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Microbial Genomics Apr 2022is a genus of obligate bacterial endosymbionts that infect a diverse range of arthropod species as well as filarial nematodes, with its single described species, ,...
is a genus of obligate bacterial endosymbionts that infect a diverse range of arthropod species as well as filarial nematodes, with its single described species, , divided into several ‘supergroups’ based on multilocus sequence typing. strains in mosquitoes have been shown to inhibit the transmission of human pathogens, including malaria parasites and arboviruses. Despite their large host range, strains within the major malaria vectors of the and complexes appear at low density, established solely on PCR-based methods. Questions have been raised as to whether this represents a true endosymbiotic relationship. However, recent definitive evidence for two distinct, high-density strains of supergroup B within and has opened exciting possibilities to explore naturally occurring endosymbionts in for biocontrol strategies to block transmission. Here, we utilize genomic analyses to demonstrate that both strains have retained all key metabolic and transport pathways despite their smaller genome size, with this reduction potentially attributable to degenerated prophage regions. Even with this reduction, we confirmed the presence of cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) factor genes within both strains, with AnD maintaining intact copies of these genes while the gene was interrupted in AnM, so functional analysis is required to determine whether AnM can induce CI. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis indicates that these strains may have been introduced into these two species via horizontal transmission events, rather than by ancestral acquisition and subsequent loss events in the species complex. These are the first genomes, to our knowledge, that enable us to study the relationship between natural strain malaria parasites and their anopheline hosts.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Prophages; Symbiosis; Wolbachia
PubMed: 35446252
DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000805 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2017To better understand the phylogeny and evolution of mosquitoes, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Anopheles stephensi and An. dirus were sequenced and...
To better understand the phylogeny and evolution of mosquitoes, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Anopheles stephensi and An. dirus were sequenced and annotated, and a total of 50 mosquito mitogenomes were comparatively analyzed. The complete mitogenome of An. stephensi and An. dirus is 1,5371 bp and 1,5406 bp long, respectively. The main features of the 50 mosquito mitogenomes are conservative: 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, positive AT-skew and negative GC-skew. The gene order trnA-trnR in ancestral insects is rearranged. All tRNA genes have the typical clover leaf secondary structure but tRNA . The control regions are highly variable in size. PCGs show signals of purifying selection, but evidence for positive selection in ND2, ND4 and ND6 is found. Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses based on all PCG nucleotides produce an identical tree topology and strongly support the monophyly of subgenera Cellia, Anopheles, Keterszia and Nyssorhynchus, the sister relationship of the subgenera Nyssorhynchus and Keterszia, and Cellia and Anopheles. The most recent ancestor of the genus Anopheles and Culicini + Aedini exited ~145 Mya ago. This is the first comprehensive study of mosquito mitogenomes, which are effective for mosquito phylogeny at various taxonomic levels.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Evolution, Molecular; Gene Order; Genome, Mitochondrial; Genomics; Open Reading Frames; Phylogeny; Selection, Genetic
PubMed: 28794438
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07977-0 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jun 2023West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are two arthropod-borne viruses that circulate in mainland France. Assessing vector competence has only been conducted so...
West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are two arthropod-borne viruses that circulate in mainland France. Assessing vector competence has only been conducted so far with mosquitoes from southern France while an increasingly active circulation of WNV and USUV has been reported in the last years. The main vectors are mosquitoes of the Culex genus and the common mosquito Culex pipiens. Here, we measure the vector competence of five mosquito species (Aedes rusticus, Aedes albopictus, Anopheles plumbeus, Culex pipiens and Culiseta longiareolata) present in northeastern France. Field-collected populations were exposed to artificial infectious blood meal containing WNV or USUV and examined at different days post-infection. We show that (i) Cx. pipiens transmitted WNV and USUV, (ii) Ae. rusticus only WNV, and (iii) unexpectedly, Ae. albopictus transmitted both WNV and USUV. Less surprising, An. plumbeus was not competent for both viruses. Combined with data on distribution and population dynamics, these assessments of vector competence will help in developing a risk map and implementing appropriate prevention and control measures.
Topics: Animals; West Nile virus; Flavivirus; Culex; Aedes; France; Mosquito Vectors; West Nile Fever
PubMed: 37276229
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011144 -
Parasites & Vectors Sep 2013Malaria around the China-Myanmar border is a serious health problem in the countries of South-East Asia. An. minimus is a principle malaria vector with a wide geographic...
BACKGROUND
Malaria around the China-Myanmar border is a serious health problem in the countries of South-East Asia. An. minimus is a principle malaria vector with a wide geographic distribution in this area. Malaria is endemic along the boundary between Yunnan province in China and the Kachin State of Myanmar where the local Anopheles community (species composition) and the malaria transmission vectors have never been clarified.
