation from diverse subdisciplines in the life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Dylan Shropshire
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Vanderbilt Microbiome Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Brittany Leigh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Vanderbilt Microbiome Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States
| | - Seth R Bordenstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Vanderbilt Microbiome Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, United States.,Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, United States
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8
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Mateos M, Martinez Montoya H, Lanzavecchia SB, Conte C, Guillén K, Morán-Aceves BM, Toledo J, Liedo P, Asimakis ED, Doudoumis V, Kyritsis GA, Papadopoulos NT, Augustinos AA, Segura DF, Tsiamis G. Wolbachia pipientis Associated With Tephritid Fruit Fly Pests: From Basic Research to Applications. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1080. [PMID: 32582067 PMCID: PMC7283806 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the true fruit flies (family Tephritidae) are among the most serious agricultural pests worldwide, whose control and management demands large and costly international efforts. The need for cost-effective and environmentally friendly integrated pest management (IPM) has led to the development and implementation of autocidal control strategies. These approaches include the widely used sterile insect technique and the incompatible insect technique (IIT). IIT relies on maternally transmitted bacteria (namely Wolbachia) to cause a conditional sterility in crosses between released mass-reared Wolbachia-infected males and wild females, which are either uninfected or infected with a different Wolbachia strain (i.e., cytoplasmic incompatibility; CI). Herein, we review the current state of knowledge on Wolbachia-tephritid interactions including infection prevalence in wild populations, phenotypic consequences, and their impact on life history traits. Numerous pest tephritid species are reported to harbor Wolbachia infections, with a subset exhibiting high prevalence. The phenotypic effects of Wolbachia have been assessed in very few tephritid species, due in part to the difficulty of manipulating Wolbachia infection (removal or transinfection). Based on recent methodological advances (high-throughput DNA sequencing) and breakthroughs concerning the mechanistic basis of CI, we suggest research avenues that could accelerate generation of necessary knowledge for the potential use of Wolbachia-based IIT in area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) strategies for the population control of tephritid pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Mateos
- Departments of Ecology and Conservation Biology, and Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Humberto Martinez Montoya
- Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Comparativa, Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Reynosa Aztlan, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, Mexico
| | - Silvia B Lanzavecchia
- Instituto de Genética 'Ewald A. Favret' - GV IABIMO (INTA-CONICET) Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudia Conte
- Instituto de Genética 'Ewald A. Favret' - GV IABIMO (INTA-CONICET) Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Jorge Toledo
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Tapachula, Mexico
| | - Pablo Liedo
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Tapachula, Mexico
| | - Elias D Asimakis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Vangelis Doudoumis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
| | - Georgios A Kyritsis
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Nikos T Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Antonios A Augustinos
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Hellenic Agricultural Organization - DEMETER, Patras, Greece
| | - Diego F Segura
- Instituto de Genética 'Ewald A. Favret' - GV IABIMO (INTA-CONICET) Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - George Tsiamis
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Patras, Agrinio, Greece
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9
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López-Madrigal S, Duarte EH. Titer regulation in arthropod-Wolbachia symbioses. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 366:5637388. [PMID: 31750894 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Symbiosis between intracellular bacteria (endosymbionts) and animals are widespread. The alphaproteobacterium Wolbachia pipientis is known to maintain a variety of symbiotic associations, ranging from mutualism to parasitism, with a wide range of invertebrates. Wolbachia infection might deeply affect host fitness (e.g. reproductive manipulation and antiviral protection), which is thought to explain its high prevalence in nature. Bacterial loads significantly influence both the infection dynamics and the extent of bacteria-induced host phenotypes. Hence, fine regulation of bacterial titers is considered as a milestone in host-endosymbiont interplay. Here, we review both environmental and biological factors modulating Wolbachia titers in arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elves H Duarte
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. Rua da Quinta Grande, 6. 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Cabo Verde. Palmarejo, CP 279 - Praia, Cabo Verde
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10
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Sawasdichai S, Chaumeau V, Dah T, Kulabkeeree T, Kajeechiwa L, Phanaphadungtham M, Trakoolchengkaew M, Kittiphanakun P, Akararungrot Y, Oo K, Delmas G, White NJ, Nosten FH. Detection of diverse Wolbachia 16S rRNA sequences at low titers from malaria vectors in Kayin state, Myanmar. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:11. [PMID: 31828225 PMCID: PMC6892426 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15005.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Natural
Wolbachia infections in malaria mosquitoes were recently reported in Africa, and negatively correlated with the development of
Plasmodium falciparum in the vectors. The occurrence and effects of
Wolbachia infections outside Africa have not been described and may have been underestimated. Methods: Mosquitoes were collected by human-landing catch during May and June 2017 in ten villages in Kayin state, Myanmar. Closely related species of malaria vectors were identified with molecular assays. 16S rRNA
Wolbachia DNA sequences were detected with quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Low titer of
Wolbachia DNA was detected in 13/370 samples in six malaria vector species. Sequences were diverse and different from those described in the African malaria mosquitoes. Conclusion: The detection of
Wolbachia DNA in malaria mosquitoes from Kayin state warrants further investigations to understand better the ecology and biology of
Anopheles-
Wolbachia interactions in Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunisa Sawasdichai
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Victor Chaumeau
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Tee Dah
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Thithiworada Kulabkeeree
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Ladda Kajeechiwa
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Monthicha Phanaphadungtham
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Muesuwa Trakoolchengkaew
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Praphan Kittiphanakun
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Yanada Akararungrot
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Kyi Oo
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand
| | - Gilles Delmas
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Nicholas J White
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - François H Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, 63110, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
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11
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Sawasdichai S, Chaumeau V, Dah T, Kulabkeeree T, Kajeechiwa L, Phanaphadungtham M, Trakoolchengkaew M, Kittiphanakun P, Akararungrot Y, Oo K, Delmas G, White NJ, Nosten FH. Low-density genetically diverse natural Wolbachia infections in malaria vectors in Kayin state, Myanmar. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:11. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15005.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Natural Wolbachia infections in malaria mosquitoes were recently reported in Africa, and negatively correlated with the development of Plasmodium falciparum in the vectors. The occurrence and effects of Wolbachia infections outside Africa have not been described and may have been underestimated. Methods: Mosquitoes were collected by human-landing catch during May and June 2017 in ten villages in Kayin state, Myanmar. Closely related species of malaria vectors were identified with molecular assays. Wolbachia infection rates were assessed with quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Low titer of Wolbachia DNA was detected in 13/370 samples in six malaria vector species. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences revealed a high diversity of Wolbachia strains and identified lineages different from those described in the African malaria mosquitoes. Conclusion: These low-density genetically diverse natural Wolbachia infections question the ecology and biology of Wolbachia-Anopheles interactions in Southeast Asia. Their effects on malaria transmission and mosquito vectors are yet to be determined.
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12
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Sawasdichai S, Chaumeau V, Dah T, Kulabkeeree T, Kajeechiwa L, Phanaphadungtham M, Trakoolchengkaew M, Kittiphanakun P, Akararungrot Y, Oo K, Delmas G, White NJ, Nosten FH. Low-density genetically diverse natural Wolbachia infections in malaria vectors in Kayin state, Myanmar. Wellcome Open Res 2019; 4:11. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15005.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Natural Wolbachia infections in malaria mosquitoes were recently reported in Africa, and negatively correlated with the development of Plasmodium falciparum in the vectors. The occurrence and effects of Wolbachia infections outside Africa have not been described and may have been underestimated. Methods: Mosquitoes were collected by human-landing catch during May and June 2017 in ten villages in Kayin state, Myanmar. Closely related species of malaria vectors were identified with molecular assays. Wolbachia infection rates were assessed with quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Low titer of Wolbachia DNA was detected in 13/370 samples in six malaria vector species. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA sequences revealed a high diversity of Wolbachia strains and identified lineages different from those described in the African malaria mosquitoes. Conclusion: These low-density genetically diverse natural Wolbachia infections question the ecology and biology of Wolbachia-Anopheles interactions in Southeast Asia. Their effects on malaria transmission and mosquito vectors are yet to be determined.
