Blood meal analysis of Anopheles vectors of simian malaria based on laboratory and field studies.

Blood feeding and host-seeking behaviors of a mosquito play an imperative role in determining its vectorial capacity in transmitting pathogens. Unfortunately, limited information is available regarding blood feeding behavior of Anopheles species in Malaysia. Collection of resting Anopheles mosquitoes for blood meal analysis poses a great challenge especially for forest dwelling mosquitoes. Therefore, a laboratory-based study was conducted to evaluate the potential use of mosquitoes caught using human landing catch (HLC) for blood meal analysis, and subsequently to document blood feeding behavior of local Anopheles mosquitoes in Peninsular Malaysia. The laboratory-based experiment from this study revealed that mosquitoes caught using HLC had the potential to be used for blood meal analysis. Besides HLC, mosquitoes were also collected using manual aspirator and Mosquito Magnet. Overall, 47.4% of 321 field-caught Anopheles mosquitoes belonging to six species were positive for vertebrate host DNA in their blood meal. The most frequent blood meal source was human (45.9%) followed by wild boar (27.4%), dog (15.3%) and monkey (7.5%). Interestingly, only Anopheles cracens and Anopheles introlatus (Leucosphyrus Group) fed on monkey. This study further confirmed that members of the Leucosphyrus Group are the predominant vectors for knowlesi malaria transmission in Peninsular Malaysia mainly due to their simio-anthropophagic feeding behavior.

A novel molecular diagnostic method for the gut content analysis of Philaenus DNA.

Philaenus spumarius is a vector of Xylella fastidiosa, one of the most dangerous plants pathogenic bacteria worldwide. There is currently no control measure against this pathogen. Thus, the development of vector control strategies, like generalist predators, such as spiders, could be essential to limit the spread of this vector-borne pathogen. In this study, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based approach was developed to principally detect DNA of P. spumarius in the spider's gut. Accordingly, 20 primer pairs, targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (cytB) genes, were tested for specificity, sensitivity, and efficiency in detecting P. spumarius DNA. Overall, two primer sets, targeting COI gene (COI_Ph71F/COI_Ph941R) and the cytB gene (cytB_Ph85F/cytB_Ph635R), showed the highest specificity and sensitivity, being able to amplify 870 pb and 550 bp fragments, respectively, with P. spumarius DNA concentrations 100-fold lower than that of the DNA of non-target species. Among these two primer sets, the cytB_Ph85F/cytB_Ph635R was able to detect P. spumarius in the spider Xysticus acerbus, reaching 50% detection success 82 h after feeding. The feasibility of this primer set to detect predation of P. spumarius by spiders was confirmed in the field, where 20% of the collected spiders presented positive amplifications.

Changes in antennal gene expression underlying sensory system maturation in Rhodnius prolixus.

Triatomine bugs are the blood feeding insect vectors transmitting Chagas disease to humans, a neglected tropical disease that affects over 8 million people, mainly in Latin America. The behavioral responses to host cues and bug signals in Rhodnius prolixus are state dependent, i.e., they vary as a function of post-ecdysis age. At the molecular level, these changes in behavior are probably due to a modulation of peripheral and central processes. In the present study, we report a significant modulation of the expression of a large set of sensory-related genes. Results were generated by means of antennal transcriptomes of 5th instar larvae along the first week (days 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) after ecdysis sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq platform. Significant age-induced changes in transcript abundance were established for more than 6120 genes (54,7% of 11,186 genes expressed) in the antenna of R. prolixus. This was especially true between the first two days after ecdysis when more than 2500 genes had their expression significantly altered. In contrast, expression profiles were almost identical between day 6 and 8, with only a few genes showing significant modulation of their expression. A total of 86 sensory receptors, odorant carriers and odorant degrading enzymes were significantly modulated across age points and clustered into three distinct expression profiles. The set of sensory genes whose expression increased with age (profile 3) may include candidates underlying the increased responsiveness to host cues shown by R. prolixus during the first days after molting. For the first time, we describe the maturation process undergone at the molecular level by the peripheral sensory system of a hemimetabolous insect.

