Abstract
The mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus Skuse are the major vectors of dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya viruses worldwide. Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium present in many insects, is being utilized in novel vector control strategies to manipulate mosquito life history and vector competence to curb virus transmission. Earlier studies have found that Wolbachia is commonly detected in Ae. albopictus but rarely detected in Ae. aegypti. In this study, we used a two‐step PCR assay to detect Wolbachia in wild‐collected samples of Ae. aegypti. The PCR products were sequenced to validate amplicons and identify Wolbachia strains. A loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed and used for detecting Wolbachia in selected mosquito specimens as well. We found Wolbachia in 85/148 (57.4%) wild Ae. aegypti specimens from various cities in New Mexico, and in 2/46 (4.3%) from St. Augustine, Florida. Wolbachia was not detected in 94 samples of Ae. aegypti from Deer Park, Harris County, Texas. Wolbachia detected in Ae. aegypti from both New Mexico and Florida was the wAlbB strain of Wolbachia pipientis. A Wolbachia‐positive colony of Ae. aegypti was established from pupae collected in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 2018. The infected females of this strain transmitted Wolbachia to their progeny when crossed with males of Rockefeller strain of Ae. aegypti, which does not carry Wolbachia. In contrast, none of the progeny of Las Cruces males mated to Rockefeller females were infected with Wolbachia.
Highlights
Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria found in a wide range of terrestrial arthropods and nematodes (Werren, Baldo, & Clark, 2008)
2013; Hoffmann et al, 2011; McMeniman et al, 2009; O'Neill, 2018; Walker et al, 2011). This approach was initially aimed at shortening mosquito lifespan below the extrinsic incubation period of the virus (McMeniman et al, 2009), but in the course of these experiments it was discovered that transinfection of Ae. aegypti with Wolbachia strain wMelPop blocks dengue and chikungunya virus infections of the mosquito (Moreira et al, 2009)
Wolbachia is commonly associated with wild Ae. albopictus around the world
Summary
Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria found in a wide range of terrestrial arthropods and nematodes (Werren, Baldo, & Clark, 2008). Wolbachia can be a powerful reproductive manipulator, inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, feminization of males, and male killing in various host species (Werren et al, 2008) These properties have been exploited for development of Wolbachia as a novel strategy for vector mosquito control. 2013; Hoffmann et al, 2011; McMeniman et al, 2009; O'Neill, 2018; Walker et al., 2011) This approach was initially aimed at shortening mosquito lifespan below the extrinsic incubation period of the virus (McMeniman et al, 2009), but in the course of these experiments it was discovered that transinfection of Ae. aegypti with Wolbachia strain wMelPop blocks dengue and chikungunya virus infections of the mosquito (Moreira et al, 2009). The cross of the strain with the Wolbachia uninfected Rockefeller strain demonstrated maternal transmission of Wolbachia to progeny
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