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13
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Shaikevich E, Bogacheva A, Rakova V, Ganushkina L, Ilinsky Y. Wolbachia symbionts in mosquitoes: Intra- and intersupergroup recombinations, horizontal transmission and evolution. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 134:24-34. [PMID: 30708172 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 01/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Many mosquitoes harbour Wolbachia symbionts that could affect the biology of their host in different ways. Evolutionary relationships of mosquitoes' Wolbachia infection, geographical distribution and symbiont prevalence in many mosquito species are not yet clear. Here, we present the results of Wolbachia screening of 17 mosquito species of four genera-Aedes, Anopheles, Coquillettidia and Culex collected from five regions of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus in 2012-2016. Based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST) data previously published and generated in this study, we try to reveal genetic links between mosquitoes' and other hosts' Wolbachia. The Wolbachia symbionts are found in Culex pipiens, Aedes albopictus and Coquillettidia richiardii and for the first time in Aedes cinereus and Aedes cantans, which are important vectors of human pathogens. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated multiple origins of infection in mosquitoes although the one-allele-criterion approach revealed links among B-supergroup mosquito Wolbachia with allele content of lepidopteran hosts. The MLST gene content of strain wAlbA from the A-supergroup is linked with different ant species. Several cases of intersupergroup recombinations were found. One of them occurred in the wAlbaB strain of Aedes albopictus, which contains the coxA allele of the A-supergroup, whereas other loci, including wsp, belong to supergroup B. Other cases are revealed for non-mosquito symbionts and they exemplified genetic exchanges of A, B and F supergroups. We conclude that modern Wolbachia diversity in mosquitoes and in many other insect taxa is a recent product of strain recombination and symbiont transfers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Shaikevich
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia.
| | | | - Vera Rakova
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119435, Russia.
| | - Ludmila Ganushkina
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119435, Russia.
| | - Yury Ilinsky
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia; Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad 236041, Russia.
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Baldini F, Rougé J, Kreppel K, Mkandawile G, Mapua SA, Sikulu-Lord M, Ferguson HM, Govella N, Okumu FO. First report of natural Wolbachia infection in the malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis in Tanzania. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:635. [PMID: 30545384 PMCID: PMC6293665 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3249-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural infections of the endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia have recently been discovered in populations of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae (s.l.) in Burkina Faso and Mali, West Africa. This Anopheles specific strain wAnga limits the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum infections in the mosquito, thus it offers novel opportunities for malaria control. RESULTS We investigated Wolbachia presence in Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus, which are the two main malaria vectors in the Kilombero Valley, a malaria endemic region in south-eastern Tanzania. We found 3.1% (n = 65) and 7.5% (n = 147) wAnga infection prevalence in An. arabiensis in mosquitoes collected in 2014 and 2016, respectively, while no infection was detected in An. funestus (n = 41). Phylogenetic analysis suggests that at least two distinct strains of wAnga were detected, both belonging to Wolbachia supergroup A and B. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first confirmation of natural Wolbachia in malaria vectors in Tanzania, which opens novel questions on the ecological and genetic basis of its persistence and pathogen transmission in the vector hosts. Understanding the basis of interactions between Wolbachia, Anopheles mosquitoes and malaria parasites is crucial for investigation of its potential application as a biocontrol strategy to reduce malaria transmission, and assessment of how natural wAnga infections influence pathogen transmission in different ecological settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Baldini
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
| | - Justine Rougé
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
| | - Katharina Kreppel
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
- Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Off Mlabani Passage, PO Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | - Gustave Mkandawile
- Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Off Mlabani Passage, PO Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | - Salum Abdallah Mapua
- Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Off Mlabani Passage, PO Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | - Maggy Sikulu-Lord
- The School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Sydney, Queensland Australia
| | - Heather M. Ferguson
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
| | - Nicodem Govella
- Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Off Mlabani Passage, PO Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania
| | - Fredros O. Okumu
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
- Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences Department, Ifakara Health Institute, Off Mlabani Passage, PO Box 53, Ifakara, Tanzania
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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15
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Hu W, Kuang F, Lu Z, Zhang N, Chen T. Killing Effects of an Isolated Serratia marcescens KH-001 on Diaphorina citri via Lowering the Endosymbiont Numbers. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:860. [PMID: 29765368 PMCID: PMC5938409 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most devastating citrus disease worldwide, and suppression of the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) is regarded as an effective method to inhibit the spread of HLB. In this study, we isolated a strain named as Serratia marcescens KH-001 from D. citri nymphs suffering from disease, and evaluated its killing effect on D. citri via toxicity test and effect on microbial community in D. citri using high-throughput sequencing. Our results indicated that S. marcescens KH-001 could effectively kill 83% of D. citri nymphs, while the fermentation products of S. marcescens KH-001 only killed 40% of the D. citrinymphs. High-throughput sequencing results indicated that the S. marcescens KH-001 increased the OTU numbers from 62.5 (PBS buffer) to 81.5, while significantly lowered the Shannon index compared with Escherichia coli DH5α (group E) (p < 0.05). OTU analysis showed that the S. marcescens KH-001 had significantly reduced the relative abundance of endosymbionts Wolbachia, Profftella, and Carsonella in group S compared with that in other groups (p < 0.05). Therefore, the direct killing effect of the fermentation products of S. marcescens KH-001 and the indirect effect via reducing the numbers of endosymbionts (Wolbachia, Profftella, and Carsonella) of D. citri endow S. marcescens KH-001 a sound killing effect on D. citri. Further work need to do before this strain is used as a sound biological control agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Hu
- National Navel Orange Engineering Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Fan Kuang
- National Navel Orange Engineering Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Zhanjun Lu
- National Navel Orange Engineering Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- National Navel Orange Engineering Research Center, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Tingtao Chen
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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16
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Woodford L, Bianco G, Ivanova Y, Dale M, Elmer K, Rae F, Larcombe SD, Helm B, Ferguson HM, Baldini F. Vector species-specific association between natural Wolbachia infections and avian malaria in black fly populations. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4188. [PMID: 29520067 PMCID: PMC5843599 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22550-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial infection of mosquitoes with the endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia can interfere with malaria parasite development. Therefore, the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes has been proposed as a malaria control strategy. However, Wolbachia effects on vector competence are only partly understood, as indicated by inconsistent effects on malaria infection reported under laboratory conditions. Studies of naturally-occurring Wolbachia infections in wild vector populations could be useful to identify the ecological and evolutionary conditions under which these endosymbionts can block malaria transmission. Here we demonstrate the occurrence of natural Wolbachia infections in three species of black fly (genus Simulium), which is a main vector of the avian malaria parasite Leucocytozoon. Prevalence of Leucocytozoon was high (25%), but the nature and magnitude of its association with Wolbachia differed between black fly species. Wolbachia infection was positively associated with avian malaria infection in S. cryophilum, negatively associated in S. aureum, and unrelated in S. vernum. These differences suggest that Wolbachia interacts with the parasite in a vector host species-specific manner. This provides a useful model system for further study of how Wolbachia influences vector competence. Such knowledge, including the possibility of undesirable positive association, is required to guide endosymbiont based control methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Woodford
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Giovanni Bianco
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Yoana Ivanova
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Maeve Dale
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Elmer
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Rae
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D Larcombe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Helm
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Heather M Ferguson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Baldini
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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17
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Schultz MJ, Connor JH, Frydman HM. Group B Wolbachia Strain-Dependent Inhibition of Arboviruses. DNA Cell Biol 2018; 37:2-6. [PMID: 29297702 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2017.4025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne viruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV), are global threats that continue to infect millions annually. Historically, efforts to combat the spread of these diseases have sought to eradicate the mosquito population. This has had limited success. Recent efforts to combat the spread of these diseases have targeted the mosquito population and the mosquito's ability to transmit viruses by altering the mosquito's microbiome. The introduction of particular strains of Wolbachia bacteria into mosquitos suppresses viral growth and blocks disease transmission. This novel strategy is being tested worldwide to reduce DENV and has early indications of success. The Wolbachia genus comprised divergent strains that are divided in major phylogenetic clades termed supergroups. All Wolbachia field trials currently utilize supergroup A Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitos to limit virus transmission. Here we discuss our studies of Wolbachia strains not yet used in virus control strategies but that show strong potential to reduce ZIKV replication. These strains are important opportunities in the search for novel tools to reduce the levels of mosquito-borne viruses and provide additional models for mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela J Schultz
- 1 Department of Biology, Boston University , Boston Massachusetts.,2 National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - John H Connor
- 2 National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts.,3 Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine , Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Horacio M Frydman
- 1 Department of Biology, Boston University , Boston Massachusetts.,2 National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts
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18