METHODS
Adult Anopheles specimens were collected using CDC light traps in four villages along the border of China and Myanmar from May 2012 to April 2013. Morphological and molecular identification of mosquito adults confirmed the species of Anopheles. Blood-meal identification using the female abdomens was conducted using multiplex PCR. For sporozoite detection in An. minimus, sets of 10 female salivary glands were pooled and identified with SSU rDNA using nested PCR. Monthly abundance of An. minimus populations during the year was documented. The diversity of Anopheles and the role of An. minimus on malaria transmission in this border area were analyzed.
RESULTS
4,833 adult mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles were collected and morphologically identified to species or species complex. The Anopheles community is comprised of 13 species, and 78.83% of our total specimens belonged to An. minimus s.l., followed by An. maculatus (5.55%) and the An. culicifacies complex (4.03%). The quantity of trapped An. minimus in the rainy season of malaria transmission was greater than during the non-malarial dry season, and a peak was found in May 2012. An. minimus fed on the blood of four animals: humans (79.8%), cattle (10.6%), pigs (5.8%) and dogs (3.8%). 1,500 females of An. minimus were pooled into 150 samples and tested for sporozoites: only 1 pooled sample was found to have sporozoites of Plasmodium vivax.
CONCLUSION
Anopheles is abundant with An. minimus being the dominant species and having a high human blood index along the China-Myanmar border. The sporozoites in An. minimus were determined to be Plasmodium vivax with a 0.07-0.7% infection rate.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Blood; Cattle; China; DNA Fingerprinting; Dogs; Endemic Diseases; Feeding Behavior; Female; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Malaria, Vivax; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; Myanmar; Plasmodium vivax; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Swine
PubMed: 24034528
DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-264 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2023We present a new and innovative identification method based on deep learning of the wing interferential patterns carried by mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus to classify...
We present a new and innovative identification method based on deep learning of the wing interferential patterns carried by mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus to classify and assign 20 Anopheles species, including 13 malaria vectors. We provide additional evidence that this approach can identify Anopheles spp. with an accuracy of up to 100% for ten out of 20 species. Although, this accuracy was moderate (> 65%) or weak (50%) for three and seven species. The accuracy of the process to discriminate cryptic or sibling species is also assessed on three species belonging to the Gambiae complex. Strikingly, An. gambiae, An. arabiensis and An. coluzzii, morphologically indistinguishable species belonging to the Gambiae complex, were distinguished with 100%, 100%, and 88% accuracy respectively. Therefore, this tool would help entomological surveys of malaria vectors and vector control implementation. In the future, we anticipate our method can be applied to other arthropod vector-borne diseases.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Anopheles; Deep Learning; Mosquito Vectors; Arthropods; Siblings
PubMed: 37626130
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41114-4 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2023Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi have challenged human health by transmitting several infectious disease agents, such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever....
Aedes aegypti and Anopheles stephensi have challenged human health by transmitting several infectious disease agents, such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever. Larvicides, especially in endemic regions, is an effective approach to the control of mosquito-borne diseases. In this study, the composition of three essential oil from the Artemisia L. family was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Afterward, nanoliposomes containing essential oils of A. annua, A. dracunculus, and A. sieberi with particle sizes of 137 ± 5, 151 ± 6, and 92 ± 5 nm were prepared. Besides, their zeta potential values were obtained at 32 ± 0.5, 32 ± 0.6, and 43 ± 1.7 mV. ATR-FTIR analysis (Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform InfraRed) confirmed the successful loading of the essential oils. Moreover, The LC values of nanoliposomes against Ae. aegypti larvae were 34, 151, and 197 µg/mL. These values for An.stephensi were obtained as 23 and 90, and 140 µg/mL, respectively. The results revealed that nanoliposomes containing A. dracunculus exerted the highest potential larvicidal effect against Ae. aegypti and An. stephensi, which can be considered against other mosquitoes.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Aedes; Anopheles; Artemisia; Oils, Volatile; Culex; Larva; Insecticides; Plant Leaves; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 37420038
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38284-6 -
Viruses Aug 2023The diversity and circulation of arboviruses are not much studied in Madagascar. The fact is that arboviral emergences are rarely detected. The existing surveillance...
The diversity and circulation of arboviruses are not much studied in Madagascar. The fact is that arboviral emergences are rarely detected. The existing surveillance system primarily relies on serological detection and records only a few human infections annually. The city of Mahajanga, however, experienced a confirmed dengue fever epidemic in 2020 and 2021. This study aimed to characterize and analyze the virome of mosquitoes collected in Mahajanga, near patients with dengue-like syndromes to detect known and unknown viruses as well as investigate the factors contributing to the relative low circulation of arboviruses in the area. A total of 4280 mosquitoes representing at least 12 species from the , , and genera were collected during the dry and the rainy seasons from three sites, following an urbanization gradient. The virome analysis of 2192 female mosquitoes identified a diverse range of viral families and genera and revealed different patterns that are signatures of the influence of the mosquito genus or the season of collection on the composition and abundance of the virome. Despite the absence of known human or veterinary arboviruses, the identification and characterization of viral families, genera, and species in the mosquito virome contribute to our understanding of viral ecology and diversity within mosquito populations in Madagascar. This study serves as a foundation for ongoing surveillance efforts and provides a basis for the development of preventive strategies against various mosquito-borne viral diseases, including known arboviruses.
