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Dutra HLC, Marshall DJ, Comerford B, McNulty BP, Diaz AM, Jones MJ, Mejia AJ, Bjornstad ON, McGraw EA. Larval crowding enhances dengue virus loads in Aedes aegypti, a relationship that might increase transmission in urban environments. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012482. [PMID: 39255310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 09/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change and urbanization will alter the global distribution of disease vectors, changing the disease burden in yet unpredictable ways. Aedes aegypti is a mosquito responsible for transmitting dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses that breeds in containers associated with urban environments. We sought to understand how ambient temperature and larval densities in the immature aquatic phases determine adult life history traits and dengue virus loads post-infection. We predicted that larval crowding and high temperatures would both lead to smaller mosquitoes that might struggle to invest in an immune response and, hence, would exhibit high viral loads. METHODS We first examined larval densities from urban and rural areas via a meta-analysis. We then used these data to inform a laboratory-based 2x2 design examining the interacting effects of temperature (21 vs. 26°C) and density (0.2 vs. 0.4 larvae/mL) on adult life history and dengue virus loads. RESULTS We found that urban areas had an ~8-fold increase in larval densities compared to more rural sites. In the lab, we found that crowding had more impact on mosquito traits than temperature. Crowding led to slower development, smaller mosquitoes, less survival, lower fecundity, and higher viral loads, as predicted. The higher temperature led to faster development, reduced fecundity, and lower viral loads. The virus-reducing effect of higher temperature rearing was, however, overwhelmed by the impact of larval crowding when both factors were present. CONCLUSIONS These data reveal complex interactions between the environmental effects experienced by immature mosquitoes and adult traits. They especially highlight the importance of crowding with respect to adult viral loads. Together, these data suggest that urban environments might enhance dengue virus loads and, therefore, possibly transmission, a concerning result given the increasing rates of urbanization globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heverton L C Dutra
- The Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Dustin J Marshall
- The School of Life Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Belinda Comerford
- The School of Life Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Brianna P McNulty
- The Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Anastacia M Diaz
- The Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew J Jones
- The Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Austin J Mejia
- The Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Entomology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ottar N Bjornstad
- The Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Entomology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A McGraw
- The Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- The Entomology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Cui Y, Li S, Xu W, Xie J, Wang D, Hou L, Zhou J, Feng X, Liu J. Intra- and inter-host origin, evolution dynamics and spatial-temporal transmission characteristics of circoviruses. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1332444. [PMID: 39156896 PMCID: PMC11327096 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1332444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Since their identification in 1974, circoviruses have caused clinicopathological diseases in various animal species, including humans. However, their origin, transmission, and genetic evolution remain poorly understood. Methods In this study, the genome sequences of circovirus were obtained from GenBank, and the Bayesian stochastic search variable selection algorithm was employed to analyzed the evolution and origin of circovirus. Results Here, the evolutionary origin, mode of transmission, and genetic recombination of the circovirus were determined based on the available circovirus genome sequences. The origin of circoviruses can be traced back to fish circovirus, which might derive from fish genome, and human contributes to transmission of fish circovirus to other species. Furthermore, mosquitos, ticks, bats, and/or rodents might play a role as intermediate hosts in circovirus intra- and inter-species transmission. Two major lineages (A and B) of circoviruses are identified, and frequent recombination events accelerate their variation and spread. The time to the most recent common ancestor of circoviruses can be traced back to around A.D. 600 and has been evolving at a rate of 10-4 substitutions site-1 year-1 for a long time. Discussion These comprehensive findings shed light on the evolutionary origin, population dynamics, transmission model, and genetic recombination of the circovirus providing valuable insights for the development of prevention and control strategies against circovirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiu Cui
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Siting Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Weiying Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jiali Xie
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Dedong Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lei Hou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jianwei Zhou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xufei Feng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jue Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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Huang YN, Lee KY, Shiao SH, Chen CH, Yu GY, Yu MJ. Bloodmeals fuel dengue virus replication in the female mosquito Aedes aegypti. J Virol 2024; 98:e0070124. [PMID: 38888345 PMCID: PMC11265399 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00701-24] [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: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Vector competence defines the ability of a vector to acquire, host, and transmit a pathogen. Understanding the molecular determinants of the mosquitos' competence to host dengue virus (DENV) holds promise to prevent its transmission. To this end, we employed RNA-seq to profile mRNA transcripts of the female Aedes aegypti mosquitos feeding on naïve vs viremic mouse. While most transcripts (12,634) did not change their abundances, 360 transcripts showed decreases. Biological pathway analysis revealed representatives of the decreased transcripts involved in the wnt signaling pathway and hippo signaling pathway. One thousand three hundred fourteen transcripts showed increases in abundance and participate in 21 biological pathways including amino acid metabolism, carbon metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation. Inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation with antimycin A reduced oxidative phosphorylation activity and ATP concentration associated with reduced DENV replication in the Aedes aegypti cells. Antimycin A did not affect the amounts of the non-structural proteins 3 and 5, two major components of the replication complex. Ribavirin, an agent that reduces GTP concentration, recapitulated the effects of reduced ATP concentration on DENV replication. Knocking down one of the oxidative phosphorylation components, ATP synthase subunit β, reduced DENV replication in the mosquitos. In summary, our results suggest that DENV enhances metabolic pathways in the female Aedes aegypti mosquitos to supply nutrients and energy for virus replication. ATP synthase subunit β knockdown might be exploited to reduce the mosquitos' competence to host and transmit DENV. IMPORTANCE Through evolution, the mosquito-borne viruses have adapted to the blood-feeding behaviors of their opportunist hosts to fulfill a complete lifecycle in humans and mosquitos. Disruption in the mosquitos' ability to host these viruses offers strategies to prevent diseases caused by them. With the advent of genomic tools, we discovered that dengue virus (DENV) benefited from the female mosquitos' bloodmeals for metabolic and energetic supplies for replication. Chemical or genetic disruption in these supplies reduced DENV replication in the female mosquitos. Our discovery can be exploited to produce genetically modified mosquitos, in which DENV infection leads to disruption in the supplies and thereby reduces replication and transmission. Our discovery might be extrapolated to prevent mosquito-borne virus transmission and the diseases they cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ning Huang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Ying Lee
