Chao Li-Lian, Shih Chien-Ming
Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
M.Sc. Program in Tropical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Microb Ecol. 2025 Jul 2;88(1):69. doi: 10.1007/s00248-025-02570-9.
The genetic identity of Wolbachia endosymbionts was determined in dwelling-caught Culex quinquefasciatus from Taiwan. A total of 370 Cx. quinquefasciatus (245 females and 125 males) was initially screened for Wolbachia infection targeting the universal 16S gene, and the positive samples were further identified their genogroup by a nested-polymerase chain reaction assay to amplify the group-specific Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene. In general, 44.59% of Cx. quinquefasciatus was detected with Wolbachia endosymbionts, and 43.2% (54/125) in male and 45.31% (111/245) in female. The group-specific detection was observed in 2.16% (8/370), 41.35% (153/370), and 1.08% (4/370) with groups A, B, and co-infection (A&B), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genetic identities of these Taiwan strains were genetically similar to the groups A and B of Wolbachia with the high sequence homogeneity of 98.7-100% and 96.5-99.8%, respectively. Genetic relatedness is clearly discriminated using both methods of maximum likelihood (ML) and unweighted pair group with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). This study demonstrates the initial genetic identity of Wolbachia endosymbionts with a low prevalence (2.16%) of group A and a high prevalence (41.35%) of group B in dwelling-caught Cx. quinquefasciatus of Taiwan. Because the Cx. quinquefasciatus had been known as a vector for various viral pathogens, the possible impacts of Wolbachia endosymbionts on vector competence of Cx. quinquefasciatus in Taiwan need to be further identified.
在台湾采集的家栖致倦库蚊中确定了沃尔巴克氏体共生菌的基因特征。最初针对通用的16S基因对总共370只致倦库蚊（245只雌蚊和125只雄蚊）进行沃尔巴克氏体感染筛查，对阳性样本通过巢式聚合酶链反应测定进一步鉴定其基因组，以扩增组特异性的沃尔巴克氏体表面蛋白（wsp）基因。总体而言，检测到44.59%的致倦库蚊带有沃尔巴克氏体共生菌，其中雄蚊为43.2%（54/125），雌蚊为45.31%（111/245）。分别观察到A组、B组和共感染（A&B）组的组特异性检测率为2.16%（8/370）、41.35%（153/370）和1.08%（4/370）。系统发育分析表明，这些台湾菌株的基因特征与沃尔巴克氏体的A组和B组在遗传上相似，序列同源性分别高达98.7 - 100%和96.5 - 99.8%。使用最大似然法（ML）和算术平均非加权对组法（UPGMA）这两种方法都能清晰区分遗传相关性。本研究证明了台湾家栖致倦库蚊中沃尔巴克氏体共生菌的初始基因特征，其中A组患病率低（2.16%），B组患病率高（41.35%）。由于致倦库蚊是多种病毒病原体的传播媒介，沃尔巴克氏体共生菌对台湾致倦库蚊传播能力的潜在影响有待进一步确定。