Reactive oxygen species-mediated immunity against bacterial infection in the gut of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis).

Fleas (Order Siphonaptera) transmit numerous bacterial pathogens that cause severe human diseases (e.g., cat scratch disease, flea-borne spotted fever, murine typhus, plague). Because initial entry of these infectious agents occurs while blood feeding, the immune response in the flea gut is considered to be the first line of defense against invading microbes. However, relatively few studies have identified the flea immune molecules that effectively resist or limit infection in the gut. In other hematophagous insects, an immediate immune response to imbibed pathogens is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we utilized cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) to investigate whether oral infection with a well-known insect bacterial pathogen (Serratia marcescens) induces ROS synthesis in the flea gut, and whether production of ROS provides a defense mechanism against microbial colonization. Specifically, we treated fleas with an antioxidant to limit the number of free radicals in the digestive tract prior to infection, and then measured the following: S. marcescens infection loads, hydrogen peroxide (ROS) levels, and mRNA abundance of ROS signaling pathway genes. Overall, our data shows that ROS levels increase in response to infection in the flea gut, and that this increase helps to strengthen the flea immune response through the microbicidal activity of ROS.

A sand fly salivary protein acts as a neutrophil chemoattractant.

Apart from bacterial formyl peptides or viral chemokine mimicry, a non-vertebrate or insect protein that directly attracts mammalian innate cells such as neutrophils has not been molecularly characterized. Here, we show that members of sand fly yellow salivary proteins induce in vitro chemotaxis of mouse, canine and human neutrophils in transwell migration or EZ-TAXIScan assays. We demonstrate murine neutrophil recruitment in vivo using flow cytometry and two-photon intravital microscopy in Lysozyme-M-eGFP transgenic mice. We establish that the structure of this ~ 45 kDa neutrophil chemotactic protein does not resemble that of known chemokines. This chemoattractant acts through a G-protein-coupled receptor and is dependent on calcium influx. Of significance, this chemoattractant protein enhances lesion pathology (P < 0.0001) and increases parasite burden (P < 0.001) in mice upon co-injection with Leishmania parasites, underlining the impact of the sand fly salivary yellow proteins on disease outcome. These findings show that some arthropod vector-derived factors, such as this chemotactic salivary protein, activate rather than inhibit the host innate immune response, and that pathogens take advantage of these inflammatory responses to establish in the host.

High pyrethroid/DDT resistance in major malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii from Niger-Delta of Nigeria is probably driven by metabolic resistance mechanisms.

Entomological surveillance of local malaria vector populations is an important component of vector control and resistance management. In this study, the resistance profile and its possible mechanisms was characterised in a field population of the major malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii from Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state, in the Niger-Delta Region of Nigeria. Larvae collected in Port-Harcourt, were reared to adulthood and used for WHO bioassays. The population exhibited high resistance to permethrin, deltamethrin and DDT with mortalities of 6.7% ± 2.4, 37.5% ± 3.2 and 6.3% ± 4.1, respectively, but were fully susceptible to bendiocarb and malathion. Synergist bioassays with piperonylbutoxide (PBO) partially recovered susceptibility, with mortalities increasing to 53% ± 4, indicating probable role of CYP450s in permethrin resistance (χ2 = 29.48, P < 0.0001). Transcriptional profiling revealed five major resistance-associated genes overexpressed in the field samples compared to the fully susceptible laboratory colony, Ngoussou. Highest fold change (FC) was observed with GSTe2 (FC = 3.3 in permethrin exposed and 6.2 in unexposed) and CYP6Z3 (FC = 1.4 in exposed and 4.6 in unexposed). TaqMan genotyping of 32 F0 females detected the 1014F and 1575Y knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations with frequencies of 0.84 and 0.1, respectively, while 1014S mutation was not detected. Sequencing of a fragment of the voltage-gated sodium channel, spanning exon 20 from 13 deltamethrin-resistant and 9 susceptible females revealed only 2 distinct haplotypes with a low haplotype diversity of 0.33. The findings of high pyrethroid resistance but with a significant degree of recovery after PBO synergist assay suggests the need to move to PBO-based nets. This could be complemented with carbamate- or organophosphate-based indoor residual spraying in this area.