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Dodson BL, Andrews ES, Turell MJ, Rasgon JL. Wolbachia effects on Rift Valley fever virus infection in Culex tarsalis mosquitoes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0006050. [PMID: 29084217 PMCID: PMC5693443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Innovative tools are needed to alleviate the burden of mosquito-borne diseases, and strategies that target the pathogen are being considered. A possible tactic is the use of Wolbachia, a maternally inherited, endosymbiotic bacterium that can (but does not always) suppress diverse pathogens when introduced to naive mosquito species. We investigated effects of somatic Wolbachia (strain wAlbB) infection on Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in Culex tarsalis mosquitoes. When compared to Wolbachia-uninfected mosquitoes, there was no significant effect of Wolbachia infection on RVFV infection, dissemination, or transmission frequencies, nor on viral body or saliva titers. Within Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, there was a modest negative correlation between RVFV body titers and Wolbachia density, suggesting that Wolbachia may slightly suppress RVFV in a density-dependent manner in this mosquito species. These results are contrary to previous work in the same mosquito species, showing Wolbachia-induced enhancement of West Nile virus infection rates. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of exploring the breadth of pathogen modulations induced by Wolbachia. An integrated vector management program utilizes several practices, including pesticide application and source reduction, to reduce mosquito populations. However, mosquitoes are developing resistance to some of these methods and new control approaches are needed. A novel technique involves the bacterium Wolbachia that lives naturally in many insects. Wolbachia can be transferred to uninfected mosquitoes and can block pathogen transmission to humans, although in some circumstances pathogen enhancement has been observed. Additionally, Wolbachia is maternally inherited, allowing it to spread quickly through uninfected field populations of mosquitoes. We studied the impacts of Wolbachia on Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) in the naturally uninfected mosquito, Culex tarsalis. Wolbachia had no effect on the frequencies at which Culex tarsalis became infected with or transmitted RVFV. However, when we analyzed the relationship between Wolbachia densities and RVFV titers, we determined that high densities of Wolbachia were associated with no virus infection or low levels of virus, suggesting that Wolbachia might suppress RVFV at high densities. These results contrast with our previous study that showed Wolbachia enhances West Nile virus infection in Culex tarsalis. Together, these studies highlight the importance of studying Wolbachia effects on a variety of pathogens so that control methods that use Wolbachia are not impeded by unintended or off-target effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L. Dodson
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth S. Andrews
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Turell
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, United States of America
| | - Jason L. Rasgon
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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19
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Wolbachia and dengue virus infection in the mosquito Aedes fluviatilis (Diptera: Culicidae). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181678. [PMID: 28732048 PMCID: PMC5521830 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue represents a serious threat to human health, with billions of people living at risk of the disease. Wolbachia pipientis is a bacterial endosymbiont common to many insect species. Wolbachia transinfections in mosquito disease vectors have great value for disease control given the bacterium’s ability to spread into wild mosquito populations, and to interfere with infections of pathogens, such as dengue virus. Aedes fluviatilis is a mosquito with a widespread distribution in Latin America, but its status as a dengue vector has not been clarified. Ae. fluviatilis is also naturally infected by the wFlu Wolbachia strain, which has been demonstrated to enhance infection with the avian malarial parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum. We performed experimental infections of Ae. fluviatilis with DENV-2 and DENV-3 isolates from Brazil via injection or oral feeding to provide insight into its competence for the virus. We also examined the effect of the native Wolbachia infection on the virus using a mosquito line where the wFlu infection had been cleared by antibiotic treatment. Through RT-qPCR, we observed that Ae. fluviatilis could become infected with both viruses via either method of infection, although at a lower rate than Aedes aegypti, the primary dengue vector. We then detected DENV-2 and DENV-3 in the saliva of injected mosquitoes, and observed that injection of DENV-3-infected saliva produced subsequent infections in naïve Ae. aegypti. However, across our data we observed no difference in prevalence of infection and viral load between Wolbachia-infected and -uninfected mosquitoes, suggesting that there is no effect of wFlu on dengue virus. Our results highlight that Ae. fluviatilis could potentially serve as a dengue vector under the right circumstances, although further testing is required to determine if this occurs in the field.
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20
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Joanne S, Vythilingam I, Teoh BT, Leong CS, Tan KK, Wong ML, Yugavathy N, AbuBakar S. Vector competence of Malaysian Aedes albopictus with and without Wolbachia to four dengue virus serotypes. Trop Med Int Health 2017; 22:1154-1165. [PMID: 28653334 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the susceptibility status of Aedes albopictus with and without Wolbachia to the four dengue virus serotypes. METHODS Two newly colonised colonies of Ae. albopictus from the wild were used for the study. One colony was naturally infected with Wolbachia while in the other Wolbachia was removed by tetracycline treatment. Both colonies were orally infected with dengue virus-infected fresh blood meal. Dengue virus load was measured using quantitative RT-PCR at four-time intervals in the salivary glands, midguts and ovaries. RESULTS Wolbachia did not significantly affect Malaysian Ae. albopictus dengue infection or the dissemination rate for all four dengue virus serotypes. Malaysian Ae. albopictus had the highest replication kinetics for DENV-1 and the highest salivary gland and midgut infection rate for DENV-4. CONCLUSION Wolbachia, which naturally exists in Malaysian Ae. albopictus, does not significantly affect dengue virus replication. Malaysian Ae. albopictus is susceptible to dengue virus infections and capable of transmitting dengue virus, especially DENV-1 and DENV-4. Removal of Wolbachia from Malaysian Ae. albopictus would not reduce their susceptibility status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia Joanne
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Indra Vythilingam
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Boon-Teong Teoh
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Cherng-Shii Leong
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kim-Kee Tan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Meng-Li Wong
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nava Yugavathy
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sazaly AbuBakar
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Pacidônio EC, Caragata EP, Alves DM, Marques JT, Moreira LA. The impact of Wolbachia infection on the rate of vertical transmission of dengue virus in Brazilian Aedes aegypti. Parasit Vectors 2017. [PMID: 28623959 PMCID: PMC5474007 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2236-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia pipientis is a common endosymbiotic bacterium of arthropods that strongly inhibits dengue virus (DENV) infection and transmission in the primary vector, the mosquito Aedes aegypti. For that reason, Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti are currently being released into the field as part of a novel strategy to reduce DENV transmission. However, there is evidence that DENV can be transmitted vertically from mother to progeny, and this may help the virus persist in nature in the absence of regular human transmission. The effect of Wolbachia infection on this process had not previously been examined. Results We challenged Ae. aegypti with different Brazilian DENV isolates either by oral feeding or intrathoracic injection to ensure disseminated infection. We examined the effect of Wolbachia infection on the prevalence of DENV infection, and viral load in the ovaries. For orally infected mosquitoes, Wolbachia decreased the prevalence of infection by 71.29%, but there was no such effect when the virus was injected. Interestingly, regardless of the method of infection, Wolbachia infection strongly reduced DENV load in the ovaries. We then looked at the effect of Wolbachia on vertical transmission, where we observed only very low rates of vertical transmission. There was a trend towards lower rates in the presence of Wolbachia, with overall maximum likelihood estimate of infection rates of 5.04 per 1000 larvae for mosquitoes without Wolbachia, and 1.93 per 1000 larvae for Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, after DENV injection. However, this effect was not statistically significant. Conclusions Our data support the idea that vertical transmission of DENV is rare in nature, even in the absence of Wolbachia. Indeed, we observed that vertical transmission rates were low even when the midgut barrier was bypassed, which might help to explain why we only observed a trend towards lower vertical transmission rates in the presence of Wolbachia. Nevertheless, the low prevalence of disseminated DENV infection and lower DENV load in the ovaries supports the hypothesis that the presence of Wolbachia in Ae. aegypti would have an effect on the vertical transmission of DENV in the field. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2236-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etiene Casagrande Pacidônio
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Current address: School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Eric Pearce Caragata
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Debora Magalhães Alves
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - João Trindade Marques
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luciano Andrade Moreira
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Grau T, Brandt A, DeLeon S, Meixner MD, Strauß JF, Joop G, Telschow A. A Comparison of Wolbachia Infection Frequencies in Varroa With Prevalence of Deformed Wing Virus. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2017; 17:3836770. [PMID: 28973572 PMCID: PMC5538322 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/iex039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia are widely distributed bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods and filarial nematodes. These bacteria can affect host fitness in a variety of ways, such as protecting hosts against viruses and other pathogens. Here, we investigate the possible role of Wolbachia in the prevalence of the deformed wing virus (DWV), a highly virulent pathogen of honey bees (Apis mellifera) that is transmitted by parasitic Varroa mites (Varroa destructor). About 180 Varroa mites from 18 beehives were tested for infection with Wolbachia and DWV. We first screened for Wolbachia using two standard primers (wsp and 16S rDNA), and found 26% of the mites to be positive for Wolbachia using the wsp primer and 64% of the mites to be positive using the 16S rDNA primer. Using these intermediate Wolbachia frequencies, we then tested for statistical correlations with virus infection frequencies. The analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between DWV and Wolbachia using the wsp primer, but no significant association between DWV and Wolbachia using the 16S rDNA primer. In conclusion, there is no evidence for an anti-pathogenic effect of Wolbachia in V. destructor, but weak evidence for a pro-pathogenic effect. These results encourage further examination of Wolbachia-virus interactions in Varroa mites since an increased vector competence of the mites may significantly impact disease outbreaks in honey bees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorben Grau
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany (; ; )
| | | | - Sara DeLeon
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany (; ; )
| | | | - Jakob Friedrich Strauß
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfaelische Wilhelms University Muenster, Muenster, Germany (; )
| | - Gerrit Joop
- Institute of Insect Biotechnology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany (; ; )
| | - Arndt Telschow
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfaelische Wilhelms University Muenster, Muenster, Germany (; )
