Life-shortening Wolbachia infection reduces population growth of Aedes aegypti

Eunho Suh; David R. Mercer; Stephen L. Dobson

doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.05.015

Life-shortening Wolbachia infection reduces population growth of Aedes aegypti

Eunho Suh, David R. Mercer, Stephen L. Dobson

Entomology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Wolbachia bacteria are being introduced into natural populations of vector mosquitoes, with the goal of reducing the transmission of human diseases such as Zika and dengue fever. The successful establishment of Wolbachia infection is largely dependent on the effects of Wolbachia infection to host fitness, but the effects of Wolbachia infection on the individual life-history traits of immature mosquitoes can vary. Here, the effects of life-shortening Wolbachia (wMelPop) on population growth of infected individuals were evaluated by measuring larval survival, developmental time and adult size of Aedes aegypti in intra- (infected or uninfected only) and inter-group (mixed with infected and uninfected) larval competition assays. At low larval density conditions, the population growth of wMelPop infected and uninfected individuals was similar. At high larval densities, wMelPop infected individuals had a significantly reduced population growth rate relative to uninfected individuals, regardless of competition type. We discuss the results in relation to the invasion of the wMelPop Wolbachia infection into naturally uninfected populations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	232-239
Number of pages	8
Journal	Acta Tropica
Volume	172
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.05.015
State	Published - Aug 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier B.V.

Funding

We thank S. O'Neill for providing mosquito strains (PGYP1 and PGYP1.tet). We thank Adam F. Lindstrom for statistical advice. We thank Dr. Dong-Hwan Choe for helpful comments on the paper. This research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health [AI-067434] and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation [#44190]. The information reported in this paper (No. 17-08-009) is part of a project of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and is published with the approval of the Director.

Funders	Funder number
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases	R01AI067434
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation	44190, 17-08-009
Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station

Keywords

Dengue
Fitness cost
Larval competition
Population biology
Population replacement
Population suppression

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Parasitology
Infectious Diseases

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.05.015

Cite this

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title = "Life-shortening Wolbachia infection reduces population growth of Aedes aegypti",

abstract = "Wolbachia bacteria are being introduced into natural populations of vector mosquitoes, with the goal of reducing the transmission of human diseases such as Zika and dengue fever. The successful establishment of Wolbachia infection is largely dependent on the effects of Wolbachia infection to host fitness, but the effects of Wolbachia infection on the individual life-history traits of immature mosquitoes can vary. Here, the effects of life-shortening Wolbachia (wMelPop) on population growth of infected individuals were evaluated by measuring larval survival, developmental time and adult size of Aedes aegypti in intra- (infected or uninfected only) and inter-group (mixed with infected and uninfected) larval competition assays. At low larval density conditions, the population growth of wMelPop infected and uninfected individuals was similar. At high larval densities, wMelPop infected individuals had a significantly reduced population growth rate relative to uninfected individuals, regardless of competition type. We discuss the results in relation to the invasion of the wMelPop Wolbachia infection into naturally uninfected populations.",

keywords = "Dengue, Fitness cost, Larval competition, Population biology, Population replacement, Population suppression",

author = "Eunho Suh and Mercer, \{David R.\} and Dobson, \{Stephen L.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2017",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.05.015",

language = "English",

volume = "172",

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AU - Mercer, David R.

AU - Dobson, Stephen L.

PY - 2017/8

Y1 - 2017/8

N2 - Wolbachia bacteria are being introduced into natural populations of vector mosquitoes, with the goal of reducing the transmission of human diseases such as Zika and dengue fever. The successful establishment of Wolbachia infection is largely dependent on the effects of Wolbachia infection to host fitness, but the effects of Wolbachia infection on the individual life-history traits of immature mosquitoes can vary. Here, the effects of life-shortening Wolbachia (wMelPop) on population growth of infected individuals were evaluated by measuring larval survival, developmental time and adult size of Aedes aegypti in intra- (infected or uninfected only) and inter-group (mixed with infected and uninfected) larval competition assays. At low larval density conditions, the population growth of wMelPop infected and uninfected individuals was similar. At high larval densities, wMelPop infected individuals had a significantly reduced population growth rate relative to uninfected individuals, regardless of competition type. We discuss the results in relation to the invasion of the wMelPop Wolbachia infection into naturally uninfected populations.

AB - Wolbachia bacteria are being introduced into natural populations of vector mosquitoes, with the goal of reducing the transmission of human diseases such as Zika and dengue fever. The successful establishment of Wolbachia infection is largely dependent on the effects of Wolbachia infection to host fitness, but the effects of Wolbachia infection on the individual life-history traits of immature mosquitoes can vary. Here, the effects of life-shortening Wolbachia (wMelPop) on population growth of infected individuals were evaluated by measuring larval survival, developmental time and adult size of Aedes aegypti in intra- (infected or uninfected only) and inter-group (mixed with infected and uninfected) larval competition assays. At low larval density conditions, the population growth of wMelPop infected and uninfected individuals was similar. At high larval densities, wMelPop infected individuals had a significantly reduced population growth rate relative to uninfected individuals, regardless of competition type. We discuss the results in relation to the invasion of the wMelPop Wolbachia infection into naturally uninfected populations.

KW - Dengue

KW - Fitness cost

KW - Larval competition

KW - Population biology

KW - Population replacement

KW - Population suppression

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JO - Acta Tropica

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ER -

Life-shortening Wolbachia infection reduces population growth of Aedes aegypti

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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