RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Genomic and phenotypic comparisons reveal distinct variants of <em>Wolbachia</em> strain <em>w</em>AlbB
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.02.25.482065
DO 10.1101/2022.02.25.482065
A1 Julien Martinez
A1 Perran A. Ross
A1 Xinyue Gu
A1 Thomas H. Ant
A1 Shivan M. Murdochy
A1 Lily Tong
A1 Ana da Silva Filipe
A1 Ary A. Hoffmann
A1 Steven P. Sinkins
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/02/26/2022.02.25.482065.abstract
AB The intracellular bacterium Wolbachia inhibits virus replication and is being harnessed around the world to fight mosquito-borne diseases through releases of mosquitoes carrying the symbiont. Wolbachia strains vary in their ability to invade mosquito populations and suppress viruses in part due to differences in their density within the insect and associated fitness costs. Using whole-genome sequencing, we demonstrate the existence of two variants in wAlbB, a Wolbachia strain being released in natural populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The two variants display striking differences in genome architecture and gene content. Differences in the presence/absence of 49 genes between variants include genes located in prophage regions and others potentially involved in controlling the symbiont’s density. Importantly, we show that these genetic differences correlate with variation in wAlbB density and its tolerance to heat stress, suggesting that different wAlbB variants may be better suited for field deployment depending on local environmental conditions. Finally, we found that the wAlbB genome remained stable following its introduction in a Malaysian mosquito population. Our results highlight the need for further genomic and phenotypic characterization of Wolbachia strains in order to inform ongoing Wolbachia-based programmes and improve the selection of optimal strains in future field interventions.Importance Dengue is a viral disease transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes that threatens around half of the world population. Recent advances in dengue control involve the introduction of Wolbachia bacterial symbionts with antiviral properties into mosquito populations which can lead to dramatic decreases in the incidence of the disease. In light of these promising results, there is a crucial need to better understand the factors affecting the success of such strategies, in particular the choice of Wolbachia strain for field releases and the potential for evolutionary changes. Here we characterized two variants of a Wolbachia strain used for dengue control that differ at the genomic level and in their ability to replicate within the mosquito. We also found no evidence for the evolution of the symbiont within the two years following its deployment in Malaysia. Our results have implications for current and future Wolbachia-based health interventions.