title: The influence of larval competition on Brazilian Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
abstract: With field releases starting in Brazil, particular interest must be given to understanding how the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis affects Aedes aegypti mosquitoes with a Brazilian genetic background. Currently, there is limited information on how the bacterium affects phenotypic traits such as larval development rate, metabolic reserves and morphometric parameters in Ae. aegypti. Here, we analyze for the first time, the effect of Wolbachia on these key phenotypes and consider how this might impact the potential of the bacterium as a disease control agent in Brazil.
  
  
  
  We examined the influence of the wMel strain of Wolbachia in laboratory Ae. aegypti with a Brazilian genetic background, reared under different larval densities. Pupae formation was counted daily to assess differences in development rates. Levels of metabolic reserves and morphometric parameters were assessed in adults resulting from each larval condition.
  
  
  
  wMel infection led to more rapid larval development at higher densities for both males and females, with no effect under less crowded conditions in females. Infection also led to reduced body size at both high and low density, but not at intermediate density, although the scale of this difference was maintained regardless of larval density, in comparison to uninfected individuals. Wing shape also varied significantly between infected and uninfected mosquitoes due to larval density. Glycogen levels in uninfected mosquitoes decreased under higher larval density, but were consistently high with Wolbachia infection, regardless of larval density.
  
  
  
  We demonstrate that the wMel Wolbachia strain can positively influence some important host fitness traits, and that this interaction is directly linked to the conditions in which the host is reared. Combined with previously published data, these results suggest that this Wolbachia strain could be successfully used as part of the Eliminate Dengue Program in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno-Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Heverton Leandro Carneiro
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lopes da Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos e Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: da Rocha Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Laboratório de Química e Função de Proteínas e Peptídeos e Unidade de Experimentação Animal - RJ, UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Logullo
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Transmissores de Hematozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maciel-de-Freitas
authors.affiliation: Mosquitos Vetores: Endossimbiontes e Interação Patógeno-Vetor, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou - Fiocruz, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. luciano@cpqrr.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Luciano Andrade
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D001938:Brazil; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D003715:Dengue / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods; D010641:Phenotype; D011156:Population Density; D014921:Wings, Animal; D020577:Wolbachia / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Aedes aegypti; Development time; Glycogen; Larval competition; Morphometrics; Wolbachia