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Thayanukul P, Lertanantawong B, Sirawaraporn W, Charasmongkolcharoen S, Chaibun T, Jittungdee R, Kittayapong P. Simple, sensitive, and cost-effective detection of wAlbB Wolbachia in Aedes mosquitoes, using loop mediated isothermal amplification combined with the electrochemical biosensing method. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0009600. [PMID: 35560029 PMCID: PMC9132313 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia is an endosymbiont bacterium generally found in about 40% of insects, including mosquitoes, but it is absent in Aedes aegypti which is an important vector of several arboviral diseases. The evidence that Wolbachia trans-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes lost their vectorial competence and became less capable of transmitting arboviruses to human hosts highlights the potential of using Wolbachia-based approaches for prevention and control of arboviral diseases. Recently, release of Wolbachia trans-infected Ae. aegypti has been deployed widely in many countries for the control of mosquito-borne viral diseases. Field surveillance and monitoring of Wolbachia presence in released mosquitoes is important for the success of these control programs. So far, a number of studies have reported the development of loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays to detect Wolbachia in mosquitoes, but the methods still have some specificity and cost issues. Methodology/Principal findings We describe here the development of a LAMP assay combined with the DNA strand displacement-based electrochemical sensor (BIOSENSOR) method to detect wAlbB Wolbachia in trans-infected Ae. aegypti. Our developed LAMP primers used a low-cost dye detecting system and 4 oligo nucleotide primers which can reduce the cost of analysis while the specificity is comparable to the previous methods. The detection capacity of our LAMP technique was 1.4 nM and the detection limit reduced to 2.2 fM when combined with the BIOSENSOR. Our study demonstrates that a BIOSENSOR can also be applied as a stand-alone method for detecting Wolbachia; and it showed high sensitivity when used with the crude DNA extracts of macerated mosquito samples without DNA purification. Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that both LAMP and BIOSENSOR, either used in combination or stand-alone, are robust and sensitive. The methods have good potential for routine detection of Wolbachia in mosquitoes during field surveillance and monitoring of Wolbachia-based release programs, especially in countries with limited resources. Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, zika, and yellow fever are transmitted to humans mainly by the bites of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Controlling the vectors of these diseases relies mostly on the use of insecticides. However, the efficiency has been reduced through the development of insecticide resistance in mosquitoes. Wolbachia is an endosymbiotic bacterium that is naturally found in 40% of insects, including mosquitoes. The bacterium can protect its insect hosts from viral infections and can also cause sterility in insect host populations, therefore, providing an opportunity to use it for human disease control. Application of a Wolbachia trans-infected mosquitoes needs simple, rapid and sensitive methods for detecting the bacteria in released mosquitoes. In this paper, we develop the methods of LAMP and BIOSENSORS for detecting wAlbB Wolbachia in mosquitoes. Our positive LAMP reaction can be visualized by color change from violet to blue at a sensitivity of ≥ 10 pg of genomic DNA. When used in combination with the BIOSENSOR method, the sensitivity increases a millionfold without losing specificity. Our study suggests that both developed methods, either used in combination or stand-alone, are efficient and cost-effective, hence, they could be applied for routine surveys of Wolbachia in mosquito control programs that use Wolbachia-based approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parinda Thayanukul
- Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Benchaporn Lertanantawong
- Biosensors Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Worachart Sirawaraporn
- Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | | | - Thanyarat Chaibun
- Biosensors Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | | | - Pattamaporn Kittayapong
- Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- * E-mail:
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Gu X, Ross PA, Rodriguez-Andres J, Robinson KL, Yang Q, Lau MJ, Hoffmann AA. A wMel Wolbachia variant in Aedes aegypti from field-collected Drosophila melanogaster with increased phenotypic stability under heat stress. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:2119-2135. [PMID: 35319146 PMCID: PMC9544352 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito‐borne diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Population replacement strategies involving the wMel strain of Wolbachia are being used widely to control mosquito‐borne diseases. However, these strategies may be influenced by temperature because wMel is vulnerable to heat. wMel infections in Drosophila melanogaster are genetically diverse, but few transinfections of wMel variants have been generated in Aedes aegypti. Here, we successfully transferred a wMel variant (termed wMelM) originating from a field‐collected D. melanogaster into Ae. aegypti. The new wMelM variant (clade I) is genetically distinct from the original wMel transinfection (clade III), and there are no genomic differences between wMelM in its original and transinfected host. We compared wMelM with wMel in its effects on host fitness, temperature tolerance, Wolbachia density, vector competence, cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission under heat stress in a controlled background. wMelM showed a higher heat tolerance than wMel, likely due to higher overall densities within the mosquito. Both wMel variants had minimal host fitness costs, complete cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission, and dengue virus blocking under laboratory conditions. Our results highlight phenotypic differences between Wolbachia variants and wMelM shows potential as an alternative strain in areas with strong seasonal temperature fluctuations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Gu
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Perran A Ross
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Julio Rodriguez-Andres
- Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic, 3000, Australia
| | - Katie L Robinson
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Qiong Yang
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Meng-Jia Lau
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group, Bio21 Institute and the School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
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Lai MY, Suppiah J, Thayan R, Ismail I, Mustapa NI, Soh TST, Hassan AH, Peariasamy KM, Lee YL, Lau YL. RNA purification-free detection of SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). Trop Med Health 2022; 50:2. [PMID: 34980275 PMCID: PMC8723997 DOI: 10.1186/s41182-021-00396-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection relies on RNA purification prior to amplification. Typical extraction methods limit the processing speed and turnaround time for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing. METHODS Here, we applied reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification directly onto human clinical swabs samples to amplify the RNA from SARS-CoV-2 swab samples after processing with chelating resin. RESULTS By testing our method on 64 samples, we managed to develop an RT-LAMP assay with 95.9% sensitivity (95% CI 86 to 99.5%) and 100% specificity (95% CI 78.2-100%). CONCLUSION The entire process including sample processing can be completed in approximately 50 min. This method has promising potential to be applied as a fast, simple and inexpensive diagnostic tool for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yee Lai
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jeyanthi Suppiah
- Virology Unit, Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ravindran Thayan
- Virology Unit, Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ilyiana Ismail
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Ministry of Health, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nur Izati Mustapa
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Ministry of Health, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Tuan Suhaila Tuan Soh
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Ministry of Health, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Afifah Haji Hassan
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Ministry of Health, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kalaiarasu M Peariasamy
- Institute for Clinical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yee Leng Lee
- Clinical Research Centre, Hospital Sungai Buloh, Ministry of Health, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yee Ling Lau
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Wolbachia detection in Aedes aegypti using MALDI-TOF MS coupled to artificial intelligence. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21355. [PMID: 34725401 PMCID: PMC8560810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00888-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the major vector of arboviruses like dengue, Zika and chikungunya viruses. Attempts to reduce arboviruses emergence focusing on Ae. aegypti control has proven challenging due to the increase of insecticide resistances. An emerging strategy which consists of releasing Ae. aegypti artificially infected with Wolbachia in natural mosquito populations is currently being developed. The monitoring of Wolbachia-positive Ae. aegypti in the field is performed in order to ensure the program effectiveness. Here, the reliability of the Matrix‑Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization‑Time Of Flight (MALDI‑TOF) coupled with the machine learning methods like Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to detect Wolbachia in field Ae. aegypti was assessed for the first time. For this purpose, laboratory reared and field Ae. aegypti were analyzed. The results showed that the CNN recognized Ae. aegypti spectral patterns associated with Wolbachia-infection. The MALDI-TOF coupled with the CNN (sensitivity = 93%, specificity = 99%, accuracy = 97%) was more efficient than the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and as efficient as qPCR for Wolbachia detection. It therefore represents an interesting method to evaluate the prevalence of Wolbachia in field Ae. aegypti mosquitoes.
