The Symbiotic Bacterial Profile of Laboratory-Reared and Field-Caught <i>Aedes albopictus</i> Mosquitoes from Greece
The Asian tiger mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> is a highly invasive species capable of transmitting human pathogens. For population management, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is considered an effective and sustainable alternative to conventional methods, such as insecticides and re...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Elias Asimakis Ioannis Galiatsatos Georgia Apostolopoulou Eleni C. Savvidou Georgios Balatsos Vasileios Karras Vasiliki Evangelou Eva Dionyssopoulou Antonios Augustinos Nikos T. Papadopoulos Antonios Michaelakis Panagiota Stathopoulou George Tsiamis |
| author_facet | Elias Asimakis Ioannis Galiatsatos Georgia Apostolopoulou Eleni C. Savvidou Georgios Balatsos Vasileios Karras Vasiliki Evangelou Eva Dionyssopoulou Antonios Augustinos Nikos T. Papadopoulos Antonios Michaelakis Panagiota Stathopoulou George Tsiamis |
| author_sort | Elias Asimakis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Asian tiger mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> is a highly invasive species capable of transmitting human pathogens. For population management, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is considered an effective and sustainable alternative to conventional methods, such as insecticides and reducing or eliminating breeding sites. The use of symbiotic bacteria to improve the application of SIT or design combined SIT/incompatible insect technique (IIT) approaches is currently considered. In this context, exploring the microbiota of local mosquito populations is crucial for identifying interesting components. This study employed 16S rRNA sequencing and microbiological methods to characterize the diversity of laboratory and wild <i>Ae. albopictus</i> in Greece. Differences were recorded between wild and lab-reared mosquitoes, with laboratory samples exhibiting higher diversity. Laboratory treatment, sex, and developmental stage also resulted in variations between communities. Populations reared in the same facility developed mostly similar bacterial profiles. Two geographically distant wild populations displayed similar bacterial profiles, characterized by seasonal changes in the relative abundance of <i>Pantoea</i> and <i>Zymobacter</i>. <i>Wolbachia</i> was dominant in most groups (63.7% relative abundance), especially in field-caught mosquitoes. It was identified with two strains, <i>w</i>AlbA (21.5%) and <i>w</i>AlbB (42.2%). Other frequent taxa included <i>Elizabethkingia</i>, <i>Asaia</i>, and <i>Serratia</i>. Blood feeding favored an increase in <i>Serratia</i> abundance. Various <i>Enterobacter</i>, <i>Klebsiella</i>, <i>Aeromonas</i>, and <i>Acinetobacter</i> strains were isolated from larval and adult mosquito extracts and could be further characterized as diet supplements. These findings suggest that the microbiota of local populations is highly variable due to multiple factors. However, they retain core elements shared across populations that may exhibit valuable nutritional or functional roles and could be exploited to improve SIT processes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dbd3f6076cfc47778d94b84bdf4e2b97 |
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| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-dbd3f6076cfc47778d94b84bdf4e2b972025-07-25T13:30:53ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-06-01137148610.3390/microorganisms13071486The Symbiotic Bacterial Profile of Laboratory-Reared and Field-Caught <i>Aedes albopictus</i> Mosquitoes from GreeceElias Asimakis0Ioannis Galiatsatos1Georgia Apostolopoulou2Eleni C. Savvidou3Georgios Balatsos4Vasileios Karras5Vasiliki Evangelou6Eva Dionyssopoulou7Antonios Augustinos8Nikos T. Papadopoulos9Antonios Michaelakis10Panagiota Stathopoulou11George Tsiamis12Laboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 George Seferi St., 30131 Agrinio, GreeceLaboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 George Seferi St., 30131 Agrinio, GreeceLaboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 George Seferi St., 30131 Agrinio, GreeceLaboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou St., 38446 Volos, GreeceScientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Kifissia, GreeceScientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Kifissia, GreeceScientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Kifissia, GreeceLaboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 