PubMed: 37766259
DOI: 10.3390/v15091852 -
Scientific Reports Jan 2022Using high-depth whole genome sequencing of F0 mating pairs and multiple individual F1 offspring, we estimated the nuclear mutation rate per generation in the malaria...
Using high-depth whole genome sequencing of F0 mating pairs and multiple individual F1 offspring, we estimated the nuclear mutation rate per generation in the malaria vectors Anopheles coluzzii and Anopheles stephensi by detecting de novo genetic mutations. A purpose-built computer program was employed to filter actual mutations from a deep background of superficially similar artifacts resulting from read misalignment. Performance of filtering parameters was determined using software-simulated mutations, and the resulting estimate of false negative rate was used to correct final mutation rate estimates. Spontaneous mutation rates by base substitution were estimated at 1.00 × 10 (95% confidence interval, 2.06 × 10-2.91 × 10) and 1.36 × 10 (95% confidence interval, 4.42 × 10-3.18 × 10) per site per generation in A. coluzzii and A. stephensi respectively. Although similar studies have been performed on other insect species including dipterans, this is the first study to empirically measure mutation rates in the important genus Anopheles, and thus provides an estimate of µ that will be of utility for comparative evolutionary genomics, as well as for population genetic analysis of malaria vector mosquito species.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Female; Humans; Insect Proteins; Malaria; Male; Mosquito Vectors; Mutation Rate; Whole Genome Sequencing
PubMed: 34996998
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03943-z -
BMC Genomics Apr 2015Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been defined as mRNA-like transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides that lack significant protein-coding potential, and many of them...
BACKGROUND
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been defined as mRNA-like transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides that lack significant protein-coding potential, and many of them constitute scaffolds for ribonucleoprotein complexes with critical roles in epigenetic regulation. Various lncRNAs have been implicated in the modulation of chromatin structure, transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation, and regulation of genomic stability in mammals, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Drosophila melanogaster. The purpose of this study is to identify the lncRNA landscape in the malaria vector An. gambiae and assess the evolutionary conservation of lncRNAs and their secondary structures across the Anopheles genus.
RESULTS
Using deep RNA sequencing of multiple Anopheles gambiae life stages, we have identified 2,949 lncRNAs and more than 300 previously unannotated putative protein-coding genes. The lncRNAs exhibit differential expression profiles across life stages and adult genders. We find that across the genus Anopheles, lncRNAs display much lower sequence conservation than protein-coding genes. Additionally, we find that lncRNA secondary structure is highly conserved within the Gambiae complex, but diverges rapidly across the rest of the genus Anopheles.
CONCLUSIONS
This study offers one of the first lncRNA secondary structure analyses in vector insects. Our description of lncRNAs in An. gambiae offers the most comprehensive genome-wide insights to date into lncRNAs in this vector mosquito, and defines a set of potential targets for the development of vector-based interventions that may further curb the human malaria burden in disease-endemic countries.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Conserved Sequence; Drosophila melanogaster; Epigenesis, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Nucleic Acid Conformation; RNA, Long Noncoding; RNA, Messenger
PubMed: 25903279
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1507-3 -
Journal of Virology Aug 2009Viruses in the genus Orthobunyavirus, family Bunyaviridae, have a genome comprising three segments (called L, M, and S) of negative-sense RNA. Serological studies have...
Viruses in the genus Orthobunyavirus, family Bunyaviridae, have a genome comprising three segments (called L, M, and S) of negative-sense RNA. Serological studies have classified the >170 named virus isolates into 18 serogroups, with a few additional as yet ungrouped viruses. Until now, molecular studies and full-length S-segment nucleotide sequences were available for representatives of eight serogroups; in all cases, the S segment encodes two proteins, N (nucleocapsid) and NSs (nonstructural), in overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) that are translated from the same mRNA. The NSs proteins of Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) and California serogroup viruses have been shown to play a role in inhibiting host cell mRNA and protein synthesis, thereby preventing induction of interferon (IFN). We have determined full-length sequences of the S segments of representative viruses in the Anopheles A, Anopheles B, and Tete serogroups, and we report here that these viruses do not show evidence of having an NSs ORF. In addition, these viruses have rather longer N proteins than those in the other serogroups. Most of the naturally occurring viruses that lack the NSs protein behaved like a recombinant BUNV with the NSs gene deleted in that they failed to prevent induction of IFN-beta mRNA. However, Tacaiuma virus (TCMV) in the Anopheles A serogroup inhibited IFN induction in a manner similar to that of wild-type BUNV, suggesting that TCMV has evolved an alternative mechanism, not involving a typical NSs protein, to antagonize the host innate immune response.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Bunyaviridae; Molecular Sequence Data; Open Reading Frames; Orthobunyavirus; Viral Nonstructural Proteins
PubMed: 19439468
DOI: 10.1128/JVI.02080-08