Article
Parasitology
Muhammad Sajjad Sarwar, Nusrat Jahan, Azeem Ali, Hafiz Kamran Yousaf, Iqra Munzoor
Summary: The study found that Wolbachia strain wAlbB has the potential to control the spread of dengue fever in Aedes aegypti populations by producing a strong cytoplasmic incompatibility effect, with limited impact on the host.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Perran A. Ross, Xinyue Gu, Katie L. Robinson, Qiong Yang, Ellen Cottingham, Yifan Zhang, Heng Lin Yeap, Xuefen Xu, Nancy M. Endersby-Harshman, Ary A. Hoffmann
Summary: Aedes mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia bacteria are released in arbovirus and mosquito control programs worldwide. Our study demonstrates that the Wolbachia infection remains stable across different mosquito populations and host backgrounds over time, with minimal genetic changes despite spending over 15 years in a novel mosquito host. This stability suggests that Wolbachia could be an effective long-term strategy for controlling arbovirus transmission and mosquito populations.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Candasamy Sadanandane, Kasinathan Gunasekaran, Devaraju Panneer, Sarala K. Subbarao, Manju Rahi, Balakrishnan Vijayakumar, Velan Athithan, Annamalai Sakthivel, Sundaram Dinesh, Purushothaman Jambulingam
Summary: Wolbachia, a symbiotic bacterium that interferes with dengue virus replication, has the potential to prevent dengue transmission. In laboratory experiments, Wolbachia-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes showed improved fitness and reproduction compared to uninfected mosquitoes, with high maternal transmission rate and strong cytoplasmic incompatibility. These findings support the pilot release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes for population replacement in the field.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Austin J. Mejia, H. L. C. Dutra, M. J. Jones, R. Perera, E. A. McGraw
Summary: This study found that there is little relationship among the relative Wolbachia densities in different tissues of the same host. There is also very little relationship between Wolbachia densities in parents and those in offspring, except for a strong positive association in the ovary-egg relationship. Relative Wolbachia densities in reproductive tissues are always greater than those in somatic tissues.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Kasinathan Gunasekaran, Candasamy Sadanandane, Devaraju Panneer, Ashwani Kumar, Manju Rahi, Sundaram Dinesh, Balakrishnan Vijayakumar, Muthuraman Krishnaraja, Sarala K. Subbarao, Purushothaman Jambulingam
Summary: The study found that exposure to higher temperatures reduced the densities of wMel and wAlbB strains in Ae. aegypti larvae, especially in males. In simulated field conditions, high temperatures under sunlight caused larval mortality.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Triwibowo Ambar Garjito, Lulus Susanti, Mujiyono Mujiyono, Mega Tyas Prihatin, Dwi Susilo, Sidiq Setyo Nugroho, Mujiyanto Mujiyanto, Raden Ajeng Wigati, Tri Baskoro Tunggul Satoto, Sylvie Manguin, Laurent Gavotte, Roger Frutos
Summary: There are various methods to collect and assess the abundance of dengue vector mosquitoes, but the lack of long-term sampling methods may result in variability and lack of statistical significance in the results. There is no correlation between the collection methods and the presence of dengue virus in mosquitoes or the incidence of dengue, and the efficacy of a given method is inconsistent across different locations.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Lie Cheng, Wei-Liang Liu, Matthew P. Su, Shu-Chen Huang, Jen-Ren Wang, Chun-Hong Chen
Summary: In this study, we found that prohemocytes were the major type of hemocyte infected by DENV in both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. The infection rate of prohemocytes in Ae. albopictus was lower than that in Ae. aegypti, which may explain why systemic DENV infection in Ae. albopictus is less efficient than in Ae. aegypti and why Ae. albopictus is less correlated to dengue fever outbreaks.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Michael Leitner, Cameron Bishop, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The study revealed the transcriptional response of Wolbachia in A. aegypti cells infected with dengue virus, indicating changes in the expression of certain functionally important Wolbachia genes. This provides insights into the endosymbiont's reaction to virus infection.
Article
Biology
Noor Afizah Ahmad, Maria-Vittoria Mancini, Thomas H. Ant, Julien Martinez, Ghazali M. R. Kamarul, Wasi A. Nazni, Ary A. Hoffmann, Steven P. Sinkins
Summary: The study found that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying the wAlbB Wolbachia strain can sustainably inhibit the transmission of dengue virus, with good inhibitory effects in field populations, providing support for the continued scale-up of Wolbachia wAlbB releases for dengue control.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Tai-Chih Kuo, Chien-Chung Lin, Ching-Chu Tsai, Shiang-Jiuun Chen, Tso-Min Hung, Che-Chu Hsieh, Ja-Yu Lu, Rong-Nan Huang
Summary: The study investigated the toxicity of terahertz-based functional mineral water to mosquito larvae, pupae, and larvivorous copepods, showing concentration-dependent effects and potential as a biodegradable eco-friendly bioinsecticide. Terahertz-based functional mineral water decreased mosquito hatching and had toxic effects on larvae and pupae, particularly on Aedes albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus. The larvicidal and pupicidal activity of the water decreased after 24 hours, suggesting its potential use for mosquito control.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Chao-Ying Pan, Lie Cheng, Wei-Liang Liu, Matthew P. Su, Hui-Pin Ho, Che-Hun Liao, Jui-Hun Chang, Yu-Chieh Yang, Cheng-Chun Hsu, Joh-Jong Huang, Chun-Hong Chen
Summary: The study compared Aedes mosquito catch rates between passive gravitraps and active fan-traps in six urban areas of Kaohsiung City in 2019. Fan-traps consistently showed higher capture rates compared to gravitraps, with values more closely aligned with reported dengue fever cases and weekly fluctuations in temperature and rainfall. This supports the use of fan-traps for Aedes mosquito surveillance and control within broader vector management strategies, potentially aiding in early identification and prevention of disease outbreaks.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Rhys Parry, Maddie E. James, Sassan Asgari
Summary: Analysis of over 3000 RNA sequencing libraries revealed virome diversity of Aedes mosquitoes, identifying novel and previously characterized viruses. Significant inter-host variation of insect-specific viruses within individuals and virus diversity in Wolbachia infected Aedes cell lines were found. This study expands our understanding of important vector viromes and provides a resource for further research on the ecology and evolution of these viruses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andre B. B. Wilke, Chalmers Vasquez, Augusto Carvajal, Maday Moreno, William D. Petrie, John C. Beier
Summary: This study found that important mosquito vector species were present in great numbers in all of the 12 maritime ports of entry surveyed. The relative abundance of Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti was substantially higher in the commercial freight cargo ship ports than in the marinas. These results indicate that the port area in the Miami River is especially suitable for the proliferation of vector mosquitoes.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Yan Liu, Xia Wang, Sanyi Tang, Robert A. Cheke
Summary: This study built a mathematical model based on meteorological and mosquito vector monitoring data in Guangdong Province, China, to explore the effects of temperature and rainfall on the population dynamics of Aedes albopictus. The study found that temperature and rainfall had different effects on the developmental stages of mosquitoes in different periods and locations. It also identified rainfall as being more important than temperature distribution and evenness for mosquito population development, with peak summer rainfall being the best indicator.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
A. J. Mejia, L. Jimenez, H. L. C. Dutra, R. Perera, E. A. McGraw
Summary: Wolbachia, an insect endosymbiont, is used for biological control in mosquitoes due to its ability to cause cytoplasmic incompatibility and limit viral replication. This study investigates the factors affecting Wolbachia densities in Ae. aegypti and suggests that there may be moderating forces acting on these densities. The researchers also propose a method to accurately categorize mosquito carcasses based on Wolbachia densities for future studies.
