Identification and characterization of a mosquito-specific eggshell organizing factor in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Autor: Lauren E. Koch, Roger L. Miesfeld, Brooke Beam Massani, Heidi E. Brown, Yurika E. Isoe, Alberto A. Rascón, Jun Isoe
Rok vydání: 2019
Předmět:
Physiology
Oviposition
Disease Vectors
Mosquitoes
Biochemistry
Genome
Epithelium
RNA interference
Aedes
Reproductive Physiology
Animal Cells
Medicine and Health Sciences
Biology (General)
Eggshell
Genetics
Larva
General Neuroscience
Eukaryota
Body Fluids
Insects
Ovaries
Nucleic acids
RNA silencing
Infectious Diseases
Blood
Genetic interference
Epigenetics
Anatomy
Cellular Types
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Research Article
Arthropoda
QH301-705.5
Mosquito Vectors
Double stranded RNA
Aedes aegypti
Aedes Aegypti
Biology
General Biochemistry
Genetics and Molecular Biology
Animal Shells
parasitic diseases
Animals
Gene
Ovum
General Immunology and Microbiology
fungi
Organisms
Reproductive System
Computational Biology
Biology and Life Sciences
RNA
Epithelial Cells
Cell Biology
biology.organism_classification
Invertebrates
Insect Vectors
Species Interactions
Culicidae
Biological Tissue
Gene expression
Zdroj: PLoS Biology
PLoS Biology, Vol 17, Iss 1, p e3000068 (2019)
ISSN: 1545-7885
Popis: Mosquito-borne diseases are responsible for several million human deaths annually around the world. One approach to controlling mosquito populations is to disrupt molecular processes or antagonize novel metabolic targets required for the production of viable eggs. To this end, we focused our efforts on identifying proteins required for completion of embryonic development that are mosquito selective and represent potential targets for vector control. We performed bioinformatic analyses to identify putative protein-coding sequences that are specific to mosquito genomes. Systematic RNA interference (RNAi) screening of 40 mosquito-specific genes was performed by injecting double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This experimental approach led to the identification of eggshell organizing factor 1 (EOF1, AAEL012336), which plays an essential role in the formation and melanization of the eggshell. Eggs deposited by EOF1-deficient mosquitoes have nonmelanized fragile eggshells, and all embryos are nonviable. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis identified that exochorionic eggshell structures are strongly affected in EOF1-deficient mosquitoes. EOF1 is a potential novel target, to our knowledge, for exploring the identification and development of mosquito-selective and biosafe small-molecule inhibitors.
An RNAi functional screen of 40 Aedes aegypti genes specific to the mosquito lineage helped to identify EOF1, a protein that plays an essential role in mosquito eggshell formation and melanization.
Author summary Mosquito-borne pathogens infect millions of people worldwide, and the rise in insecticide resistance is exacerbating this problem. A new generation of environmentally safe insecticides will be essential to control insecticide-resistant mosquitoes. One potential route to such novel insecticide targets is the identification of proteins specifically needed for mosquito reproduction. Female mosquitoes feed on blood to produce eggs, which are covered with an eggshell; using RNA interference screening of mosquito-specific genes in Aedes aegypti (the mosquito that transmits yellow fever), we identified the eggshell organizing factor 1 (EOF1) protein that plays an essential role in eggshell melanization and embryonic development. Nearly 100% of eggs laid by EOF1-deficient females had a defective eggshell and were not viable. Bleach assays on eggs further confirmed that mosquito-specific EOF1 is required for embryonic development in A. aegypti. Additional experiments revealed that EOF1 also plays an essential role in eggshell formation in Aedes albopictus (the tiger mosquito, a carrier of Zika virus and dengue fever). We hypothesize that EOF1 has evolved within the Culicidae family to effect eggshell formation and therefore maximize egg survival. The results provide new insights, to our knowledge, into mosquito egg maturation and eggshell synthesis and could lead to key advances in the field of mosquito vector control.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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