The Role of Predation in Determining Traits of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) and Infection With Zika Virus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawna Bellamy ◽  
Barry W Alto
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Immature Stages ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Infected Blood ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Susceptibility To Infection ◽  
Density Reduction

Abstract Non-lethal predator-prey interactions during the immature stages can cause significant changes to mosquito life history traits and their ability to transmit pathogens as adults. Treatment manipulations using mosquitoes Aedes aegypti (L.) and Toxoryhnchites rutilus (Coquillett) were performed during the immature stages to explore the potential impacts of non-lethal interactions on adult susceptibility to infection, disseminated infection and saliva infection of Ae. aegypti following ingestion of Zika virus-infected blood. Treatments inducing density reduction resulted in reduced development time and survivorship to adulthood. However, effects of treatment did not alter infection, dissemination, or saliva infection. These observations indicate that, while non-lethal predation may impact some traits that influence population dynamics and transmission of pathogens, there were no direct effects on mosquito-arbovirus interactions.

scholarly journals Experimental Assessment of Zika Virus Mechanical Transmission by Aedes aegypti

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoine Boullis ◽  
Nadège Cordel ◽  
Cécile Herrmann-Storck ◽  
Anubis Vega-Rúa
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Infectious Virus ◽  
Viral Rna ◽  
Mechanical Transmission ◽  
Experimental Assessment ◽  
Infected Blood ◽  
Virus Titration ◽  
Blood Meals

The pandemic emergence of several mosquito-borne viruses highlights the need to understand the different ways in which they can be transmitted by vectors to human hosts. In this study, we evaluated the propensity of Aedes aegypti to transmit mechanically Zika virus (ZIKV) using an experimental design. Mosquitoes were allowed to feed on ZIKV-infected blood and were then rapidly transferred to feed on ZIKV-free blood until they finished their meal. The uninfected blood meals, the mosquito abdomens, as well as the mouthparts dissected from fully and partially engorged mosquitoes were analyzed using RT-qPCR and/or virus titration. All the fully engorged mosquito abdomens were ZIKV-infected, whereas their mouthparts were all ZIKV-negative. Nonetheless, one of the partially engorged mosquitoes carried infectious particles on mouthparts. No infectious virus was found in the receiver blood meals, while viral RNA was detected in 9% of the samples (2/22). Thus, mechanical transmission of ZIKV may sporadically occur via Ae. aegypti bite. However, as the number of virions detected on mouthparts (2 particles) is not sufficient to induce infection in a naïve host, our results indicate that mechanical transmission does not impact ZIKV epidemiology.

scholarly journals Zika virus infection drives epigenetic modulation of immunity by the histone acetyltransferase CBP of Aedes aegypti

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anderson de Mendonca Amarante ◽  
Isabel Caetano de Abreu da Silva ◽  
Amanda Roberta Revoredo Vicentino ◽  
Vitor Coutinho Carneiro ◽  
Marcia de Amorim Pinto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virus Infection ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Histone Deacetylases ◽  
Histone Acetyltransferase ◽  
Fat Body ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Immune Genes ◽  
Wide Range

Epigenetic mechanisms are responsible for a wide range of biological phenomena in insects, controlling embryonic development, growth, aging and nutrition. Despite this, the role of epigenetics in shaping insect-pathogen interactions has received little attention. Gene expression in eukaryotes is regulated by histone acetylation/deacetylation, an epigenetic process mediated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). In this study, we explored the role of the Aedes aegypti histone acetyltransferase CBP (AaCBP) after infection with Zika virus, focusing on the two main immune tissues, the midgut and fat body. We showed that the expression and activity of AaCBP could be positively modulated by blood meal and Zika infection. Nevertheless, Zika-infected mosquitoes that were silenced for AaCBP revealed a significant reduction in the acetylation of H3K27 (CBP target-marker), followed by downmodulation of the expression of immune genes, higher titers of Zika virus and lower survival rates. Importantly, in Zika-infected mosquitoes that were treated with sodium butyrate, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, their capacity to fight virus infection was rescued. Our data point to a direct correlation among histone hyperacetylation by AaCBP, upregulation of antimicrobial peptide genes and increased survival of Zika-infected-A. aegypti.

scholarly journals Modulation of acyl-carnitines, the broad mechanism behind Wolbachia-mediated inhibition of medically important flaviviruses in Aedes aegypti

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (39) ◽  
pp. 24475-24483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayathri Manokaran ◽  
Heather A. Flores ◽  
Conor T. Dickson ◽  
Vinod K. Narayana ◽  
Komal Kanojia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Liquid Chromatography ◽  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Virus Blocking ◽  
Flavivirus Infection

Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are refractory to flavivirus infections, but the role of lipids in Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking remains to be elucidated. Here, we use liquid chromatography mass spectrometry to provide a comprehensive picture of the lipidome of Aedes aegypti (Aag2) cells infected with Wolbachia only, either dengue or Zika virus only, and Wolbachia-infected Aag2 cells superinfected with either dengue or Zika virus. This approach identifies a class of lipids, acyl-carnitines, as being down-regulated during Wolbachia infection. Furthermore, treatment with an acyl-carnitine inhibitor assigns a crucial role for acyl-carnitines in the replication of dengue and Zika viruses. In contrast, depletion of acyl-carnitines increases Wolbachia density while addition of commercially available acyl-carnitines impairs Wolbachia production. Finally, we show an increase in flavivirus infection of Wolbachia-infected cells with the addition of acyl-carnitines. This study uncovers a previously unknown role for acyl-carnitines in this tripartite interaction that suggests an important and broad mechanism that underpins Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blocking.

scholarly journals The Extrinsic Incubation Period of Zika Virus in Florida Mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1252
Author(s):  
Rebecca A. Zimler ◽  
Barry W. Alto
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Incubation Period ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Mosquito Vectors ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Infected Blood ◽  
Extrinsic Incubation Period ◽  
Asian Lineage ◽  
Blood Meals

The Asian genotype of Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged in Brazil in 2015 and subsequently spread throughout the Americas. In July 2016, Florida experienced its first locally acquired ZIKV infection in the continental U.S. Concerns about health risks from ZIKV infection have increased the need to investigate the interactions between potential mosquito vectors and ZIKV. The time it takes for an arbovirus to propagate within a mosquito, and become transmissible, is the extrinsic incubation period (EIP). The EIP for potential mosquito vectors in Florida is unknown. To address this gap in the understanding of ZIKV epidemiology, Florida Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse) were orally exposed to ZIKV infected blood meals and fully engorged mosquitoes were held at a constant temperature of 28 °C through the duration of the experiment. Saliva expectorates were collected from cohorts of mosquitoes and tested for the presence of ZIKV at three-day intervals over a period of 24 days to allow for an evaluation of the EIP of the emergent Asian lineage of ZIKV. High rates of infected bodies in Ae. albopictus (75–94%) and Ae. aegypti (68–86%) were observed throughout the incubation period, which did not differ by species. Higher rates of disseminated infection were observed later during the incubation period but did not differ between species. We calculated the 50% EIP to be shorter in Ae. albopictus than Ae. aegypti (16.2 and 18.2 days post infection, respectively). The competence for ZIKV observed in both species may contribute to high rates of ZIKV transmission in Florida populations.

Surveillance of Zika virus in field-caught Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus suggests important role of male mosquitoes in viral populations maintenance in Medellín, Colombia

2020 ◽  
Vol 85 ◽  
pp. 104434
Author(s):  
Arley Calle-Tobón ◽  
Juliana Pérez-Pérez ◽  
Raul Rojo ◽  
Winston Rojas-Montoya ◽  
Omar Triana-Chavez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Male Mosquitoes

scholarly journals Microbial composition in larval water enhances Aedes aegypti development but reduces transmissibility of Zika virus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lark L. Coffey ◽  
Will Louie
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Vector Competence ◽  
Environmental Water ◽  
Water Type ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Experimental Protocols ◽  
Laboratory Water

Arthropod-borne viruses comprise a significant global disease burden. Surveillance and mitigation of arboviruses like Zika virus (ZIKV) require accurate estimates of transmissibility by vector mosquitoes. Although Aedes spp.mosquitoes are established as competent ZIKV vectors, differences in experimental protocols across studies prevent direct comparisons of relative transmissibility. An understudied factor complicating these comparisons is differential environmental microbiota exposures, where most vector competence studies use mosquitoes reared in laboratory tap water, which does not represent the microbial complexity of environmental water where wild larvae develop. We simulated natural larval development by rearing Californian Aedes aegypti with microbes obtained from cemetery headstone water compared to conventional tap water. Ae. aegypti larvae reared in environmental cemetery water pupated 3 days faster and at higher rates. Female adult mosquitoes reared in environmental water were less competent vectors of ZIKV compared to laboratory water-reared Ae. aegypti, as evidenced by significantly reduced infection and transmission rates. Microbiome comparisons of laboratory- and environment-water reared mosquitoes and their rearing water showed significantly higher bacterial diversity in environment water; despite this pattern, corresponding differences in diversity were not consistently detected in adult mosquitoes reared in different water sources. We also detected more significant associations between the microbial composition of adult mosquitoes and whether they ingested a bloodmeal than larval water type. Together, these results highlight the role of transient microbes in the larval environment in modulating vector competence. Laboratory vector competence likely overestimates true transmissibility of arboviruses like ZIKV when conventional laboratory water is used for rearing.

