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Melanotic pathology and vertical transmission of the gut commensal Elizabethkingia meningoseptica in the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae.
- Source :
-
PloS one [PLoS One] 2013 Oct 01; Vol. 8 (10), pp. e77619. Date of Electronic Publication: 2013 Oct 01 (Print Publication: 2013). - Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Background: The resident gut flora is known to have significant impacts on the life history of the host organism. Endosymbiotic bacterial species in the Anopheles mosquito gut are potent modulators of sexual development of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, and thus proposed as potential control agents of malaria transmission.<br />Results: Here we report a melanotic pathology in the major African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, caused by the dominant mosquito endosymbiont Elizabethkingiameningoseptica. Transfer of melanised tissues into the haemolymph of healthy adult mosquitoes or direct haemolymph inoculation with isolated E. meningoseptica bacteria were the only means for transmission and de novo formation of melanotic lesions, specifically in the fat body tissues of recipient individuals. We show that E. meningoseptica can be vertically transmitted from eggs to larvae and that E. meningoseptica-mono-associated mosquitoes display significant mortality, which is further enhanced upon Plasmodium infection, suggesting a synergistic impact of E. meningoseptica and Plasmodium on mosquito survival.<br />Conclusion: The high pathogenicity and permanent association of E. meningoseptica with An. Gambiae through vertical transmission constitute attractive characteristics towards the potential design of novel mosquito/malaria biocontrol strategies.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Anopheles parasitology
Fat Body microbiology
Fat Body parasitology
Female
Flavobacteriaceae physiology
Gastrointestinal Tract parasitology
Hemolymph microbiology
Hemolymph parasitology
Host-Parasite Interactions
Humans
Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
Insect Vectors parasitology
Larva parasitology
Malaria, Falciparum parasitology
Melanins metabolism
Plasmodium falciparum pathogenicity
Plasmodium falciparum physiology
Symbiosis
Zygote microbiology
Zygote parasitology
Anopheles microbiology
Flavobacteriaceae pathogenicity
Gastrointestinal Tract microbiology
Insect Vectors microbiology
Larva microbiology
Malaria, Falciparum transmission
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1932-6203
- Volume :
- 8
- Issue :
- 10
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- PloS one
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 24098592
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077619