Harnessing mosquito–Wolbachia symbiosis for vector and disease control

Bourtzis, Kostas; Dobson, Stephen L.; Xi, Zhiyong; Rasgon, Jason L.; Calvitti, Maurizio; Moreira, Luciano Andrade; Bossin, Hervé; Moretti, Riccardo; Baton, Luke Anthony; Hughes, Grant L.; Mavingui, Patrick; Gilles, Jérémie

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.11.004

Cited by 294 publications

(301 citation statements)

References 200 publications

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“…9), this process may circumvent some barriers to vertical transmission (9). Injection of later life stages is more likely to resemble the process of horizontal transfer that occurs in nature (9,(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). After injection of the same number of Wolbachia bacteria into each mosquito, the wAlbB strain developed significantly higher germ-line titers compared with wMelPop, and invaded A. gambiae ovaries at significantly elevated titers compared with A. stephensi (Kruskal-Wallis, P < 0.05) (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although many transinfections have been accomplished using embryo microinjection (reviewed in ref. 9), this process may circumvent some barriers to vertical transmission (9). Injection of later life stages is more likely to resemble the process of horizontal transfer that occurs in nature (9,(11)(12)(13)(14)(15).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is a poor understanding of barriers to horizontal transmission and why some species remain uninfected. An understanding of these factors is important from an evolutionary perspective given that Wolbachia influences speciation (6,7), and from an applied perspective as Wolbachia is being transinfected into vector species for the control of arthropod-borne disease (8)(9)(10).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Native microbiome impedes vertical transmission of Wolbachia in Anopheles mosquitoes

Hughes¹,

Dodson²,

Johnson

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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220

211

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Significance Factors influencing Wolbachia transfer into new species remain poorly understood. This is important as Wolbachia can influence speciation and is being developed as a novel arthropod-borne disease control approach. We show the native microbiota of Anopheles impede vertical transmission of Wolbachia . Antibiotic microbiome perturbation enables Wolbachia transmission in two Anopheles species. Mosquitoes with altered microbiomes do not exhibit blood meal-induced mortality associated with Wolbachia infection, suggesting that mosquitoes are killed by interactions between Wolbachia and other bacteria present in the mosquito. We identified Asaia as the bacterium responsible for inhibiting Wolbachia transmission, and partially responsible for blood meal-induced mortality. These results suggest that microbial interactions profoundly affect the host, and that microbiome incompatibility may influence distribution of Wolbachia in arthropods.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Native microbiome impedes vertical transmission of Wolbachia in Anopheles mosquitoes

Hughes¹,

Dodson²,

Johnson

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

220

211

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“…This involves the sustained release of males infected with Wolbachia , an intracellular bacterium that interferes with reproduction, rendering matings between released males and wild Wolbachia ‐free females infertile (Werren et al ., 2008; Bourtzis et al ., 2014). Although IIT may be applicable to the integrated management of vectors, as far as we are aware, there are (as yet) no proposed applications of this technology to plant pest insects; one key reason is the need for a highly effective sexing strain or sex‐separation method to enable only males to be released, because any released females could establish the Wolbachia infection in the wild population, thereby removing the incompatibility (Bourtzis, 2008).…”

Section: Sterile Insect Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetics‐based methods for agricultural insect pest management

Alphey

Bonsall

2017

Agri and Forest Entomology

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The sterile insect technique is an area‐wide pest control method that reduces agricultural pest populations by releasing mass‐reared sterile insects, which then compete for mates with wild insects. Contemporary genetics‐based technologies use insects that are homozygous for a repressible dominant lethal genetic construct rather than being sterilized by irradiation.Engineered strains of agricultural pest species, including moths such as the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella and fruit flies such as the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata, have been developed with lethality that only operates on females.Transgenic crops expressing insecticidal toxins are widely used; the economic benefits of these crops would be lost if toxin resistance spread through the pest population. The primary resistance management method is a high‐dose/refuge strategy, requiring toxin‐free crops as refuges near the insecticidal crops, as well as toxin doses sufficiently high to kill wild‐type insects and insects heterozygous for a resistance allele.Mass‐release of toxin‐sensitive engineered males (carrying female‐lethal genes), as well as suppressing populations, could substantially delay or reverse the spread of resistance. These transgenic insect technologies could form an effective resistance management strategy.We outline some policy considerations for taking genetic insect control systems through to field implementation.

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“…However, these effects seem to be strain and host specific (reviewed in ref. 6). The effects on vector-borne pathogens place Wolbachia as a potential agent for the control of insect-transmitted diseases.…”

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confidence: 99%

Wolbachia small noncoding RNAs and their role in cross-kingdom communications

Mayoral

Hussain

Joubert

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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In prokaryotes, small noncoding RNAs (snRNAs) of 50-500 nt are produced that are important in bacterial virulence and response to environmental stimuli. Here, we identified and characterized snRNAs from the endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia, which are widespread in invertebrates and cause reproductive manipulations. Most importantly, some strains of Wolbachia inhibit replication of several vector-borne pathogens in insects. We demonstrate that two abundant snRNAs, WsnRNA-46 and WsnRNA-49, are expressed in Wolbachia from noncoding RNA transcripts that contain precursors with stem-loop structures. WsnRNAs were detected in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the wMelPop-CLA strain of Wolbachia and in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans infected with wMelPop and wAu strains, respectively, indicating that the WsnRNAs are conserved across species and strains. In addition, we show that the WsnRNAs may potentially regulate host genes and Wolbachia genes. Our findings provide evidence for the production of functional snRNAs by Wolbachia that play roles in cross-kingdom communication between the endosymbiont and the host.Aedes aegypti | mosquito | microRNA m icroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs (snRNAs) of ∼22 nt that regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels (reviewed in ref.

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Harnessing mosquito–Wolbachia symbiosis for vector and disease control

Cited by 294 publications

References 200 publications

Native microbiome impedes vertical transmission of Wolbachia in Anopheles mosquitoes

Native microbiome impedes vertical transmission of Wolbachia in Anopheles mosquitoes

Genetics‐based methods for agricultural insect pest management

Wolbachia small noncoding RNAs and their role in cross-kingdom communications

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