A wMel Wolbachia variant in Aedes aegypti from field-collected Drosophila melanogaster with increased phenotypic stability under heat stress

Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality across tropical regions. Population replacement strategies involving the wMel strain of Wolbachia are being used widely to control mosquito-borne diseases transmitted by Aedes aegypti. However, these strategies may be influenced by environmental temperature because wMel is vulnerable to heat stress. wMel infections in their native host Drosophila melanogaster are genetically diverse, but few transinfections of wMel variants have been generated in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. Here we successfully transferred a wMel variant (termed wMelM) originating from a field-collected D. melanogaster population from Victoria, Australia into Ae. aegypti. The new wMelM variant (clade I) is genetically distinct from the original wMel transinfection (clade III) generated over ten years ago, and there are no genomic differences between wMelM in its original and transinfected host. We compared wMelM with wMel in its effects on host fitness, temperature tolerance, Wolbachia density, vector competence, cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission under heat stress in a controlled background. wMelM showed a higher heat tolerance than wMel, with stronger cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission when eggs were exposed to heat stress, likely due to higher overall densities within the mosquito. Both wMel variants had minimal host fitness costs, complete cytoplasmic incompatibility and maternal transmission, and dengue virus blocking under standard laboratory conditions. Our results highlight phenotypic differences between closely related Wolbachia variants. wMelM shows potential as an alternative strain to wMel in dengue control programs in areas with strong seasonal temperature fluctuations.

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Assessment of fitness and vector competence of a New Caledonia wMel Aedes aegypti strain before field-release

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽

10.1371/journal.pntd.0009752 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (9) ◽

pp. e0009752

Author(s):

Nicolas Pocquet ◽

Olivia O’Connor ◽

Heather A. Flores ◽

Jordan Tutagata ◽

Morgane Pol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽

New Caledonia ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Oral Feeding ◽

Maternal Transmission ◽

Strong Inhibitor ◽

Feeding Experiments ◽

Dengue Outbreaks ◽

Mosquito Saliva

Background Biological control programs involving Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti are currently deployed in different epidemiological settings. New Caledonia (NC) is an ideal location for the implementation and evaluation of such a strategy as the only proven vector for dengue virus (DENV) is Ae. aegypti and dengue outbreaks frequency and severity are increasing. We report the generation of a NC Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti strain and the results of experiments to assess the vector competence and fitness of this strain for future implementation as a disease control strategy in Noumea, NC. Methods/principal findings The NC Wolbachia strain (NC-wMel) was obtained by backcrossing Australian AUS-wMel females with New Caledonian Wild-Type (NC-WT) males. Blocking of DENV, chikungunya (CHIKV), and Zika (ZIKV) viruses were evaluated via mosquito oral feeding experiments and intrathoracic DENV challenge. Significant reduction in infection rates were observed for NC-wMel Ae. aegypti compared to WT Ae. aegypti. No transmission was observed for NC-wMel Ae. aegypti. Maternal transmission, cytoplasmic incompatibility, fertility, fecundity, wing length, and insecticide resistance were also assessed in laboratory experiments. Ae. aegypti NC-wMel showed complete cytoplasmic incompatibility and a strong maternal transmission. Ae. aegypti NC-wMel fitness seemed to be reduced compared to NC-WT Ae. aegypti and AUS-wMel Ae. aegypti regarding fertility and fecundity. However further experiments are required to assess it accurately. Conclusions/significance Our results demonstrated that the NC-wMel Ae. aegypti strain is a strong inhibitor of DENV, CHIKV, and ZIKV infection and prevents transmission of infectious viral particles in mosquito saliva. Furthermore, our NC-wMel Ae. aegypti strain induces reproductive cytoplasmic incompatibility with minimal apparent fitness costs and high maternal transmission, supporting field-releases in Noumea, NC.