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Evans MV, Dallas TA, Han BA, Murdock CC, Drake JM. Data-driven identification of potential Zika virus vectors. eLife 2017; 6:e22053. [PMID: 28244371 PMCID: PMC5342824 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika is an emerging virus whose rapid spread is of great public health concern. Knowledge about transmission remains incomplete, especially concerning potential transmission in geographic areas in which it has not yet been introduced. To identify unknown vectors of Zika, we developed a data-driven model linking vector species and the Zika virus via vector-virus trait combinations that confer a propensity toward associations in an ecological network connecting flaviviruses and their mosquito vectors. Our model predicts that thirty-five species may be able to transmit the virus, seven of which are found in the continental United States, including Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. pipiens. We suggest that empirical studies prioritize these species to confirm predictions of vector competence, enabling the correct identification of populations at risk for transmission within the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle V Evans
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
| | - Tad A Dallas
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California-Davis, Davis, United States
| | - Barbara A Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, United States
| | - Courtney C Murdock
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- Department of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- Center for Tropical Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- River Basin Center, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
| | - John M Drake
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
- River Basin Center, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
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Saldaña MA, Hegde S, Hughes GL. Microbial control of arthropod-borne disease. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2017; 112:81-93. [PMID: 28177042 PMCID: PMC5293117 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760160373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Arthropods harbor a diverse array of microbes that profoundly influence many aspects of host biology, including vector competence. Additionally, symbionts can be engineered to produce molecules that inhibit pathogens. Due to their intimate association with the host, microbes have developed strategies that facilitate their transmission, either horizontally or vertically, to conspecifics. These attributes make microbes attractive agents for applied strategies to control arthropod-borne disease. Here we discuss the recent advances in microbial control approaches to reduce the burden of pathogens such as Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, and Trypanosome and Plasmodium parasites. We also highlight where further investigation is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Saldaña
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Shivanand Hegde
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Pathology, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Grant L Hughes
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Pathology, Galveston, TX, USA
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, Galveston, TX, USA
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease, Galveston, TX, USA
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Center for Tropical Diseases, Galveston, TX, USA
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Joubert DA, O’Neill SL. Comparison of Stable and Transient Wolbachia Infection Models in Aedes aegypti to Block Dengue and West Nile Viruses. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005275. [PMID: 28052065 PMCID: PMC5241016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogen replication and transmission in Wolbachia infected insects are currently studied using three Wolbachia infection systems: naturally infected Wolbachia hosts, hosts transinfected with Wolbachia (stably maintained and inherited infections) and hosts transiently infected with Wolbachia. All three systems have been used to test the effect of Wolbachia on mosquito transmitted pathogens such as dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV) and Plasmodium. From these studies it is becoming increasingly clear that the interaction between a particular pathogen and Wolbachia is heavily influenced by the host-Wolbachia interaction and the model of infection. In particular, there is some evidence that under very specific conditions, Wolbachia can enhance pathogen infection in some hosts. In this study, we compared the effect of Wolbachia in two infection models (stable transinfected and transiently infected) on the replication, infection- and transmission rates of two flaviviruses, DENV and WNV (Kunjin strain). Our results indicate that Wolbachia had similar blocking effects in both stable and transient models of infection, however, the magnitude of the blocking effect was significantly lower in mosquitoes transiently infected with Wolbachia. More importantly, no evidence was found for any enhancement of either DENV or WNV (Kunjin strain) infection in Ae. aegypti infected with Wolbachia, supporting a role for Wolbachia as an effective and safe means for restricting transmission of these viruses. Wolbachia is a naturally occurring endosymbiotic bacterium that, when introduced into a naïve mosquito host, has been shown to effectively reduce the replication and transmission of pathogens such as dengue virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, yellow fever virus and Plasmodium. However, a recent study has indicated that, under certain conditions, transiently infected Wolbachia can enhance West Nile virus infection in Culex tarsalis mosquitoes. We wanted to investigate whether this enhancement effect could also be observed in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and if so, whether it is specific to the nature of the Wolbachia infection model under study (transient vs stable). We compared the replication and transmission of dengue virus and WNV (Kunjin strain) in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transiently infected with Wolbachia and mosquitoes stably infected with the identical Wolbachia strain. Contrary to the previous study, our results show no enhancement of replication or transmission for either dengue virus or WNV (Kunjin strain) in mosquitoes transiently or stably infected with Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott L. O’Neill
- Institute of Vector-borne Disease, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- * E-mail:
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26
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Caragata EP, Pais FS, Baton LA, Silva JBL, Sorgine MHF, Moreira LA. The transcriptome of the mosquito Aedes fluviatilis (Diptera: Culicidae), and transcriptional changes associated with its native Wolbachia infection. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:6. [PMID: 28049478 PMCID: PMC5210266 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3441-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia is a bacterial endosymbiont that naturally infects a wide range of insect species, and causes drastic changes to host biology. Stable infections of Wolbachia in mosquitoes can inhibit infection with medically important pathogens such as dengue virus and malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites. However, some native Wolbachia strains can enhance infection with certain pathogens, as is the case for the mosquito Aedes fluviatilis, where infection with Plasmodium gallinaceum is enhanced by the native wFlu Wolbachia strain. To better understand the biological interactions between mosquitoes and native Wolbachia infections, and to investigate the process of pathogen enhancement, we used RNA-Seq to generate the transcriptome of Ae. fluviatilis with and without Wolbachia infection. Results In total, we generated 22,280,160 Illumina paired-end reads from Wolbachia-infected and uninfected mosquitoes, and used these to make a de novo transcriptome assembly, resulting in 58,013 contigs with a median sequence length of 443 bp and an N50 of 2454 bp. Contigs were annotated through local alignments using BlastX, and associated with both gene ontology and KEGG orthology terms. Through baySeq, we identified 159 contigs that were significantly upregulated due to Wolbachia infection, and 98 that were downregulated. Critically, we saw no changes to Toll or IMD immune gene transcription, but did see evidence that wFlu infection altered the expression of several bacterial recognition genes, and immune-related genes that could influence Plasmodium infection. wFlu infection also had a widespread effect on a number of host physiological processes including protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress. We then compared our data set with transcriptomic data for other Wolbachia infections in Aedes aegypti, and identified a core set of 15 gene groups associated with Wolbachia infection in mosquitoes. Conclusions While the scale of transcriptional changes associated with wFlu infection might be small, the scope is rather large, which confirms that native Wolbachia infections maintain intricate molecular relationships with their mosquito hosts even after lengthy periods of co-evolution. We have also identified several potential means through which wFlu infection might influence Plasmodium infection in Ae. fluviatilis, and these genes should form the basis of future investigation into the enhancement of Plasmodium by Wolbachia. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3441-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- E P Caragata
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - F S Pais
- Grupo de Informática de Biossistemas e Genômica, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - L A Baton
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - J B L Silva
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - M H F Sorgine
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - L A Moreira
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Caragata EP, Rezende FO, Simões TC, Moreira LA. Diet-Induced Nutritional Stress and Pathogen Interference in Wolbachia-Infected Aedes aegypti. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0005158. [PMID: 27893736 PMCID: PMC5125575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogen interference phenotype greatly restricts infection with dengue virus (DENV) and other pathogens in Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti, and is a vital component of Wolbachia-based mosquito control. Critically, the phenotype's causal mechanism is complex and poorly understood, with recent evidence suggesting that the cause may be species specific. To better understand this important phenotype, we investigated the role of diet-induced nutritional stress on interference against DENV and the avian malarial parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum in Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti, and on physiological processes linked to the phenotype. Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes were fed one of four different concentrations of sucrose, and then challenged with either P. gallinaceum or DENV. Interference against P. gallinaceum was significantly weakened by the change in diet however there was no effect on DENV interference. Immune gene expression and H2O2 levels have previously been linked to pathogen interference. These traits were assayed for mosquitoes on each diet using RT-qPCR and the Amplex Red Hydrogen Peroxide/Peroxidase Assay Kit, and it was observed that the change in diet did not significantly affect immune expression, but low carbohydrate levels led to a loss of ROS induction in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. Our data suggest that host nutrition may not influence DENV interference for Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes, but Plasmodium interference may be linked to both nutrition and oxidative stress. This pathogen-specific response to nutritional change highlights the complex nature of interactions between Wolbachia and pathogens in mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Pearce Caragata
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Oliveira Rezende
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Taynãna César Simões
- Serviço de Apoio a Métodos Quantitativos, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luciano Andrade Moreira
- Grupo Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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van Nouhuys S, Kohonen M, Duplouy A. Wolbachia increases the susceptibility of a parasitoid wasp to hyperparasitism. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:2984-2990. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.140699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The success of maternally transmitted endosymbiotic bacteria, such as Wolbachia, is directly linked to their host reproduction but in direct conflict with other parasites that kill the host before it reaches reproductive maturity. Therefore, symbionts that have evolved strategies to increase their host’s ability to evade lethal parasites may have high penetrance, while detrimental symbionts would be selected against, leading to lower penetrance or extinction from the host population. In a natural population of the parasitoid wasp Hyposoter horticola in the Åland Islands (Finland), the Wolbachia strain wHho persists at an intermediate prevalence (∼50%). Additionally, there is a negative correlation between the prevalence of Wolbachia and a hyperparasitoid wasp, Mesochorus cf. stigmaticus, in the landscape. Using a manipulative field experiment, we addressed the persistence of Wolbachia at this intermediate level, and tested whether the observed negative correlation could be due to Wolbachia inducing either susceptibility or resistance to parasitism. We show that infection with Wolbachia does not influence the ability of the wasp to parasitize its butterfly host, Melitaea cinxia, but that hyperparasitism of the wasp increases in the presence of wHho. Consequently, the symbiont is detrimental, and in order to persist in the host population, must also have a positive effect on fitness that outweighs the costly burden of susceptibility to widespread parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskya van Nouhuys
