Mosquito-Bacteria Symbiosis: The Case of Anopheles gambiae and Asaia

Claudia Damiani; Irene Ricci; Elena Crotti; Paolo Rossi; Aurora Rizzi; Patrizia Scuppa; Aida Capone; Ulisse Ulissi; Sara Epis; Marco Genchi; N'Fale Sagnon; Ingrid Faye; Angray Kang; Bessem Chouaia; Cheryl Whitehorn; Guelbeogo W. Moussa; Mauro Mandrioli; Fulvio Esposito; Luciano Sacchi; Claudio Bandi; Daniele Daffonchio; Guido Favia

doi:10.1007/s00248-010-9704-8

Mosquito-Bacteria Symbiosis: The Case of Anopheles gambiae and Asaia

Claudia Damiani, Irene Ricci, Elena Crotti, Paolo Rossi, Aurora Rizzi, Patrizia Scuppa, Aida Capone, Ulisse Ulissi, Sara Epis, Marco Genchi, N'Fale Sagnon, Ingrid Faye, Angray Kang, Bessem Chouaia, Cheryl Whitehorn, Guelbeogo W. Moussa, Mauro Mandrioli, Fulvio Esposito, Luciano Sacchi, Claudio BandiDaniele Daffonchio, Guido Favia^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

122 Scopus citations

Abstract

The symbiotic relationship between Asaia, an α-proteobacterium belonging to the family Acetobacteriaceae, and mosquitoes has been studied mainly in the Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Thus, we have investigated the nature of the association between Asaia and the major Afro-tropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. We have isolated Asaia from different wild and laboratory reared colonies of A. gambiae, and it was detected by PCR in all the developmental stages of the mosquito and in all the specimens analyzed. Additionally, we have shown that it localizes in the midgut, salivary glands and reproductive organs. Using recombinant strains of Asaia expressing fluorescent proteins, we have demonstrated the ability of the bacterium to colonize A. gambiae mosquitoes with a pattern similar to that described for A. stephensi. Finally, fluorescent in situ hybridization on the reproductive tract of females of A. gambiae showed a concentration of Asaia at the very periphery of the eggs, suggesting that transmission of Asaia from mother to offspring is likely mediated by a mechanism of egg-smearing. We suggest that Asaia has potential for use in the paratransgenic control of malaria transmitted by A. gambiae.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	644-654
Number of pages	11
Journal	Microbial ecology
Volume	60
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-010-9704-8
State	Published - 2010
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
I.R. was funded by “Compagnia di San Paolo” in the context of the Italian Malaria Network.

Funding Information:
E.C. and P.R. benefited of travel grant from the COST Action FA0701 and support from the Swedish Research Council to I.F. and A.K.

Funding Information:
The project was supported by the Firb-Ideas (grant RBID082MLZ) and Prin 2007 (grant 2007PK2HB7_002), both from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR), and by the EU-FP7 Capacities-Infrastructure 2008 (grant 228421) to G.F.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Ecology
Soil Science

UN SDGs

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

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10.1007/s00248-010-9704-8

Cite this

Damiani, C., Ricci, I., Crotti, E., Rossi, P., Rizzi, A., Scuppa, P., Capone, A., Ulissi, U., Epis, S., Genchi, M., Sagnon, NF., Faye, I., Kang, A., Chouaia, B., Whitehorn, C., Moussa, G. W., Mandrioli, M., Esposito, F., Sacchi, L., ... Favia, G. (2010). Mosquito-Bacteria Symbiosis: The Case of Anopheles gambiae and Asaia. Microbial ecology, 60(3), 644-654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-010-9704-8

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title = "Mosquito-Bacteria Symbiosis: The Case of Anopheles gambiae and Asaia",

abstract = "The symbiotic relationship between Asaia, an α-proteobacterium belonging to the family Acetobacteriaceae, and mosquitoes has been studied mainly in the Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Thus, we have investigated the nature of the association between Asaia and the major Afro-tropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. We have isolated Asaia from different wild and laboratory reared colonies of A. gambiae, and it was detected by PCR in all the developmental stages of the mosquito and in all the specimens analyzed. Additionally, we have shown that it localizes in the midgut, salivary glands and reproductive organs. Using recombinant strains of Asaia expressing fluorescent proteins, we have demonstrated the ability of the bacterium to colonize A. gambiae mosquitoes with a pattern similar to that described for A. stephensi. Finally, fluorescent in situ hybridization on the reproductive tract of females of A. gambiae showed a concentration of Asaia at the very periphery of the eggs, suggesting that transmission of Asaia from mother to offspring is likely mediated by a mechanism of egg-smearing. We suggest that Asaia has potential for use in the paratransgenic control of malaria transmitted by A. gambiae.",