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Hong Shiao
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hong Chen
- National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Guann-Yi Yu
- National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Jiun Yu
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Johnson RM, Stopard IJ, Byrne HM, Armstrong PM, Brackney DE, Lambert B. Investigating the dose-dependency of the midgut escape barrier using a mechanistic model of within-mosquito dengue virus population dynamics. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011975. [PMID: 38557892 PMCID: PMC11008821 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Arboviruses can emerge rapidly and cause explosive epidemics of severe disease. Some of the most epidemiologically important arboviruses, including dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), Chikungunya (CHIKV) and yellow fever virus (YFV), are transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, most notably Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. After a mosquito blood feeds on an infected host, virus enters the midgut and infects the midgut epithelium. The virus must then overcome a series of barriers before reaching the mosquito saliva and being transmitted to a new host. The virus must escape from the midgut (known as the midgut escape barrier; MEB), which is thought to be mediated by transient changes in the permeability of the midgut-surrounding basal lamina layer (BL) following blood feeding. Here, we present a mathematical model of the within-mosquito population dynamics of DENV (as a model system for mosquito-borne viruses more generally) that includes the interaction of the midgut and BL which can account for the MEB. Our results indicate a dose-dependency of midgut establishment of infection as well as rate of escape from the midgut: collectively, these suggest that the extrinsic incubation period (EIP)-the time taken for DENV virus to be transmissible after infection-is shortened when mosquitoes imbibe more virus. Additionally, our experimental data indicate that multiple blood feeding events, which more closely mimic mosquito-feeding behavior in the wild, can hasten the course of infections, and our model predicts that this effect is sensitive to the amount of virus imbibed. Our model indicates that mutations to the virus which impact its replication rate in the midgut could lead to even shorter EIPs when double-feeding occurs. Mechanistic models of within-vector viral infection dynamics provide a quantitative understanding of infection dynamics and could be used to evaluate novel interventions that target the mosquito stages of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M. Johnson
- Center for Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Isaac J. Stopard
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen M. Byrne
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Philip M. Armstrong
- Center for Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Douglas E. Brackney
- Center for Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Ben Lambert
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Suzuki Y, Suzuki T, Miura F, Reyes JIL, Asin ICA, Mitsunari W, Uddin MM, Sekii Y, Watanabe K. No detectable fitness cost of infection by cell-fusing agent virus in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231373. [PMID: 38204783 PMCID: PMC10776230 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Aedes mosquitoes are well-known vectors of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Mosquitoes are more frequently infected with insect-specific viruses (ISVs) that cannot infect vertebrates. Some ISVs interfere with arbovirus replication in mosquito vectors, which has gained attention for potential use against arbovirus transmission. Cell-fusing agent virus (CFAV), a widespread ISV, can reduce arbovirus dissemination in Ae. aegypti. However, vectorial capacity is largely governed by other parameters than pathogen load, including mosquito survival and biting behaviour. Understanding how ISVs impact these mosquito fitness-related traits is critical to assess the potential risk of using ISVs as biological agents. Here, we examined the effects of CFAV infection on Ae. aegypti mosquito fitness. We found no significant reduction in mosquito survival, blood-feeding behaviour and reproduction, suggesting that Ae. aegypti is tolerant to CFAV. The only detectable effect was a slight increase in human attraction of CFAV-infected females in one out of eight trials. Viral tolerance is beneficial for introducing CFAV into natural mosquito populations, whereas the potential increase in biting activity must be further investigated. Our results provide the first insight into the link between ISVs and Aedes mosquito fitness and highlight the importance of considering all aspects of vectorial capacity for arbovirus control using ISVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasutsugu Suzuki
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Takahiro Suzuki
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Fuminari Miura
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Jerica Isabel L. Reyes
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Irish Coleen A. Asin
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Wataru Mitsunari
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
- Faculty of Engineering, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Mohammad Mosleh Uddin
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), Faculty of Life Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU), Santosh, Tangail, Bangladesh
| | - Yu Sekii
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Kozo Watanabe
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 3, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
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Phengchat R, Pakparnich P, Pethrak C, Pengon J, Sartsanga C, Chotiwan N, Uppakara K, Suksirisawat K, Lambrechts L, Jupatanakul N. Differential intra-host infection kinetics in Aedes aegypti underlie superior transmissibility of African relative to Asian Zika virus. mSphere 2023; 8:e0054523. [PMID: 37943061 PMCID: PMC10732021 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00545-23] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The recent Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas highlights its potential public health threat. While the Asian ZIKV lineage has been identified as the main cause of the epidemic, the African lineage, which has been primarily confined to Africa, has shown evidence of higher transmissibility in Aedes mosquitoes. To gain a deeper understanding of this differential transmissibility, our study employed a combination of tissue-level infection kinetics and single-cell-level infection kinetics using in situ immunofluorescent staining. We discovered that the African ZIKV lineage propagates more rapidly and spreads more efficiently within mosquito cells and tissues than its Asian counterpart. This information lays the groundwork for future exploration of the viral and host determinants driving these variations in propagation efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinyaporn Phengchat
