Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira, 100, 1349-008, Lisboa, Portugal.
Animal Health Department, The AgriFood Institute of Aragon (IA2), School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain.
Sci Rep. 2024 Sep 4;14(1):20545. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-71507-y.
The mosquito microbiome significantly influences vector competence, including in Aedes albopictus, a globally invasive vector. Describing the microbiome and Wolbachia strains of Ae. albopictus from different regions can guide area-specific control strategies. Mosquito samples from Spain and São Tomé were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomic sequencing. Wolbachia infection patterns were observed by sex and population. Female mosquitoes were blood-fed, a factor considered in analyzing their microbiota. Results revealed a dominance of dual Wolbachia infections, strains A and B, in the microbiome of both populations of Ae. albopictus, especially among females. Both populations shared a core microbiome, although 5 and 9 other genera were only present in Spain and São Tomé populations, respectively. Genera like Pelomonas and Nevskia were identified for the first time in Aedes mosquitoes. This study is the first to describe the Ae. albopictus bacteriome in Spain and São Tomé, offering insights for the development of targeted mosquito control strategies. Understanding the specific microbiome composition can help in designing more effective interventions, such as microbiome manipulation and Wolbachia-based approaches, to reduce vector competence and transmission potential of these mosquitoes.
蚊虫微生物组对媒介效能有重大影响，包括在全球入侵性媒介白纹伊蚊（Aedes albopictus）中。描述不同地区白纹伊蚊的微生物组和沃尔巴克氏体（Wolbachia）菌株可以指导特定地区的控制策略。使用 16S rRNA 基因测序和宏基因组测序分析了来自西班牙和圣多美岛的蚊子样本。观察了沃尔巴克氏体感染模式的性别和种群差异。雌性蚊子吸食血液，这是分析其微生物群时需要考虑的一个因素。结果显示，两种白纹伊蚊种群的微生物组都以双重沃尔巴克氏体感染为主，即菌株 A 和 B，尤其是在雌性蚊子中。两个种群共享一个核心微生物组，但西班牙和圣多美岛种群分别只有 5 种和 9 种其他属。Pelomonas 和 Nevskia 等属是首次在伊蚊中发现的。本研究首次描述了西班牙和圣多美岛的白纹伊蚊细菌组，为制定有针对性的蚊虫控制策略提供了见解。了解特定的微生物组组成有助于设计更有效的干预措施，如微生物组操作和基于沃尔巴克氏体的方法，以降低这些蚊子的媒介效能和传播潜力。
