Larval Diet Abundance Influences Size and Composition of the Midgut Microbiota of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes

The midgut microbiota of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti impacts pathogen susceptibility and transmission by this important vector species. However, factors influencing the composition and size of the microbiome in mosquitoes are poorly understood. We investigated the impact of larval diet a...

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Main Authors: Hannah J. MacLeod, George Dimopoulos, Sarah M. Short
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.645362/full
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author Hannah J. MacLeod
George Dimopoulos
Sarah M. Short
author_facet Hannah J. MacLeod
George Dimopoulos
Sarah M. Short
author_sort Hannah J. MacLeod
collection DOAJ
description The midgut microbiota of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti impacts pathogen susceptibility and transmission by this important vector species. However, factors influencing the composition and size of the microbiome in mosquitoes are poorly understood. We investigated the impact of larval diet abundance during development on the composition and size of the larval and adult microbiota by rearing Aedes aegypti under four larval food regimens, ranging from nutrient deprivation to nutrient excess. We assessed the persistent impacts of larval diet availability on the microbiota of the larval breeding water, larval mosquitoes, and adult mosquitoes under sugar and blood fed conditions using qPCR and high-throughput 16S amplicon sequencing to determine bacterial load and microbiota composition. Bacterial loads in breeding water increased with increasing larval diet. Larvae reared with the lowest diet abundance had significantly fewer bacteria than larvae from two higher diet treatments, but not from the highest diet abundance. Adults from the lowest diet abundance treatment had significantly fewer bacteria in their midguts compared to all higher diet abundance treatments. Larval diet amount also had a significant impact on microbiota composition, primarily within larval breeding water and larvae. Increasing diet correlated with increased relative levels of Enterobacteriaceae and Flavobacteriaceae and decreased relative levels of Sphingomonadaceae. Multiple individual OTUs were significantly impacted by diet including one mapping to the genus Cedecea, which increased with higher diet amounts. This was consistent across all sample types, including sugar fed and blood fed adults. Taken together, these data suggest that availability of diet during development can cause lasting shifts in the size and composition of the microbiota in the disease vector Aedes aegypti.
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spelling doaj.art-1c0a2fa7e79746659ffa76ea4c7c7a462022-12-21T18:58:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2021-06-011210.3389/fmicb.2021.645362645362Larval Diet Abundance Influences Size and Composition of the Midgut Microbiota of Aedes aegypti MosquitoesHannah J. MacLeodGeorge DimopoulosSarah M. ShortThe midgut microbiota of the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti impacts pathogen susceptibility and transmission by this important vector species. However, factors influencing the composition and size of the microbiome in mosquitoes are poorly understood. We investigated the impact of larval diet abundance during development on the composition and size of the larval and adult microbiota by rearing Aedes aegypti under four larval food regimens, ranging from nutrient deprivation to nutrient excess. We assessed the persistent impacts of larval diet availability on the microbiota of the larval breeding water, larval mosquitoes, and adult mosquitoes under sugar and blood fed conditions using qPCR and high-throughput 16S amplicon sequencing to determine bacterial load and microbiota composition. Bacterial loads in breeding water increased with increasing larval diet. Larvae reared with the lowest diet abundance had significantly fewer bacteria than larvae from two higher diet treatments, but not from the highest diet abundance. Adults from the lowest diet abundance treatment had significantly fewer bacteria in their midguts compared to all higher diet abundance treatments. Larval diet amount also had a significant impact on microbiota composition, primarily within larval breeding water and larvae. Increasing diet correlated with increased relative levels of Enterobacteriaceae and Flavobacteriaceae and decreased relative levels of Sphingomonadaceae. Multiple individual OTUs were significantly impacted by diet including one mapping to the genus Cedecea, which increased with higher diet amounts. This was consistent across all sample types, including sugar fed and blood fed adults. Taken together, these data suggest that availability of diet during development can cause lasting shifts in the size and composition of the microbiota in the disease vector Aedes aegypti.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.645362/fullAedes aegyptimicrobiotadietnutritionmicrobemosquito
spellingShingle Hannah J. MacLeod
George Dimopoulos
Sarah M. Short
Larval Diet Abundance Influences Size and Composition of the Midgut Microbiota of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
Frontiers in Microbiology
Aedes aegypti
microbiota
diet
nutrition
microbe
mosquito
title Larval Diet Abundance Influences Size and Composition of the Midgut Microbiota of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
title_full Larval Diet Abundance Influences Size and Composition of the Midgut Microbiota of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
title_fullStr Larval Diet Abundance Influences Size and Composition of the Midgut Microbiota of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
title_full_unstemmed Larval Diet Abundance Influences Size and Composition of the Midgut Microbiota of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
title_short Larval Diet Abundance Influences Size and Composition of the Midgut Microbiota of Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
title_sort larval diet abundance influences size and composition of the midgut microbiota of aedes aegypti mosquitoes
topic Aedes aegypti
microbiota
diet
nutrition
microbe
mosquito
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.645362/full
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