Pip Blocks Zika Virus Transovarial Transmission in .

is being developed as a biological tool to suppress mosquito populations and/or interfere with their transmitted viruses. Adult males with an artificial infection have been released, successfully yielding population suppression in multiple field trials. The main characteristic of the artificial -infected mosquitoes used in the suppression program is the lower vector competence than that in native infected/uninfected mosquitoes in horizontal and vertical transmission. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the Aedes albopictus HC line infected with a trio of strains exhibited almost complete blockade of dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) in horizontal and vertical transmission. However, the extent to which inhibits virus transovarial transmission is unknown since no studies have been performed to determine whether protects ovarian cells against viral infection. Here, we employed ovarian cells of the . GUA (a wild-type mosquito line superinfected with two native strains, AlbA and AlbB), HC, and GT lines (tetracycline-cured, -uninfected mosquitoes), which exhibit key traits, and compared them to better understand how inhibits ZIKV transovarial transmission. Our results showed that the infection rate of adult GT progeny was significantly higher than that of GUA progeny during the first and second gonotrophic cycles. In contrast, the infection rates of adult GT and GUA progeny were not significantly different during the third gonotrophic cycle. All examined adult HC progeny from three gonotrophic cycles were negative for ZIKV infection. A strong negative linear correlation existed between density and ZIKV load in the ovaries of mosquitoes. Although there is no obvious coexistence area in the ovaries for and ZIKV, host immune responses may play a role in blocking ZIKV expansion and maintenance in the ovaries of . These results will aid in understanding -ZIKV interactions in mosquitoes. Area-wide application of to suppress mosquito populations and their transmitted viruses has achieved success in multiple countries. However, the mass release of -infected male mosquitoes involves a potential risk of accidentally releasing fertile females. In this study, we employed ovarian cells of the GUA, HC, and GT lines, which exhibit key traits, and compared them to better understand how inhibits ZIKV transovarial transmission. Our results showed an almost complete blockade of ZIKV transmission in HC female mosquitoes. in natively infected GUA mosquitoes negative affected ZIKV, and this interference was shown by slightly lower loads than those in HC mosquitoes. Overall, our work helps show how blocks ZIKV expansion and maintenance in the ovaries of and aids in understanding -ZIKV interactions in mosquitoes.