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Environmental and genetic contributions to imperfect wMel-like Wolbachia transmission and frequency variation

10.1101/2020.06.09.142828 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael T.J. Hague ◽

Heidi Mavengere ◽

Daniel R. Matute ◽

Brandon S. Cooper

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Spatial Variation ◽

Human Disease ◽

Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽

Frequency Variation ◽

Maternal Transmission ◽

Host Fitness ◽

Fitness Effects ◽

Genetic Contributions ◽

Insight Into

ABSTRACTMaternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria infect about half of all insect species. They usually show imperfect maternal transmission and often produce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Irrespective of CI, Wolbachia frequencies tend to increase when rare only if they benefit host fitness. Several Wolbachia, including wMel that infects Drosophila melanogaster cause weak or no CI and persist at intermediate frequencies. On the island of São Tomé off West Africa, the frequencies of wMel-like Wolbachia infecting D. yakuba (wYak) and D. santomea (wSan) fluctuate, and the contributions of imperfect maternal transmission, fitness effects, and CI to these fluctuations are unknown. We demonstrate spatial variation in wYak frequency and transmission on São Tomé. Concurrent field estimates of imperfect maternal transmission do not predict spatial variation in wYak frequencies, which are highest at high altitudes where maternal transmission is the most imperfect. Genomic and genetic analyses provide little support for D. yakuba effects on wYak transmission. Instead, rearing at cool temperatures reduces wYak titer and increases imperfect transmission to levels observed on São Tomé. Using mathematical models of Wolbachia frequency dynamics and equilibria, we infer temporally variable imperfect transmission or spatially variable effects on host fitness and reproduction are required to explain wYak frequencies. In contrast, spatially stable wSan frequencies are plausibly explained by imperfect transmission, modest fitness effects, and weak CI. Our results provide insight into causes of wMel-like frequency variation in divergent hosts. Understanding this variation is crucial to explain Wolbachia spread and to improve wMel biocontrol of human disease in transinfected mosquito systems.

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Environmental and Genetic Contributions to Imperfect wMel-Like Wolbachia Transmission and Frequency Variation

Genetics ◽

10.1534/genetics.120.303330 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 215 (4) ◽

pp. 1117-1132 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael T. J. Hague ◽

Heidi Mavengere ◽

Daniel R. Matute ◽

Brandon S. Cooper

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Spatial Variation ◽

Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽

Frequency Variation ◽

Maternal Transmission ◽

Host Fitness ◽

Fitness Effects ◽

Genetic Contributions ◽

Drosophila Yakuba ◽

Insight Into

Maternally transmitted Wolbachia bacteria infect about half of all insect species. They usually show imperfect maternal transmission and often produce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). Irrespective of CI, Wolbachia frequencies tend to increase when rare only if they benefit host fitness. Several Wolbachia, including wMel that infects Drosophila melanogaster, cause weak or no CI and persist at intermediate frequencies. On the island of São Tomé off West Africa, the frequencies of wMel-like Wolbachia infecting Drosophila yakuba (wYak) and Drosophila santomea (wSan) fluctuate, and the contributions of imperfect maternal transmission, fitness effects, and CI to these fluctuations are unknown. We demonstrate spatial variation in wYak frequency and transmission on São Tomé. Concurrent field estimates of imperfect maternal transmission do not predict spatial variation in wYak frequencies, which are highest at high altitudes where maternal transmission is the most imperfect. Genomic and genetic analyses provide little support for D. yakuba effects on wYak transmission. Instead, rearing at cool temperatures reduces wYak titer and increases imperfect transmission to levels observed on São Tomé. Using mathematical models of Wolbachia frequency dynamics and equilibria, we infer that temporally variable imperfect transmission or spatially variable effects on host fitness and reproduction are required to explain wYak frequencies. In contrast, spatially stable wSan frequencies are plausibly explained by imperfect transmission, modest fitness effects, and weak CI. Our results provide insight into causes of wMel-like frequency variation in divergent hosts. Understanding this variation is crucial to explain Wolbachia spread and to improve wMel biocontrol of human disease in transinfected mosquito systems.