The involvement of insulin/ToR signaling pathway in reproductive performance of Rhodnius prolixus.

Insulins are peptide hormones widely studied for their important regulatory roles in metabolism, growth and development. In insects, insulin signaling along with the target of rapamycin (ToR) are involved in detecting and interpreting nutrient levels. Recently, by transcriptome analysis we reported an up-regulation of transcripts involved in insulin/ToR signaling in unfed Rhodnius prolixus; however, this signaling pathway is only activated in fed insects. Here, continuing with the blood-gorging triatomine R. prolixus as a model, we report the direct effect of insulin/ToR signaling on reproductive performance. By immunofluorescence we identified cells in the brain with positive signal to the R. prolixus ILP (Rhopr-ILP1) and show that the insulin receptor and protein effectors downstream of insulin/ToR signaling activation, are differentially expressed in ovarian follicles dependent on their developmental stage. Using qPCR we find that the expression of transcripts involved in insulin signaling in the central nervous system (CNS), fat body and ovaries increase as the state of starvation progresses, promoting a more highly sensitized state to respond rapidly to ILP/IGF levels. In addition, using dsRNA injection and in vivo and ex vivo assays to promote signaling activation we demonstrate a direct participation of insulin/ToR signaling in coordinating the synthesis of the main yolk protein precursor, vitellogenin, thereby influencing the numbers of eggs laid per female. We thereby show a mechanism by which nutritional signaling regulates reproductive performance in a vector of Chagas disease. As reproduction is responsible for propagation of insect populations, this work is important for the development of innovative biocontrol methods.

The Phlebotomus papatasi systemic transcriptional response to trypanosomatid-contaminated blood does not differ from the non-infected blood meal.

BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis, caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, is a disease that affects up to 8 million people worldwide. Parasites are transmitted to human and animal hosts through the bite of an infected sand fly. Novel strategies for disease control require a better understanding of the key step for transmission, namely the establishment of infection inside the fly. METHODS: The aim of this work was to identify sand fly systemic transcriptomic signatures associated with Leishmania infection. We used next generation sequencing to describe the transcriptome of whole Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies when fed with blood alone (control) or with blood containing one of three trypanosomatids: Leishmania major, L. donovani and Herpetomonas muscarum, the latter being a parasite not transmitted to humans. RESULTS: Of the trypanosomatids studied, only L. major was able to successfully establish an infection in the host P. papatasi. However, the transcriptional signatures observed after each parasite-contaminated blood meal were not specific to success or failure of a specific infection and they did not differ from each other. The transcriptional signatures were also indistinguishable after a non-contaminated blood meal. CONCLUSIONS: The results imply that sand flies perceive Leishmania as just one feature of their microbiome landscape and that any strategy to tackle transmission should focus on the response towards the blood meal rather than parasite establishment. Alternatively, Leishmania could suppress host responses. These results will generate new thinking around the concept of stopping transmission by controlling the parasite inside the insect.

