title: Harnessing mosquito-Wolbachia symbiosis for vector and disease control.
abstract: Mosquito species, members of the genera Aedes, Anopheles and Culex, are the major vectors of human pathogens including protozoa (Plasmodium sp.), filariae and of a variety of viruses (causing dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, West Nile). There is lack of efficient methods and tools to treat many of the diseases caused by these major human pathogens, since no efficient vaccines or drugs are available; even in malaria where insecticide use and drug therapies have reduced incidence, 219 million cases still occurred in 2010. Therefore efforts are currently focused on the control of vector populations. Insecticides alone are insufficient to control mosquito populations since reduced susceptibility and even resistance is being observed more and more frequently. There is also increased concern about the toxic effects of insecticides on non-target (even beneficial) insect populations, on humans and the environment. During recent years, the role of symbionts in the biology, ecology and evolution of insect species has been well-documented and has led to suggestions that they could potentially be used as tools to control pests and therefore diseases. Wolbachia is perhaps the most renowned insect symbiont, mainly due to its ability to manipulate insect reproduction and to interfere with major human pathogens thus providing new avenues for pest control. We herein present recent achievements in the field of mosquito-Wolbachia symbiosis with an emphasis on Aedes albopictus. We also discuss how Wolbachia symbiosis can be harnessed for vector control as well as the potential to combine the sterile insect technique and Wolbachia-based approaches for the enhancement of population suppression programs.
authors.affiliation: Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Wagrammerstrasse 5, Vienna 1220, Austria. Electronic address: K.Bourtzis@iaea.org.
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bourtzis
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. Electronic address: sdobson@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. Electronic address: xizy@msu.edu.
authors.forename: Zhiyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. Electronic address: jlr54@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Jason L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rasgon
authors.affiliation: UTAGRI-ECO, CR ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Rome, Italy. Electronic address: maurizio.calvitti@enea.it.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calvitti
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ Minas, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto, CEP 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: luciano@cpqrr.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Luciano A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Unit of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institut Louis Malardé, Tahiti, BP 30-98713 Papeete, French Polynesia. Electronic address: hbossin@ilm.pf.
authors.forename: Hervé C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Bossin
authors.affiliation: UTAGRI-ECO, CR ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development), Rome, Italy. Electronic address: riccardo.moretti@enea.it.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Malária, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ Minas, Avenida Augusto de Lima, 1715, Barro Preto, CEP 30190-002 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address: luke.baton@cpqrr.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Luke Anthony
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Baton
authors.affiliation: The Department of Entomology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. Electronic address: glh20@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Grant L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: Université de Lyon, UMR 5557 CNRS, USC INRA 1364, VetAgro Sup, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France. Electronic address: patrick.mavingui@univ-lyon1.fr.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mavingui
authors.affiliation: Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Programme of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Wagrammerstrasse 5, Vienna 1220, Austria. Electronic address: J.Gilles@iaea.org.
authors.forename: Jeremie R L
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gilles
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D007303:Insect Vectors; D009032:Mosquito Control / Q000379:methods*; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D013559:Symbiosis; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Aedes albopictus; Mosquitoes; Sterile insect technique; Vector control; Wolbachia