- University of Helsinki, Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, PL 65, Viikinkaari 1, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - Minna Kohonen
- University of Helsinki, Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, PL 65, Viikinkaari 1, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
| | - Anne Duplouy
- University of Helsinki, Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, PL 65, Viikinkaari 1, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland
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Multini LC, Wilke ABB, Suesdek L, Marrelli MT. Population Genetic Structure of Aedes fluviatilis (Diptera: Culicidae). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162328. [PMID: 27598889 PMCID: PMC5012556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Although Aedes fluviatilis is an anthropophilic mosquito found abundantly in urban environments, its biology, epidemiological potential and genetic characteristics are poorly understood. Climate change and urbanization processes that result in environmental modifications benefit certain anthropophilic mosquito species such as Ae. fluviatilis, greatly increasing their abundance in urban areas. To gain a better understanding of whether urbanization processes modulate the genetic structure of this species in the city of São Paulo, we used eight microsatellite loci to genetically characterize Ae. fluviatilis populations collected in nine urban parks in the city of São Paulo. Our results show that there is high gene flow among the populations of this species, heterozygosity deficiency and low genetic structure and that the species may have undergone a recent population expansion. There are two main hypotheses to explain these findings: (i) Ae. fluviatilis populations have undergone a population expansion as a result of urbanization; and (ii) as urbanization of the city of São Paulo occurred recently and was quite intense, the structuring of these populations cannot be observed yet, apart from in the populations of Ibirapuera and Piqueri parks, where the first signs of structuring have appeared. We believe that the expansion found in Ae. fluviatilis populations is probably correlated with the unplanned urbanization of the city of São Paulo, which transformed green areas into urbanized areas, as well as the increasing population density in the city.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cristina Multini
- Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - André Barretto Bruno Wilke
- Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- * E-mail:
| | - Lincoln Suesdek
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Mauro Toledo Marrelli
- Departamento de Epidemiologia, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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Dutra HLC, Lopes da Silva V, da Rocha Fernandes M, Logullo C, Maciel-de-Freitas R, Moreira LA. The influence of larval competition on Brazilian Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:282. [PMID: 27183820 PMCID: PMC4869337 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1559-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With field releases starting in Brazil, particular interest must be given to understanding how the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis affects Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with a Brazilian genetic background. Currently, there is limited information on how the bacterium affects phenotypic traits such as larval development rate, metabolic reserves and morphometric parameters in Ae. aegypti. Here, we analyze for the first time, the effect of Wolbachia on these key phenotypes and consider how this might impact the potential of the bacterium as a disease control agent in Brazil. METHODS We examined the influence of the wMel strain of Wolbachia in laboratory Ae. aegypti with a Brazilian genetic background, reared under different larval densities. Pupae formation was counted daily to assess differences in development rates. Levels of metabolic reserves and morphometric parameters were assessed in adults resulting from each larval condition. RESULTS wMel infection led to more rapid larval development at higher densities for both males and females, with no effect under less crowded conditions in females. Infection also led to reduced body size at both high and low density, but not at intermediate density, although the scale of this difference was maintained regardless of larval density, in comparison to uninfected individuals. Wing shape also varied significantly between infected and uninfected mosquitoes due to larval density. Glycogen levels in uninfected mosquitoes decreased under higher larval density, but were consistently high with Wolbachia infection, regardless of larval density. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that the wMel Wolbachia strain can positively influence some important host fitness traits, and that this interaction is directly linked to the conditions in which the host is reared. Combined with previously published data, these results suggest that this Wolbachia strain could be successfully used as part of the Eliminate Dengue Program in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heverton Leandro Carneiro Dutra
- Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno-Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Lopes da Silva
- Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Mariana da Rocha Fernandes
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos e Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos Logullo
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos e Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael Maciel-de-Freitas
- Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luciano Andrade Moreira
- Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno-Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
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Caragata EP, Dutra HL, Moreira LA. Exploiting Intimate Relationships: Controlling Mosquito-Transmitted Disease with Wolbachia. Trends Parasitol 2016; 32:207-218. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Jeffries CL, Walker T. Wolbachia Biocontrol Strategies for Arboviral Diseases and the Potential Influence of Resident Wolbachia Strains in Mosquitoes. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2016; 3:20-25. [PMID: 26925368 PMCID: PMC4757633 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-016-0066-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Arboviruses transmitted by mosquitoes are a major cause of human disease worldwide. The absence of vaccines and effective vector control strategies has resulted in the need for novel mosquito control strategies. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia has been proposed to form the basis for an effective mosquito biocontrol strategy. Resident strains of Wolbachia inhibit viral replication in Drosophila fruit flies and induce a reproductive phenotype known as cytoplasmic incompatibility that allows rapid invasion of insect populations. Transinfection of Wolbachia strains into the principle mosquito vector of dengue virus, Stegomyia aegypti, has resulted in dengue-refractory mosquito lines with minimal effects on mosquito fitness. Wolbachia strains have now been established in wild St. aegypti populations through open releases in dengue-endemic countries. In this review, we outline the current state of Wolbachia-based biocontrol strategies for dengue and discuss the potential impact of resident Wolbachia strains for additional target mosquito species that transmit arboviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire L Jeffries
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK
| | - Thomas Walker
- Department of Disease Control, Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT UK
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Stevanovic AL, Arnold PA, Johnson KN. Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection in Drosophila larvae and adults following oral infection. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:8215-23. [PMID: 26407882 PMCID: PMC4651092 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02841-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding viral dynamics in arthropods is of great importance when designing models to describe how viral spread can influence arthropod populations. The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia spp., which is present in up to 40% of all insect species, has the ability to alter viral dynamics in both Drosophila spp. and mosquitoes, a feature that in mosquitoes may be utilized to limit spread of important arboviruses. To understand the potential effect of Wolbachia on viral dynamics in nature, it is important to consider the impact of natural routes of virus infection on Wolbachia antiviral effects. Using adult Drosophila strains, we show here that Drosophila-Wolbachia associations that have previously been shown to confer antiviral protection following systemic viral infection also confer protection against virus-induced mortality following oral exposure to Drosophila C virus in adults. Interestingly, a different pattern was observed when the same fly lines were challenged with the virus when still larvae. Analysis of the four Drosophila-Wolbachia associations that were protective in adults indicated that only the w1118-wMelPop association conferred protection in larvae following oral delivery of the virus. Analysis of Wolbachia density using quantitative PCR (qPCR) showed that a high Wolbachia density was congruent with antiviral protection in both adults and larvae. This study indicates that Wolbachia-mediated protection may vary between larval and adult stages of a given Wolbachia-host combination and that the variations in susceptibility by life stage correspond with Wolbachia density. The differences in the outcome of virus infection are likely to influence viral dynamics in Wolbachia-infected insect populations in nature and could also have important implications for the transmission of arboviruses in mosquito populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksej L Stevanovic
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pieter A Arnold
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Karyn N Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Johnson KN. The Impact of Wolbachia on Virus Infection in Mosquitoes. Viruses 2015; 7:5705-17. [PMID: 26556361 PMCID: PMC4664976 DOI: 10.3390/v7112903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue, West Nile and chikungunya viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality in human populations. Since current methods are not sufficient to control disease occurrence, novel methods to control transmission of arboviruses would be beneficial. Recent studies have shown that virus infection and transmission in insects can be impeded by co-infection with the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis. Wolbachia is a maternally inherited endosymbiont that is commonly found in insects, including a number of mosquito vector species. In Drosophila, Wolbachia mediates antiviral protection against a broad range of RNA viruses. This discovery pointed to a potential strategy to interfere with mosquito transmission of arboviruses by artificially infecting mosquitoes with Wolbachia. This review outlines research on the prevalence of Wolbachia in mosquito vector species and the impact of antiviral effects in both naturally and artificially Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karyn N Johnson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
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35
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Epidemiological Scenario of Dengue in Brazil. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:321873. [PMID: 26413514 PMCID: PMC4568054 DOI: 10.1155/2015/321873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Dengue is the most important reemerging mosquito-borne viral disease worldwide. It is caused by any of four Dengue virus types or serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4) and is transmitted by mosquitoes from the genus Aedes. Ecological changes have favored the geographic expansion of the vector and, since the dengue pandemic in the Asian and Pacific regions, the infection became widely distributed worldwide, reaching Brazil in 1845. The incidence of dengue in Brazil has been frequently high, and the number of cases in the country has at some point in time represented up to 60% of the dengue reported cases worldwide. This review addresses vector distribution, dengue outbreaks, circulating serotypes and genotypes, and prevention approaches being utilized in Brazil.
