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Omondi ZN, Caner A, Arserim SK. Trypanosomes and Gut Microbiota Interactions in Triatomine bugs and Tsetse Flies: A vectorial perspective. Med Vet Entomol 2024. [PMID: 38651684 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Triatomines (kissing bugs) and tsetse flies (genus: Glossina) are natural vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei, respectively. T. cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, endemic in Latin America, while T. brucei causes African sleeping sickness disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Both triatomines and tsetse flies are host to a diverse community of gut microbiota that co-exist with the parasites in the gut. Evidence has shown that the gut microbiota of both vectors plays a key role in parasite development and transmission. However, knowledge on the mechanism involved in parasite-microbiota interaction remains limited and scanty. Here, we attempt to analyse Trypanosoma spp. and gut microbiota interactions in tsetse flies and triatomines, with a focus on understanding the possible mechanisms involved by reviewing published articles on the subject. We report that interactions between Trypanosoma spp. and gut microbiota can be both direct and indirect. In direct interactions, the gut microbiota directly affects the parasite via the formation of biofilms and the production of anti-parasitic molecules, while on the other hand, Trypanosoma spp. produces antimicrobial proteins to regulate gut microbiota of the vector. In indirect interactions, the parasite and gut bacteria affect each other through host vector-activated processes such as immunity and metabolism. Although we are beginning to understand how gut microbiota interacts with the Trypanosoma parasites, there is still a need for further studies on functional role of gut microbiota in parasite development to maximize the use of symbiotic bacteria in vector and parasite control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeph Nelson Omondi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ayşe Caner
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
- Department of Basic Oncology, Institute of Health Sciences, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Suha Kenan Arserim
- Vocational School of Health Sciences, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey
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El Yamlahi Y, Bel Mokhtar N, Maurady A, Britel MR, Batargias C, Mutembei DE, Nyingilili HS, Malulu DJ, Malele II, Asimakis E, Stathopoulou P, Tsiamis G. Characterization of the Bacterial Profile from Natural and Laboratory Glossina Populations. Insects 2023; 14:840. [PMID: 37999039 PMCID: PMC10671886 DOI: 10.3390/insects14110840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Tsetse flies (Glossina spp.; Diptera: Glossinidae) are viviparous flies that feed on blood and are found exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa. They are the only cyclic vectors of African trypanosomes, responsible for human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) and animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT). In this study, we employed high throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to unravel the diversity of symbiotic bacteria in five wild and three laboratory populations of tsetse species (Glossina pallidipes, G. morsitans, G. swynnertoni, and G. austeni). The aim was to assess the dynamics of bacterial diversity both within each laboratory and wild population in relation to the developmental stage, insect age, gender, and location. Our results indicated that the bacterial communities associated with the four studied Glossina species were significantly influenced by their region of origin, with wild samples being more diverse compared to the laboratory samples. We also observed that the larval microbiota was significantly different than the adults. Furthermore, the sex and the species did not significantly influence the formation of the bacterial profile of the laboratory colonies once these populations were kept under the same rearing conditions. In addition, Wigglesworthia, Acinetobacter, and Sodalis were the most abundant bacterial genera in all the samples, while Wolbachia was significantly abundant in G. morsitans compared to the other studied species. The operational taxonomic unit (OTU) co-occurrence network for each location (VVBD insectary, Doma, Makao, and Msubugwe) indicated a high variability between G. pallidipes and the other species in terms of the number of mutual exclusion and copresence interactions. In particular, some bacterial genera, like Wigglesworthia and Sodalis, with high relative abundance, were also characterized by a high degree of interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef El Yamlahi
- Laboratory of Innovative Technologies, National School of Applied Sciences of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tétouan 93000, Morocco; (Y.E.Y.); (N.B.M.); (A.M.); (M.R.B.)
- Faculty of Sciences and Technics of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tétouan 93000, Morocco
- Laboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St, 30131 Agrinio, Greece; (E.A.); (P.S.)
| | - Naima Bel Mokhtar
- Laboratory of Innovative Technologies, National School of Applied Sciences of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tétouan 93000, Morocco; (Y.E.Y.); (N.B.M.); (A.M.); (M.R.B.)
- Laboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St, 30131 Agrinio, Greece; (E.A.); (P.S.)
| | - Amal Maurady
- Laboratory of Innovative Technologies, National School of Applied Sciences of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tétouan 93000, Morocco; (Y.E.Y.); (N.B.M.); (A.M.); (M.R.B.)
- Faculty of Sciences and Technics of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tétouan 93000, Morocco
| | - Mohammed R. Britel
- Laboratory of Innovative Technologies, National School of Applied Sciences of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Tétouan 93000, Morocco; (Y.E.Y.); (N.B.M.); (A.M.); (M.R.B.)
| | - Costas Batargias
- Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece;
| | - Delphina E. Mutembei
- Vector & Vector Borne Diseases, Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA), Tanga P.O. Box 1026, Tanzania; (D.E.M.); (H.S.N.); (D.J.M.)
| | - Hamisi S. Nyingilili
- Vector & Vector Borne Diseases, Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA), Tanga P.O. Box 1026, Tanzania; (D.E.M.); (H.S.N.); (D.J.M.)
| | - Deusdedit J. Malulu
- Vector & Vector Borne Diseases, Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA), Tanga P.O. Box 1026, Tanzania; (D.E.M.); (H.S.N.); (D.J.M.)
| | - Imna I. Malele
- Directorate of Research and Technology Development, TVLA, Dar Es Salaam P.O. Box 9254, Tanzania;
| | - Elias Asimakis
- Laboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St, 30131 Agrinio, Greece; (E.A.); (P.S.)
| | - Panagiota Stathopoulou
- Laboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St, 30131 Agrinio, Greece; (E.A.); (P.S.)
| | - George Tsiamis
- Laboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 Seferi St, 30131 Agrinio, Greece; (E.A.); (P.S.)
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Abstract
Haematophagous arthropods, including mosquitoes, ticks, flies, triatomine bugs and lice (here referred to as vectors), are involved in the transmission of various pathogens to mammals on whom they blood feed. The diseases caused by these pathogens, collectively known as vector-borne diseases (VBDs), threaten the health of humans and animals. Although the vector arthropods differ in life histories, feeding behaviour as well as reproductive strategies, they all harbour symbiotic microorganisms, known as microbiota, on which they depend for completing essential aspects of their biology, such as development and reproduction. In this Review, we summarize the shared and unique key features of the symbiotic associations that have been characterized in the major vector taxa. We discuss the crosstalks between microbiota and their arthropod hosts that influence vector metabolism and immune responses relevant for pathogen transmission success, known as vector competence. Finally, we highlight how current knowledge on symbiotic associations is being explored to develop non-chemical-based alternative control methods that aim to reduce vector populations, or reduce vector competence. We conclude by highlighting the remaining knowledge gaps that stand to advance basic and translational aspects of vector-microbiota interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
| | - Li Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Gashururu RS, Maingi N, Githigia SM, Getange DO, Ntivuguruzwa JB, Habimana R, Cecchi G, Gashumba J, Bargul JL, Masiga DK. Trypanosomes infection, endosymbionts, and host preferences in tsetse flies ( Glossina spp.) collected from Akagera park region, Rwanda: A correlational xenomonitoring study. One Health 2023; 16:100550. [PMID: 37363264 PMCID: PMC10288097 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Akagera National Park and its surroundings are home to tsetse flies and a number of their mammalian hosts in Rwanda. A One-health approach is being used in the control and surveillance of both animal and human trypanosomosis in Rwanda. Determination of the infection level in tsetse flies, species of trypanosomes circulating in vectors, the source of tsetse blood meal and endosymbionts is crucial in understanding the epidemiology of the disease in animals and humans in the region. Tsetse flies (n = 1101), comprising Glossina pallidipes (n = 771) and Glossina morsitans centralis (n = 330) were collected from Akagera park and surrounding areas between May 2018 and June 2019. The flies were screened for trypanosomes, vertebrate host DNA to identify sources of blood meal, and endosymbionts by PCR - High Resolution Melting analysis and amplicon sequencing. The feeding frequency and the feeding indices (selection index - W) were calculated to identify the preferred hosts. An overall trypanosome infection rate of 13.9% in the fly's Head and Proboscis (HP) and 24.3% in the Thorax and Abdomen (TA) were found. Eight trypanosome species were identified in the tsetse fly HP and TA, namely: Trypanosoma (T.) brucei brucei, T. congolense Kilifi, T. congolense savannah, T. vivax, T. simiae, T. evansi, T. godfreyi, T. grayi and T. theileri. We found no evidence of human-infective T. brucei rhodesiense. We also identified eighteen species of vertebrate hosts that tsetse flies fed on, and the most frequent one was the buffalo (Syncerus caffer) (36.5%). The frequently detected host by selection index was the rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) (W = 16.2). Most trypanosome infections in tsetse flies were associated with the buffalo blood meal. The prevalence of tsetse endosymbionts Sodalis and Wolbachia was 2.8% and 4.8%, respectively. No Spiroplasma and Salivary Gland Hypertrophy Virus were detected. These findings implicate the buffaloes as the important reservoirs of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomes in the area. This contributes to predicting the main cryptic reservoirs and therefore guiding the effective control of the disease. The study findings provide the key scientific information that supports the current One Health collaboration in the control and surveillance of tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis in Rwanda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard S Gashururu
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Rwanda, P.O. Box 57, Nyagatare, Rwanda
| | - Ndichu Maingi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Samuel M Githigia
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 29053, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Dennis O Getange
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jean B Ntivuguruzwa
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Rwanda, P.O. Box 57, Nyagatare, Rwanda
| | - Richard Habimana
- Food and Drugs Assessment and Registration Department, Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), P.O Box 1948, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Giuliano Cecchi
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Animal Production and Health Division, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Joel L Bargul
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Biochemistry, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. Box 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Daniel K Masiga
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
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Girard M, Luis P, Valiente Moro C, Minard G. Crosstalk between the microbiota and insect postembryonic development. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:181-96. [PMID: 36167769 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Insect sequential development evolves from a simple molt towards complete metamorphosis. Like any multicellular host, insects interact with a complex microbiota. In this review, factors driving the microbiota dynamics were pointed out along their development. Special focus was put on tissue renewal, shift in insect ecology, and microbial interactions. Conversely, how the microbiota modulates its host development through nutrient acquisition, hormonal control, and cellular or tissue differentiation was exemplified. Such modifications might have long-term carry-over effects on insect physiology. Finally, remarkable microbe-driven control of insect behaviors along their life cycle was highlighted. Increasing knowledge of those interactions might offer new insights on how insects respond to their environment as well as perspectives on pest- or vector-control strategies.
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Weiss BL, Rio RVM, Aksoy S. Microbe Profile: Wigglesworthia glossinidia: the tsetse fly's significant other. Microbiology (Reading) 2022; 168:001242. [PMID: 36129743 PMCID: PMC10723186 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Wigglesworthia glossinidia is an obligate, maternally transmitted endosymbiont of tsetse flies. The ancient association between these two organisms accounts for many of their unique physiological adaptations. Similar to other obligate mutualists, Wigglesworthia's genome is dramatically reduced in size, yet it has retained the capacity to produce many B-vitamins that are found at inadequate quantities in the fly's vertebrate blood-specific diet. These Wigglesworthia-derived B-vitamins play essential nutritional roles to maintain tsetse's physiological homeostasis as well as that of other members of the fly's microbiota. In addition to its nutritional role, Wigglesworthia contributes towards the development of tsetse's immune system during the larval period. Tsetse produce amidases that degrade symbiotic peptidoglycans and prevent activation of antimicrobial responses that can damage Wigglesworthia. These amidases in turn exhibit antiparasitic activity and decrease tsetse's ability to be colonized with parasitic trypanosomes, which reduce host fitness. Thus, the Wigglesworthia symbiosis represents a fine-tuned association in which both partners actively contribute towards achieving optimal fitness outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian L. Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rita V. M. Rio
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
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Speer KA, Teixeira TSM, Brown AM, Perkins SL, Dittmar K, Ingala MR, Wultsch C, Krampis K, Dick CW, Galen SC, Simmons NB, Clare EL. Cascading effects of habitat loss on ectoparasite-associated bacterial microbiomes. ISME Commun 2022; 2:67. [PMID: 37938296 PMCID: PMC9723575 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00153-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Suitable habitat fragment size, isolation, and distance from a source are important variables influencing community composition of plants and animals, but the role of these environmental factors in determining composition and variation of host-associated microbial communities is poorly known. In parasite-associated microbial communities, it is hypothesized that evolution and ecology of an arthropod parasite will influence its microbiome more than broader environmental factors, but this hypothesis has not been extensively tested. To examine the influence of the broader environment on the parasite microbiome, we applied high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of 16S rRNA to characterize the microbiome of 222 obligate ectoparasitic bat flies (Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) collected from 155 bats (representing six species) from ten habitat fragments in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Parasite species identity is the strongest driver of microbiome composition. To a lesser extent, reduction in habitat fragment area, but not isolation, is associated with an increase in connectance and betweenness centrality of bacterial association networks driven by changes in the diversity of the parasite community. Controlling for the parasite community, bacterial network topology covaries with habitat patch area and exhibits parasite-species specific responses to environmental change. Taken together, habitat loss may have cascading consequences for communities of interacting macro- and microorgansims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Speer
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, D.C, USA.