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Phonchanan Pakparnich
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chatpong Pethrak
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Jutharat Pengon
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Channarong Sartsanga
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Nunya Chotiwan
- Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Samut Prakan, Thailand
| | - Kwanchanok Uppakara
- Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Samut Prakan, Thailand
| | - Kittitat Suksirisawat
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Louis Lambrechts
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Paris, France
| | - Natapong Jupatanakul
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Insect-Virus Interactions Unit, Paris, France
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Alton LA, Novelo M, Beaman JE, Arnold PA, Bywater CL, Kerton EJ, Lombardi EJ, Koh C, McGraw EA. Exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation increases the susceptibility of mosquitoes to infection with dengue virus. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5540-5551. [PMID: 37560790 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
By 2100, greenhouse gases are predicted to reduce ozone and cloud cover over the tropics causing increased exposure of organisms to harmful ultraviolet-B radiation (UVBR). UVBR damages DNA and is an important modulator of immune function and disease susceptibility in humans and other vertebrates. The effect of UVBR on invertebrate immune function is largely unknown, but UVBR together with ultraviolet-A radiation impairs an insect immune response that utilizes melanin, a pigment that also protects against UVBR-induced DNA damage. If UVBR weakens insect immunity, then it may make insect disease vectors more susceptible to infection with pathogens of socioeconomic and public health importance. In the tropics, where UVBR is predicted to increase, the mosquito-borne dengue virus (DENV), is prevalent and a growing threat to humans. We therefore examined the effect of UVBR on the mosquito Aedes aegypti, the primary vector for DENV, to better understand the potential implications of increased tropical UVBR for mosquito-borne disease risk. We found that exposure to a UVBR dose that caused significant larval mortality approximately doubled the probability that surviving females would become infected with DENV, despite this UVBR dose having no effect on the expression of an effector gene involved in antiviral immunity. We also found that females exposed to a lower UVBR dose were more likely to have low fecundity even though this UVBR dose had no effect on larval size or activity, pupal cuticular melanin content, or adult mass, metabolic rate, or flight capacity. We conclude that future increases in tropical UVBR associated with anthropogenic global change may have the benefit of reducing mosquito-borne disease risk for humans by reducing mosquito fitness, but this benefit may be eroded if it also makes mosquitoes more likely to be infected with deadly pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley A Alton
- Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mario Novelo
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Julian E Beaman
- Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pieter A Arnold
- Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Candice L Bywater
- Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily J Kerton
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily J Lombardi
- Centre for Geometric Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cassandra Koh
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A McGraw
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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8
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Johnson RM, Stopard IJ, Byrne HM, Armstrong PM, Brackney DE, Lambert B. Investigating the dose-dependency of the midgut escape barrier using a mechanistic model of within-mosquito dengue virus population dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.28.559904. [PMID: 37808804 PMCID: PMC10557669 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.28.559904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Flaviviruses are arthropod-borne (arbo)viruses which can emerge rapidly and cause explosive epidemics of severe disease. Some of the most epidemiologically important flaviviruses, including dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and yellow fever virus (YFV), are transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, most notably Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. After a mosquito blood feeds on an infected host, virus enters the midgut and infects the midgut epithelium. The virus must then overcome a series of barriers before reaching the mosquito saliva and being transmitted to a new host. The virus must escape from the midgut (known as the midgut escape barrier; MEB), which is thought to be mediated by transient changes in the permeability of the midgut-surrounding basal lamina layer (BL) following blood feeding. Here, we present a mathematical model of the within-mosquito population dynamics of flaviviruses that includes the interaction of the midgut and BL which can account for the MEB. Our results indicate a dose-dependency of midgut establishment of infection as well as rate of escape from the midgut: collectively, these suggest that the extrinsic incubation period (EIP) - the time taken for DENV virus to be transmissible after infection - is shortened when mosquitoes imbibe more virus. Additionally, our experimental data indicates that multiple blood feeding events, which more closely mimic mosquito-feeding behavior in the wild, can hasten the course of infections, and our model predicts that this effect is sensitive to the amount of virus imbibed. Our model indicates that mutations to the virus which impact its replication rate in the midgut could lead to even shorter EIPs when double-feeding occurs. Mechanistic models of within-vector viral infection dynamics provide a quantitative understanding of infection dynamics and could be used to evaluate novel interventions that target the mosquito stages of the infection. Author summary Aedes mosquitoes are the main vectors of dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and yellow fever virus (YFV), all of which can cause severe disease in humans with dengue alone infecting an estimated 100-400 million people each year. Understanding the processes that affect whether, and at which rate, mosquitoes may transmit such viruses is, hence, paramount. Here, we present a mathematical model of virus dynamics within infected mosquitoes. By combining the model with novel experimental data, we show that the course of infection is sensitive to the initial dose of virus ingested by the mosquito. The data also indicates that mosquitoes which blood feed subsequent to becoming infected may be able to transmit infection earlier, which is reproduced in the model. This is important as many mosquito species feed multiple times during their lifespan and, any reduction in time to dissemination will increase the number of days that a mosquito is infectious and so enhance the risk of transmission. Our study highlights the key and complementary roles played by mathematical models and experimental data for understanding within-mosquito virus dynamics.
