Journal article

Wolbachia Genome Stability and mtDNA Variants in Aedes aegypti Field Populations Eight Years after Release

Bixing Huang, Qiong Yang, Ary A Hoffmann, Scott A Ritchie, Andrew F van den Hurk, David Warrilow

ISCIENCE | CELL PRESS | Published : 2020

Abstract

A dengue suppression strategy based on release of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is being trialed in many countries. Wolbachia inhibits replication and transmission of dengue viruses. Questions remain regarding the long-term stability of virus-suppressive effects. We sequenced the Wolbachia genome and analyzed Ae. aegypti mitochondrial DNA markers isolated from mosquitoes sampled 2-8 years after releases in the greater Cairns region, Australia. Few changes were detected when Wolbachia genomes of field mosquitoes were compared with Wolbachia genomes of mosquitoes obtained soon after initial releases. Mitochondrial variants associated with the initial ..

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Grants

Awarded by Forensic and Scientific Services of Australia


Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia


Funding Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Rikki Graham for advice on microbiology. We also thank Jason Axford for Aedes colony material; Michael Townsend, Thomas Schmidt, and Perran Ross for field Aedes aegypti samples; Peter Horne and Joe Davis for providing the map; Heng Lin Yeap for advice on mitochondrial DNA analysis; and Ana Ramirez for providing the image of Aedes aegypti for the graphical abstract (available from: Rami ' rez, Ana L. (2019): Aedes aegypti mosquito. figshare. Figure. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.7155857).Finally, thanks to Cassie Jansen for comments on the manuscript. The Wolbachia genome component was internally funded by Forensic and Scientific Services of Australia, grant number RSS19-001. ThemtDNA component of this research was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, grant numbers 1132412 and 1118640.