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C, USA.
| | | | - Alexis M Brown
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Susan L Perkins
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Science, City College of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katharina Dittmar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Melissa R Ingala
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, D.C, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, USA
| | - Claudia Wultsch
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Konstantinos Krampis
- Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carl W Dick
- Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Spencer C Galen
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
- Biology Department, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, USA
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Clare
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, GBR, UK
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Lee MH, Medina Munoz M, Rio RVM. The Tsetse Metabolic Gambit: Living on Blood by Relying on Symbionts Demands Synchronization. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:905826. [PMID: 35756042 PMCID: PMC9218860 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.905826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies have socioeconomic significance as the obligate vector of multiple Trypanosoma parasites, the causative agents of Human and Animal African Trypanosomiases. Like many animals subsisting on a limited diet, microbial symbiosis is key to supplementing nutrient deficiencies necessary for metabolic, reproductive, and immune functions. Extensive studies on the microbiota in parallel to tsetse biology have unraveled the many dependencies partners have for one another. But far less is known mechanistically on how products are swapped between partners and how these metabolic exchanges are regulated, especially to address changing physiological needs. More specifically, how do metabolites contributed by one partner get to the right place at the right time and in the right amounts to the other partner? Epigenetics is the study of molecules and mechanisms that regulate the inheritance, gene activity and expression of traits that are not due to DNA sequence alone. The roles that epigenetics provide as a mechanistic link between host phenotype, metabolism and microbiota (both in composition and activity) is relatively unknown and represents a frontier of exploration. Here, we take a closer look at blood feeding insects with emphasis on the tsetse fly, to specifically propose roles for microRNAs (miRNA) and DNA methylation, in maintaining insect-microbiota functional homeostasis. We provide empirical details to addressing these hypotheses and advancing these studies. Deciphering how microbiota and host activity are harmonized may foster multiple applications toward manipulating host health, including identifying novel targets for innovative vector control strategies to counter insidious pests such as tsetse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason H Lee
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Miguel Medina Munoz
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States.,Department of Bacteriology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Rita V M Rio
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
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9
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Mulenga GM, Namangala B, Gummow B. Prevalence of trypanosomes and selected symbionts in tsetse species of eastern Zambia. Parasitology 2022;:1-23. [PMID: 35699129 DOI: 10.1017/S0031182022000804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Insect symbionts have attracted attention for their potential use as anti-parasitic gene products in arthropod disease vectors. While tsetse species of the Luangwa valley have been extensively studied, less is known about the prevalence of symbionts and their interactions with the trypanosome parasite. Polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the presence of Wolbachia and Sodalis bacteria, in tsetse flies infected with trypanosomes (Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei). Out of 278 captured tsetse flies in eastern Zambia, 95.3% (n = 265, 95% CI = 92.8–97.8) carried endosymbionts: Wolbachia (79.1%, 95% CI 73.9–83.8) and Sodalis (86.3%, 95% CI 81.7–90.1). Overall, trypanosome prevalence was 25.5% (n = 71, 95% CI = 20.4–30.7), 10.8% (n = 30, 95% CI 7.1–14.4) for T. brucei, 1.4% (n = 4, 95% CI = 0.4–3.6) for both T. congolense and T. vivax, and 0.7% (n = 2, 95% CI 0.1–2.6) for T. b. rhodesiense. Out of 240 tsetse flies that were infected with Sodalis, trypanosome infection was reported in 40 tsetse flies (16.7%, 95% CI = 12.0–21.4) while 37 (16.8%, 95% CI 11.9–21.8) of the 220 Wolbachia infected tsetse flies were infected with trypanosomes. There was 1.3 times likelihood of T. brucei infection to be present when Wolbachia was present and 1.7 likelihood of T. brucei infection when Sodalis was present. Overall findings suggest absence of correlation between the presence of tsetse endosymbionts and tsetse with trypanosome infection. Lastly, the presence of pathogenic trypanosomes in tsetse species examined provided insights into the risk communities face, and the importance of African trypanosomiasis in the area.
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10
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Silva Pereira S, Mathenge K, Masiga D, Jackson A. Transcriptomic profiling of Trypanosoma congolense mouthpart parasites from naturally infected flies. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:152. [PMID: 35501882 PMCID: PMC9063227 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05258-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Animal African trypanosomiasis, or nagana, is a veterinary disease caused by African trypanosomes transmitted by tsetse flies. In Africa, Trypanosoma congolense is one of the most pathogenic and prevalent causes of nagana in livestock, resulting in high animal morbidity and mortality and extensive production losses. In the tsetse fly, parasites colonise the midgut and eventually reach the mouthparts, from where they can be transmitted as the fly feeds on vertebrate hosts such as cattle. Despite the extreme importance of mouthpart-form parasites for disease transmission, very few global expression profile studies have been conducted in these parasite forms. Methods Here, we collected tsetse flies from the Shimba Hills National Reserve, a wildlife area in southeast Kenya, diagnosed T. congolense infections, and sequenced the transcriptomes of the T. congolense parasites colonising the mouthparts of the flies. Results We found little correlation between mouthpart parasites from natural and experimental fly infections. Furthermore, we performed differential gene expression analysis between mouthpart and bloodstream parasite forms and identified several surface-expressed genes and 152 novel hypothetical proteins differentially expressed in mouthpart parasites. Finally, we profiled variant antigen expression and observed that a variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) transcript belonging to T. congolense phylotype 8 (i.e. TcIL3000.A.H_000381200), previously observed to be enriched in metacyclic transcriptomes, was present in all wild-caught mouthpart samples as well as bloodstream-form parasites, suggestive of constitutive expression. Conclusion Our study provides transcriptomes of trypanosome parasites from naturally infected tsetse flies and suggests that a phylotype 8 VSG gene is constitutively expressed in metacyclic- and bloodstream-form parasites at the population level. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05258-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Silva Pereira
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK. .,Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Molecular - João Lobo Antunes, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Kawira Mathenge
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Daniel Masiga
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Andrew Jackson
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK.
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11
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Eberhard FE, Klimpel S, Guarneri AA, Tobias NJ. Exposure to Trypanosoma parasites induces changes in the microbiome of the Chagas disease vector Rhodnius prolixus. Microbiome 2022; 10:45. [PMID: 35272716 PMCID: PMC8908696 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01240-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The causative agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi, and its nonpathogenic relative, Trypanosoma rangeli, are transmitted by haematophagous triatomines and undergo a crucial ontogenetic phase in the insect's intestine. In the process, the parasites interfere with the host immune system as well as the microbiome present in the digestive tract potentially establishing an environment advantageous for development. However, the coherent interactions between host, pathogen and microbiota have not yet been elucidated in detail. We applied a metagenome shotgun sequencing approach to study the alterations in the microbiota of Rhodnius prolixus, a major vector of Chagas disease, after exposure to T. cruzi and T. rangeli focusing also on the functional capacities present in the intestinal microbiome of the insect. RESULTS The intestinal microbiota of R. prolixus was dominated by the bacterial orders Enterobacterales, Corynebacteriales, Lactobacillales, Clostridiales and Chlamydiales, whereas the latter conceivably originated from the blood used for pathogen exposure. The anterior and posterior midgut samples of the exposed insects showed a reduced overall number of organisms compared to the control group. However, we also found enriched bacterial groups after exposure to T. cruzi as well as T rangeli. While the relative abundance of Enterobacterales and Corynebacteriales decreased considerably, the Lactobacillales, mainly composed of the genus Enterococcus, developed as the most abundant taxonomic group. This applies in particular to vectors challenged with T. rangeli and at early timepoints after exposure to vectors challenged with T. cruzi. Furthermore, we were able to reconstruct four metagenome-assembled genomes from the intestinal samples and elucidate their unique metabolic functionalities within the triatomine microbiome, including the genome of a recently described insect symbiont, Candidatus Symbiopectobacterium, and the secondary metabolites producing bacteria Kocuria spp. CONCLUSIONS Our results facilitate a deeper understanding of the processes that take place in the intestinal tract of triatomine vectors during colonisation by trypanosomal parasites and highlight the influential aspects of pathogen-microbiota interactions. In particular, the mostly unexplored metabolic capacities of the insect vector's microbiome are clearer, underlining its role in the transmission of Chagas disease. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny E. Eberhard
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Biologicum Campus Riedberg, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60439 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Sven Klimpel
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Biologicum Campus Riedberg, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60439 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Alessandra A. Guarneri
- Vector Behaviour and Pathogen Interaction Group, Instituto René Rachou, Avenida Augusto de Lima,1715, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 30190-009 Brazil
| | - Nicholas J. Tobias
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE TBG), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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12
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Dieng MM, Dera KSM, Moyaba P, Ouedraogo GMS, Demirbas-Uzel G, Gstöttenmayer F, Mulandane FC, Neves L, Mdluli S, Rayaisse JB, Belem AMG, Pagabeleguem S, de Beer CJ, Parker AG, Van Den Abbeele J, Mach RL, Vreysen MJB, Abd-Alla AMM. Prevalence of Trypanosoma and Sodalis in wild populations of tsetse flies and their impact on sterile insect technique programmes for tsetse eradication. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3322. [PMID: 35228552 PMCID: PMC8885713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-06699-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is an environment friendly and sustainable method to manage insect pests of economic importance through successive releases of sterile irradiated males of the targeted species to a defined area. A mating of a sterile male with a virgin wild female will result in no offspring, and ultimately lead to the suppression or eradication of the targeted population. Tsetse flies, vectors of African Trypanosoma, have a highly regulated and defined microbial fauna composed of three bacterial symbionts that may have a role to play in the establishment of Trypanosoma infections in the flies and hence, may influence the vectorial competence of the released sterile males. Sodalis bacteria seem to interact with Trypanosoma infection in tsetse flies. Field-caught tsetse flies of ten different taxa and from 15 countries were screened using PCR to detect the presence of Sodalis and Trypanosoma species and analyse their interaction. The results indicate that the prevalence of Sodalis and Trypanosoma varied with country and tsetse species. Trypanosome prevalence was higher in east, central and southern African countries than in west African countries. Tsetse fly infection rates with Trypanosoma vivax and T. brucei sspp were higher in west African countries, whereas tsetse infection with T. congolense and T. simiae, T. simiae (tsavo) and T. godfreyi were higher in east, central and south African countries. Sodalis prevalence was high in Glossina morsitans morsitans and G. pallidipes but absent in G. tachinoides. Double and triple infections with Trypanosoma taxa and coinfection of Sodalis and Trypanosoma were rarely observed but it occurs in some taxa and locations. A significant Chi square value (< 0.05) seems to suggest that Sodalis and Trypanosoma infection correlate in G. palpalis gambiensis, G. pallidipes and G. medicorum. Trypanosoma infection seemed significantly associated with an increased density of Sodalis in wild G. m. morsitans and G. pallidipes flies, however, there was no significant impact of Sodalis infection on trypanosome density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouhamadou M Dieng
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, 1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kiswend-Sida M Dera
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, 1400, Vienna, Austria.,Insectarium de Bobo Dioulasso-Campagne d'Eradication de la mouche tsetse et de la Trypanosomose (IBD-CETT), 01 BP 1087, Bobo Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Percy Moyaba
- Epidemiology, Vectors and Parasites, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Gisele M S Ouedraogo
- Insectarium de Bobo Dioulasso-Campagne d'Eradication de la mouche tsetse et de la Trypanosomose (IBD-CETT), 01 BP 1087, Bobo Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Guler Demirbas-Uzel
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, 1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Gstöttenmayer
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, 1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fernando C Mulandane
- University Eduardo Mondlane, Centro de Biotecnologia, Av. de Moçambique Km 1.5, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Luis Neves
- University Eduardo Mondlane, Centro de Biotecnologia, Av. de Moçambique Km 1.5, Maputo, Mozambique.,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa
| | - Sihle Mdluli
- Epidemiology Unit, Department of Veterinary Services, PO Box 4192, Manzini, Eswatini
| | - Jean-Baptiste Rayaisse
- Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES), 01 BP 454, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso
| | | | - Soumaïla Pagabeleguem
- Insectarium de Bobo Dioulasso-Campagne d'Eradication de la mouche tsetse et de la Trypanosomose (IBD-CETT), 01 BP 1087, Bobo Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso.,University of Dedougou, B.P. 176, Dédougou 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Chantel J de Beer
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, 1400, Vienna, Austria.,Epidemiology, Vectors and Parasites, Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Robert L Mach
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental, and Bioscience Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marc J B Vreysen
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, 1400, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adly M M Abd-Alla
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, 1400, Vienna, Austria.