Comparative evaluation of salivary glands proteomes from wild Phlebotomus papatasi-proven vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is increasing in the world and Phlebotomus papatasi as a proven vector was considered in different aspects for disease control. Sandfly saliva contains proteins which provoke host immune system. These proteins are candidates for developing vaccines. OBJECTIVES: The main purpose of this research was comparing evaluation of salivary glands proteomes from wild P. papatasi. Extracting these proteins and purifying of original SP15 as inducer agent in vector salivary glands from endemic leishmaniasis foci were other objectives. METHODS: Adult sandflies were sampled using aspirators and funnel traps from three endemic foci in 2017-2018. Each pair of salivary glands of unfed females was dissected and proteins were extracted using thermal shocking and sonication methods. Purification was performed through RP-HPLC. All equivalent fractions were added together in order to reach sufficient protein concentration. Protein content and profile determination were examined with SDS-PAGE. RESULTS: The protein concentration of whole-salivary glands of specimens was determined approximately 1.6 µg/µl (Isfahan) and 1 µg/µl (Varamin and Kashan). SDS-PAGE revealed 10 distinct bands between 10 and 63 kDa. Analysis of proteomes showed some similarities and differences in the chromatograms of different foci. SDS-PAGE of all collected fractions revealed SP15-like proteins were isolated in 24 min from Varamin, 26 to 30 min from Kashan and 29.4 min from Isfahan and were around 15 kDa. CONCLUSIONS: Isolation of salivary components of Iranian wild P. papatasi is very important for finding potential proteins in vaccine development and measuring control strategy of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran and this could be concluded elsewhere in the world.

Characterization of protein-protein interactions between rice viruses and vector insects.

Planthoppers are the most notorious rice pests, because they transmit various rice viruses in a persistent-propagative manner. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between virus and vector are crucial for virus transmission by vector insects. However, the number of known PPIs for pairs of rice viruses and planthoppers is restricted by low throughput research methods. In this study, we applied DeNovo, a virus-host sequence-based PPI predictor, to predict potential PPIs at a genome-wide scale between three planthoppers and five rice viruses. PPIs were identified at two different confidence thresholds, referred to as low and high modes. The number of PPIs for the five planthopper-virus pairs ranged from 506 to 1985 in the low mode and from 1254 to 4286 in the high mode. After eliminating the "one-too-many" redundant interacting information, the PPIs with unique planthopper proteins were reduced to 343-724 in the low mode and 758-1671 in the high mode. Homologous analysis showed that 11 sets and 31 sets of homologous planthopper proteins were shared by all planthopper-virus interactions in the two modes, indicating that they are potential conserved vector factors essential for transmission of rice viruses. Ten PPIs between small brown planthopper and rice stripe virus (RSV) were verified using glutathione-S-transferase (GST)/His-pull down or co-immunoprecipitation assay. Five of the ten PPIs were proven positive, and three of the five SBPH proteins were confirmed to interact with RSV. The predicted PPIs provide new clues for further studies of the complicated relationship between rice viruses and their vector insects.

A vector whitefly endocytic receptor facilitates the entry of begomoviruses into its midgut cells via binding to virion capsid proteins.

Many circulative plant viruses transmitted by insect vectors are devastating to agriculture worldwide. The midgut wall of vector insects represents a major barrier and at the same time the key gate a circulative plant virus must cross for productive transmission. However, how these viruses enter insect midgut cells remains poorly understood. Here, we identified an endocytic receptor complex for begomoviruses in the midgut cells of their whitefly vector. Our results show that two whitefly proteins, BtCUBN and BtAMN, compose a receptor complex BtCubam, for which BtCUBN contributes a viral-binding region and BtAMN contributes to membrane anchorage. Begomoviruses appear to be internalized together with BtCubam via its interaction with the 12-19 CUB domains of BtCUBN via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Functional analysis indicates that interruption of BtCUBN and BtAMN lead to reduction of virus acquisition and transmission by whitefly. In contrast, CUBN-begomovirus interaction was not observed in two non-competent whitefly-begomovirus combinations. These observations suggest a major role of the specific endocytic receptor in facilitating viral entry into vector midgut cells.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Functional Diversity in Salivary Glands of Plant Virus Vector, Graminella nigrifrons.

Insect salivary glands play an important role for host feeding, specifically by secreting salivary proteins for digestion and potentially modulating host defenses. Compared to other hemipterans, the significance of salivary glands is less studied in the black-faced leafhopper, Graminella nigrifrons, a crop pest that vectors several agronomically important plant viruses. To identify functionally important genes in the salivary glands of the black-faced leafhopper, we compared transcriptomes between adult salivary glands (SG) and the remaining carcasses. We identified 14,297 salivary gland-enriched transcripts and 195 predicted secretory peptides (i.e., with a signal peptide and extracellular localization characteristics). Overall, the SG transcriptome included functions such as 'oxidoreduction', 'membrane transport', and 'ATP-binding', which might be important for the fundamental physiology of this tissue. We further evaluated transcripts with potential contributions in host feeding using RT-qPCR. Two SG-enriched transcripts (log2 fold change > 5), GnP19 and GnE63 (a putative calcium binding protein), were significantly upregulated in maize-fed adults relative to starved adults, validating their importance in feeding. The SG-enriched transcripts of the black-faced leafhopper could play a potential role for interacting with maize and could be targets of interest for further functional studies and improve pest control and disease transmission.

Development on Citrus medica infected with 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' has sex-specific and -nonspecific impacts on adult Diaphorina citri and its endosymbionts.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a deadly, incurable citrus disease putatively caused by the unculturable bacterium, 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (CLas), and transmitted by Diaphorina citri. Prior studies suggest D. citri transmits CLas in a circulative and propagative manner; however, the precise interactions necessary for CLas transmission remain unknown, and the impact of insect sex on D. citri-CLas interactions is poorly understood despite reports of sex-dependent susceptibilities to CLas. We analyzed the transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and microbiome of male and female adult D. citri reared on healthy or CLas-infected Citrus medica to determine shared and sex-specific responses of D. citri and its endosymbionts to CLas exposure. More sex-specific than shared D. citri responses to CLas were observed, despite there being no difference between males and females in CLas density or relative abundance. CLas exposure altered the abundance of proteins involved in immunity and cellular and oxidative stress in a sex-dependent manner. CLas exposure impacted cuticular proteins and enzymes involved in chitin degradation, as well as energy metabolism and abundance of the endosymbiont 'Candidatus Profftella armatura' in both sexes similarly. Notably, diaphorin, a toxic Profftella-derived metabolite, was more abundant in both sexes with CLas exposure. The responses reported here resulted from a combination of CLas colonization of D. citri as well as the effect of CLas infection on C. medica. Elucidating these impacts on D. citri and their endosymbionts contributes to our understanding of the HLB pathosystem and identifies the responses potentially critical to limiting or promoting CLas acquisition and propagation in both sexes.

Silencing of ATG6 and ATG8 promotes increased levels of triacylglycerol (TAG) in the fat body during prolonged starvation periods in the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius prolixus.

Rhodnius prolixus is an obligatorily hematophagous insect known as an important vector of Chagas disease. Autophagy is a conserved cellular mechanism that acts in response to nutrient starvation, where components of the cytoplasm are sequestered by a double membrane organelle, named autophagosome, which is targeted to fuse with the lysosome for degradation. Lipophagy is the process of lipid degradation by selective autophagy, where autophagosomes sequester lipid droplets and degrade triacylglycerol (TAG) generating free fatty acids for ß-oxidation. Here, two essential genes of the autophagic pathway, Atg6/Beclin1 (RpAtg6) and Atg8/LC3 (RpAtg8), were silenced and the storage of lipids during starvation in Rhodnius prolixus was monitored. We found that RNAi knockdown of both RpAtg6 and RpAtg8 resulted in higher levels of TAG in the fat body and the flight muscle, 24 days after the blood meal, as well as a larger average diameter of the lipid droplets in the fat body, as seen by Nile Red staining under the confocal fluorescence microscope. Silenced starved insects had lower survival rates when compared to control insects. Accordingly, when examined during the starvation period for monitored activity, silenced insects had lower spontaneous locomotor activity and lower forced flight rates. Furthermore, we found that some genes involved in lipid metabolism had their expression levels altered in silenced insects, such as the Brummer lipase (down regulated) and the adipokinetic hormone receptor (up regulated), suggesting that, as previously observed in mammalian models, the autophagy and neutral lipolysis machineries are interconnected at the transcriptional level. Altogether, our data indicate that autophagy in the fat body is important to allow insects to mobilize energy from lipid stores.

Transcriptome response comparison between vector and non-vector aphids after feeding on virus-infected wheat plants.

BACKGROUND: Plant viruses maintain intricate interactions with their vector and non-vector insects and can impact the fitness of insects. However, the details of their molecular and cellular mechanisms have not been studied well. We compared the transcriptome-level responses in vector and non-vector aphids (Schizaphis graminum and Rhopalosiphum padi, respectively) after feeding on wheat plants with viral infections (Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) and Wheat dwarf virus (WDV), respectively). We conducted differentially expressed gene (DEG) annotation analyses and observed DEGs related to immune pathway, growth, development, and reproduction. And we conducted cloning and bioinformatic analyses of the key DEG involved in immune. RESULTS: For all differentially expressed gene analyses, the numbers of DEGs related to immune, growth, development, reproduction and cuticle were higher in vector aphids than in non-vector aphids. STAT5B (signal transducer and activator of transcription 5B), which is involved in the JAK-STAT pathway, was upregulated in R. padi exposed to WDV. The cloning and bioinformatic results indicated that the RpSTAT5B sequence contains a 2082 bp ORF encoding 693 amino acids. The protein molecular weight is 79.1 kD and pI is 8.13. Analysis indicated that RpSTAT5B is a non-transmembrane protein and a non-secreted protein. Homology and evolutionary analysis indicated that RpSTAT5B was closely related to R. maidis. CONCLUSIONS: Unigene expression analysis showed that the total number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the vector aphids was higher than that in the non-vector aphids. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs related to immunity, growth and reproduction in vector aphids were higher than those in non-vector aphids, and the differentially expressed genes related to immune were up-regulated. This study provides a basis for the evaluation of the response mechanisms of vector/non-vector insects to plant viruses.

The α-tubulin of Laodelphax striatellus mediates the passage of rice stripe virus (RSV) and enhances horizontal transmission.

Rice stripe virus (RSV, genus Tenuivirus, family Phenuiviridae) is the causal agent of rice stripe disease transmitted by the small brown planthopper (SBPH, Laodelphax striatellus) in a persistent propagative manner. The midgut and salivary glands of SBPH are the first and last barriers to the viral circulation and transmission processes, respectively; however, the precise mechanisms used by RSV to cross these organs and transmit to rice plants have not been fully elucidated. We obtained the full-length cDNA sequence of L. striatellus α-tubulin 2 (LsTUB) and found that RSV infection increased the level of LsTUB in vivo. Furthermore, LsTUB was shown to co-localize with RSV nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) in vivo and bound NS3 at positions 74-76 and 80-82 in vitro. Transient gene silencing of LsTUB expression caused a significant reduction in detectable RSV loads and viral NS3 expression levels, but had no effect on NS3 silencing suppressor activity and viral replication in insect cells. However, suppression of LsTUB attenuated viral spread in the bodies of SBPHs and decreased RSV transmission rates to rice plants. Electrical penetration graphs (EPG) showed that LsTUB knockdown by RNAi did not impact SBPH feeding; therefore, the reduction in RSV transmission rates was likely caused by a decrease in viral loads inside the planthopper. These findings suggest that LsTUB mediates the passage of RSV through midgut and salivary glands and leads to successful horizontal transmission.

Insights into the salivary N-glycome of Lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of visceral leishmaniasis.