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Environmental Concentrations of Antibiotics May Diminish Wolbachia infections in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjz023 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 1078-1086 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Nancy M Endersby-Harshman ◽

Jason K Axford ◽

Ary A Hoffmann

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽

South East Asia ◽

Tetracycline Antibiotics ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

Breeding Sites ◽

Septic Tanks ◽

Dengue Transmission ◽

Wolbachia Density ◽

Subterranean Water

Abstract Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti (L.) mosquitoes for control of dengue transmission are being released experimentally in tropical regions of Australia, south-east Asia, and South America. To become established, the Wolbachia Hertig (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) strains used must induce expression of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) in matings between infected males and uninfected females so that infected females have a reproductive advantage, which will drive the infection through field populations. Wolbachia is a Rickettsia-like alphaproteobacterium which can be affected by tetracycline antibiotics. We investigated whether exposure of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to chlortetracycline at environmentally relevant levels during their aquatic development resulted in loss or reduction of infection in three strains, wAlbB, wMel, and wMelPop. Wolbachia density was reduced for all three strains at the tested chlortetracycline concentrations of 5 and 50 µg/liter. Two of the strains, wMel and wMelPop, showed a breakdown in CI. The wAlbB strain maintained CI and may be useful at breeding sites where tetracycline contamination has occurred. This may include drier regions where Ae. aegypti can utilize subterranean water sources and septic tanks as breeding sites.

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A wAlbB Wolbachia transinfection displays stable phenotypic effects across divergent Aedes aegypti mosquito backgrounds

10.1101/2021.06.25.450002 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Perran A Ross ◽

Xinyue Gu ◽

Katie L Robinson ◽

Qiong Yang ◽

Ellen Cottingham ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Cytoplasmic Incompatibility ◽

Mosquito Control ◽

Maternal Transmission ◽

Genome Sequences ◽

Egg Hatch ◽

Control Programs ◽

Nuclear Background ◽

The Stability

Aedes mosquitoes harboring intracellular Wolbachia bacteria are being released in arbovirus and mosquito control programs. With releases taking place around the world, understanding the contribution of host variation to Wolbachia phenotype is crucial. We generated a Wolbachia transinfection (wAlbBQ) in Aedes aegypti and performed backcrossing to introduce the infection into Australian or Malaysian nuclear backgrounds. Whole Wolbachia genome sequencing shows that the wAlbBQ transinfection is near-identical to the reference wAlbB genome, suggesting few changes since the infection was first introduced to Ae. aegypti over 15 years ago. However, these sequences were distinct from other available wAlbB genome sequences, highlighting the potential diversity of wAlbB in natural Ae. albopictus populations. Phenotypic comparisons demonstrate effects of wAlbB infection on egg hatch and nuclear background on fecundity and body size, but no interactions between wAlbB infection and nuclear background for any trait. The wAlbB infection was stable at high temperatures and showed perfect maternal transmission and cytoplasmic incompatibility regardless of host background. Our results demonstrate the stability of wAlbB across host backgrounds and point to its long-term effectiveness for controlling arbovirus transmission and mosquito populations.

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Genotype and Trait Specific Responses to Rapamycin Intake in Drosophila melanogaster

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12050474 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 474

Author(s):

Palle Duun Rohde ◽

Asbjørn Bøcker ◽

Caroline Amalie Bastholm Jensen ◽

Anne Louise Bergstrøm ◽

Morten Ib Juul Madsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Side Effects ◽

Protein Kinase ◽

Stress Tolerance ◽

Treated Group ◽

Model System ◽

Treatment Efficiency ◽

Evolutionarily Conserved ◽

Heat Stress Tolerance

Rapamycin is a powerful inhibitor of the TOR (Target of Rapamycin) pathway, which is an evolutionarily conserved protein kinase, that plays a central role in plants and animals. Rapamycin is used globally as an immunosuppressant and as an anti-aging medicine. Despite widespread use, treatment efficiency varies considerably across patients, and little is known about potential side effects. Here we seek to investigate the effects of rapamycin by using Drosophila melanogaster as model system. Six isogenic D. melanogaster lines were assessed for their fecundity, male longevity and male heat stress tolerance with or without rapamycin treatment. The results showed increased longevity and heat stress tolerance for male flies treated with rapamycin. Conversely, the fecundity of rapamycin-exposed individuals was lower than for flies from the non-treated group, suggesting unwanted side effects of the drug in D. melanogaster. We found strong evidence for genotype-by-treatment interactions suggesting that a ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to treatment with rapamycin is not recommendable. The beneficial responses to rapamycin exposure for stress tolerance and longevity are in agreement with previous findings, however, the unexpected effects on reproduction are worrying and need further investigation and question common believes that rapamycin constitutes a harmless drug.