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13
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Abstract
Laboratory studies of pathogens aim to limit complexity in order to disentangle the important parameters contributing to an infection. However, pathogens rarely exist in isolation, and hosts may sustain co-infections with multiple disease agents. These interact with each other and with the host immune system dynamically, with disease outcomes affected by the composition of the community of infecting pathogens, their order of colonization, competition for niches and nutrients, and immune modulation. While pathogen-immune interactions have been detailed elsewhere, here we examine the use of ecological and experimental studies of trypanosome and malaria infections to discuss the interactions between pathogens in mammal hosts and arthropod vectors, including recently developed laboratory models for co-infection. The implications of pathogen co-infection for disease therapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Venter
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Keith R Matthews
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Eleanor Silvester
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, Ashworth Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Scotland EH9 3FL, UK.,Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, The Keith Peters Building, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
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14
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Abstract
Many insects rely on intracellular bacterial symbionts to supplement their specialized diets with micronutrients. Using data from diverse and well-studied insect systems, we propose three lines of evidence suggesting that hosts have tight control over the density of their obligate, intracellular bacterial partners. First, empirical studies have demonstrated that the within-host symbiont density varies depending on the nutritional and developmental requirements of the host. Second, symbiont genomes are highly reduced and have limited capacity for self-replication or transcriptional regulation. Third, several mechanisms exist for hosts to tolerate, regulate and remove symbionts including physical compartmentalization and autophagy. We then consider whether such regulation is adaptive, by discussing the relationship between symbiont density and host fitness. We discuss current limitations of empirical studies for exploring fitness effects in host-symbiont relationships, and emphasize the potential for using mathematical models to formalize evolutionary hypotheses and to generate testable predictions for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilda Whittle
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | | | - Michael B Bonsall
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.,St Peter's College, Oxford, OX1 2DL
| | - Fleur Ponton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sinead English
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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15
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Bombaça ACS, Gandara ACP, Ennes-Vidal V, Bottino-Rojas V, Dias FA, Farnesi LC, Sorgine MH, Bahia AC, Bruno RV, Menna-Barreto RFS. Aedes aegypti Infection With Trypanosomatid Strigomonas culicis Alters Midgut Redox Metabolism and Reduces Mosquito Reproductive Fitness. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:732925. [PMID: 34485182 PMCID: PMC8414984 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.732925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes transmit arboviruses of important global health impact, and their intestinal microbiota can influence vector competence by stimulating the innate immune system. Midgut epithelial cells also produce toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) by dual oxidases (DUOXs) that are essential players in insect immunity. Strigomonas culicis is a monoxenous trypanosomatid that naturally inhabits mosquitoes; it hosts an endosymbiotic bacterium that completes essential biosynthetic pathways of the parasite and influences its oxidative metabolism. Our group previously showed that S. culicis hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-resistant (WTR) strain is more infectious to A. aegypti mosquitoes than the wild-type (WT) strain. Here, we investigated the influence of both strains on the midgut oxidative environment and the effect of infection on mosquito fitness and immunity. WT stimulated the production of superoxide by mitochondrial metabolism of midgut epithelial cells after 4 days post-infection, while WTR exacerbated H2O2 production mediated by increased DUOX activity and impairment of antioxidant system. The infection with both strains also disrupted the fecundity and fertility of the females, with a greater impact on reproductive fitness of WTR-infected mosquitoes. The presence of these parasites induced specific transcriptional modulation of immune-related genes, such as attacin and defensin A during WTR infection (11.8- and 6.4-fold, respectively) and defensin C in WT infection (7.1-fold). Thus, we propose that A. aegypti oxidative response starts in early infection time and does not affect the survival of the H2O2-resistant strain, which has a more efficient antioxidant system. Our data provide new biological aspects of A. aegypti–S. culicis relationship that can be used later in alternative vector control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cristina S Bombaça
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Caroline P Gandara
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vitor Ennes-Vidal
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Bottino-Rojas
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Felipe A Dias
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luana C Farnesi
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos H Sorgine
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Artrópodes Hematófagos, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Bahia
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Insetos e Parasitos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafaela V Bruno
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Insetos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM/CNPq), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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16
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Kipkorir LW, John TK, Owino OB, John O, Robert S, Daniel M, Owino AV. Mouse experiments demonstrate differential pathogenicity and virulence of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense strains. Exp Parasitol 2021; 228:108135. [PMID: 34284027 PMCID: PMC7613321 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2021.108135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense is the causative agent for Rhodesian human African trypanosomiasis. The disease is considered acute, but varying clinical outcomes including chronic infections have been observed. The basis for these different clinical manifestations is thought to be associated with a combination of parasite and host factors. In the current study, Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense strains responsible for varying infection outcomes were sought using mouse model. Clinical rHAT parasite isolates were subjected to PCR tests to confirm presence of the serum resistance associated (SRA) gene. Thereafter, four T. b. rhodesiense isolates were subjected to a comparative pathogenicity study using female Swiss white mice; the parasite strains were compared on the basis of parasitaemia, host survival time, clinical and postmortem biomarkers of infection severity. Isolates identified to cause acute and chronic disease were compared for establishment in insect vector, tsetse fly. The mouse survival time was significantly different (Log-rankp = 0.0001). With mice infected with strain KETRI 3801 exhibiting the shortest survival time (20 days) as compared to those infected with KETRI 3928 that, as controls, survived past the 60 days study period. In addition, development of anaemia was rapid in KETRI 3801 and least in KETRI 3928 infections, and followed the magnitude of survival time. Notably, hepatosplenomegaly was pronounced with longer survival. Mouse weight and feed intake reduced (KETRI 3801 > KETRI 2636 > EATRO 1762) except in KETRI 3928 infections which remained similar to controls. Comparatively, acute to chronic infection outcomes is in the order of KETRI 3801 > KETRI 2636 > EATRO 1762 > KETRI 3928, indicative of predominant role of strain dependent factors. Further, KETRI 3928 strain established better in tsetse as compared to KETRI 3801, suggesting that transmission of strains causing chronic infections could be common. In sum, we have identified Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense strains that cause acute and chronic infections in mice, that will be valuable in investigating pathogen - host interactions responsible for varying disease outcomes and transmission in African trypanosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limo William Kipkorir
- Department of Biological Sciences, Egerton University, P. O Box, 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya
| | - Thuita Kibuthu John
- Biotechnology Research Institute - Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, Chemotherapy Division, Primate Section, P.O Box, 362-00902, Kikuyu, Kenya; Department of Animal Sciences, Meru University of Science and Technology, P.O Box, 972-60200, Meru, Kenya
| | - Orindi Benedict Owino
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, CGMRC, P. O Box, 230-80108, Kilifi, Kenya; Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leuven Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics Centre, Kapucijnenvoer 35, Blok D, Bus 7001, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Oidho John
- Biotechnology Research Institute - Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, Chemotherapy Division, Primate Section, P.O Box, 362-00902, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Shivairo Robert
- Department of Veterinary and Clinical Studies, Egerton University, P. O Box, 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya
| | - Masiga Daniel
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P. O Box, 30772-000100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Adung'a Vincent Owino
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, P. O Box, 536-20115, Egerton, Kenya; International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P. O Box, 30772-000100, Nairobi, Kenya.
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17
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Yang L, Weiss BL, Williams AE, Aksoy E, de Silva Orfano A, Son JH, Wu Y, Vigneron A, Karakus M, Aksoy S. Paratransgenic manipulation of a tsetse microRNA alters the physiological homeostasis of the fly's midgut environment. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009475. [PMID: 34107000 PMCID: PMC8216540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies are vectors of parasitic African trypanosomes, the etiological agents of human and animal African trypanosomoses. Current disease control methods include fly-repelling pesticides, fly trapping, and chemotherapeutic treatment of infected people and animals. Inhibiting tsetse's ability to transmit trypanosomes by strengthening the fly's natural barriers can serve as an alternative approach to reduce disease. The peritrophic matrix (PM) is a chitinous and proteinaceous barrier that lines the insect midgut and serves as a protective barrier that inhibits infection with pathogens. African trypanosomes must cross tsetse's PM in order to establish an infection in the fly, and PM structural integrity negatively correlates with trypanosome infection outcomes. Bloodstream form trypanosomes shed variant surface glycoproteins (VSG) into tsetse's gut lumen early during the infection establishment, and free VSG molecules are internalized by the fly's PM-producing cardia. This process results in a reduction in the expression of a tsetse microRNA (miR275) and a sequential molecular cascade that compromises PM integrity. miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that are critical in regulating many physiological processes. In the present study, we investigated the role(s) of tsetse miR275 by developing a paratransgenic expression system that employs tsetse's facultative bacterial endosymbiont, Sodalis glossinidius, to express tandem antagomir-275 repeats (or miR275 sponges). This system induces a constitutive, 40% reduction in miR275 transcript abundance in the fly's midgut and results in obstructed blood digestion (gut weights increased by 52%), a significant increase (p-value < 0.0001) in fly survival following infection with an entomopathogenic bacteria, and a 78% increase in trypanosome infection prevalence. RNA sequencing of cardia and midgut tissues from paratransgenic tsetse confirmed that miR275 regulates processes related to the expression of PM-associated proteins and digestive enzymes as well as genes that encode abundant secretory proteins. Our study demonstrates that paratransgenesis can be employed to study microRNA regulated pathways in arthropods that house symbiotic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yang
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Brian L. Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Adeline E. Williams
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Emre Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Alessandra de Silva Orfano
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jae Hak Son
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Yineng Wu
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Aurelien Vigneron
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mehmet Karakus
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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18
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Medina Munoz M, Brenner C, Richmond D, Spencer N, Rio RVM. The holobiont transcriptome of teneral tsetse fly species of varying vector competence. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:400. [PMID: 34058984 PMCID: PMC8166097 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07729-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tsetse flies are the obligate vectors of African trypanosomes, which cause Human and Animal African Trypanosomiasis. Teneral flies (newly eclosed adults) are especially susceptible to parasite establishment and development, yet our understanding of why remains fragmentary. The tsetse gut microbiome is dominated by two Gammaproteobacteria, an essential and ancient mutualist Wigglesworthia glossinidia and a commensal Sodalis glossinidius. Here, we characterize and compare the metatranscriptome of teneral Glossina morsitans to that of G. brevipalpis and describe unique immunological, physiological, and metabolic landscapes that may impact vector competence differences between these two species. Results An active expression profile was observed for Wigglesworthia immediately following host adult metamorphosis. Specifically, ‘translation, ribosomal structure and biogenesis’ followed by ‘coenzyme transport and metabolism’ were the most enriched clusters of orthologous genes (COGs), highlighting the importance of nutrient transport and metabolism even following host species diversification. Despite the significantly smaller Wigglesworthia genome more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between interspecific isolates (n = 326, ~ 55% of protein coding genes) than between the corresponding Sodalis isolates (n = 235, ~ 5% of protein coding genes) likely reflecting distinctions in host co-evolution and adaptation. DEGs between Sodalis isolates included genes involved in chitin degradation that may contribute towards trypanosome susceptibility by compromising the immunological protection provided by the peritrophic matrix. Lastly, G. brevipalpis tenerals demonstrate a more immunologically robust background with significant upregulation of IMD and melanization pathways. Conclusions These transcriptomic differences may collectively contribute to vector competence differences between tsetse species and offers translational relevance towards the design of novel vector control strategies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07729-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Medina Munoz
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA
| | - Caitlyn Brenner
- Department of Biology, Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA, 15301, USA
| | - Dylan Richmond
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA
| | - Noah Spencer
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA
| | - Rita V M Rio
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA.