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Lau MJ, Dutra HLC, Jones MJ, McNulty BP, Diaz AM, Ware-Gilmore F, McGraw EA. Jamestown Canyon virus is transmissible by Aedes aegypti and is only moderately blocked by Wolbachia co-infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011616. [PMID: 37669272 PMCID: PMC10503764 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), a negative-sense arbovirus, is increasingly common in the upper Midwest of the USA. Transmitted by a range of mosquito genera, JCV's primary amplifying host is white-tailed deer. Aedes aegypti is responsible for transmitting various positive-sense viruses globally including dengue (DENV), Zika, chikungunya, and Yellow Fever. Ae. aegypti's distribution, once confined to the tropics, is expanding, in part due to climate change. Wolbachia, an insect endosymbiont, limits the replication of co-infecting viruses inside insects. The release and spread of the symbiont into Ae. aegypti populations have been effective in reducing transmission of DENV to humans, although the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated viral blocking is still poorly understood. Here we explored JCV infection potential in Ae. aegypti, the nature of the vector's immune response, and interactions with Wolbachia infection. We show that Ae. aegypti is highly competent for JCV, which grows to high loads and rapidly reaches the saliva after an infectious blood meal. The mosquito immune system responds with strong induction of RNAi and JAK/STAT. Neither the direct effect of viral infection nor the energetic investment in immunity appears to affect mosquito longevity. Wolbachia infection blocked JCV only in the early stages of infection. Wolbachia-induced immunity was small compared to that of JCV, suggesting innate immune priming does not likely explain blocking. We propose two models to explain why Wolbachia's blocking of negative-sense viruses like JCV may be less than that of positive-sense viruses, relating to the slowdown of host protein synthesis and the triggering of interferon-like factors like Vago. In conclusion, we highlight the risk for increased human disease with the predicted future overlap of Ae. aegypti and JCV ranges. We suggest that with moderate Wolbachia-mediated blocking and distinct biology, negative-sense viruses represent a fruitful comparator model to other viruses for understanding blocking mechanisms in mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Jia Lau
- Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Heverton L. C. Dutra
- Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew J. Jones
- Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Brianna P. McNulty
- Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Anastacia M. Diaz
- Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Fhallon Ware-Gilmore
- Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. McGraw
- Biology Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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10
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Seavey CE, Doshi M, Panarello AP, Felice MA, Dickerson AK, Jewett MW, Willenberg BJ. Engineered Human Tissue as A New Platform for Mosquito Bite-Site Biology Investigations. INSECTS 2023; 14:514. [PMID: 37367330 PMCID: PMC10299109 DOI: 10.3390/insects14060514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases transmitted through the bites of hematophagous arthropods, such as mosquitoes, continue to be a significant threat to human health globally. Transmission of disease by biting arthropod vectors includes interactions between (1) saliva expectorated by a vector during blood meal acquisition from a human host, (2) the transmitted vector-borne pathogens, and (3) host cells present at the skin bite site. Currently, the investigation of bite-site biology is challenged by the lack of model 3D human skin tissues for in vitro analyses. To help fill this gap, we have used a tissue engineering approach to develop new stylized human dermal microvascular bed tissue approximates-complete with warm blood-built with 3D capillary alginate gel (Capgel) biomaterial scaffolds. These engineered tissues, termed a Biologic Interfacial Tissue-Engineered System (BITES), were cellularized with either human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) or human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Both cell types formed tubular microvessel-like tissue structures of oriented cells (82% and 54% for HDFs and HUVECs, respectively) lining the unique Capgel parallel capillary microstructures. Female Aedes (Ae.) aegypti mosquitoes, a prototypic hematophagous biting vector arthropod, swarmed, bit, and probed blood-loaded HDF BITES microvessel bed tissues that were warmed (34-37 °C), acquiring blood meals in 151 ± 46 s on average, with some ingesting ≳4 µL or more of blood. Further, these tissue-engineered constructs could be cultured for at least three (3) days following blood meal acquisitions. Altogether, these studies serve as a powerful proof-of-concept demonstration of the innovative BITES platform and indicate its potential for the future investigation of arthropod bite-site cellular and molecular biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey E. Seavey
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Mona Doshi
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Andrew P. Panarello
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Michael A. Felice
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Andrew K. Dickerson
- Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, Tickle College of Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Mollie W. Jewett
- Division of Immunity and Pathogenesis, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - Bradley J. Willenberg
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
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11
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Franz M, Armitage SAO, Rolff J, Regoes RR. Virulence decomposition for bifurcating infections. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230396. [PMID: 37161327 PMCID: PMC10170194 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0396] [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: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental goal in infection biology is to understand the emergence of variation in pathogen virulence-here defined as the decrease in host fitness caused by a pathogen. To uncover the sources of such variation, virulence can be decomposed into both host- and pathogen-associated components. However, decomposing virulence can be challenging owing to complex within-host pathogen dynamics such as bifurcating infections, which recently received increased empirical and theoretical attention. Bifurcating infections are characterized by the emergence of two distinct infection types: (i) terminal infections with high pathogen loads resulting in rapid host death, and (ii) persistent infections with lower loads and delayed host death. Here, we propose to use discrete mixture models to perform separate virulence decompositions for each infection type. Using this approach, we reanalysed a recently published experimental dataset on bacterial load and survival in Drosophila melanogaster. This analysis revealed several advantages of the new approach, most importantly the generation of a more comprehensive picture of the varying sources of virulence in different bacterial species. Beyond this application, our approach could provide valuable information for ground-truthing and improving theoretical models of within-host infection dynamics, which are developed to predict variation in infection outcome and pathogen virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Franz