author = "Claudia Damiani and Irene Ricci and Elena Crotti and Paolo Rossi and Aurora Rizzi and Patrizia Scuppa and Aida Capone and Ulisse Ulissi and Sara Epis and Marco Genchi and N'Fale Sagnon and Ingrid Faye and Angray Kang and Bessem Chouaia and Cheryl Whitehorn and Moussa, {Guelbeogo W.} and Mauro Mandrioli and Fulvio Esposito and Luciano Sacchi and Claudio Bandi and Daniele Daffonchio and Guido Favia",

note = "Funding Information: I.R. was funded by “Compagnia di San Paolo” in the context of the Italian Malaria Network. Funding Information: E.C. and P.R. benefited of travel grant from the COST Action FA0701 and support from the Swedish Research Council to I.F. and A.K. Funding Information: The project was supported by the Firb-Ideas (grant RBID082MLZ) and Prin 2007 (grant 2007PK2HB7_002), both from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR), and by the EU-FP7 Capacities-Infrastructure 2008 (grant 228421) to G.F. ",

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doi = "10.1007/s00248-010-9704-8",

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Damiani, C, Ricci, I, Crotti, E, Rossi, P, Rizzi, A, Scuppa, P, Capone, A, Ulissi, U, Epis, S, Genchi, M, Sagnon, NF, Faye, I, Kang, A, Chouaia, B, Whitehorn, C, Moussa, GW, Mandrioli, M, Esposito, F, Sacchi, L, Bandi, C, Daffonchio, D & Favia, G 2010, 'Mosquito-Bacteria Symbiosis: The Case of Anopheles gambiae and Asaia', Microbial ecology, vol. 60, no. 3, pp. 644-654. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-010-9704-8

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AU - Damiani, Claudia

AU - Ricci, Irene

AU - Crotti, Elena

AU - Rossi, Paolo

AU - Rizzi, Aurora

AU - Scuppa, Patrizia

AU - Capone, Aida

AU - Ulissi, Ulisse

AU - Epis, Sara

AU - Genchi, Marco

AU - Sagnon, N'Fale

AU - Faye, Ingrid

AU - Kang, Angray

AU - Chouaia, Bessem

AU - Whitehorn, Cheryl

AU - Moussa, Guelbeogo W.

AU - Mandrioli, Mauro

AU - Esposito, Fulvio

AU - Sacchi, Luciano

AU - Bandi, Claudio

AU - Daffonchio, Daniele

AU - Favia, Guido

N1 - Funding Information: I.R. was funded by “Compagnia di San Paolo” in the context of the Italian Malaria Network. Funding Information: E.C. and P.R. benefited of travel grant from the COST Action FA0701 and support from the Swedish Research Council to I.F. and A.K. Funding Information: The project was supported by the Firb-Ideas (grant RBID082MLZ) and Prin 2007 (grant 2007PK2HB7_002), both from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR), and by the EU-FP7 Capacities-Infrastructure 2008 (grant 228421) to G.F.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - The symbiotic relationship between Asaia, an α-proteobacterium belonging to the family Acetobacteriaceae, and mosquitoes has been studied mainly in the Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi. Thus, we have investigated the nature of the association between Asaia and the major Afro-tropical malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. We have isolated Asaia from different wild and laboratory reared colonies of A. gambiae, and it was detected by PCR in all the developmental stages of the mosquito and in all the specimens analyzed. Additionally, we have shown that it localizes in the midgut, salivary glands and reproductive organs. Using recombinant strains of Asaia expressing fluorescent proteins, we have demonstrated the ability of the bacterium to colonize A. gambiae mosquitoes with a pattern similar to that described for A. stephensi. Finally, fluorescent in situ hybridization on the reproductive tract of females of A. gambiae showed a concentration of Asaia at the very periphery of the eggs, suggesting that transmission of Asaia from mother to offspring is likely mediated by a mechanism of egg-smearing. We suggest that Asaia has potential for use in the paratransgenic control of malaria transmitted by A. gambiae.

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Mosquito-Bacteria Symbiosis: The Case of Anopheles gambiae and Asaia

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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