Open AccessDengue virus serotype 2 infection alters midgut and carcass gene expression in the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus
Author(s) -
Hitoshi Tsujimoto,
Kathryn A. Hanley,
Anitha Sundararajan,
Nicholas P. Devitt,
Faye Schilkey,
Immo A. Hansen
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0171345
Subject(s) - aedes albopictus , biology , dengue fever , chikungunya , dengue virus , arbovirus , virology , aedes aegypti , midgut , virus , aedes , vector (molecular biology) , zika virus , serotype , yellow fever , gene , genetics , larva , ecology , recombinant dna
Background The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus is currently an important vector for dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus, and its role in transmission of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) may increase in the future due to its ability to colonize temperate regions. In contrast to Aedes aegypti , the dominant vector of dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus, genetic responses of Ae . albopictus upon infection with an arbovirus are not well characterized. Here we present a study of the changes in transcript expression in Ae . albopictus exposed to dengue virus serotype 2 via feeding on an artificial bloodmeal. Methodology/Principal findings We isolated midguts and midgut-free carcasses of Ae . albopictus fed on bloodmeals containing dengue virus as well as controls fed on virus-free control meals at day 1 and day 5 post-feeding. We confirmed infection of midguts from mosquitoes sampled on day 5 post-feeding via RT-PCR. RNAseq analysis revealed dynamic modulation of the expression of several putative immunity and dengue virus-responsive genes, some of whose expression was verified by qRT-PCR. For example, a serine protease gene was up-regulated in the midgut at 1 day post infection, which may potentially enhance mosquito susceptibility to dengue infection, while 14 leucine-rich repeat genes, previously shown to be involved in mosquito antiviral defenses, were down-regulated in the carcass at 5 days post infection. The number of significantly modulated genes decreased over time in midguts and increased in carcasses. Conclusion/Significance Dengue virus exposure results in the modulation of genes in a time- and site-specific manner. Previous literature on the interaction between mosquitoes and mosquito-borne pathogens suggests that most of the changes that occurred in Ae . albopictus exposed to DENV would favor virus infection. Many genes identified in this study warrant further characterization to understand their role in viral manipulation of and antiviral response of Ae . albopictus .