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Jens Rolff
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Roland R. Regoes
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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12
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Novelo M, Dutra HLC, Metz HC, Jones MJ, Sigle LT, Frentiu FD, Allen SL, Chenoweth SF, McGraw EA. Dengue and chikungunya virus loads in the mosquito Aedes aegypti are determined by distinct genetic architectures. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011307. [PMID: 37043515 PMCID: PMC10124881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of the arboviruses dengue (DENV) and chikungunya (CHIKV). These viruses exhibit key differences in their vector interactions, the latter moving more quicky through the mosquito and triggering fewer standard antiviral pathways. As the global footprint of CHIKV continues to expand, we seek to better understand the mosquito's natural response to CHIKV-both to compare it to DENV:vector coevolutionary history and to identify potential targets in the mosquito for genetic modification. We used a modified full-sibling design to estimate the contribution of mosquito genetic variation to viral loads of both DENV and CHIKV. Heritabilities were significant, but higher for DENV (40%) than CHIKV (18%). Interestingly, there was no genetic correlation between DENV and CHIKV loads between siblings. These data suggest Ae. aegypti mosquitoes respond to the two viruses using distinct genetic mechanisms. We also examined genome-wide patterns of gene expression between High and Low CHIKV families representing the phenotypic extremes of viral load. Using RNAseq, we identified only two loci that consistently differentiated High and Low families: a long non-coding RNA that has been identified in mosquito screens post-infection and a distant member of a family of Salivary Gland Specific (SGS) genes. Interestingly, the latter gene is also associated with horizontal gene transfer between mosquitoes and the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia. This work is the first to link the SGS gene to a mosquito phenotype. Understanding the molecular details of how this gene contributes to viral control in mosquitoes may, therefore, also shed light on its role in Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Novelo
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Heverton LC Dutra
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Hillery C. Metz
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew J. Jones
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Leah T. Sigle
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Francesca D. Frentiu
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Scott L. Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Stephen F. Chenoweth
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A. McGraw
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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13
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Gutiérrez-López R, Figuerola J, Martínez-de la Puente J. Methodological procedures explain observed differences in the competence of European populations of Aedes albopictus for the transmission of Zika virus. Acta Trop 2023; 237:106724. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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14
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Cavany SM, Barbera C, Carpenter M, Rodgers C, Sherman T, Stenglein M, Mayo C, Perkins TA. Modeling cellular co-infection and reassortment of bluetongue virus in Culicoides midges. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac094. [PMID: 36381232 PMCID: PMC9662319 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
When related segmented RNA viruses co-infect a single cell, viral reassortment can occur, potentially leading to new strains with pandemic potential. One virus capable of reassortment is bluetongue virus (BTV), which causes substantial health impacts in ruminants and is transmitted via Culicoides midges. Because midges can become co-infected by feeding on multiple different host species and remain infected for their entire life span, there is a high potential for reassortment to occur. Once a midge is co-infected, additional barriers must be crossed for a reassortant virus to emerge, such as cellular co-infection and dissemination of reassortant viruses to the salivary glands. We developed three mathematical models of within-midge BTV dynamics of increasing complexity, allowing us to explore the conditions leading to the emergence of reassortant viruses. In confronting the simplest model with published data, we estimate that the average life span of a bluetongue virion in the midge midgut is about 6 h, a key determinant of establishing a successful infection. Examination of the full model, which permits cellular co-infection and reassortment, shows that small differences in fitness of the two infecting strains can have a large impact on the frequency with which reassortant virions are observed. This is consistent with experimental co-infection studies with BTV strains with different relative fitnesses that did not produce reassortant progeny. Our models also highlight several gaps in existing data that would allow us to elucidate these dynamics in more detail, in particular the times it takes the virus to disseminate to different tissues, and measurements of viral load and reassortant frequency at different temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Cavany
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Carly Barbera
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Molly Carpenter
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Case Rodgers
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Tyler Sherman
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Mark Stenglein
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Christie Mayo
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - T Alex Perkins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
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15