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19
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Gabrieli P, Caccia S, Varotto-Boccazzi I, Arnoldi I, Barbieri G, Comandatore F, Epis S. Mosquito Trilogy: Microbiota, Immunity and Pathogens, and Their Implications for the Control of Disease Transmission. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:630438. [PMID: 33889137 PMCID: PMC8056039 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.630438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In mosquitoes, the interaction between the gut microbiota, the immune system, and the pathogens that these insects transmit to humans and animals is regarded as a key component toward the development of control strategies, aimed at reducing the burden of severe diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever. Indeed, different microorganisms from the mosquito microbiota have been investigated for their ability to affect important traits of the biology of the host insect, related with its survival, development and reproduction. Furthermore, some microorganisms have been shown to modulate the immune response of mosquito females, significantly shaping their vector competence. Here, we will review current knowledge in this field, focusing on i) the complex interaction between the intestinal microbiota and mosquito females defenses, both in the gut and at humoral level; ii) how knowledge on these issues contributes to the development of novel and targeted strategies for the control of mosquito-borne diseases such as the use of paratransgenesis or taking advantage of the relationship between Wolbachia and mosquito hosts. We conclude by providing a brief overview of available knowledge on microbiota-immune system interplay in major insect vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Gabrieli
- Department of Biosciences and Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Caccia
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.,Task Force on Microbiome Studies, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Ilaria Varotto-Boccazzi
- Department of Biosciences and Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Arnoldi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Barbieri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesco Comandatore
- "L. Sacco" Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Epis
- Department of Biosciences and Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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20
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Boulanger N, Wikel S. Induced Transient Immune Tolerance in Ticks and Vertebrate Host: A Keystone of Tick-Borne Diseases? Front Immunol 2021; 12:625993. [PMID: 33643313 PMCID: PMC7907174 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.625993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks and tick transmitted infectious agents are increasing global public health threats due to increasing abundance, expanding geographic ranges of vectors and pathogens, and emerging tick-borne infectious agents. Greater understanding of tick, host, and pathogen interactions will contribute to development of novel tick control and disease prevention strategies. Tick-borne pathogens adapt in multiple ways to very different tick and vertebrate host environments and defenses. Ticks effectively pharmacomodulate by its saliva host innate and adaptive immune defenses. In this review, we examine the idea that successful synergy between tick and tick-borne pathogen results in host immune tolerance that facilitates successful tick infection and feeding, creates a favorable site for pathogen introduction, modulates cutaneous and systemic immune defenses to establish infection, and contributes to successful long-term infection. Tick, host, and pathogen elements examined here include interaction of tick innate immunity and microbiome with tick-borne pathogens; tick modulation of host cutaneous defenses prior to pathogen transmission; how tick and pathogen target vertebrate host defenses that lead to different modes of interaction and host infection status (reservoir, incompetent, resistant, clinically ill); tick saliva bioactive molecules as important factors in determining those pathogens for which the tick is a competent vector; and, the need for translational studies to advance this field of study. Gaps in our understanding of these relationships are identified, that if successfully addressed, can advance the development of strategies to successfully disrupt both tick feeding and pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Boulanger
- Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle - UR7290, Early Bacterial Virulence, Group Borrelia, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Centre National de Référence Borrelia, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stephen Wikel
- Department of Medical Sciences, Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT, United States
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21
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Makhulu EE, Villinger J, Adunga VO, Jeneby MM, Kimathi EM, Mararo E, Oundo JW, Musa AA, Wambua L. Tsetse blood-meal sources, endosymbionts and trypanosome-associations in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, a wildlife-human-livestock interface. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0008267. [PMID: 33406097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
African trypanosomiasis (AT) is a neglected disease of both humans and animals caused by Trypanosoma parasites, which are transmitted by obligate hematophagous tsetse flies (Glossina spp.). Knowledge on tsetse fly vertebrate hosts and the influence of tsetse endosymbionts on trypanosome presence, especially in wildlife-human-livestock interfaces, is limited. We identified tsetse species, their blood-meal sources, and correlations between endosymbionts and trypanosome presence in tsetse flies from the trypanosome-endemic Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya. Among 1167 tsetse flies (1136 Glossina pallidipes, 31 Glossina swynnertoni) collected from 10 sampling sites, 28 (2.4%) were positive by PCR for trypanosome DNA, most (17/28) being of Trypanosoma vivax species. Blood-meal analyses based on high-resolution melting analysis of vertebrate cytochrome c oxidase 1 and cytochrome b gene PCR products (n = 354) identified humans as the most common vertebrate host (37%), followed by hippopotamus (29.1%), African buffalo (26.3%), elephant (3.39%), and giraffe (0.84%). Flies positive for trypanosome DNA had fed on hippopotamus and buffalo. Tsetse flies were more likely to be positive for trypanosomes if they had the Sodalis glossinidius endosymbiont (P = 0.0002). These findings point to complex interactions of tsetse flies with trypanosomes, endosymbionts, and diverse vertebrate hosts in wildlife ecosystems such as in the MMNR, which should be considered in control programs. These interactions may contribute to the maintenance of tsetse populations and/or persistent circulation of African trypanosomes. Although the African buffalo is a key reservoir of AT, the higher proportion of hippopotamus blood-meals in flies with trypanosome DNA indicates that other wildlife species may be important in AT transmission. No trypanosomes associated with human disease were identified, but the high proportion of human blood-meals identified are indicative of human African trypanosomiasis risk. Our results add to existing data suggesting that Sodalis endosymbionts are associated with increased trypanosome presence in tsetse flies.
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22
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Yang X, Koči J, Smith AA, Zhuang X, Sharma K, Dutta S, Rana VS, Kitsou C, Yas OB, Mongodin EF, Pal U. A novel tick protein supports integrity of gut peritrophic matrix impacting existence of gut microbiome and Lyme disease pathogens. Cell Microbiol 2020; 23:e13275. [PMID: 33006213 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The peritrophic matrix (PM) is an acellular membrane that covers the gut epithelium in arthropods and physically separates it from the lumen. The structure is thought to play an important role in tick biology. The PM is also known to impact the persistence of tick-borne pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi, although limited information is available about its molecular constituents or their biological significance. Herein, we characterise a novel PM-associated gut protein in Ixodes scapularis ticks, annotated as Peritrophic Membrane Chitin Binding Protein (PM_CBP), for its role in the integrity and function of the matrix. The PM_CBP displays homology to the chitin deacetylase metalloenzyme, shows upregulation during tick feeding, and is localized at the luminal surface of the gut epithelium. The structural integrity of the PM was impaired both by the knock down of PM_CBP expression via RNA interference and by treatment with anti-PM_CBP antibodies, as revealed by its electron microscopic appearance. Additionally, the duration of tick engorgement on mice and the passage of experimentally-inoculated fluorescent dextran molecules across the PM are affected by the knock down of PM_CBP expression. The transfer of anti-PM_CBP antibodies into the tick gut impacted the overall composition of the resident microbiome, and also influenced B. burgdorferi acquisition in ticks and its transmission to mice. Taken together, these data highlight the biological significance of the Ixodes PM and suggest that the targeting of its molecular constituents may contribute to the development of novel interventions against tick-borne infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Juraj Koči
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Alexis A Smith
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Xuran Zhuang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Kavita Sharma
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Shraboni Dutta
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Vipin S Rana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Chrysoula Kitsou
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Ozlem B Yas
- Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Emmanuel F Mongodin
- Institute for Genome Sciences and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA.,Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, Maryland, USA
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23
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Brown JJ, Rodríguez-Ruano SM, Poosakkannu A, Batani G, Schmidt JO, Roachell W, Zima J, Hypša V, Nováková E. Ontogeny, species identity, and environment dominate microbiome dynamics in wild populations of kissing bugs (Triatominae). Microbiome 2020; 8:146. [PMID: 33040738 PMCID: PMC7549230 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00921-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kissing bugs (Triatominae) are blood-feeding insects best known as the vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease. Considering the high epidemiological relevance of these vectors, their biology and bacterial symbiosis remains surprisingly understudied. While previous investigations revealed generally low individual complexity but high among-individual variability of the triatomine microbiomes, any consistent microbiome determinants have not yet been identified across multiple Triatominae species. METHODS To obtain a more comprehensive view of triatomine microbiomes, we investigated the host-microbiome relationship of five Triatoma species sampled from white-throated woodrat (Neotoma albigula) nests in multiple locations across the USA. We applied optimised 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding with a novel 18S rRNA gene blocking primer to a set of 170 T. cruzi-negative individuals across all six instars. RESULTS Triatomine gut microbiome composition is strongly influenced by three principal factors: ontogeny, species identity, and the environment. The microbiomes are characterised by significant loss in bacterial diversity throughout ontogenetic development. First instars possess the highest bacterial diversity while adult microbiomes are routinely dominated by a single taxon. Primarily, the bacterial genus Dietzia dominates late-stage nymphs and adults of T. rubida, T. protracta, and T. lecticularia but is not present in the phylogenetically more distant T. gerstaeckeri and T. sanguisuga. Species-specific microbiome composition, particularly pronounced in early instars, is further modulated by locality-specific effects. In addition, pathogenic bacteria of the genus Bartonella, acquired from the vertebrate hosts, are an abundant component of Triatoma microbiomes. CONCLUSION Our study is the first to demonstrate deterministic patterns in microbiome composition among all life stages and multiple Triatoma species. We hypothesise that triatomine microbiome assemblages are produced by species- and life stage-dependent uptake of environmental bacteria and multiple indirect transmission strategies that promote bacterial transfer between individuals. Altogether, our study highlights the complexity of Triatominae symbiosis with bacteria and warrant further investigation to understand microbiome function in these important vectors. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel J. Brown
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Anbu Poosakkannu
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Giampiero Batani
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Walter Roachell
- US Army Public Health Command-Central, JBSA Fort Sam, Houston, TX USA
| | - Jan Zima
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Hypša
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Nováková
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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Lord JS, Lea RS, Allan FK, Byamungu M, Hall DR, Lingley J, Mramba F, Paxton E, Vale GA, Hargrove JW, Morrison LJ, Torr SJ, Auty HK. Assessing the effect of insecticide-treated cattle on tsetse abundance and trypanosome transmission at the wildlife-livestock interface in Serengeti, Tanzania. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008288. [PMID: 32841229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the absence of national control programmes against Rhodesian human African trypanosomiasis, farmer-led treatment of cattle with pyrethroid-based insecticides may be an effective strategy for foci at the edges of wildlife areas, but there is limited evidence to support this. We combined data on insecticide use by farmers, tsetse abundance and trypanosome prevalence, with mathematical models, to quantify the likely impact of insecticide-treated cattle. Sixteen percent of farmers reported treating cattle with a pyrethroid, and chemical analysis indicated 18% of individual cattle had been treated, in the previous week. Treatment of cattle was estimated to increase daily mortality of tsetse by 5–14%. Trypanosome prevalence in tsetse, predominantly from wildlife areas, was 1.25% for T. brucei s.l. and 0.03% for T. b. rhodesiense. For 750 cattle sampled from 48 herds, 2.3% were PCR positive for T. brucei s.l. and none for T. b. rhodesiense. Using mathematical models, we estimated there was 8–29% increase in mortality of tsetse in farming areas and this increase can explain the relatively low prevalence of T. brucei s.l. in cattle. Farmer-led treatment of cattle with pyrethroids is likely, in part, to be limiting the spill-over of human-infective trypanosomes from wildlife areas. The acute form of sleeping sickness in Africa is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. It is transmitted by tsetse flies and can be maintained in cycles involving both livestock and wildlife as hosts. Humans are incidentally infected and are particularly at risk of infection near protected areas where there is both wildlife and suitable habitat for tsetse. In these regions, the tsetse vector cannot be eradicated, nor can infection be prevented in wildlife. Here we use field studies of tsetse and livestock in combination with mathematical models of tsetse population change and trypanosome transmission to show that use of pyrethroid-based insecticides on cattle–by farmers at the edge of protected areas–could be contributing to lowering the risk of sleeping sickness in Serengeti District, Tanzania. To our knowledge, our study is the first to report farmer-led tsetse control, co-incident with tsetse decline and relatively low prevalence of T. brucei s.l. in cattle.
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Gaithuma A, Yamagishi J, Hayashida K, Kawai N, Namangala B, Sugimoto C. Blood meal sources and bacterial microbiome diversity in wild-caught tsetse flies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5005. [PMID: 32193415 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61817-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies are the vectors of African trypanosomiasis affecting 36 sub-Saharan countries. Both wild and domestic animals play a crucial role in maintaining the disease-causing parasites (trypanosomes). Thus, the identification of animal reservoirs of trypanosomes is vital for the effective control of African trypanosomiasis. Additionally, the biotic and abiotic factors that drive gut microbiome diversity in tsetse flies are primarily unresolved, especially under natural, field conditions. In this study, we present a comprehensive DNA metabarcoding approach for individual tsetse fly analysis in the identification of mammalian blood meal sources and fly bacterial microbiome composition. We analyzed samples from two endemic foci, Kafue, Zambia collected in June 2017, and Hurungwe, Zimbabwe sampled in April 2014 (pilot study) and detected DNA of various mammals including humans, wild animals, domestic animals and small mammals (rat and bat). The bacterial diversity was relatively similar in flies with different mammalian species DNA, trypanosome infected and uninfected flies, and female and male flies. This study is the first report on bat DNA detection in wild tsetse flies. This study reveals that small mammals such as bats and rats are among the opportunistic blood meal sources for tsetse flies in the wild, and the implication on tsetse biology and ecology needs to be studied.
