Mosquito vector competence for dengue is modulated by insect-specific viruses.
Roenick Proveti OlmoYaovi M H TodjroEric Roberto Guimarães Rocha AguiarJoão Paulo Pereira de AlmeidaFlávia V FerreiraJuliana N ArmacheIsaque João da Silva de FariaAlvaro G A FerreiraSiad C G AmadouAna Teresa S SilvaKátia P R de SouzaAna Paula P VilelaAntinea BabaritCheong Huat TanMawlouth DialloAlioune GayeChristophe PaupyJudicaël Obame-NkogheTessa M VisserConstantianus J M KoenraadtMerril A WongsokarijoAna Luiza C CruzMariliza T PrietoMaisa C P ParraMauricio Lacerda NogueiraVivian Avelino-SilvaRenato N MotaMagno A Z BorgesBetânia P DrumondErna G KroonMario ReckerLuigi SeddaEric MaroisJean-Luc ImlerJoão Trindade MarquesPublished in: Nature microbiology (2023)
Aedes aegypti and A. albopictus mosquitoes are the main vectors for dengue virus (DENV) and other arboviruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV). Understanding the factors that affect transmission of arboviruses from mosquitoes to humans is a priority because it could inform public health and targeted interventions. Reasoning that interactions among viruses in the vector insect might affect transmission, we analysed the viromes of 815 urban Aedes mosquitoes collected from 12 countries worldwide. Two mosquito-specific viruses, Phasi Charoen-like virus (PCLV) and Humaita Tubiacanga virus (HTV), were the most abundant in A. aegypti worldwide. Spatiotemporal analyses of virus circulation in an endemic urban area revealed a 200% increase in chances of having DENV in wild A. aegypti mosquitoes when both HTV and PCLV were present. Using a mouse model in the laboratory, we showed that the presence of HTV and PCLV increased the ability of mosquitoes to transmit DENV and ZIKV to a vertebrate host. By transcriptomic analysis, we found that in DENV-infected mosquitoes, HTV and PCLV block the downregulation of histone H4, which we identify as an important proviral host factor in vivo.