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Duneau D, Ferdy JB. Pathogen within-host dynamics and disease outcome: what can we learn from insect studies? CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 52:100925. [PMID: 35489681 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Parasite proliferations within/on the host form the basis of the outcome of all infectious diseases. However, within-host dynamics are difficult to study in vertebrates, as it requires regularly following pathogen proliferation from the start of the infection and at the organismal level. Invertebrate models allow for this monitoring under controlled conditions using population approaches. These approaches offer the possibility to describe many parameters of the within-host dynamics, such as rate of proliferation, probability to control the infection, and average time at which the pathogen is controlled. New parameters such as the Pathogen Load Upon Death and the Set-Point Pathogen Load have emerged to characterize within-host dynamics and better understand disease outcome. While contextualizing the potential of studying within-host dynamics in insects to build fundamental knowledge, we review what we know about within-host dynamics using insect models, and what it can offer to our knowledge of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Duneau
- Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, CNRS, IRD, UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), Toulouse, France; Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, P-2780 Oeiras, Portugal.
| | - Jean-Baptiste Ferdy
- Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, CNRS, IRD, UMR5174 EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), Toulouse, France.
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16
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Feitosa-Suntheimer F, Zhu Z, Mameli E, Dayama G, Gold AS, Broos-Caldwell A, Troupin A, Rippee-Brooks M, Corley RB, Lau NC, Colpitts TM, Londoño-Renteria B. Dengue Virus-2 Infection Affects Fecundity and Elicits Specific Transcriptional Changes in the Ovaries of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:886787. [PMID: 35814655 PMCID: PMC9260120 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.886787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue fever (DF), caused by the dengue virus (DENV), is the most burdensome arboviral disease in the world, with an estimated 400 million infections each year. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is the main vector of DENV and transmits several other human pathogens, including Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses. Previous studies have shown that the pathogen infection of mosquitoes can alter reproductive fitness, revealing specific vector-pathogen interactions that are key determinants of vector competence. However, only a handful of studies have examined the effect of DENV infection in A. aegypti, showing a reduction in lifespan and fecundity over multiple blood meals. To provide a more comprehensive analysis of the impact of DENV infection on egg laying and fecundity, we assessed egg laying timing in DENV-2 blood-fed mosquitoes (infected group) compared to mock blood-fed mosquitoes (control group). We confirmed a significant decrease in fecundity during the first gonadotrophic cycle. To further investigate this phenotype and the underlying DENV-2 infection-dependent changes in gene expression, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis for differentially expressed genes in the ovaries of A. aegypti infected with DENV-2 vs. mock-infected mosquitoes. This analysis reveals several DENV-2-regulated genes; among them, we identified a group of 12 metabolic genes that we validated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Interestingly, two genes found to be upregulated in DENV-infected mosquito ovaries exhibited an antiviral role for DENV-2 in an Aedes cell line. Altogether, this study offers useful insights into the virus-vector interface, highlighting the importance of gene expression changes in the mosquito's ovary during DENV-2 infection in the first gonadotrophic cycle, triggering antiviral responses that may possibly interfere with mosquito reproduction. This information is extremely relevant for further investigation of A. aegypti's ability to tolerate viruses since virally infected mosquitoes in nature constitute a powerful source of supporting viruses during intra-epidemic periods, causing a huge burden on the public health system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana Feitosa-Suntheimer
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Zheng Zhu
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Enzo Mameli
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Blavatnik Institute, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Gargi Dayama
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Alexander S Gold
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Aditi Broos-Caldwell
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Andrea Troupin
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Meagan Rippee-Brooks
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, United States
| | - Ronald B Corley
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nelson C Lau
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,Genome Science Institute, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Tonya M Colpitts
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.,National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Berlin Londoño-Renteria
- School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States.,Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
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17
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Rox K, Heyner M, Krull J, Harmrolfs K, Rinne V, Hokkanen J, Perez Vilaro G, Díez J, Müller R, Kröger A, Sugiyama Y, Brönstrup M. Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Model for the Treatment of Dengue Infections Applied to the Broad Spectrum Antiviral Soraphen A. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:1499-1513. [PMID: 34661071 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
While a drug treatment is unavailable, the global incidence of Dengue virus (DENV) infections and its associated severe manifestations continues to rise. We report the construction of the first physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) model that predicts viremia levels in relevant target organs based on preclinical data with the broad spectrum antiviral soraphen A (SorA), an inhibitor of the host cell target acetyl-CoA-carboxylase. SorA was highly effective against DENV in vitro (EC50 = 4.7 nM) and showed in vivo efficacy by inducing a significant reduction of viral load in the spleen and liver of IFNAR-/- mice infected with DENV-2. PBPK/PD predictions for SorA matched well with the experimental infection data. Transfer to a human PBPK/PD model for DENV to mimic a clinical scenario predicted a reduction in viremia by more than one log10 unit for an intravenous infusion regimen of SorA. The PBPK/PD model is applicable to any DENV drug lead and, thus, represents a valuable tool to accelerate and facilitate DENV drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Rox