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26
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Belmonte RL, Corbally MK, Duneau DF, Regan JC. Sexual Dimorphisms in Innate Immunity and Responses to Infection in Drosophila melanogaster. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3075. [PMID: 32076419 PMCID: PMC7006818 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The sexes show profound differences in responses to infection and the development of autoimmunity. Dimorphisms in immune responses are ubiquitous across taxa, from arthropods to vertebrates. Drosophila melanogaster shows strong sex dimorphisms in immune system responses at baseline, upon pathogenic challenge, and over aging. We have performed an exhaustive survey of peer-reviewed literature on Drosophila immunity, and present a database of publications indicating the sex(es) analyzed in each study. While we found a growing interest in the community in adult immunity and in reporting both sexes, the main body of work in this field uses only one sex, or does not stratify by sex. We synthesize evidence for sexually dimorphic responses to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Dimorphisms may be mediated by distinct immune compartments, and we review work on sex differences in behavioral, epithelial, cellular, and systemic (fat body-mediated) immunity. Emerging work on sexually dimorphic aging of immune tissues, immune senescence, and inflammation are examined. We consider evolutionary drivers for sex differences in immune investment, highlight the features of Drosophila biology that make it particularly amenable to studies of immune dimorphisms, and discuss areas for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Belmonte
- Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mary-Kate Corbally
- Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David F. Duneau
- Laboratoire Evolution & Diversite Biologique, UMR5174 EDB, CNRS, Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Jennifer C. Regan
- Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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27
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Morimoto J, Nguyen B, Tabrizi ST, Lundbäck I, Taylor PW, Ponton F, Chapman TA. Commensal microbiota modulates larval foraging behaviour, development rate and pupal production in Bactrocera tryoni. BMC Microbiol 2019; 19:286. [PMID: 31870299 PMCID: PMC6929265 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1648-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Backround Commensal microbes can promote survival and growth of developing insects, and have important fitness implications in adulthood. Insect larvae can acquire commensal microbes through two main routes: by vertical acquisition from maternal deposition of microbes on the eggshells and by horizontal acquisition from the environment where the larvae develop. To date, however, little is known about how microbes acquired through these different routes interact to shape insect development. In the present study, we investigated how vertically and horizontally acquired microbiota influence larval foraging behaviour, development time to pupation and pupal production in the Queensland fruit fly (‘Qfly’), Bactrocera tryoni. Results Both vertically and horizontally acquired microbiota were required to maximise pupal production in Qfly. Moreover, larvae exposed to both vertically and horizontally acquired microbiota pupated sooner than those exposed to no microbiota, or only to horizontally acquired microbiota. Larval foraging behaviour was also influenced by both vertically and horizontally acquired microbiota. Larvae from treatments exposed to neither vertically nor horizontally acquired microbiota spent more time overall on foraging patches than did larvae of other treatments, and most notably had greater preference for diets with extreme protein or sugar compositions. Conclusion The integrity of the microbiota early in life is important for larval foraging behaviour, development time to pupation, and pupal production in Qflies. These findings highlight the complexity of microbial relations in this species, and provide insights to the importance of exposure to microbial communities during laboratory- or mass-rearing of tephritid fruit flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morimoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia. .,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, 19031, CEP: 81531-990, Brazil.
| | - Binh Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Shabnam T Tabrizi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Ida Lundbäck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Phillip W Taylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Fleur Ponton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Toni A Chapman
- The Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Meneagle, NSW, 2568, Australia
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28
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Roma JS, D’Souza S, Somers PJ, Cabo LF, Farsin R, Aksoy S, Runyen-Janecky LJ, Weiss BL. Thermal stress responses of Sodalis glossinidius, an indigenous bacterial symbiont of hematophagous tsetse flies. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007464. [PMID: 31738754 PMCID: PMC6887450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies (Diptera: Glossinidae) house a taxonomically diverse microbiota that includes environmentally acquired bacteria, maternally transmitted symbiotic bacteria, and pathogenic African trypanosomes. Sodalis glossinidius, which is a facultative symbiont that resides intra and extracellularly within multiple tsetse tissues, has been implicated as a mediator of trypanosome infection establishment in the fly’s gut. Tsetse’s gut-associated population of Sodalis are subjected to marked temperature fluctuations each time their ectothermic fly host imbibes vertebrate blood. The molecular mechanisms that Sodalis employs to deal with this heat stress are unknown. In this study, we examined the thermal tolerance and heat shock response of Sodalis. When grown on BHI agar plates, the bacterium exhibited the most prolific growth at 25oC, and did not grow at temperatures above 30oC. Growth on BHI agar plates at 31°C was dependent on either the addition of blood to the agar or reduction in oxygen levels. Sodalis was viable in liquid cultures for 24 hours at 30oC, but began to die upon further exposure. The rate of death increased with increased temperature. Similarly, Sodalis was able to survive for 48 hours within tsetse flies housed at 30oC, while a higher temperature (37oC) was lethal. Sodalis’ genome contains homologues of the heat shock chaperone protein-encoding genes dnaK, dnaJ, and grpE, and their expression was up-regulated in thermally stressed Sodalis, both in vitro and in vivo within tsetse fly midguts. Arrested growth of E. coli dnaK, dnaJ, or grpE mutants under thermal stress was reversed when the cells were transformed with a low copy plasmid that encoded the Sodalis homologues of these genes. The information contained in this study provides insight into how arthropod vector enteric commensals, many of which mediate their host’s ability to transmit pathogens, mitigate heat shock associated with the ingestion of a blood meal. Microorganisms associated with insects must cope with fluctuating temperatures. Because symbiotic bacteria influence the biology of their host, how they respond to temperature changes will have an impact on the host and other microorganisms in the host. The tsetse fly and its symbionts represent an important model system for studying thermal tolerance because the fly feeds exclusively on vertebrate blood and is thus exposed to dramatic temperature shifts. Tsetse flies house a microbial community that can consist of symbiotic and environmentally acquired bacteria, viruses, and parasitic African trypanosomes. This work, which makes use of tsetse’s commensal endosymbiont, Sodalis glossinidius, is significance because it represents the only examination of thermal tolerance mechanisms in a bacterium that resides indigenously within an arthropod disease vector. A better understanding of the biology of thermal tolerance in Sodalis provides insight into thermal stress survival in other insect symbionts and may yield information to help control vector-borne disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Santinni Roma
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Shaina D’Souza
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Patrick J. Somers
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Leah F. Cabo
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ruhan Farsin
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Laura J. Runyen-Janecky
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail: (LJR-J); (BLW)
| | - Brian L. Weiss
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail: (LJR-J); (BLW)
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Horáková E, Faktorová D, Kraeva N, Kaur B, Van Den Abbeele J, Yurchenko V, Lukeš J. Catalase compromises the development of the insect and mammalian stages of Trypanosoma brucei. FEBS J 2019; 287:964-977. [PMID: 31593329 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Catalase is a widespread heme-containing enzyme, which converts hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) to water and molecular oxygen, thereby protecting cells from the toxic effects of H2 O2 . Trypanosoma brucei is an aerobic protist, which conspicuously lacks this potent enzyme, present in virtually all organisms exposed to oxidative stress. To uncover the reasons for its absence in T. brucei, we overexpressed different catalases in procyclic and bloodstream stages of the parasite. The heterologous enzymes originated from the related insect-confined trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata and the human. While the trypanosomatid enzyme (cCAT) operates at low temperatures, its human homolog (hCAT) is adapted to the warm-blooded environment. Despite the presence of peroxisomal targeting signal in hCAT, both human and C. fasciculata catalases localized to the cytosol of T. brucei. Even though cCAT was efficiently expressed in both life cycle stages, the enzyme was active in the procyclic stage, increasing cell's resistance to the H2 O2 stress, yet its activity was suppressed in the cultured bloodstream stage. Surprisingly, following the expression of hCAT, the ability to establish the T. brucei infection in the tsetse fly midgut was compromised. In the mouse model, hCAT attenuated parasitemia and, consequently, increased the host's survival. Hence, we suggest that the activity of catalase in T. brucei is beneficial in vitro, yet it becomes detrimental for parasite's proliferation in both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, leading to an inability to carry this, otherwise omnipresent, enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Horáková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Drahomíra Faktorová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Natalia Kraeva
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Binnypreet Kaur
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Jan Van Den Abbeele
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
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Aksoy S. Tsetse peritrophic matrix influences for trypanosome transmission. J Insect Physiol 2019; 118:103919. [PMID: 31425686 PMCID: PMC6853167 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2019.103919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Tsetse flies are important vectors of parasitic African trypanosomes, agents of human and animal trypanosomiasis. Easily administrable and effective tools for disease control in the mammalian host are still lacking but reduction of the tsetse vector populations can reduce disease. An alternative approach is to reduce the transmission of trypanosomes in the tsetse vector. The gut peritrophic matrix (PM) has emerged as an important regulator of parasite transmission success in tsetse. Tsetse has a Type II PM that is constitutively produced by cells in the cardia organ. Tsetse PM lines the entire gut and functions as an immunological barrier to prevent the gut epithelia from responding to commensal environmental microbes present in the gut lumen. Tsetse PM also functions as a physical barrier to trypanosome infections that enter into the gut lumen in an infective blood meal. For persistence in the gut, African trypanosomes have developed an adaptive manipulative process to transiently reduce PM efficacy. The process is mediated by mammalian trypanosome surface coat proteins, Variant Surface Glycoproteins (VSGs) which are shed in the gut lumen and taken up by cardia cells. The mechanism of PM reduction involves a tsetse microRNA (miR-275) which acts thru the Wnt signaling pathway. The PM efficacy is once again reduced later in the infection process to enable the gut established parasites to reenter into the gut lumen to colonize the salivary glands, an essential process for transmission. The ability to modulate PM integrity can lead to innovative approaches to reduce disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, LEPH 624, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
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Fisher ML, Levine JF, Guy JS, Mochizuki H, Breen M, Schal C, Watson DW. Lack of influence by endosymbiont Wolbachia on virus titer in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:436. [PMID: 31500667 PMCID: PMC6734260 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3694-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The common bed bug, Cimex lectularius, is an obligatory blood-feeding ectoparasite that requires a blood meal to molt and produce eggs. Their frequent biting to obtain blood meals and intimate association with humans increase the potential for disease transmission. However, despite more than 100 years of inquiry into bed bugs as potential disease vectors, they still have not been conclusively linked to any pathogen or disease. This ecological niche is extraordinarily rare, given that nearly every other blood-feeding arthropod is associated with some type of human or zoonotic disease. Bed bugs rely on the bacteria Wolbachia as an obligate endosymbiont to biosynthesize B vitamins, since they acquire a nutritionally deficient diet, but it is unknown if Wolbachia confers additional benefits to its bed bug host. In some insects, Wolbachia induces resistance to viruses such as Dengue, Chikungunya, West Nile, Drosophila C and Zika, and primes the insect immune system in other blood-feeding insects. Wolbachia might have evolved a similar role in its mutualistic association with the bed bug. In this study, we evaluated the influence of Wolbachia on virus replication within C. lectularius. METHODS We used feline calicivirus as a model pathogen. We fed 40 bed bugs from an established line of Wolbachia-cured and a line of Wolbachia-positive C. lectularius a virus-laden blood meal, and quantified the amount of virus over five time intervals post-feeding. The antibiotic rifampicin was used to cure bed bugs of Wolbachia. RESULTS There was a significant effect of time post-feeding, as the amount of virus declined by ~90% over 10 days in both groups, but no significant difference in virus titer was observed between the Wolbachia-positive and Wolbachia-cured groups. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that other mechanisms are involved in virus suppression within bed bugs, independent of the influence of Wolbachia, and our conclusions underscore the need for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L. Fisher
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
- United States Navy Medical Service Corps, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Jay F. Levine
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - James S. Guy
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607 USA
| | - Hiroyuki Mochizuki
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Matthew Breen
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - David W. Watson
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
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Matetovici I, De Vooght L, Van Den Abbeele J. Innate immunity in the tsetse fly (Glossina), vector of African trypanosomes. Dev Comp Immunol 2019; 98:181-188. [PMID: 31075296 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Tsetse flies (Glossina sp.) are medically and veterinary important vectors of African trypanosomes, protozoan parasites that cause devastating diseases in humans and livestock in sub-Saharan Africa. These flies feed exclusively on vertebrate blood and harbor a limited diversity of obligate and facultative bacterial commensals. They have a well-developed innate immune system that plays a key role in protecting the fly against invading pathogens and in modulating the fly's ability to transmit African trypanosomes. In this review, we briefly summarize our current knowledge on the tsetse fly innate immune system and its interaction with the bacterial commensals and the trypanosome parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Matetovici