During Leishmania transmission sand flies inoculate parasites and saliva into the skin of vertebrates. Saliva has anti-haemostatic and anti-inflammatory activities that evolved to facilitate bloodfeeding, but also modulate the host's immune responses. Sand fly salivary proteins have been extensively studied, but the nature and biological roles of protein-linked glycans remain overlooked. Here, we characterised the profile of N-glycans from the salivary glycoproteins of Lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas. In silico predictions suggest half of Lu. longipalpis salivary proteins may be N-glycosylated. SDS-PAGE coupled to LC-MS analysis of sand fly saliva, before and after enzymatic deglycosylation, revealed several candidate glycoproteins. To determine the diversity of N-glycan structures in sand fly saliva, enzymatically released sugars were fluorescently tagged and analysed by HPLC, combined with highly sensitive LC-MS/MS, MALDI-TOF-MS, and exoglycosidase treatments. We found that the N-glycan composition of Lu. longipalpis saliva mostly consists of oligomannose sugars, with Man5GlcNAc2 being the most abundant, and a few hybrid-type species. Interestingly, some glycans appear modified with a group of 144 Da, whose identity has yet to be confirmed. Our work presents the first detailed structural analysis of sand fly salivary glycans.

Orthosteric muscarinic receptor activation by the insect repellent IR3535 opens new prospects in insecticide-based vector control.

The insect repellent IR3535 is one of the important alternative in the fight against mosquito-borne disease such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we propose the development of an innovative insecticide-based vector control strategy using an unexplored property of IR3535. We have demonstrated that in insect neurosecretory cells, very low concentration of IR3535 induces intracellular calcium rise through cellular mechanisms involving orthosteric/allosteric sites of the M1-muscarinic receptor subtype, G protein ßγ subunits, background potassium channel inhibition generating depolarization, which induces voltage-gated calcium channel activation. The resulting internal calcium concentration elevation increases nicotinic receptor sensitivity to the neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid. The synergistic interaction between IR3535 and thiacloprid contributes to significantly increase the efficacy of the treatment while reducing concentrations. In this context, IR3535, used as a synergistic agent, seems to promise a new approach in the optimization of the integrated vector management for vector control.

Manipulation of Jasmonate Signaling by Plant Viruses and Their Insect Vectors.

Plant viruses pose serious threats to stable crop yield. The majority of them are transmitted by insects, which cause secondary damage to the plant host from the herbivore-vector's infestation. What is worse, a successful plant virus evolves multiple strategies to manipulate host defenses to promote the population of the insect vector and thereby furthers the disease pandemic. Jasmonate (JA) and its derivatives (JAs) are lipid-based phytohormones with similar structures to animal prostaglandins, conferring plant defenses against various biotic and abiotic challenges, especially pathogens and herbivores. For survival, plant viruses and herbivores have evolved strategies to convergently target JA signaling. Here, we review the roles of JA signaling in the tripartite interactions among plant, virus, and insect vectors, with a focus on the molecular and biochemical mechanisms that drive vector-borne plant viral diseases. This knowledge is essential for the further design and development of effective strategies to protect viral damages, thereby increasing crop yield and food security.

Whitefly HES1 binds to the intergenic region of Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus and promotes viral gene transcription.

Intergenic region of begomovirus genome is vital to virus replication and viral gene transcription in plants. Previous studies have reported that Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV), a begomovirus, is able to accumulate and transcribe in its whitefly vector. However, the viral and host components that participate in begomovirus transcription in whiteflies are hitherto unknown. Using a yeast one-hybrid system, we identified >50 whitefly proteins that interacted with TYLCCNV intergenic region. Dual luciferase analysis revealed that one of the identified proteins, the hairy and enhancer of split homolog-1 (HES1), specifically bound to CACGTG motif in TYLCCNV intergenic region. Silencing HES1 decreased viral transcription, accumulation and transmission. These results demonstrate that the interactions between whitefly proteins and the intergenic region of TYLCCNV may contribute to viral transcription in the whitefly vector. Our findings offer valuable clues for the research and development of novel strategies to interfere with begomovirus transmission.