The function of mitochondrial regulator LRPPRC in Aedes aegypti and its potential for mosquito control

The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, affects the health of millions of people by transmitting arboviruses that cause multiple diseases. Since mosquitoes can only transmit viruses in the adult stage through bites, preventing adult emergence by derailing larval development is a promising approach for preventing the transmission of pathogens that cause diseases. Here, we investigate the function of a mitochondrial regulator LRPPRC (leucine‐rich pentatricopeptide repeat containing) in Ae. aegypti and evaluated its potential for mosquito control. The CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing-induced knockout of LRPPRC caused a decrease in larval body size, extended the developmental time of larvae, and increased mortality during the larval and pupal stages. Further studies revealed that LRPPRC is critical to maintaining mitochondrial mRNA poly(A) length and abundance. Behavior and RT-qPCR assays revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction does not affect foraging behavior but disturbs energy hemostasis. Using nanoformulated dsRNA, we show the potential of targeting genes coding for mitochondrial proteins for disease vector control. These findings help advance the understanding of the regulation of mitochondrial function in Ae. aegypti and identify new target genes for mosquito control.