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Heat Stress and Goat Welfare: Adaptation and Production Considerations

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11041021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 1021

Author(s):

Veerasamy Sejian ◽

Mullakkalparambil V. Silpa ◽

Mini R. Reshma Nair ◽

Chinnasamy Devaraj ◽

Govindan Krishnan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Stress ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Heat Exposure ◽

Stocking Density ◽

Production Performance ◽

Farm Animals ◽

Meat Production ◽

Important Species ◽

Tropical Regions ◽

Tropical Climates

This review attempted to collate and synthesize information on goat welfare and production constraints during heat stress exposure. Among the farm animals, goats arguably are considered the best-suited animals to survive in tropical climates. Heat stress was found to negatively influence growth, milk and meat production and compromised the immune response, thereby significantly reducing goats’ welfare under extensive conditions and transportation. Although considered extremely adapted to tropical climates, their production can be compromised to cope with heat stress. Therefore, information on goat adaptation and production performance during heat exposure could help assess their welfare. Such information would be valuable as the farming communities are often struggling in their efforts to assess animal welfare, especially in tropical regions. Broadly three aspects must be considered to ensure appropriate welfare in goats, and these include (i) housing and environment; (ii) breeding and genetics and (iii) handling and transport. Apart from these, there are a few other negative welfare factors in goat rearing, which differ across the production system being followed. Such negative practices are predominant in extensive systems and include nutritional stress, limited supply of good quality water, climatic extremes, parasitic infestation and lameness, culminating in low production, reproduction and high mortality rates. Broadly two types of methodologies are available to assess welfare in goats in these systems: (i) animal-based measures include behavioral measurements, health and production records and disease symptoms; (ii) resources based and management-based measures include stocking density, manpower, housing conditions and health plans. Goat welfare could be assessed based on several indicators covering behavioral, physical, physiological and productive responses. The important indicators of goat welfare include agonistic behavior, vocalization, skin temperature, body condition score (BCS), hair coat conditions, rectal temperature, respiration rate, heart rate, sweating, reduced growth, reduced milk production and reduced reproductive efficiency. There are also different approaches available by which the welfare of goats could be assessed, such as naturalistic, functional and subjective approaches. Thus, assessing welfare in goats at every production stage is a prerequisite for ensuring appropriate production in this all-important species to guarantee optimum returns to the marginal and subsistence farmers.

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Permethrin Resistance in Aedes aegypti Affects Aspects of Vectorial Capacity

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12010071 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 71

Author(s):

Tse-Yu Chen ◽

Chelsea T. Smartt ◽

Dongyoung Shin

Keyword(s):

Aedes Aegypti ◽

Sodium Channel ◽

Mosquito Control ◽

Vector Competence ◽

Vectorial Capacity ◽

Parental Population ◽

Control Programs ◽

Channel Gene ◽

Sodium Channel Gene ◽

Specific Pcr

Aedes aegypti, as one of the vectors transmitting several arboviruses, is the main target in mosquito control programs. Permethrin is used to control mosquitoes and Aedes aegypti get exposed due to its overuse and are now resistant. The increasing percentage of permethrin resistant Aedes aegypti has become an important issue around the world and the potential influence on vectorial capacity needs to be studied. Here we selected a permethrin resistant (p-s) Aedes aegypti population from a wild Florida population and confirmed the resistance ratio to its parental population. We used allele-specific PCR genotyping of the V1016I and F1534C sites in the sodium channel gene to map mutations responsible for the resistance. Two important factors, survival rate and vector competence, that impact vectorial capacity were checked. Results indicated the p-s population had 20 times more resistance to permethrin based on LD50 compared to the parental population. In the genotyping study, the p-s population had more homozygous mutations in both mutant sites of the sodium channel gene. The p-s adults survived longer and had a higher dissemination rate for dengue virus than the parental population. These results suggest that highly permethrin resistant Aedes aegypti populations might affect the vectorial capacity, moreover, resistance increased the survival time and vector competence, which should be of concern in areas where permethrin is applied.

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