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner-Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Sugiyama Laboratory, RIKEN Baton Zone Program, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Maxi Heyner
- Research Group Innate Immunity and Infection, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jana Krull
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Kirsten Harmrolfs
- Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus E 8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | | | | | - Gemma Perez Vilaro
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juana Díez
- Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Dr. Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rolf Müller
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner-Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Microbial Natural Products, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus E 8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Andrea Kröger
- Research Group Innate Immunity and Infection, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Yuichi Sugiyama
- Sugiyama Laboratory, RIKEN Baton Zone Program, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Mark Brönstrup
- Department of Chemical Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Inhoffenstrasse 7, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany.,German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner-Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
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18
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Ware-Gilmore F, Sgrò CM, Xi Z, Dutra HLC, Jones MJ, Shea K, Hall MD, Thomas MB, McGraw EA. Microbes increase thermal sensitivity in the mosquito Aedes aegypti, with the potential to change disease distributions. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009548. [PMID: 34292940 PMCID: PMC8297775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of many disease-causing viruses, including dengue (DENV), Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. As consequences of climate change, we expect an increase in both global mean temperatures and extreme climatic events. When temperatures fluctuate, mosquito vectors will be increasingly exposed to temperatures beyond their upper thermal limits. Here, we examine how DENV infection alters Ae. aegypti thermotolerance by using a high-throughput physiological 'knockdown' assay modeled on studies in Drosophila. Such laboratory measures of thermal tolerance have previously been shown to accurately predict an insect's distribution in the field. We show that DENV infection increases thermal sensitivity, an effect that may ultimately limit the geographic range of the virus. We also show that the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis, which is currently being released globally as a biological control agent, has a similar impact on thermal sensitivity in Ae. aegypti. Surprisingly, in the coinfected state, Wolbachia did not provide protection against DENV-associated effects on thermal tolerance, nor were the effects of the two infections additive. The latter suggests that the microbes may act by similar means, potentially through activation of shared immune pathways or energetic tradeoffs. Models predicting future ranges of both virus transmission and Wolbachia's efficacy following field release may wish to consider the effects these microbes have on host survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fhallon Ware-Gilmore
- Department of Entomology & The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Carla M. Sgrò
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Zhiyong Xi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Heverton L. C. Dutra
- Department of Entomology & The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew J. Jones
- Department of Entomology & The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Katriona Shea
- Department of Biology & The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Matthew D. Hall
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthew B. Thomas
- Department of Entomology & The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. McGraw
- Department of Entomology & The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology & The Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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19
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Novelo M, Audsley MD, McGraw EA. The effects of DENV serotype competition and co-infection on viral kinetics in Wolbachia-infected and uninfected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:314. [PMID: 34108021 PMCID: PMC8190863 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04816-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Aedes aegypti mosquito is responsible for the transmission of several medically important arthropod-borne viruses, including multiple serotypes of dengue virus (DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4). Competition within the mosquito between DENV serotypes can affect viral infection dynamics, modulating the transmission potential of the pathogen. Vector control remains the main method for limiting dengue fever. The insect endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis is currently being trialed in field releases globally as a means of biological control because it reduces virus replication inside the mosquito. It is not clear how co-infection between DENV serotypes in the same mosquito might alter the pathogen-blocking phenotype elicited by Wolbachia in Ae. aegypti. METHODS Five- to 7-day-old female Ae. aegypti from two lines, namely, with (wMel) and without Wolbachia infection (WT), were fed virus-laden blood through an artificial membrane with either a mix of DENV-2 and DENV-3 or the same DENV serotypes singly. Mosquitoes were subsequently incubated inside environmental chambers and collected on the following days post-infection: 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13. Midgut, carcass, and salivary glands were collected from each mosquito at each timepoint and individually analyzed to determine the percentage of DENV infection and viral RNA load via RT-qPCR. RESULTS We saw that for WT mosquitoes DENV-3 grew to higher viral RNA loads across multiple tissues when co-infected with DENV-2 than when it was in a mono-infection. Additionally, we saw a strong pathogen-blocking phenotype in wMel mosquitoes independent of co-infection status. CONCLUSION In this study, we demonstrated that the wMel mosquito line is capable of blocking DENV serotype co-infection in a systemic way across the mosquito body. Moreover, we showed that for WT mosquitoes, serotype co-infection can affect infection frequency in a tissue- and time-specific manner and that both viruses have the potential of being transmitted simultaneously. Our findings suggest that the long-term efficacy of Wolbachia pathogen blocking is not compromised by arthropod-borne virus co-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Novelo