Review
Agronomy
Ritesh G. Jain, Karl E. Robinson, Sassan Asgari, Neena Mitter
Summary: RNA interference (RNAi) is a promising approach for managing hemipteran pests, but commercial implementation faces challenges such as limited knowledge about dsRNA uptake mechanisms and RNAi gene functions. This review highlights recent progress in RNAi-based studies aimed at reducing insect populations, viral transmission, and insecticide resistance in hemipteran pests. It also explores potential solutions to improve RNAi-mediated management of hemipteran insects, including in silico approaches and formulation of dsRNA effector to minimize off-target effects and improve broad-spectrum pest control.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Seyede Fatemeh Nasehi, Yaghoub Fathipour, Sassan Asgari, Mohammad Mehrabadi
Summary: Temperature has a greater impact on the CI phenotype of Habrobracon hebetor wasps than male age, reducing CI penetrance and decreasing the expression of CI factors. CifA shows higher expression levels than CifB, and temperature affects Wolbachia and prophage WO titers as well as the expression levels of cif genes that modulate CI levels.
Article
Agronomy
Zeynab Bagheri, Ali Asghar Talebi, Sassan Asgari, Mohammad Mehrabadi
Summary: The research demonstrates that Wolbachia modulates inbreeding avoidance behavior and promotes sib mating in wasps, leading to an increase in the production of female progeny. This effect helps enhance the transmission of Wolbachia to the next generation.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Michael Leitner, Kayvan Etebari, Sassan Asgari
Summary: This study examines the transcriptional response of Wolbachia-transinfected Aedes aegypti cells to dengue virus (DENV) infection. Differential expression of immune genes, as well as genes related to post-transcriptional modifications, antioxidant enzymes, and heat-shock response, are identified. Additionally, several long non-coding RNAs show differential regulation. These findings provide insights into the initial virus recognition and transcriptional response of Wolbachia-transinfected Aedes aegypti to DENV infection.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kayvan Etebari, Dianne B. J. Taylor, Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Kunjithapatham Dhileepan, Michael J. Furlong, Sassan Asgari
Summary: This study identified a significant mortality in the imported leaf-mining moth population in Australia. Using next generation sequencing, the researchers found highly expressed sequences related to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a type of yeast, in the infected dataset.
Article
Agronomy
Farzad Bidari, Yaghoub Fathipour, Sassan Asgari, Mohammad Mehrabadi
Summary: This study characterized and analyzed the expression of miRNA core genes in B. tabaci and investigated the impact of their silencing on the insect's fitness. The results showed that silencing the miRNA core genes reduced miRNA levels and affected the fertility and survival of B. tabaci. The miRNA core genes could serve as attractive targets for developing an RNAi-based strategy against this insect pest.
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Zhenkai Dai, Kayvan Etebari, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The analysis of m(6)A RNA modifications in the mosquito transcriptome and their changes during dengue virus infection provides insights into the role of epigenetics in regulating viral replication in mosquitoes.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Henry de Malmanche, Mazhar Hussain, Esteban Marcellin, Steve Reid, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The Sf9 cell line, widely used for the production of recombinant proteins and virus-like particles, has been found to use RNA interference (RNAi) as an antiviral response to baculovirus infection. Knocking out Dicer-2, a key protein in the RNAi pathway, resulted in increased viral replication in Sf9 cells, indicating a potential role for RNAi in managing chronic viral infections in this cell line.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cameron Bishop, Mazhar Hussain, Leon E. Hugo, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia can affect the longevity of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes by regulating their miRNA, providing a potential biocontrol strategy for viruses transmitted by these mosquitoes.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Sassan Asgari
Summary: Insect pathogens are crucial in controlling medical and agricultural pests. Cui et al. found that genetically modified fungi, expressing host mosquito miRNAs, can enhance the fungus's efficacy by suppressing the host immune response. This discovery paves the way for the utilization of cross-kingdom RNA interference in biocontrol.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mazhar Hussain, Guangmei Zhang, Michael Leitner, Lauren M. Hedges, Sassan Asgari
Summary: The study found that the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia blocks replication of dengue virus by inducing the expression of RNase HI gene, and knocking down this gene increases dengue virus replication. Moreover, overexpressing the RNase HI gene can reduce replication of positive sense RNA viruses but has no effect on negative sense RNA viruses, revealing the mechanism of Wolbachia-mediated virus blocking.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhenkai Dai, Sassan Asgari
Summary: Potential erasers of m(6)A in insects have been identified, including the candidate eraser ALKBH8. Experimental results showed that ALKBH8 can reduce the m(6)A levels in Aedes aegypti and Drosophila melanogaster RNAs.
INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Virology
Peter Speck, Jason Mackenzie, Rowena A. Bull, Barry Slobedman, Heidi Drummer, Johanna Fraser, Lara Herrero, Karla Helbig, Sarah Londrigan, Gregory Moseley, Natalie Prow, Grant Hansman, Robert Edwards, Chantelle Ahlenstiel, Allison Abendroth, David Tscharke, Jody Hobson-Peters, Robson Kriiger-Loterio, Rhys Parry, Glenn Marsh, Emma Harding, David A. Jacques, Matthew J. Gartner, Wen Shi Lee, Julie McAuley, Paola Vaz, Frank Sainsbury, Michelle D. Tate, Jane Sinclair, Allison Imrie, Stephen Rawlinson, Andrew Harman, Jillian M. Carr, Ebony A. Monson, Merilyn Hibma, Timothy J. Mahony, Thomas Tu, Robert J. Center, Lok Bahadur Shrestha, Robyn Hall, Morgyn Warner, Vernon Ward, Danielle E. Anderson, Nicholas S. Eyre, Natalie E. Netzler, Alison J. Peel, Peter Revill, Michael Beard, Alistair R. Legione, Alexandra J. Spencer, Adi Idris, Jade Forwood, Subir Sarker, Damian F. J. Purcell, Nathan Bartlett, Joshua M. Deerain, Bruce J. Brew, Sassan Asgari, Helen Farrell, Alexander Khromykh, Daniel Enosi Tuipulotu, David Anderson, Sevim Mese, Yaman Tayyar, Kathryn Edenborough, Jasim Muhammad Uddin, Abrar Hussain, Connor J. I. Daymond, Jacinta Agius, Karyn N. Johnson, Paniz Shirmast, Mahdi Abedinzadeshahri, Robin MacDiarmid, Caroline L. Ashley, Jay Laws, Lucy L. Furfaro, Thomas D. Burton, Stephen M. R. Johnson, Zahra Telikani, Mary Petrone, Justin A. Roby, Carolyn Samer, Andreas Suhrbier, April van der Kamp, Anthony Cunningham, Celeste Donato, Jackie Mahar, Wesley D. Black, Subhash Vasudevan, Roman Lenchine, Kirsten Spann, Daniel J. Rawle, Penny Rudd, Jessica Neil, Richard Kingston, Timothy P. Newsome, Ki Wook Kim, Johnson Mak, Kym Lowry, Nathan Bryant, Joanne Meers, Jason A. Roberts, Nigel McMillan, Larisa I. Labzin, Andrii Slonchak, Leon E. Hugo, Bennett Henzeler, Natalee D. Newton, Cassandra T. David, Patrick C. Reading, Camille Esneau, Tatiana Briody, Najla Nasr, Donna McNeale, Brian McSharry, Omid Fakhri, Bethany A. Horsburgh, Grant Logan, Paul Howley, Paul Young
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Mazhar Hussain, Kayvan Etebari, Sassan Asgari
Summary: Wolbachia pipientis can block replication of positive sense RNA viruses. A study on Aedes aegypti cell lines revealed that dengue virus (DENV) was blocked in cells carrying the wAlbB strain of Wolbachia, but significantly inhibited in tetracycline-cured cells. RNA-Seq analysis showed the removal of Wolbachia and absence of Wolbachia gene expression in tetracycline-cured cells, while the abundance of phasi charoen-like virus (PCLV) was increased. Decreasing PCLV levels through RNAi resulted in increased DENV replication, indicating an antagonistic interaction between DENV and PCLV.