Influence of Pyrethroid Resistance on Vector Competency for Zika Virus by Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey Parker-Crockett ◽  
C Roxanne Connelly ◽  
Blair Siegfried ◽  
Barry Alto
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Insecticide Resistance ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Pyrethroid Resistance ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Disseminated Infection ◽  
Susceptibility To Infection ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The vector competence of mosquitoes for pathogens has been shown to be influenced by the status of insecticide resistance in the mosquito population. However, to date, only two studies has explored the impact of insecticide resistance on arbovirus transmission. The global and widespread use of pyrethroids has led to the development of insecticide resistance in many mosquito species, including Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae), the primary vector of Zika virus. Strains of Ae. aegypti that were genetically similar, but responded differently to pyrethroid exposure, were developed using backcrossing techniques. These populations were orally infected with Zika virus and susceptibility to infection, disseminated infection, and transmission potential were evaluated. Analyses revealed differences in susceptibility to infection and disseminated infection between the pyrethroid susceptible and resistant strains of Ae. aegypti during the infection period. Here, we identify an additional challenge to that of widespread pyrethroid resistance. Specifically, resistance is associated with altered phenotypic traits that influence susceptibility to arbovirus infection and progression of infection in the mosquito, factors which ultimately influence risk of arbovirus transmission. These findings support the need to 1) consider insecticide resistance status during times of arbovirus transmission and 2) to implement insecticide resistance management/ mitigation strategies in vector control programs.

RELAÇÃO DE CAUSALIDADE ENTRE A FEBRE DA ZIKA E MICROCEFALIA NO BRASIL: REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
André Emanuel Dantas Mercês ◽  
Angela de Souza Cajuhi ◽  
Lorena Conceição Souza dos Santos ◽  
Rudval Souza da Silva ◽  
Cleuma Sueli Santos Suto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aedes Aegypti ◽  
Aedes Albopictus ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Electronic Library

O Zika vírus é um arbovírus transmitido pela picada dos mosquitos Aedes aegypti e Aedes albopictus infectados e apresentam como principais manifestações clínicas: febre aguda, exantema, prurido e conjuntivite. Em 2015 causou uma epidemia no Brasil, desencadeando casos de microcefalia em bebês cujas gestantes tiveram a febre da Zika. O Nordeste notificou o maior número de casos. Objetivou-se identificar, a partir de uma revisão integrativa, a relação entre a febre da Zika e a microcefalia. Trata-se de revisão integrativa, realizada a partir de buscas desenvolvidas nas bases de dados da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) e da Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) com publicações dos anos de 2015 e 2016, idiomas português e inglês. Foram encontradas 191 publicações, as quais passaram por um processo de leitura e análise quanto ao atendimento do objetivo e aplicação dos critérios de inclusão. Restaram oito publicações que integraram o corpus desta revisão. Os resultados apontam para uma relação de causa e efeito entre o contato das gestantes com o Zika vírus e o desenvolvimento de microcefalia em seus bebês. Necessita-se de maiores evidências que demonstrem os reais fatores envolvidos nesse processo, como os genéticos, ambientais e até mesmo interferência de outras infecções. Palavras-chave: Zika vírus. Microcefalia. Aplicações da epidemiologia.

Hormones and Behavior

2019 ◽  
pp. 11-26
Author(s):  
Maren N. Vitousek ◽  
Laura A. Schoenle
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Endocrine System ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
And Behavior

Hormones mediate the expression of life history traits—phenotypic traits that contribute to lifetime fitness (i.e., reproductive timing, growth rate, number and size of offspring). The endocrine system shapes phenotype by organizing tissues during developmental periods and by activating changes in behavior, physiology, and morphology in response to varying physical and social environments. Because hormones can simultaneously regulate many traits (hormonal pleiotropy), they are important mediators of life history trade-offs among growth, reproduction, and survival. This chapter reviews the role of hormones in shaping life histories with an emphasis on developmental plasticity and reversible flexibility in endocrine and life history traits. It also discusses the advantages of studying hormone–behavior interactions from an evolutionary perspective. Recent research in evolutionary endocrinology has provided insight into the heritability of endocrine traits, how selection on hormone systems may influence the evolution of life histories, and the role of hormonal pleiotropy in driving or constraining evolution.

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