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Joanne S, Vythilingam I, Yugavathy N, Leong CS, Wong ML, AbuBakar S. Distribution and dynamics of Wolbachia infection in Malaysian Aedes albopictus. Acta Trop 2015; 148:38-45. [PMID: 25899523 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia are maternally transmitted bacteria found in most arthropods and nematodes, but little is known about their distribution and reproductive dynamics in the Malaysian dengue vector Aedes albopictus. In this study, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the presence of Wolbachia from field collected Ae. albopictus from various parts of the country using wsp specific primers. Ae. albopictus had Wolbachia infection ranging from 60 to 100%. No sequence diversity of wsp gene was found within all wAlbA and wAlbB sequences. Our findings suggest that Wolbachia infection amongst the Malaysian Ae. albopictus were not homogenously distributed in all districts in Malaysia. The presence of Wolbachia in different organs of Ae. albopictus was also determined. Wolbachia were only found in the ovaries and midguts of the mosquitoes, while absent in the salivary glands. The effects of Wolbachia on Ae. albopictus fecundity, longevity and egg viability were studied using infected and uninfected colonies. The removal of Wolbachia from Ae. albopictus resulted in reduced fecundity, longevity and egg viability, thus. Wolbachia seem to play a vital role in Ae. albopictus reproductive system.
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Strauß JF, Telschow A. Modeling the indirect effect of Wolbachia on the infection dynamics of horizontally transmitted viruses. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:378. [PMID: 25972858 PMCID: PMC4412059 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia are widely distributed in arthropods. There is growing empirical evidence that Wolbachia directly interacts with viruses and other parasites inside the arthropod host, sometimes resulting in low or no pathogen replication. Previous theoretical studies showed that this direct effect of Wolbachia can result in a reduced virus prevalence (within the population), suggesting that Wolbachia could be used in the biological control of vector-borne diseases (e.g., dengue fever). However, Wolbachia might also indirectly affect virus dynamics because Wolbachia-induced reproductive phenotypes (cytoplasmic incompatibility or male killing) increase the larval mortality of hosts and thus alter the age structure of populations. We investigated this indirect effect using mathematical models with overlapping generations, and found the results to depend strongly on the host's life history. In general, the indirect effect can result in two different outcomes: (1) reduced virus prevalence and virus invasion ability, and (2) increased virus prevalence and virus invasion ability. The former occurs for host species with larval competition and undercompensation, the latter for hosts with either adult competition or larval competition and overcompensation. These findings suggest that the effect of Wolbachia on a specific virus is sensitive to the host's life history. We discuss the results with respect to biocontrol programs using Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob F Strauß
- Genome Evolution Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster Münster, Germany
| | - Arndt Telschow
- Genome Evolution Group, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster Münster, Germany
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Effect of repeat human blood feeding on Wolbachia density and dengue virus infection in Aedes aegypti. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:246. [PMID: 25903749 PMCID: PMC4413987 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0853-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The introduction of the endosymbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti populations is a novel approach to reduce disease transmission. The presence of Wolbachia limits the ability of the mosquito to transmit dengue virus (DENV) and the strength of this effect appears to correlate with Wolbachia densities in the mosquito. There is also some evidence that Wolbachia densities may increase following the consumption of a bloodmeal. Here we have examined whether multiple blood feeds lead to increases in density or associated changes in Wolbachia-mediated blocking of DENV. Methods The Wolbachia infected Aedes aegypti mosquito line was used for the study. There were three treatment groups; a non-blood fed control, a second group fed once and a third group fed twice on human blood. All groups were orally infected with DENV-2 and then their midguts and salivary glands were dissected 10–11 days post infection. RNA/DNA was simultaneously extracted from each tissue and subsequently used for DENV RNA copies and Wolbachia density quantification, respectively. Results We found variation between replicate vector competence experiments and no clear evidence that Wolbachia numbers increased in either the salivary glands or remainder of the body with feeding and hence saw no corresponding improvements in DENV blocking. Conclusions Aedes aegypti are “sip” feeders returning often to obtain bloodmeals and hence it is important to assess whether repeat blood feeding improved the efficacy of Wolbachia-based DENV blocking. Our work suggests in the laboratory context when Wolbachia densities are high that repeat feeding does not improve blocking and hence this ability should likely be stable with respect to feeding cycle in the field.
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Dutra HLC, dos Santos LMB, Caragata EP, Silva JBL, Villela DAM, Maciel-de-Freitas R, Moreira LA. From lab to field: the influence of urban landscapes on the invasive potential of Wolbachia in Brazilian Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003689. [PMID: 25905888 PMCID: PMC4408005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia is currently being trialled as a biocontrol agent in several countries to reduce dengue transmission. Wolbachia can invade and spread to infect all individuals within wild mosquito populations, but requires a high rate of maternal transmission, strong cytoplasmic incompatibility and low fitness costs in the host in order to do so. Additionally, extensive differences in climate, field-release protocols, urbanization level and human density amongst the sites where this bacterium has been deployed have limited comparison and analysis of Wolbachia’s invasive potential. Methodology/Principal Findings We examined key phenotypic effects of the wMel Wolbachia strain in laboratory Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with a Brazilian genetic background to characterize its invasive potential. We show that the wMel strain causes strong cytoplasmic incompatibility, a high rate of maternal transmission and has no evident detrimental effect on host fecundity or fertility. Next, to understand the effects of different urban landscapes on the likelihood of mosquito survival, we performed mark-release-recapture experiments using Wolbachia-uninfected Brazilian mosquitoes in two areas of Rio de Janeiro where Wolbachia will be deployed in the future. We characterized the mosquito populations in relation to the socio-demographic conditions at these sites, and at three other future release areas. We then constructed mathematical models using both the laboratory and field data, and used these to describe the influence of urban environmental conditions on the likelihood that the Wolbachia infection frequency could reach 100% following mosquito release. We predict successful invasion at all five field sites, however the conditions by which this occurs vary greatly between sites, and are strongly influenced by the size of the local mosquito population. Conclusions/Significance Through analysis of laboratory, field and mathematical data, we show that the wMel strain of Wolbachia possesses the characteristics required to spread effectively in different urban socio-demographic environments in Rio de Janeiro, including those where mosquito releases from the Eliminate Dengue Program will take place. Wolbachia are maternally inherited bacterial endosymbionts that induce cytoplasmic incompatibility in mosquitoes, and use this pattern of sterility to facilitate their spread into naïve, uninfected host populations. These bacteria were recently introduced into Aedes aegypti, a species naturally free of Wolbachia, and the primary vector of dengue virus. Wolbachia are currently being used as a biological tool to control dengue transmission in many countries, including Brazil. We performed a series of laboratory and field assays and then created mathematical models in order to understand the invasive ability of the wMel Wolbachia strain in Brazilian Ae. aegypti mosquito populations. We show that wMel infection had no detrimental fitness effects on its new Brazilian host, and would theoretically be able to successfully invade the mosquito populations in the five distinct urban landscapes that we studied. We found that Wolbachia spread more easily where the local mosquito population was smaller. The size of the local human population did not overtly influence the likelihood of spread. These findings provide insight into how the nature of different urban landscapes will affect the likelihood of Wolbachia spreading effectively, which will greatly assist future releases of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in Brazil as part of the Eliminate Dengue Program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heverton Leandro Carneiro Dutra
- Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Eric Pearce Caragata
- Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Barreto Lopes Silva
- Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Rafael Maciel-de-Freitas
- Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciano Andrade Moreira
- Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Duval D, Galinier R, Mouahid G, Toulza E, Allienne JF, Portela J, Calvayrac C, Rognon A, Arancibia N, Mitta G, Théron A, Gourbal B. A novel bacterial pathogen of Biomphalaria glabrata: a potential weapon for schistosomiasis control? PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003489. [PMID: 25719489 PMCID: PMC4342248 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is the second-most widespread tropical parasitic disease after malaria. Various research strategies and treatment programs for achieving the objective of eradicating schistosomiasis within a decade have been recommended and supported by the World Health Organization. One of these approaches is based on the control of snail vectors in endemic areas. Previous field studies have shown that competitor or predator introduction can reduce snail numbers, but no systematic investigation has ever been conducted to identify snail microbial pathogens and evaluate their molluscicidal effects. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In populations of Biomphalaria glabrata snails experiencing high mortalities, white nodules were visible on snail bodies. Infectious agents were isolated from such nodules. Only one type of bacteria, identified as a new species of Paenibacillus named Candidatus Paenibacillus glabratella, was found, and was shown to be closely related to P. alvei through 16S and Rpob DNA analysis. Histopathological examination showed extensive bacterial infiltration leading to overall tissue disorganization. Exposure of healthy snails to Paenibacillus-infected snails caused massive mortality. Moreover, eggs laid by infected snails were also infected, decreasing hatching but without apparent effects on spawning. Embryonic lethality was correlated with the presence of pathogenic bacteria in eggs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This is the first account of a novel Paenibacillus strain, Ca. Paenibacillus glabratella, as a snail microbial pathogen. Since this strain affects both adult and embryonic stages and causes significant mortality, it may hold promise as a biocontrol agent to limit schistosomiasis transmission in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Duval
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Richard Galinier
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Gabriel Mouahid
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Eve Toulza
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Jean François Allienne
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Julien Portela
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Christophe Calvayrac
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Biomolécules et de l’Environnement (LCBE, EA 4215), Perpignan, France
| | - Anne Rognon
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Nathalie Arancibia
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Guillaume Mitta
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - André Théron
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Benjamin Gourbal
- CNRS, UMR 5244, Ecologie et Evolution des Interactions (2EI), Perpignan, France
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Perpignan, France
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Oxidative stress correlates with Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection in Wolbachia-Drosophila associations. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:3001-5. [PMID: 25710364 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03847-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia mediates antiviral protection in insect hosts and is being developed as a potential biocontrol agent to reduce the spread of insect-vectored viruses. Definition of the molecular mechanism that generates protection is important for understanding the tripartite interaction between host insect, Wolbachia, and virus. Elevated oxidative stress was previously reported for a mosquito line experimentally infected with Wolbachia, suggesting that oxidative stress is important for Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection. However, Wolbachia experimentally introduced into mosquitoes impacts a range of host fitness traits, some of which are unrelated to antiviral protection. To explore whether elevated oxidative stress is associated with antiviral protection in Wolbachia-infected insects, we analyzed oxidative stress of five Wolbachia-infected Drosophila lines. In flies infected with protective Wolbachia strains, hydrogen peroxide concentrations were 1.25- to 2-fold higher than those in paired fly lines cured of Wolbachia infection. In contrast, there was no difference in the hydrogen peroxide concentrations in flies infected with nonprotective Wolbachia strains compared to flies cured of Wolbachia infection. Using a Drosophila mutant that produces increased levels of hydrogen peroxide, we investigated whether flies with high levels of endogenous reactive oxygen species had altered responses to virus infection and found that flies with high levels of endogenous hydrogen peroxide were less susceptible to virus-induced mortality. Taken together, these results suggest that elevated oxidative stress correlates with Wolbachia-mediated antiviral protection in natural Drosophila hosts.
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Gerardo NM, Parker BJ. Mechanisms of symbiont-conferred protection against natural enemies: an ecological and evolutionary framework. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2014; 4:8-14. [PMID: 28043411 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2014.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Revised: 08/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Many vertically-transmitted microbial symbionts protect their insect hosts from natural enemies, including host-targeted pathogens and parasites, and those vectored by insects to other hosts. Protection is often achieved through production of inhibiting toxins, which is not surprising given that toxin production mediates competition in many environments. Classical models of macroecological interactions, however, demonstrate that interspecific competition can be less direct, and recent research indicates that symbiont-protection can be mediated through exploitation of limiting resources, and through activation of host immune mechanisms that then suppress natural enemies. Available data, though limited, suggest that effects of symbionts on vectored pathogens and parasites, as compared to those that are host-targeted, are more likely to result from symbiont activation of the host immune system. We discuss these different mechanisms in light of their potential impact on the evolution of host physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Gerardo
- Department of Biology, Emory University, O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, 1510 E. Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Benjamin J Parker
- Department of Zoology, The University of Oxford, The Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX13PS, UK.
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Zélé F, Vézilier J, L'Ambert G, Nicot A, Gandon S, Rivero A, Duron O. Dynamics of prevalence and diversity of avian malaria infections in wild Culex pipiens mosquitoes: the effects of Wolbachia, filarial nematodes and insecticide resistance. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:437. [PMID: 25228147 PMCID: PMC4261254 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Identifying the parasites transmitted by a particular vector and the factors that render this vector susceptible to the parasite are key steps to understanding disease transmission. Although avian malaria has become a model system for the investigation of the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of Plasmodium parasites, little is still known about the field prevalence, diversity and distribution of avian Plasmodium species within the vectors, or about the extrinsic factors affecting Plasmodium population dynamics in the wild. Methods We examined changes in avian malaria prevalence and Plasmodium lineage composition in female Culex pipiens caught throughout one field season in 2006, across four sampling sites in southern France. Using site occupancy models, we correct the naive estimates of Plasmodium prevalence to account for PCR-based imperfect detection. To establish the importance of different factors that may bear on the prevalence and diversity of avian Plasmodium in field mosquitoes, we focus on Wolbachia and filarial parasite co-infections, as well as on the insecticide resistance status of the mosquito. Results Plasmodium prevalence in Cx. pipiens increased from February (0%) to October (15.8%) and did not vary significantly among the four sampling sites. The application of site occupancy models leads to a 4% increase in this initial (naive) estimate of prevalence. The parasite community was composed of 15 different haemosporidian lineages, 13 of which belonged to the Plasmodium genus, and 2 to the Haemoproteus genus. Neither the presence of different Wolbachia types and of filarial parasites co-infecting the mosquitoes, nor their insecticide resistance status were found to affect the Plasmodium prevalence and diversity. Conclusion We found that haemosporidian parasites are common and diverse in wild-caught Cx. pipiens mosquitoes in Southern France. The prevalence of the infection in mosquitoes is unaffected by Wolbachia and filarial co-infections as well as the insecticide resistant status of the vector. These factors may thus have a negligible impact on the transmission of avian malaria. In contrast, the steady increase in prevalence from February to October indicates that the dynamics of avian malaria is driven by seasonality and supports that infected birds are the reservoir of a diverse community of lineages in southern France. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1756-3305-7-437) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flore Zélé
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, (UMR CNRS-UM1-UM2 5290, IRD 224), Centre de Recherche IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, 34394 Montpellier, France.