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A wAlbB Wolbachia transinfection displays stable phenotypic effects across divergent Aedes aegypti mosquito backgrounds. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0126421. [PMID: 34379518 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01264-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes mosquitoes harboring intracellular Wolbachia bacteria are being released in arbovirus and mosquito control programs. With releases taking place around the world, understanding the contribution of host variation to Wolbachia phenotype is crucial. We generated a Wolbachia transinfection (wAlbBQ) in Aedes aegypti and performed backcrossing to introduce the infection into Australian or Malaysian nuclear backgrounds. Whole Wolbachia genome sequencing shows that the wAlbBQ transinfection is near-identical to the reference wAlbB genome, suggesting few changes since the infection was first introduced to Ae. aegypti over 15 years ago. However, these sequences were distinct from other available wAlbB genome sequences, highlighting the potential diversity of wAlbB in natural Ae. albopictus populations. Phenotypic comparisons demonstrate effects of wAlbB infection on egg hatch and nuclear background on fecundity and body size, but no interactions between wAlbB infection and nuclear background for any trait. The wAlbB infection was stable at high temperatures and showed perfect maternal transmission and cytoplasmic incompatibility regardless of host background. Our results demonstrate the stability of wAlbB across host backgrounds and point to its long-term effectiveness for controlling arbovirus transmission and mosquito populations. Importance Wolbachia bacteria are being used to control the transmission of dengue and other arboviruses by mosquitoes. For Wolbachia release programs to be effective globally, Wolbachia infections must be stable across mosquito populations from different locations. In this study, we transferred Wolbachia (strain wAlbB) to Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with an Australian genotype and introduced the infection to Malaysian mosquitoes through backcrossing. We found that the phenotypic effects of Wolbachia are stable across both mosquito backgrounds. We sequenced the genome of wAlbB and found very few genetic changes despite spending over 15 years in a novel mosquito host. Our results suggest that the effects of Wolbachia infections are likely to remain stable across time and host genotype.
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Manoj RRS, Latrofa MS, Epis S, Otranto D. Wolbachia: endosymbiont of onchocercid nematodes and their vectors. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:245. [PMID: 33962669 PMCID: PMC8105934 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04742-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular maternally transmitted, gram-negative bacterium which forms a spectrum of endosymbiotic relationships from parasitism to obligatory mutualism in a wide range of arthropods and onchocercid nematodes, respectively. In arthropods Wolbachia produces reproductive manipulations such as male killing, feminization, parthenogenesis and cytoplasmic incompatibility for its propagation and provides an additional fitness benefit for the host to protect against pathogens, whilst in onchocercid nematodes, apart from the mutual metabolic dependence, this bacterium is involved in moulting, embryogenesis, growth and survival of the host. Methods This review details the molecular data of Wolbachia and its effect on host biology, immunity, ecology and evolution, reproduction, endosymbiont-based treatment and control strategies exploited for filariasis. Relevant peer-reviewed scientic papers available in various authenticated scientific data bases were considered while writing the review. Conclusions The information presented provides an overview on Wolbachia biology and its use in the control and/or treatment of vectors, onchocercid nematodes and viral diseases of medical and veterinary importance. This offers the development of new approaches for the control of a variety of vector-borne diseases. Graphic Abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sara Epis
- Department of Biosciences and Pediatric CRC 'Romeo Ed Enrica Invernizzi', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy. .,Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
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Ross PA, Callahan AG, Yang Q, Jasper M, Arif MAK, Afizah AN, Nazni WA, Hoffmann AA. An elusive endosymbiont: Does Wolbachia occur naturally in Aedes aegypti? Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1581-1591. [PMID: 32076535 PMCID: PMC7029055 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are maternally inherited endosymbiotic bacteria found within many insect species. Aedes mosquitoes experimentally infected with Wolbachia are being released into the field for Aedes-borne disease control. These Wolbachia infections induce cytoplasmic incompatibility which is used to suppress populations through incompatible matings or replace populations through the reproductive advantage provided by this mechanism. However, the presence of naturally occurring Wolbachia in target populations could interfere with both population replacement and suppression programs depending on the compatibility patterns between strains. Aedes aegypti were thought to not harbor Wolbachia naturally but several recent studies have detected Wolbachia in natural populations of this mosquito. We therefore review the evidence for natural Wolbachia infections in A. aegypti to date and discuss limitations of these studies. We draw on research from other mosquito species to outline the potential implications of natural Wolbachia infections in A. aegypti for disease control. To validate previous reports, we obtained a laboratory population of A. aegypti from New Mexico, USA, that harbors a natural Wolbachia infection, and we conducted field surveys in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where a natural Wolbachia infection has also been reported. However, we were unable to detect Wolbachia in both the laboratory and field populations. Because the presence of naturally occurring Wolbachia in A. aegypti could have profound implications for Wolbachia-based disease control programs, it is important to continue to accurately assess the Wolbachia status of target Aedes populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perran A Ross
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Ashley G Callahan
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Qiong Yang
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Moshe Jasper
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Mohd A K Arif
- Institute for Medical Research Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | | | - Wasi A Nazni
- Institute for Medical Research Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group School of BioSciences Bio21 Institute The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
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