Midgut microbiota diversity and interactions shift when field Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carry the wMel strain of Wolbachia pipientis.

ABSTRACT: The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in mosquito biology and immunity, but the effects of Wolbachia on microbiota diversity remain unclear. In Brazil, wMel-carrying Aedes aegypti were first deployed in 2015 to replace wild populations and block arbovirus transmission. We analyzed through 16S rRNA amplicon-sequencing (V3-V4 region) the midgut microbiota of field-caught wMel- and wMel + Ae. aegypti from areas of Rio de Janeiro with different wMel invasion status. Overall, wMel+ mosquitoes exhibited reduced bacterial diversity and altered microbiota composition. The interactions between bacterial taxa were also reduced in wMel+ when compared to sympatric wMel- mosquitoes from areas with partial Wolbachia introgression, suggesting a transitional microbial composition, whereas areas with ful

SUBMITTER: Correa-Antonio J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12534505 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature