The influence of culture-dependent native microbiota in Zika virus infection in Aedes aegypti

Abstract

Background Emerging and re-emerging vector-borne diseases (VBDs) pose a recurring threat to tropical countries, mainly due to the abundance and distribution of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is a vector of the Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever arboviruses. Methods Female 3–5 day-old Ae. aegypti were distributed into two experimental groups: group I—survey of cultivable bacteria; sucrose group: fed only on sucrose, i.e., non-blood-fed (UF); blood-fed group: (i) fed with non-infected blood (BF); (ii) fed with blood infected with the Zika virus (BZIKV); (iii) pretreated with penicillin/streptomycin (pen/strep), and fed with non-infected blood (TBF); (iv) pretreated with pen/strep and fed blood infected with ZIKV, i.e., gravid with developed ovaries, (TGZIKV); group II—experimental co-infections: bacteria genera isolated from the group fed on sucrose, i.e., non-blood-fed (UF). Results Using the cultivable method and the same mosquito colony and ZIKV strain described by in a previous work, our results reveled 11 isolates (Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Cedecea, Cellulosimicrobium, Elizabethkingia, Enterobacter, Lysinibacillus, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Serratia, and Staphylococcus). Enterobacter was present in all evaluated groups (i.e., UF, BF, BZIKV, TBF, and TGZIKV), whereas Elizabethkingia was present in the UF, BZIKV, and TBF groups. Pseudomonas was present in the BZIKV and TBF groups, whereas Staphylococcus was present in the TBF and TGZIKV groups. The only genera of bacteria that were found to be present in only one group were Aeromonas, Lysinibacillus, and Serratia (UF); Cedacea, Pantoea and Acinetobacter (BF); and Cellulosimicrobium (BZIKV). The mosquitoes co-infected with ZIKV plus the isolates group fed on sucrose (UF) showed interference in the outcome of infection. Conclusions We demonstrate that the distinct feeding aspects assessed herein influence the composition of bacterial diversity. In the co-infection, among ZIKV, Ae. aegypti and the bacterial isolates, the ZIKV/Lysinibacillus–Ae. aegypti had the lowest number of viral copies in the head-SG, which means that it negatively affects vector competence. However, when the saliva was analyzed after forced feeding, no virus was detected in the mosquito groups ZIKV/Lysinibacillus–Lu. longipalpis and Ae. aegypti; the combination of ZIKV/Serratia may interfere in salivation. This indicates that the combinations do not produce viable viruses and may have great potential as a method of biological control. Graphical Abstract

Association of Midgut Bacteria and Their Metabolic Pathways with Zika Infection and Insecticide Resistance in Colombian Aedes aegypti Populations

“…Other studies in Ae. aegypti and murine models have shown that ZIKV infection modifies the structure of gut bacterial communities, decreasing their diversity and richness [ 25 , 81 , 84 ]. Interestingly, our PERMANOVA analysis with both factors, infection and resistance, showed only infection influenced bacterial diversity; this analysis is novel for Ae.…”

“…aegypti with experimental ZIKV infection have found associated bacterial taxa such as the families Rhodobacteraceae and Desulfuromonadaceae and the genera Cellulosimicrobium, Elizabethkingia, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus ; in Ae. albopictus , Elizabethkingia anophelis was associated with ZIKV infection [ 25 , 84 , 96 ]. Additionally, E. anophelis and Lysinibacillus reduced ZIKV infection, affecting vector competence [ 84 , 96 ].…”

“…albopictus , Elizabethkingia anophelis was associated with ZIKV infection [ 25 , 84 , 96 ]. Additionally, E. anophelis and Lysinibacillus reduced ZIKV infection, affecting vector competence [ 84 , 96 ].…”

Bacterial Community Diversity and Bacterial Interaction Network in Eight Mosquito Species

“…Serratia bacteria can modulate the vector competence of populations of Ae. aegypti for the Zika virus by interfering with mosquito salivation [ 69 ] and interfering in the vectorial capacity of other mosquito species [ 70 ]. In this study, Serratia 16S readings were found in one female of each species, Sa.…”

Role of the Microbiome in Aedes spp. Vector Competence: What Do We Know?

“…In Brazil, the main bacteria isolated from the midgut of A. aegypti were Acinetobacter spp., Aeromonas spp., Cedecea spp., Cellulosimicrobium spp., Elizabethkingia spp., Enterobacter spp., Lysinibacillus spp., Pantoea spp., Pseudomonas spp., Serratia spp. and Staphylococcus spp., 72% of them Gram-negative [ 55 ]. Thus, it is possible to notice a great variability of genera that infect Aedes spp., despite some of these being identified in more than one study.…”