Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Genomics and Bioinformatics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #387622
Research Project: Applied Agricultural Genomics and Bioinformatics Research

Location: Genomics and Bioinformatics Research

Title: Intrinsic variation in the vertically transmitted core virome of the mosquito Aedes aegypti

Author
item COATSWORTH, HEATHER - University Of Florida
item BOZIC, JOVANA - University Of Florida
item CARILLO, JULIANA - University Of Florida
item BUCKNER, EVA - University Of Florida
item Rivers, Adam
item DINGLASAN, RHOEL - University Of Florida
item MATHIAS, DERICK - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Molecular Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/17/2022
Publication Date: 3/1/2022
Citation: Coatsworth, H., Bozic, J., Carillo, J., Buckner, E., Rivers, A.R., Dinglasan, R., Mathias, D. 2022. Intrinsic variation in the vertically transmitted core virome of the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Molecular Ecology. 31(9):2545-2561. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16412.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16412

Interpretive Summary: Mosquitoes are important carriers of disease. The also harbor insect-specific viruses (ISV) that do not infect humans but can affect mosquitoes including by modifying the ability of mosquitoes to spread human disease. This work identified the ISVs in wild-caught and lab-reared mosquitoes to determine which ISVs are common in local populations. The work also showed that many ISVs can be passed down through multiple generations by infected mosquito eggs. The paper establishes a baseline description of the ISVs in the medically important Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti).

Technical Abstract: Since 2009, local outbreaks of dengue (serotypes 1-3) mediated by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have occurred in the United States, particularly in Florida (FL). In 2016 and 2017, dengue virus serotype 4 was found alongside several insect-specific viruses (ISVs) in pools of Ae. aegypti from Manatee County, FL, in the absence of an index case. Although ISVs have been characterized in Ae. aegypti globally, the constitution of a core virome in natural populations remains unclear. Using mosquitoes sampled from the aforementioned locality in 2018, we compared baseline ovary viromes of field (G0) and lab (Orlando) Ae. aegypti via metagenomic RNA sequencing. Across all samples, virome composition varied by sample type (field- or colony-derived). Four ISVs made up >97% of virus sequences: a novel partiti-like virus (Partitiviridae), a previously described toti-like virus (Totiviridae), unclassified Riboviria, and four previously described orthomyxo-like viruses (Orthormyxoviridae). Whole or partial genomes for the toti-like virus, partiti-like virus, and one orthomyxo-like virus were assembled and analyzed phylogenetically. The presence of these ISVs was confirmed orthogonally by RT-PCR in G0 and G7 mosquitoes, indicating vertical transmission as the mechanism for ISV maintenance. This study provides baseline information regarding ISV ecology and persistence in Ae. aegypti in nature.