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Linda De Vooght
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jan Van Den Abbeele
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Schneider DI, Saarman N, Onyango MG, Hyseni C, Opiro R, Echodu R, O’Neill M, Bloch D, Vigneron A, Johnson TJ, Dion K, Weiss BL, Opiyo E, Caccone A, Aksoy S. Spatio-temporal distribution of Spiroplasma infections in the tsetse fly (Glossina fuscipes fuscipes) in northern Uganda. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007340. [PMID: 31369548 PMCID: PMC6692048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) are vectors of parasitic trypanosomes, which cause human (HAT) and animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, Glossina fuscipes fuscipes (Gff) is the main vector of HAT, where it transmits Gambiense disease in the northwest and Rhodesiense disease in central, southeast and western regions. Endosymbionts can influence transmission efficiency of parasites through their insect vectors via conferring a protective effect against the parasite. It is known that the bacterium Spiroplasma is capable of protecting its Drosophila host from infection with a parasitic nematode. This endosymbiont can also impact its host's population structure via altering host reproductive traits. Here, we used field collections across 26 different Gff sampling sites in northern and western Uganda to investigate the association of Spiroplasma with geographic origin, seasonal conditions, Gff genetic background and sex, and trypanosome infection status. We also investigated the influence of Spiroplasma on Gff vector competence to trypanosome infections under laboratory conditions. Generalized linear models (GLM) showed that Spiroplasma probability was correlated with the geographic origin of Gff host and with the season of collection, with higher prevalence found in flies within the Albert Nile (0.42 vs 0.16) and Achwa River (0.36 vs 0.08) watersheds and with higher prevalence detected in flies collected in the intermediate than wet season. In contrast, there was no significant correlation of Spiroplasma prevalence with Gff host genetic background or sex once geographic origin was accounted for in generalized linear models. Additionally, we found a potential negative correlation of Spiroplasma with trypanosome infection, with only 2% of Spiroplasma infected flies harboring trypanosome co-infections. We also found that in a laboratory line of Gff, parasitic trypanosomes are less likely to colonize the midgut in individuals that harbor Spiroplasma infection. These results indicate that Spiroplasma infections in tsetse may be maintained by not only maternal but also via horizontal transmission routes, and Spiroplasma infections may also have important effects on trypanosome transmission efficiency of the host tsetse. Potential functional effects of Spiroplasma infection in Gff could have impacts on vector control approaches to reduce trypanosome infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela I. Schneider
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Norah Saarman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Maria G. Onyango
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Chaz Hyseni
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, United States of America
| | - Robert Opiro
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gulu University, Uganda
| | - Richard Echodu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gulu University, Uganda
| | - Michelle O’Neill
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Danielle Bloch
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City, NY, United States of America
| | - Aurélien Vigneron
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - T. J. Johnson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Kirstin Dion
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Brian L. Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Opiyo
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS, United States of America
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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Trappeniers K, Matetovici I, Van Den Abbeele J, De Vooght L. The Tsetse Fly Displays an Attenuated Immune Response to Its Secondary Symbiont, Sodalis glossinidius. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1650. [PMID: 31396178 PMCID: PMC6668328 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sodalis glossinidius, a vertically transmitted facultative symbiont of the tsetse fly, is a bacterium in the early/intermediate state of its transition toward symbiosis, representing an important model for investigating how the insect host immune defense response is regulated to allow endosymbionts to establish a chronic infection within their hosts without being eliminated. In this study, we report on the establishment of a tsetse fly line devoid of S. glossinidius only, allowing us to experimentally investigate (i) the complex immunological interactions between a single bacterial species and its host, (ii) how the symbiont population is kept under control, and (iii) the impact of the symbiont on the vector competence of the tsetse fly to transmit the sleeping sickness parasite. Comparative transcriptome analysis showed no difference in the expression of genes involved in innate immune processes between symbiont-harboring (GmmSod+) and S. glossinidius-free (GmmSod–) flies. Re-exposure of (GmmSod–) flies to the endosymbiotic bacterium resulted in a moderate immune response, whereas exposure to pathogenic E. coli or to a close non-insect associated relative of S. glossinidius, i.e., S. praecaptivus, resulted in full immune activation. We also showed that S. glossinidius densities are not affected by experimental activation or suppression of the host immune system, indicating that S. glossinidius is resistant to mounted immune attacks and that the host immune system does not play a major role in controlling S. glossinidius proliferation. Finally, we demonstrate that the absence or presence of S. glossinidius in the tsetse fly does not alter its capacity to mount an immune response to pathogens nor does it affect the fly’s susceptibility toward trypanosome infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrien Trappeniers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Irina Matetovici
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jan Van Den Abbeele
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Linda De Vooght
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Abstract
Parasites elicit several physiological changes in their host to enhance transmission. Little is known about the functional association between parasitism and microbiota-provisioned resources typically dedicated to animal hosts and how these goods may be rerouted to optimize parasite development. This study is the first to identify a specific symbiont-generated metabolite that impacts insect vector competence by facilitating parasite establishment and, thus, eventual transmission. Specifically, we demonstrate that the tsetse fly obligate mutualist Wigglesworthia provisions folate (vitamin B9) that pathogenic African trypanosomes exploit in an effort to successfully establish an infection in the vector’s MG. This process is essential for the parasite to complete its life cycle and be transmitted to a new vertebrate host. Disrupting metabolic contributions provided by the microbiota of arthropod disease vectors may fuel future innovative control strategies while also offering minimal nontarget effects. Many symbionts supplement their host’s diet with essential nutrients. However, whether these nutrients also enhance parasitism is unknown. In this study, we investigated whether folate (vitamin B9) production by the tsetse fly (Glossina spp.) essential mutualist, Wigglesworthia, aids auxotrophic African trypanosomes in completing their life cycle within this obligate vector. We show that the expression of Wigglesworthia folate biosynthesis genes changes with the progression of trypanosome infection within tsetse. The disruption of Wigglesworthia folate production caused a reduction in the percentage of flies that housed midgut (MG) trypanosome infections. However, decreased folate did not prevent MG trypanosomes from migrating to and establishing an infection in the fly’s salivary glands, thus suggesting that nutrient requirements vary throughout the trypanosome life cycle. We further substantiated that trypanosomes rely on symbiont-generated folate by feeding this vitamin to Glossina brevipalpis, which exhibits low trypanosome vector competency and houses Wigglesworthia incapable of producing folate. Folate-supplemented G. brevipalpis flies were significantly more susceptible to trypanosome infection, further demonstrating that this vitamin facilitates parasite infection establishment. Our cumulative results provide evidence that Wigglesworthia provides a key metabolite (folate) that is “hijacked” by trypanosomes to enhance their infectivity, thus indirectly impacting tsetse species vector competency. Parasite dependence on symbiont-derived micronutrients, which likely also occurs in other arthropod vectors, represents a relationship that may be exploited to reduce disease transmission.
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Weiss BL, Maltz MA, Vigneron A, Wu Y, Walter KS, O’Neill MB, Wang J, Aksoy S. Colonization of the tsetse fly midgut with commensal Kosakonia cowanii Zambiae inhibits trypanosome infection establishment. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007470. [PMID: 30817773 PMCID: PMC6394900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) vector pathogenic trypanosomes (Trypanosoma spp.) in sub-Saharan Africa. These parasites cause human and animal African trypanosomiases, which are debilitating diseases that inflict an enormous socio-economic burden on inhabitants of endemic regions. Current disease control strategies rely primarily on treating infected animals and reducing tsetse population densities. However, relevant programs are costly, labor intensive and difficult to sustain. As such, novel strategies aimed at reducing tsetse vector competence require development. Herein we investigated whether Kosakonia cowanii Zambiae (Kco_Z), which confers Anopheles gambiae with resistance to Plasmodium, is able to colonize tsetse and induce a trypanosome refractory phenotype in the fly. Kco_Z established stable infections in tsetse’s gut and exhibited no adverse effect on the fly’s survival. Flies with established Kco_Z infections in their gut were significantly more refractory to infection with two distinct trypanosome species (T. congolense, 6% infection; T. brucei, 32% infection) than were age-matched flies that did not house the exogenous bacterium (T. congolense, 36% infected; T. brucei, 70% infected). Additionally, 52% of Kco_Z colonized tsetse survived infection with entomopathogenic Serratia marcescens, compared with only 9% of their wild-type counterparts. These parasite and pathogen refractory phenotypes result from the fact that Kco_Z acidifies tsetse’s midgut environment, which inhibits trypanosome and Serratia growth and thus infection establishment. Finally, we determined that Kco_Z infection does not impact the fecundity of male or female tsetse, nor the ability of male flies to compete with their wild-type counterparts for mates. We propose that Kco_Z could be used as one component of an integrated strategy aimed at reducing the ability of tsetse to transmit pathogenic trypanosomes. Tsetse flies transmit pathogenic African trypanosomes, which are the causative agents of socio-economically devastating human and animal African trypanosomiases. These diseases are currently controlled in large part by reducing the population size of tsetse vectors through the use of insecticides, traps and sterile insect technique. However, logistic and monetary hurdles often preclude the prolonged application of procedures necessary to maintain these control programs. Thus, novel strategies, including those aimed at sustainably reducing the ability of tsetse to transmit trypanosomes, are presently under development. Herein we stably colonize tsetse flies with a bacterium (Kosakonia cowanii Zambiae, Kco_Z) that acidifies their midgut, thus rendering the environment inhospitable to infection with two distinct, epidemiologically important trypanosome strains as well as an entomopathogenic bacteria. In addition to inducing a trypanosome refractory phenotype, colonization of tsetse with Kco_Z exerts only a modest fitness cost on the fly. Taken together, these findings suggest that Kco_Z could be applied to enhance the effectiveness of currently employed tsetse control programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian L. Weiss
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BLW); (SA)
| | - Michele A. Maltz
- Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Aurélien Vigneron
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Yineng Wu
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Katharine S. Walter
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Michelle B. O’Neill
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jingwen Wang
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BLW); (SA)
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Channumsin M, Ciosi M, Masiga D, Turner CMR, Mable BK. Sodalis glossinidius presence in wild tsetse is only associated with presence of trypanosomes in complex interactions with other tsetse-specific factors. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:163. [PMID: 30470184 PMCID: PMC6251152 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1285-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Susceptibility of tsetse flies (Glossina spp.) to trypanosomes of both humans and animals has been associated with the presence of the endosymbiont Sodalis glossinidius. However, intrinsic biological characteristics of the flies and environmental factors can influence the presence of both S. glossinidius and the parasites. It thus remains unclear whether it is the S. glossinidius or other attributes of the flies that explains the apparent association. The objective of this study was to test whether the presence of Trypanosoma vivax, T. congolense and T. brucei are related to the presence of S. glossinidius in tsetse flies when other factors are accounted for: geographic location, species of Glossina, sex or age of the host flies. Results Flies (n = 1090) were trapped from four sites in the Shimba Hills and Nguruman regions in Kenya. Sex and species of tsetse (G. austeni, G. brevipalpis, G. longipennis and G. pallidipes) were determined based on external morphological characters and age was estimated by a wing fray score method. The presence of trypanosomes and S. glossinidius was detected using PCR targeting the internal transcribed spacer region 1 and the haemolysin gene, respectively. Sequencing was used to confirm species identification. Generalised Linear Models (GLMs) and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) were applied to investigate multivariable associations. The overall prevalence of trypanosomes was 42.1%, but GLMs revealed complex patterns of associations: the presence of S. glossinidius was associated with trypanosome presence but only in interactions with other factors and only in some species of trypanosomes. The strongest association was found for T. congolense, and no association was found for T. vivax. The MCA also suggested only a weak association between the presence of trypanosomes and S. glossinidius. Trypanosome-positive status showed strong associations with sex and age while S. glossinidius-positive status showed a strong association with geographic location and species of fly. Conclusions We suggest that previous conclusions about the presence of endosymbionts increasing probability of trypanosome presence in tsetse flies may have been confounded by other factors, such as community composition of the tsetse flies and the specific trypanosomes found in different regions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1285-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manun Channumsin
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine (BAHCM), Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, University Place, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK. .,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-Ok, Chonburi, 20110, Thailand.
