Abstract
Dengue virus is one of the most important arboviral pathogens and the causative agent of dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and dengue shock syndrome. It is transmitted between humans by the mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, and at least 2.5 billion people are at daily risk of infection. During their lifecycle, mosquitoes are exposed to a variety of microbes, some of which are needed for their successful development into adulthood. However, recent studies have suggested that the adult mosquito's midgut microflora is critical in influencing the transmission of human pathogens. In this study we assessed the reciprocal interactions between the mosquito's midgut microbiota and dengue virus infection that are, to a large extent, mediated by the mosquito's innate immune system. We observed a marked decrease in susceptibility to dengue virus infection when mosquitoes harbored certain field-derived bacterial isolates in their midgut. Transcript abundance analysis of selected antimicrobial peptide genes suggested that the mosquito's microbiota elicits a basal immune activity that appears to act against dengue virus infection. Conversely, the elicitation of the mosquito immune response by dengue virus infection itself influences the microbial load of the mosquito midgut. In sum, we show that the mosquito's microbiota influences dengue virus infection of the mosquito, which in turn activates its antibacterial responses.
Highlights
Dengue has become one of the most important arboviral diseases, with infections rising at an alarming rate [1]
The mosquito midgut is the site of multiple reciprocal interactions between the mosquito, its commensal bacteria, and ingested pathogens that will influence the level of pathogen infection and transmission
In this study the authors addressed the reciprocal interactions between the Aedes immune system, dengue virus and mosquito midgut microbiota using molecular and microbiological assays
Summary
Dengue has become one of the most important arboviral diseases, with infections rising at an alarming rate [1]. Current methods are aimed at lowering the vector population through insecticide use, but there are concerns about the environmental impact of this approach as well as the rapid development of resistance in mosquitoes [2]. These setbacks have underscored the need for the development of additional methods to control dengue transmission. There has been a notable increase in research aiming at the potential application of microbes to control the transmission of vector-borne pathogens [3]. These studies have been encouraged by the fact that pathogens and microbes inhabit the same environment prior to infection (the arthropod midgut) and on the observation that pathogen infection is decreased in vectors harboring particular bacterial symbionts
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