George Seferi St., 30131 Agrinio, GreeceDepartment of Plant Protection Patras, Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Hellenic Agricultural Organization ‘DIMITRA’, 26442 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou St., 38446 Volos, GreeceScientific Directorate of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Kifissia, GreeceLaboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 George Seferi St., 30131 Agrinio, GreeceLaboratory of Systems Microbiology and Applied Genomics, Department of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Patras, 2 George Seferi St., 30131 Agrinio, GreeceThe Asian tiger mosquito <i>Aedes albopictus</i> is a highly invasive species capable of transmitting human pathogens. For population management, the sterile insect technique (SIT) is considered an effective and sustainable alternative to conventional methods, such as insecticides and reducing or eliminating breeding sites. The use of symbiotic bacteria to improve the application of SIT or design combined SIT/incompatible insect technique (IIT) approaches is currently considered. In this context, exploring the microbiota of local mosquito populations is crucial for identifying interesting components. This study employed 16S rRNA sequencing and microbiological methods to characterize the diversity of laboratory and wild <i>Ae. albopictus</i> in Greece. Differences were recorded between wild and lab-reared mosquitoes, with laboratory samples exhibiting higher diversity. Laboratory treatment, sex, and developmental stage also resulted in variations between communities. Populations reared in the same facility developed mostly similar bacterial profiles. Two geographically distant wild populations displayed similar bacterial profiles, characterized by seasonal changes in the relative abundance of <i>Pantoea</i> and <i>Zymobacter</i>. <i>Wolbachia</i> was dominant in most groups (63.7% relative abundance), especially in field-caught mosquitoes. It was identified with two strains, <i>w</i>AlbA (21.5%) and <i>w</i>AlbB (42.2%). Other frequent taxa included <i>Elizabethkingia</i>, <i>Asaia</i>, and <i>Serratia</i>. Blood feeding favored an increase in <i>Serratia</i> abundance. Various <i>Enterobacter</i>, <i>Klebsiella</i>, <i>Aeromonas</i>, and <i>Acinetobacter</i> strains were isolated from larval and adult mosquito extracts and could be further characterized as diet supplements. These findings suggest that the microbiota of local populations is highly variable due to multiple factors. However, they retain core elements shared across populations that may exhibit valuable nutritional or functional roles and could be exploited to improve SIT processes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/7/1486asian tiger mosquitoSITcombined SIT/IIT approachinsect mass-rearingvector-borne diseaseinsect microbiome |
| spellingShingle | Elias Asimakis Ioannis Galiatsatos Georgia Apostolopoulou Eleni C. Savvidou Georgios Balatsos Vasileios Karras Vasiliki Evangelou Eva Dionyssopoulou Antonios Augustinos Nikos T. Papadopoulos Antonios Michaelakis Panagiota Stathopoulou George Tsiamis The Symbiotic Bacterial Profile of Laboratory-Reared and Field-Caught <i>Aedes albopictus</i> Mosquitoes from Greece Microorganisms asian tiger mosquito SIT combined SIT/IIT approach insect mass-rearing vector-borne disease insect microbiome |
| title | The Symbiotic Bacterial Profile of Laboratory-Reared and Field-Caught <i>Aedes albopictus</i> Mosquitoes from Greece |
| title_full | The Symbiotic Bacterial Profile of Laboratory-Reared and Field-Caught <i>Aedes albopictus</i> Mosquitoes from Greece |
| title_fullStr | The Symbiotic Bacterial Profile of Laboratory-Reared and Field-Caught <i>Aedes albopictus</i> Mosquitoes from Greece |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Symbiotic Bacterial Profile of Laboratory-Reared and Field-Caught <i>Aedes albopictus</i> Mosquitoes from Greece |
| title_short | The Symbiotic Bacterial Profile of Laboratory-Reared and Field-Caught <i>Aedes albopictus</i> Mosquitoes from Greece |
| title_sort | symbiotic bacterial profile of laboratory reared and field caught i aedes albopictus i mosquitoes from greece |
| topic | asian tiger mosquito SIT combined SIT/IIT approach insect mass-rearing vector-borne disease insect microbiome |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/7/1486 |
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