| | - Marc Ciosi
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine (BAHCM), Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, University Place, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK. .,International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
| | - Dan Masiga
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
| | - C Michael R Turner
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Sir Graeme Davis Building, University of Glasgow, University Place, Glasgow, G12 0PT, UK
| | - Barbara K Mable
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine (BAHCM), Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, University Place, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
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Zaidman-Rémy A, Vigneron A, Weiss BL, Heddi A. What can a weevil teach a fly, and reciprocally? Interaction of host immune systems with endosymbionts in Glossina and Sitophilus. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:150. [PMID: 30470176 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1278-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The tsetse fly (Glossina genus) is the main vector of African trypanosomes, which are protozoan parasites that cause human and animal African trypanosomiases in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the frame of the IAEA/FAO program ‘Enhancing Vector Refractoriness to Trypanosome Infection’, in addition to the tsetse, the cereal weevil Sitophilus has been introduced as a comparative system with regards to immune interactions with endosymbionts. The cereal weevil is an agricultural pest that destroys a significant proportion of cereal stocks worldwide. Tsetse flies are associated with three symbiotic bacteria, the multifunctional obligate Wigglesworthia glossinidia, the facultative commensal Sodalis glossinidius and the parasitic Wolbachia. Cereal weevils house an obligatory nutritional symbiosis with the bacterium Sodalis pierantonius, and occasionally Wolbachia. Studying insect host-symbiont interactions is highly relevant both for understanding the evolution of symbiosis and for envisioning novel pest control strategies. In both insects, the long co-evolution between host and endosymbiont has led to a stringent integration of the host-bacteria partnership. These associations were facilitated by the development of specialized host traits, including symbiont-housing cells called bacteriocytes and specific immune features that enable both tolerance and control of the bacteria. In this review, we compare the tsetse and weevil model systems and compile the latest research findings regarding their biological and ecological similarities, how the immune system controls endosymbiont load and location, and how host-symbiont interactions impact developmental features including cuticle synthesis and immune system maturation. We focus mainly on the interactions between the obligate symbionts and their host’s immune systems, a central theme in both model systems. Finally, we highlight how parallel studies on cereal weevils and tsetse flies led to mutual discoveries and stimulated research on each model, creating a pivotal example of scientific improvement through comparison between relatively distant models.
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Griffith BC, Weiss BL, Aksoy E, Mireji PO, Auma JE, Wamwiri FN, Echodu R, Murilla G, Aksoy S. Analysis of the gut-specific microbiome from field-captured tsetse flies, and its potential relevance to host trypanosome vector competence. BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:146. [PMID: 30470178 PMCID: PMC6251097 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1284-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The tsetse fly (Glossina sp.) midgut is colonized by maternally transmitted and environmentally acquired bacteria. Additionally, the midgut serves as a niche in which pathogenic African trypanosomes reside within infected flies. Tsetse’s bacterial microbiota impacts many aspects of the fly’s physiology. However, little is known about the structure of tsetse’s midgut-associated bacterial communities as they relate to geographically distinct fly habitats in east Africa and their contributions to parasite infection outcomes. We utilized culture dependent and independent methods to characterize the taxonomic structure and density of bacterial communities that reside within the midgut of tsetse flies collected at geographically distinct locations in Kenya and Uganda. Results Using culture dependent methods, we isolated 34 strains of bacteria from four different tsetse species (G. pallidipes, G. brevipalpis, G. fuscipes and G. fuscipleuris) captured at three distinct locations in Kenya. To increase the depth of this study, we deep sequenced midguts from individual uninfected and trypanosome infected G. pallidipes captured at two distinct locations in Kenya and one in Uganda. We found that tsetse’s obligate endosymbiont, Wigglesworthia, was the most abundant bacterium present in the midgut of G. pallidipes, and the density of this bacterium remained largely consistent regardless of whether or not its tsetse host was infected with trypanosomes. These fly populations also housed the commensal symbiont Sodalis, which was found at significantly higher densities in trypanosome infected compared to uninfected flies. Finally, midguts of field-captured G. pallidipes were colonized with distinct, low density communities of environmentally acquired microbes that differed in taxonomic structure depending on parasite infection status and the geographic location from which the flies were collected. Conclusions The results of this study will enhance our understanding of the tripartite relationship between tsetse, its microbiota and trypanosome vector competence. This information may be useful for developing novel disease control strategies or enhancing the efficacy of those already in use. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-018-1284-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget C Griffith
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.,Present Address: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Brian L Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Emre Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.,Present Address: Department of Entomology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Paul O Mireji
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Joana E Auma
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Florence N Wamwiri
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Richard Echodu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda
| | - Grace Murilla
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kikuyu, Kenya
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Engl T, Michalkova V, Weiss BL, Uzel GD, Takac P, Miller WJ, Abd-Alla AMM, Aksoy S, Kaltenpoth M. Effect of antibiotic treatment and gamma-irradiation on cuticular hydrocarbon profiles and mate choice in tsetse flies (Glossina m. morsitans). BMC Microbiol 2018; 18:145. [PMID: 30470188 PMCID: PMC6251160 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-018-1292-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Symbiotic microbes represent a driving force of evolutionary innovation by conferring novel ecological traits to their hosts. Many insects are associated with microbial symbionts that contribute to their host's nutrition, digestion, detoxification, reproduction, immune homeostasis, and defense. In addition, recent studies suggest a microbial involvement in chemical communication and mating behavior, which can ultimately impact reproductive isolation and, hence, speciation. Here we investigated whether a disruption of the microbiota through antibiotic treatment or irradiation affects cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, and possibly mate choice behavior in the tsetse fly, Glossina morsitans morsitans. Four independent experiments that differentially knock down the multiple bacterial symbionts of tsetse flies were conducted by subjecting tsetse flies to ampicillin, tetracycline, or gamma-irradiation and analyzing their cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in comparison to untreated controls by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. In two of the antibiotic experiments, flies were mass-reared, while individual rearing was done for the third experiment to avoid possible chemical cross-contamination between individual flies. RESULTS All three antibiotic experiments yielded significant effects of antibiotic treatment (particularly tetracycline) on cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in both female and male G. m. morsitans, while irradiation itself had no effect on the CHC profiles. Importantly, tetracycline treatment reduced relative amounts of 15,19,23-trimethyl-heptatriacontane, a known compound of the female contact sex pheromone, in two of the three experiments, suggesting a possible implication of microbiota disturbance on mate choice decisions. Concordantly, both female and male flies preferred non-treated over tetracycline-treated flies in direct choice assays. CONCLUSIONS While we cannot exclude the possibility that antibiotic treatment had a directly detrimental effect on fly vigor as we are unable to recolonize antibiotic treated flies with individual symbiont taxa, our results are consistent with an effect of the microbiota, particularly the obligate nutritional endosymbiont Wigglesworthia, on CHC profiles and mate choice behavior. These findings highlight the importance of considering host-microbiota interactions when studying chemical communication and mate choice in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Engl
- Insect Symbiosis Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Veronika Michalkova
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Present Address: Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Brian L Weiss
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Güler D Uzel
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food & Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Biological Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Technology, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Takac
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Wolfgang J Miller
- Laboratories of Genome Dynamics, Department Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adly M M Abd-Alla
- Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food & Agriculture, Vienna, Austria
| | - Serap Aksoy
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Insect Symbiosis Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany.
- Department for Evolutionary Ecology, Institute for Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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Shaw DK, Tate AT, Schneider DS, Levashina EA, Kagan JC, Pal U, Fikrig E, Pedra JHF. Vector Immunity and Evolutionary Ecology: The Harmonious Dissonance. Trends Immunol 2018; 39:862-73. [PMID: 30301592 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent scientific breakthroughs have significantly expanded our understanding of arthropod vector immunity. Insights in the laboratory have demonstrated how the immune system provides resistance to infection, and in what manner innate defenses protect against a microbial assault. Less understood, however, is the effect of biotic and abiotic factors on microbial-vector interactions and the impact of the immune system on arthropod populations in nature. Furthermore, the influence of genetic plasticity on the immune response against vector-borne pathogens remains mostly elusive. Herein, we discuss evolutionary forces that shape arthropod vector immunity. We focus on resistance, pathogenicity and tolerance to infection. We posit that novel scientific paradigms should emerge when molecular immunologists and evolutionary ecologists work together.
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Radwanska M, Vereecke N, Deleeuw V, Pinto J, Magez S. Salivarian Trypanosomosis: A Review of Parasites Involved, Their Global Distribution and Their Interaction With the Innate and Adaptive Mammalian Host Immune System. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2253. [PMID: 30333827 PMCID: PMC6175991 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Salivarian trypanosomes are single cell extracellular parasites that cause infections in a wide range of hosts. Most pathogenic infections worldwide are caused by one of four major species of trypanosomes including (i) Trypanosoma brucei and the human infective subspecies T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense, (ii) Trypanosoma evansi and T. equiperdum, (iii) Trypanosoma congolense and (iv) Trypanosoma vivax. Infections with these parasites are marked by excessive immune dysfunction and immunopathology, both related to prolonged inflammatory host immune responses. Here we review the classification and global distribution of these parasites, highlight the adaptation of human infective trypanosomes that allow them to survive innate defense molecules unique to man, gorilla, and baboon serum and refer to the discovery of sexual reproduction of trypanosomes in the tsetse vector. With respect to the immunology of mammalian host-parasite interactions, the review highlights recent findings with respect to the B cell destruction capacity of trypanosomes and the role of T cells in the governance of infection control. Understanding infection-associated dysfunction and regulation of both these immune compartments is crucial to explain the continued failures of anti-trypanosome vaccine developments as well as the lack of any field-applicable vaccine based anti-trypanosomosis intervention strategy. Finally, the link between infection-associated inflammation and trypanosomosis induced anemia is covered in the context of both livestock and human infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Radwanska
- Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Nick Vereecke
- Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon, South Korea.,Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Violette Deleeuw
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Joar Pinto
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stefan Magez
- Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon, South Korea.,Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Abstract
In this review, we explore the state-of-the-art of sand fly relationships with microbiota, viruses and Leishmania, with particular emphasis on the vector immune responses. Insect-borne diseases are a major public health problem in the world. Phlebotomine sand flies are proven vectors of several aetiological agents including viruses, bacteria and the trypanosomatid Leishmania, which are responsible for diseases such as viral encephalitis, bartonellosis and leishmaniasis, respectively. All metazoans in nature coexist intimately with a community of commensal microorganisms known as microbiota. The microbiota has a fundamental role in the induction, maturation and function of the host immune system, which can modulate host protection from pathogens and infectious diseases. We briefly review viruses of public health importance present in sand flies and revisit studies done on bacterial and fungal gut contents of these vectors. We bring this information into the context of sand fly development and immune responses. We highlight the immunity mechanisms that the insect utilizes to survive the potential threats involved in these interactions and discuss the recently discovered complex interactions among microbiota, sand fly, Leishmania and virus. Additionally, some of the alternative control strategies that could benefit from the current knowledge are considered.
