Risk assessment of an Aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoes
Abstract Background Mosquitoes are efficient vectors of medically significant flaviviruses and serve as hosts for insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs). Aedes flavivirus (AEFV) is a classical ISF. Given the increasing discovery of ISFs, it is urgent to evaluate the potential risk of ISFs to human heal...
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BMC
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06711-4 |
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| author | Yumei Fu Wan Zhao Shaohui Wu Jinqian Li Qing Liu Feng Jiang Hong Lu Le Kang Qianfeng Xia Feng Cui |
| author_facet | Yumei Fu Wan Zhao Shaohui Wu Jinqian Li Qing Liu Feng Jiang Hong Lu Le Kang Qianfeng Xia Feng Cui |
| author_sort | Yumei Fu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Mosquitoes are efficient vectors of medically significant flaviviruses and serve as hosts for insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs). Aedes flavivirus (AEFV) is a classical ISF. Given the increasing discovery of ISFs, it is urgent to evaluate the potential risk of ISFs to human health as well as their impact on the transmission of pathogenic flaviviruses. Methods We isolated a strain of AEFV from wild Aedes albopictus populations in Hainan Province, China, using iodixanol density-gradient ultracentrifugation. The infection of the AEFV Hainan strain in Aedes, Culex, and four mammalian cell lines was investigated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays, and relative and absolute quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Whether AEFV alters the vector competence of Ae. albopictus for pathogenic arboviruses and the underlying immune mechanisms were explored. Results The AEFV Hainan strain showed close genetic similarity to strains from Yunnan province of China, Thailand, and Peru. This strain was capable of infecting Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti but not Culex quinquefasciatus. Cell entry was the critical barrier for AEFV infection in Cx. quinquefasciatus cells. The infection risk of the AEFV Hainan strain in four mammalian cells (BHK-21, Vero, 293 T, and HeLa) was quite low due to the failure of cell entry or extremely limited replication. Prior infection of AEFV was detrimental to the replication of Zika virus and dengue virus serotype 2 in Ae. albopictus through activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription, Toll, or RNA interference pathway. Conclusions Our work excludes the risk of the AEFV Hainan strain to human health and highlights its potential as an immune inducer to sabotage Aedes mosquito ability for viral transmission. Graphical Abstract |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7e2ce5370fc4c6aa3b62da06f9389a7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj-art-b7e2ce5370fc4c6aa3b62da06f9389a72025-08-20T01:57:44ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052025-03-0118111410.1186/s13071-025-06711-4Risk assessment of an Aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoesYumei Fu0Wan Zhao1Shaohui Wu2Jinqian Li3Qing Liu4Feng Jiang5Hong Lu6Le Kang7Qianfeng Xia8Feng Cui9State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesNHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesNHC Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, School of Tropical Medicine, Hainan Medical UniversityState Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Background Mosquitoes are efficient vectors of medically significant flaviviruses and serve as hosts for insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs). Aedes flavivirus (AEFV) is a classical ISF. Given the increasing discovery of ISFs, it is urgent to evaluate the potential risk of ISFs to human health as well as their impact on the transmission of pathogenic flaviviruses. Methods We isolated a strain of AEFV from wild Aedes albopictus populations in Hainan Province, China, using iodixanol density-gradient ultracentrifugation. The infection of the AEFV Hainan strain in Aedes, Culex, and four mammalian cell lines was investigated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays, and relative and absolute quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Whether AEFV alters the vector competence of Ae. albopictus for pathogenic arboviruses and the underlying immune mechanisms were explored. Results The AEFV Hainan strain showed close genetic similarity to strains from Yunnan province of China, Thailand, and Peru. This strain was capable of infecting Ae. albopictus and Ae. aegypti but not Culex quinquefasciatus. Cell entry was the critical barrier for AEFV infection in Cx. quinquefasciatus cells. The infection risk of the AEFV Hainan strain in four mammalian cells (BHK-21, Vero, 293 T, and HeLa) was quite low due to the failure of cell entry or extremely limited replication. Prior infection of AEFV was detrimental to the replication of Zika virus and dengue virus serotype 2 in Ae. albopictus through activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription, Toll, or RNA interference pathway. Conclusions Our work excludes the risk of the AEFV Hainan strain to human health and highlights its potential as an immune inducer to sabotage Aedes mosquito ability for viral transmission. Graphical Abstracthttps://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06711-4Insect-specific flavivirusAedes flavivirusAedes albopictusAedes aegyptiCulex quinquefasciatusMammalian cells |
| spellingShingle | Yumei Fu Wan Zhao Shaohui Wu Jinqian Li Qing Liu Feng Jiang Hong Lu Le Kang Qianfeng Xia Feng Cui Risk assessment of an Aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoes Parasites & Vectors Insect-specific flavivirus Aedes flavivirus Aedes albopictus Aedes aegypti Culex quinquefasciatus Mammalian cells |
| title | Risk assessment of an Aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoes |
| title_full | Risk assessment of an Aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoes |
| title_fullStr | Risk assessment of an Aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risk assessment of an Aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoes |
| title_short | Risk assessment of an Aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoes |
| title_sort | risk assessment of an aedes flavivirus and its effect on pathogenic flavivirus replication in mosquitoes |
| topic | Insect-specific flavivirus Aedes flavivirus Aedes albopictus Aedes aegypti Culex quinquefasciatus Mammalian cells |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06711-4 |
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