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Entomology, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - M D Audsley
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - E A McGraw
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Entomology, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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Merwaiss F, Filomatori CV, Susuki Y, Bardossy ES, Alvarez DE, Saleh MC. Chikungunya Virus Replication Rate Determines the Capacity of Crossing Tissue Barriers in Mosquitoes. J Virol 2021; 95:e01956-20. [PMID: 33148794 PMCID: PMC7925089 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01956-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a reemerging and rapidly spreading pathogen transmitted by mosquitoes. The emergence of new epidemic variants of the virus is associated with genetic evolutionary traits, including duplication of repeated RNA elements in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) that seemingly favor transmission by mosquitoes. The transmission potential of a given variant results from a complex interplay between virus populations and anatomical tissue barriers in the mosquito. Here, we used the wild-type CHIKV Caribbean strain and an engineered mutant harboring a deletion in the 3' UTR to dissect the interactions of virus variants with the anatomical barriers that impede transmission during the replication cycle of the virus in Aedes mosquitoes. Compared to the 3'-UTR mutant, we observed that the wild-type virus had a short extrinsic incubation period (EIP) after an infectious blood meal and was expectorated into mosquito saliva much more efficiently. We found that high viral titers in the midgut are not sufficient to escape the midgut escape barrier. Rather, viral replication kinetics play a crucial role in determining midgut escape and the transmission ability of CHIKV. Finally, competition tests in mosquitoes coinfected with wild-type and mutant viruses revealed that both viruses successfully colonized the midgut, but wild-type viruses effectively displaced mutant viruses during systemic infection due to their greater efficiency of escaping from the midgut into secondary tissues. Overall, our results uncover a link between CHIKV replication kinetics and the effect of bottlenecks on population diversity, as slowly replicating variants are less able to overcome the midgut escape barrier.IMPORTANCE It is well established that selective pressures in mosquito vectors impose population bottlenecks for arboviruses. Here, we used a CHIKV Caribbean lineage mutant carrying a deletion in the 3' UTR to study host-virus interactions in vivo in the epidemic mosquito vector Aedes aegypti We found that the mutant virus had a delayed replication rate in mosquitoes, which lengthened the extrinsic incubation period (EIP) and reduced fitness relative to the wild-type virus. As a result, the mutant virus displayed a reduced capacity to cross anatomical barriers during the infection cycle in mosquitoes, thus reducing the virus transmission rate. Our findings show how selective pressures act on CHIKV noncoding regions to select variants with shorter EIPs that are preferentially transmitted by the mosquito vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Merwaiss
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Claudia V Filomatori
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yasutsugu Susuki
- Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Eugenia S Bardossy
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego E Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María-Carla Saleh
- Institut Pasteur, Viruses and RNA Interference Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 3569, Paris, France
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21
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Ekwudu O, Marquart L, Webb L, Lowry KS, Devine GJ, Hugo LE, Frentiu FD. Effect of Serotype and Strain Diversity on Dengue Virus Replication in Australian Mosquito Vectors. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9080668. [PMID: 32824792 PMCID: PMC7460537 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9080668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) is the most important mosquito-borne viral pathogen of humans, comprising four serotypes (DENV-1 to -4) with a myriad of genotypes and strains. The kinetics of DENV replication within the mosquito following ingestion of a blood meal influence the pathogen’s ability to reach the salivary glands and thus the transmission potential. The influence of DENV serotype and strain diversity on virus kinetics in the two main vector species, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, has been poorly characterized. We tested whether DENV replication kinetics vary systematically among serotypes and strains, using Australian strains of the two vectors. Mosquitoes were blood fed with two strains per serotype, and sampled at 3, 6, 10 and 14-days post-exposure. Virus infection in mosquito bodies, and dissemination of virus to legs and wings, was detected using qRT-PCR. For both vectors, we found significant differences among serotypes in proportions of mosquitoes infected, with higher numbers for DENV-1 and -2 versus other serotypes. Consistent with this, we observed that DENV-1 and -2 generally replicated to higher RNA levels than other serotypes, particularly at earlier time points. There were no significant differences in either speed of infection or dissemination between the mosquito species. Our results suggest that DENV diversity may have important epidemiological consequences by influencing virus kinetics in mosquito vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- O’mezie Ekwudu
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia; (O.E.); (K.S.L.)
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (G.J.D.); (L.E.H.)
- Department of Microbiology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli 431124, Nigeria
| | - Louise Marquart
- Statistics Unit, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (L.M.); (L.W.)
- Clinical Malaria, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia
| | - Lachlan Webb
- Statistics Unit, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (L.M.); (L.W.)
| | - Kym S. Lowry
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia; (O.E.); (K.S.L.)
| | - Gregor J. Devine
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (G.J.D.); (L.E.H.)
| | - Leon E. Hugo
- Mosquito Control Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane 4006, Australia; (G.J.D.); (L.E.H.)
| | - Francesca D. Frentiu
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane 4000, Australia; (O.E.); (K.S.L.)
- Correspondence:
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