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Sison-Mangus MP, Metzger CMJA, Ebert D. Host genotype-specific microbiota do not influence the susceptibility of D. magna to a bacterial pathogen. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9407. [PMID: 29925845 PMCID: PMC6010447 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27681-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Host-associated microbiota have been claimed to play a role in hosts' responses to parasitic infections, often protecting the hosts from infection. We tested for such a role in the crustacean Daphnia and the parasitic bacterium Pasteuria ramosa, a widely used model system for host-parasite interactions. We first determined the infection phenotype (i.e., resistotype) of eight clonal D. magna genotypes against four strains of P. ramosa by attachment test, followed by 16 S rDNA amplicon sequencing to determine if their genotype or their parasite resistotype influences the composition of their microbiome. We then reciprocally transplanted the microbiota of two host genotypes with opposite resistotypes to four P. ramosa isolates, followed by a reassessment of their resistotype after transplantation. We found significant differences in microbiome composition and structure between Daphnia genotypes and between Daphnia resistotypes to specific P. ramosa strains. Reciprocal microbiota exchange or making the Daphnia hosts bacteria-free, however, did not influence the resistotypes of the hosts. Thus, in contrary to what has been observed in some taxa, our results suggest that D. magna susceptibility to P. ramosa is strongly dictated by the genetic differences of the hosts and is still dependent on Daphnia's first line of immune defense against the esophageal attachment of P. ramosa, which appears to be uninfluenced by the host's microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilou P Sison-Mangus
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - César M J A Metzger
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
- Spiez Laboratory, Austrasse, 3700, Spiez, Switzerland
| | - Dieter Ebert
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
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Krafsur ES, Maudlin I. Tsetse fly evolution, genetics and the trypanosomiases - A review. Infect Genet Evol 2018; 64:185-206. [PMID: 29885477 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
This reviews work published since 2007. Relative efforts devoted to the agents of African trypanosomiasis and their tsetse fly vectors are given by the numbers of PubMed accessions. In the last 10 years PubMed citations number 3457 for Trypanosoma brucei and 769 for Glossina. The development of simple sequence repeats and single nucleotide polymorphisms afford much higher resolution of Glossina and Trypanosoma population structures than heretofore. Even greater resolution is offered by partial and whole genome sequencing. Reproduction in T. brucei sensu lato is principally clonal although genetic recombination in tsetse salivary glands has been demonstrated in T. b. brucei and T. b. rhodesiense but not in T. b. gambiense. In the past decade most genetic attention was given to the chief human African trypanosomiasis vectors in subgenus Nemorhina e.g., Glossina f. fuscipes, G. p. palpalis, and G. p. gambiense. The chief interest in Nemorhina population genetics seemed to be finding vector populations sufficiently isolated to enable efficient and long-lasting suppression. To this end estimates were made of gene flow, derived from FST and its analogues, and Ne, the size of a hypothetical population equivalent to that under study. Genetic drift was greater, gene flow and Ne typically lesser in savannah inhabiting tsetse (subgenus Glossina) than in riverine forms (Nemorhina). Population stabilities were examined by sequential sampling and genotypic analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes in both groups and found to be stable. Gene frequencies estimated in sequential samplings differed by drift and allowed estimates of effective population numbers that were greater for Nemorhina spp than Glossina spp. Prospects are examined of genetic methods of vector control. The tsetse long generation time (c. 50 d) is a major contraindication to any suggested genetic method of tsetse population manipulation. Ecological and modelling research convincingly show that conventional methods of targeted insecticide applications and traps/targets can achieve cost-effective reduction in tsetse densities.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S Krafsur
- Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Ian Maudlin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
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Abstract
Animals are common hosts of mutualistic, commensal and pathogenic microorganisms. Blood-feeding parasites feed on a diet that is nutritionally unbalanced and thus often rely on symbionts to supplement essential nutrients. However, they are also of medical importance as they can be infected by pathogens such as bacteria, protists or viruses that take advantage of the blood-feeding nutritional strategy for own transmission. Since blood-feeding evolved multiple times independently in diverse animals, it showcases a gradient of host-microbe interactions. While some parasitic lineages are possibly asymbiotic and manage to supplement their diet from other food sources, other lineages are either loosely associated with extracellular gut symbionts or harbour intracellular obligate symbionts that are essential for the host development and reproduction. What is perhaps even more diverse are the pathogenic lineages that infect blood-feeding parasites. This microbial diversity not only puts the host into a complicated situation - distinguishing between microorganisms that can greatly decrease or increase its fitness - but also increases opportunity for horizontal gene transfer to occur in this environment. In this review, I first introduce this diversity of mutualistic and pathogenic microorganisms associated with blood-feeding animals and then focus on patterns in their interactions, particularly nutrition, immune cross-talk and gene exchange.
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Rogerson E, Pelletier J, Acosta-Serrano A, Rose C, Taylor S, Guimond S, Lima M, Skidmore M, Yates E. Variations in the Peritrophic Matrix Composition of Heparan Sulphate from the Tsetse Fly, Glossina morsitans morsitans. Pathogens 2018; 7:E32. [PMID: 29562674 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens7010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Tsetse flies are the principal insect vectors of African trypanosomes—sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in cattle. One of the tsetse fly species, Glossina morsitans morsitans, is host to the parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, a major cause of African trypanosomiasis. Precise details of the life cycle have yet to be established, but the parasite life cycle involves crossing the insect peritrophic matrix (PM). The PM consists of the polysaccharide chitin, several hundred proteins, and both glycosamino- and galactosaminoglycan (GAG) polysaccharides. Owing to the technical challenges of detecting small amounts of GAG polysaccharides, their conclusive identification and composition have not been possible until now. Following removal of PMs from the insects and the application of heparinases (bacterial lyase enzymes that are specific for heparan sulphate (HS) GAG polysaccharides), dot blots with a HS-specific antibody showed heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPGs) to be present, consistent with Glossina morsitans morsitans genome analysis, as well as the likely expression of the HSPGs syndecan and perlecan. Exhaustive HS digestion with heparinases, fluorescent labeling of the resulting disaccharides with BODIPY fluorophore, and separation by strong anion exchange chromatography then demonstrated the presence of HS for the first time and provided the disaccharide composition. There were no significant differences in the type of disaccharide species present between genders or between ages (24 vs. 48 h post emergence), although the HS from female flies was more heavily sulphated overall. Significant differences, which may relate to differences in infection between genders or ages, were evident, however, in overall levels of 2-O-sulphation between sexes and, for females, between 24 and 48 h post-emergence, implying a change in expression or activity for the 2-O-sulphotransferase enzyme. The presence of significant quantities of disaccharides containing the monosaccharide GlcNAc6S contrasts with previous findings in Drosophila melanogaster and suggests subtle differences in HS fine structure between species of the Diptera.
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Dumonteil E, Ramirez-Sierra MJ, Pérez-Carrillo S, Teh-Poot C, Herrera C, Gourbière S, Waleckx E. Detailed ecological associations of triatomines revealed by metabarcoding and next-generation sequencing: implications for triatomine behavior and Trypanosoma cruzi transmission cycles. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4140. [PMID: 29515202 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22455-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the agent of Chagas disease, transmitted by hematophagous triatomine vectors. Establishing transmission cycles is key to understand the epidemiology of the disease, but integrative assessments of ecological interactions shaping parasite transmission are still limited. Current approaches also lack sensitivity to assess the full extent of this ecological diversity. Here we developed a metabarcoding approach based on next-generation sequencing to identify triatomine gut microbiome, vertebrate feeding hosts, and parasite diversity and their potential interactions. We detected a dynamic microbiome in Triatoma dimidiata, including 23 bacterial orders, which differed according to blood sources. Fourteen vertebrate species served as blood sources, corresponding to domestic, synantropic and sylvatic species, although four (human, dog, cow and mice) accounted for over 50% of blood sources. Importantly, bugs fed on multiple hosts, with up to 11 hosts identified per bug, indicating very frequent host-switching. A high clonal diversity of T. cruzi was detected, with up to 20 haplotypes per bug. This analysis provided much greater sensitivity to detect multiple blood meals and multiclonal infections with T. cruzi, which should be taken into account to develop transmission networks, and characterize the risk for human infection, eventually leading to a better control of disease transmission.
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Song X, Wang M, Dong L, Zhu H, Wang J. PGRP-LD mediates A. stephensi vector competency by regulating homeostasis of microbiota-induced peritrophic matrix synthesis. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1006899. [PMID: 29489896 PMCID: PMC5831637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) and commensal microbes mediate pathogen infection outcomes in insect disease vectors. Although PGRP-LD is retained in multiple vectors, its role in host defense remains elusive. Here we report that Anopheles stephensi PGRP-LD protects the vector from malaria parasite infection by regulating gut homeostasis. Specifically, knock down of PGRP-LD (dsLD) increased susceptibility to Plasmodium berghei infection, decreased the abundance of gut microbiota and changed their spatial distribution. This outcome resulted from a change in the structural integrity of the peritrophic matrix (PM), which is a chitinous and proteinaceous barrier that lines the midgut lumen. Reduction of microbiota in dsLD mosquitoes due to the upregulation of immune effectors led to dysregulation of PM genes and PM fragmentation. Elimination of gut microbiota in antibiotic treated mosquitoes (Abx) led to PM loss and increased vectorial competence. Recolonization of Abx mosquitoes with indigenous Enterobacter sp. restored PM integrity and decreased mosquito vectorial capacity. Silencing PGRP-LD in mosquitoes without PM didn’t influence their vector competence. Our results indicate that PGPR-LD protects the gut microbiota by preventing hyper-immunity, which in turn promotes PM structurally integrity. The intact PM plays a key role in limiting P. berghei infection. Malaria parasites must overcome several obstacles to complete their development in mosquito. Understanding the interactions between parasites and mosquitoes will provide potential targets to control malaria transmission. PGRP-LD is a peptidoglycan recognition protein, of which limit information is available in insects. Here we show that A. stephensi PGRP-LD mediates malaria parasite infection outcomes by influencing homeostasis of the gut microbiota. Reduction of the gut microbiota density, resulting from upregulation of immune activities in PGRP-LD knock down mosquitoes, changes expression of PM genes and causes PM fragmentation. The compromised PM leads to increasing susceptibility to parasite infection. We also discovered that the PM is lost in mosquitoes in which the gut microbiota is removed by antibiotic treatment. Knock down of PGRP-LD in these mosquitoes doesn’t increase their vector competence. Altogether, these results indicate that capacity of Anopheles mosquito to transmit parasites is determined by a finely tuned balance between host immunity, gut microbiota and peritrophic matrix. PGRP-LD is a key mediator in regulating this balance. Our results expand knowledge on interactions between immune system, gut microbiota and Plasmodium, and will shed light on equivalent processes in other disease transmitting vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiumei Song
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Mengfei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Li Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Huaimin Zhu
- The 2nd Military Medical University, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Jingwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China
- * E-mail:
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Thongsripong P, Chandler JA, Green AB, Kittayapong P, Wilcox BA, Kapan DD, Bennett SN. Mosquito vector-associated microbiota: Metabarcoding bacteria and eukaryotic symbionts across habitat types in Thailand endemic for dengue and other arthropod-borne diseases. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1352-1368. [PMID: 29375803 PMCID: PMC5773340 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases are a major health burden, yet factors affecting their spread are only partially understood. For example, microbial symbionts can impact mosquito reproduction, survival, and vectorial capacity, and hence affect disease transmission. Nonetheless, current knowledge of mosquito-associated microbial communities is limited. To characterize the bacterial and eukaryotic microbial communities of multiple vector species collected from different habitat types in disease endemic areas, we employed next-generation 454 pyrosequencing of 16S and 18S rRNA amplicon libraries, also known as metabarcoding. We investigated pooled whole adult mosquitoes of three medically important vectors, Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, and Culex quinquefasciatus, collected from different habitats across central Thailand where we previously characterized mosquito diversity. Our results indicate that diversity within the mosquito microbiota is low, with the majority of microbes assigned to one or a few taxa. Two of the most common eukaryotic and bacterial genera recovered (Ascogregarina and Wolbachia, respectively) are known mosquito endosymbionts with potentially parasitic and long evolutionary relationships with their hosts. Patterns of microbial composition and diversity appeared to differ by both vector species and habitat for a given species, although high variability between samples suggests a strong stochastic element to microbiota assembly. In general, our findings suggest that multiple factors, such as habitat condition and mosquito species identity, may influence overall microbial community composition, and thus provide a basis for further investigations into the interactions between vectors, their microbial communities, and human-impacted landscapes that may ultimately affect vector-borne disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panpim Thongsripong
- Department of MicrobiologyInstitute of Biodiversity Sciences and SustainabilityCalifornia Academy of SciencesSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Department of Tropical MedicineMedical Microbiology, and PharmacologyUniversity of Hawai'i at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
- Present address:
Department of Tropical MedicineTulane UniversityNew OrleansLAUSA
| | - James Angus Chandler
- Department of MicrobiologyInstitute of Biodiversity Sciences and SustainabilityCalifornia Academy of SciencesSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Present address:
Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Amy B. Green
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of Hawai'i at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Pattamaporn Kittayapong
- Center of Excellence for Vectors and Vector‐Borne Diseases and Department of BiologyFaculty of ScienceMahidol University at SalayaNakhon PathomThailand
| | - Bruce A. Wilcox
- Global Health Asia and Integrative Research and Education ProgramFaculty of Public HealthMahidol UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Durrell D. Kapan
- Department of Entomology and Center for Comparative GenomicsInstitute of Biodiversity Sciences and SustainabilityCalifornia Academy of SciencesSan FranciscoCAUSA
- Center for Conservation and Research TrainingPacific Biosciences Research CenterUniversity of Hawai'i at ManoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Shannon N. Bennett
- Department of MicrobiologyInstitute of Biodiversity Sciences and SustainabilityCalifornia Academy of SciencesSan FranciscoCAUSA
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