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Hughes GL, Rivero A, Rasgon JL. Wolbachia can enhance Plasmodium infection in mosquitoes: implications for malaria control? PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004182. [PMID: 25187984 PMCID: PMC4154766 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Grant L. Hughes
- The Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ana Rivero
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle, MIVEGEC (UMR CNRS-UM1-UM2 5290, IRD 224), Montpellier, France
| | - Jason L. Rasgon
- The Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Hughes GL, Dodson BL, Johnson RM, Murdock CC, Tsujimoto H, Suzuki Y, Patt AA, Cui L, Nossa CW, Barry RM, Sakamoto JM, Hornett EA, Rasgon JL. Native microbiome impedes vertical transmission of Wolbachia in Anopheles mosquitoes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:12498-503. [PMID: 25114252 PMCID: PMC4151774 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1408888111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over evolutionary time, Wolbachia has been repeatedly transferred between host species contributing to the widespread distribution of the symbiont in arthropods. For novel infections to be maintained, Wolbachia must infect the female germ line after being acquired by horizontal transfer. Although mechanistic examples of horizontal transfer exist, there is a poor understanding of factors that lead to successful vertical maintenance of the acquired infection. Using Anopheles mosquitoes (which are naturally uninfected by Wolbachia) we demonstrate that the native mosquito microbiota is a major barrier to vertical transmission of a horizontally acquired Wolbachia infection. After injection into adult Anopheles gambiae, some strains of Wolbachia invade the germ line, but are poorly transmitted to the next generation. In Anopheles stephensi, Wolbachia infection elicited massive blood meal-induced mortality, preventing development of progeny. Manipulation of the mosquito microbiota by antibiotic treatment resulted in perfect maternal transmission at significantly elevated titers of the wAlbB Wolbachia strain in A. gambiae, and alleviated blood meal-induced mortality in A. stephensi enabling production of Wolbachia-infected offspring. Microbiome analysis using high-throughput sequencing identified that the bacterium Asaia was significantly reduced by antibiotic treatment in both mosquito species. Supplementation of an antibiotic-resistant mutant of Asaia to antibiotic-treated mosquitoes completely inhibited Wolbachia transmission and partly contributed to blood meal-induced mortality. These data suggest that the components of the native mosquito microbiota can impede Wolbachia transmission in Anopheles. Incompatibility between the microbiota and Wolbachia may in part explain why some hosts are uninfected by this endosymbiont in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Carlos W Nossa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005; and
| | | | | | - Emily A Hornett
- Biology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802; The Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom
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Wolbachia enhances West Nile virus (WNV) infection in the mosquito Culex tarsalis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2965. [PMID: 25010200 PMCID: PMC4091933 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel strategies are required to control mosquitoes and the pathogens they transmit. One attractive approach involves maternally inherited endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria. After artificial infection with Wolbachia, many mosquitoes become refractory to infection and transmission of diverse pathogens. We evaluated the effects of Wolbachia (wAlbB strain) on infection, dissemination and transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) in the naturally uninfected mosquito Culex tarsalis, which is an important WNV vector in North America. After inoculation into adult female mosquitoes, Wolbachia reached high titers and disseminated widely to numerous tissues including the head, thoracic flight muscles, fat body and ovarian follicles. Contrary to other systems, Wolbachia did not inhibit WNV in this mosquito. Rather, WNV infection rate was significantly higher in Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes compared to controls. Quantitative PCR of selected innate immune genes indicated that REL1 (the activator of the antiviral Toll immune pathway) was down regulated in Wolbachia-infected relative to control mosquitoes. This is the first observation of Wolbachia-induced enhancement of a human pathogen in mosquitoes, suggesting that caution should be applied before releasing Wolbachia-infected insects as part of a vector-borne disease control program. Current methods to control mosquitoes and the pathogens they transmit are ineffective, partly due to insecticide and drug resistance. One novel control method involves exploiting naturally occurring Wolbachia bacteria in insects. Wolbachia are bacterial symbionts that are attractive candidates for mosquito-borne disease control due to their ability to inhibit pathogens infecting humans. Additionally, Wolbachia affects insect reproduction to facilitate its own transmission to offspring, which has been exploited to establish the bacterium in naturally uninfected field populations. Most Wolbachia pathogen control research has focused on Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes, but Culex mosquitoes also transmit pathogens that affect human health. We evaluated impacts of Wolbachia infection on West Nile virus (WNV) in the naturally uninfected mosquito Culex tarsalis. Wolbachia was able to efficiently establish infection in Cx. tarsalis but contrary to other studies, Wolbachia enhanced rather than inhibited WNV infection. Enhancement occurred in conjunction with suppression of mosquito anti-viral immune gene expression. This study indicates that Wolbachia control strategies to disrupt WNV via pathogen interference may not be feasible in Cx. tarsalis, and that caution should be used when releasing Wolbachia infected mosquitoes to control human vector-borne diseases.
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da Rocha Fernandes M, Martins R, Pessoa Costa E, Casagrande Pacidônio E, Araujo de Abreu L, da Silva Vaz I, Moreira LA, da Fonseca RN, Logullo C. The modulation of the symbiont/host interaction between Wolbachia pipientis and Aedes fluviatilis embryos by glycogen metabolism. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98966. [PMID: 24926801 PMCID: PMC4057193 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis, a maternally transmitted bacterium that colonizes arthropods, may affect the general aspects of insect physiology, particularly reproduction. Wolbachia is a natural endosymbiont of Aedes fluviatilis, whose effects in embryogenesis and reproduction have not been addressed so far. In this context, we investigated the correlation between glucose metabolism and morphological alterations during A. fluviatilis embryo development in Wolbachia-positive (W+) and Wolbachia-negative (W-) mosquito strains. While both strains do not display significant morphological and larval hatching differences, larger differences were observed in hexokinase activity and glycogen contents during early and mid-stages of embryogenesis, respectively. To investigate if glycogen would be required for parasite-host interaction, we reduced Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (GSK-3) levels in adult females and their eggs by RNAi. GSK-3 knock-down leads to embryonic lethality, lower levels of glycogen and total protein and Wolbachia reduction. Therefore, our results suggest that the relationship between A. fluviatilis and Wolbachia may be modulated by glycogen metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana da Rocha Fernandes
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos and Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Renato Martins
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos and Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Evenilton Pessoa Costa
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos and Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Leonardo Araujo de Abreu
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos and Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda (LIBHM), Núcleo de Pesquisas Ecológicas e Socioambientais de Macaé (NUPEM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ/Macaé), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Itabajara da Silva Vaz
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Luciano A. Moreira
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Nunes da Fonseca
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda (LIBHM), Núcleo de Pesquisas Ecológicas e Socioambientais de Macaé (NUPEM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ/Macaé), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos Logullo
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos and Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Hughes G, Samuels S, Shaikh K, Rasgon J, Vardo-Zalik A. Discrimination of the Plasmodium mexicanum vectors Lutzomyia stewarti and Lutzomyia vexator by a PCR-RFLP assay and Wolbachia infection. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2014; 39:224-227. [PMID: 24820578 PMCID: PMC4281934 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2014.12092.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- G.L. Hughes
- The Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, U.S.A
| | - S.K. Samuels
- Science Department, The Pennsylvania State University, York, PA 17403, U.S.A
| | - K. Shaikh
- Science Department, The Pennsylvania State University, York, PA 17403, U.S.A
| | - J.L. Rasgon
- The Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, U.S.A
| | - A.M. Vardo-Zalik
- The Huck Institutes of The Life Sciences, The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and the Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, U.S.A
- Science Department, The Pennsylvania State University, York, PA 17403, U.S.A
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49
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Wolbachia detection in insects through LAMP: loop mediated isothermal amplification. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:228. [PMID: 24885509 PMCID: PMC4033683 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The bacterium Wolbachia is a promising agent for the biological control of vector-borne diseases as some strains have the ability to block the transmission of key human disease-causing pathogens. Fast, accurate and inexpensive methods of differentiating between infected and uninfected insects will be of critical importance as field-based trials of Wolbachia-based bio-control become increasingly common. FINDINGS We have developed a specific and sensitive method of detecting Wolbachia based on the isothermal DNA amplification. This technique can be performed in an ordinary heat block without the need for gel-based visualisation, and is effective for a wide variety of insect hosts. CONCLUSION Here we present the development of a rapid, highly sensitive and inexpensive method to detect Wolbachia in a variety of insect hosts, including key mosquito disease vectors.
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Bourtzis K, Dobson SL, Xi Z, Rasgon JL, Calvitti M, Moreira LA, Bossin HC, Moretti R, Baton LA, Hughes GL, Mavingui P, Gilles JRL. Harnessing mosquito-Wolbachia symbiosis for vector and disease control. Acta Trop 2014; 132 Suppl:S150-63. [PMID: 24252486 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Revised: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mosquito species, members of the genera Aedes, Anopheles and Culex, are the major vectors of human pathogens including protozoa (Plasmodium sp.), filariae and of a variety of viruses (causing dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, West Nile). There is lack of efficient methods and tools to treat many of the diseases caused by these major human pathogens, since no efficient vaccines or drugs are available; even in malaria where insecticide use and drug therapies have reduced incidence, 219 million cases still occurred in 2010. Therefore efforts are currently focused on the control of vector populations. Insecticides alone are insufficient to control mosquito populations since reduced susceptibility and even resistance is being observed more and more frequently. There is also increased concern about the toxic effects of insecticides on non-target (even beneficial) insect populations, on humans and the environment. During recent years, the role of symbionts in the biology, ecology and evolution of insect species has been well-documented and has led to suggestions that they could potentially be used as tools to control pests and therefore diseases. Wolbachia is perhaps the most renowned insect symbiont, mainly due to its ability to manipulate insect reproduction and to interfere with major human pathogens thus providing new avenues for pest control. We herein present recent achievements in the field of mosquito-Wolbachia symbiosis with an emphasis on Aedes albopictus. We also discuss how Wolbachia symbiosis can be harnessed for vector control as well as the potential to combine the sterile insect technique and Wolbachia-based approaches for the enhancement of population suppression programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Bourtzis
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Wagrammerstrasse 5, Vienna 1220, Austria.
| | - Stephen L Dobson
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Zhiyong Xi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Jason L Rasgon
- The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Maurizio Calvitti
- UTAGRI-ECO, CR ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Rome, Italy.
| | - Luciano A Moreira
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ Minas, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto, CEP 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Hervé C Bossin
- Unit of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institut Louis Malardé, Tahiti, BP 30-98713 Papeete, French Polynesia.
| | - Riccardo Moretti
- UTAGRI-ECO, CR ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Rome, Italy.
| | - Luke Anthony Baton
- Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ Minas, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto, CEP 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
| | - Grant L Hughes
- The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
| | - Patrick Mavingui
- Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 CNRS, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
| | - Jeremie R L Gilles
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Wagrammerstrasse 5, Vienna 1220, Austria.
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