biopesticide overcomes insecticide resistance in malaria vector mosquitoes.

Vector mosquito control is an integral part of malaria control. The global emergence of insecticide resistance in malaria-transmitting has become an impediment and has created an urgent need for novel mosquito control approaches. Here, we show that a biopesticide derived from the soil-dwelling bacterium sp.

Discovery of novel natural products for mosquito control.

Vector control plays a key role in reducing the public health burden of mosquito-borne diseases. Today's vector control strategies largely rely on synthetic insecticides that can have a negative environmental impact when applied outdoors and often become inefficient because of the mosquitoes' ability to develop resistance. An alternative and promising approach to circumvent these challenges involves the implementation of insecticides derived from nature (biopesticides) for vector control.

Phage Therapy for Mosquito Larval Control: a Proof-of-Principle Study.

The mosquito microbiota has a profound impact on multiple biological processes ranging from reproduction to disease transmission. Interestingly, the adult mosquito microbiota is largely derived from the larval microbiota, which in turn is dependent on the microbiota of their water habitat. The larval microbiota not only plays a crucial role in larval development but also has a significant impact on the adult stage of the mosquito.

The Role of Mosquito Hemocytes in Viral Infections.

Insect hemocytes are the only immune cells that can mount a humoral and cellular immune response. Despite the critical involvement of hemocytes in immune responses against bacteria, fungi, and parasites in mosquitoes, our understanding of their antiviral potential is still limited. It has been shown that hemocytes express humoral factors such as TEP1, PPO, and certain antimicrobial peptides that are known to restrict viral infections.

Trypsin-like Inhibitor Domain (TIL)-Harboring Protein Is Essential for Reproduction.

Cysteine-rich trypsin inhibitor-like domain (TIL)-harboring proteins are broadly distributed in nature but remain understudied in vector mosquitoes. Here we have explored the biology of a TIL domain-containing protein of the arbovirus vector , cysteine-rich venom protein 379 (CRVP379). CRVP379 was previously shown to be essential for dengue virus infection in mosquitoes.

Pleiotropic Odorant-Binding Proteins Promote Aedes aegypti Reproduction and Flavivirus Transmission.

Insect odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are small soluble proteins that have been assigned roles in olfaction, but their other potential functions have not been extensively explored. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of Aedes aegypti and , we demonstrate the pleiotropic contribution of these proteins to multiple processes that are essential for vectorial capacity. Mutant mosquitoes have impaired host-seeking and oviposition behavior, reproduction, and arbovirus transmission.

Aedes aegypti Toll pathway is induced through dsRNA sensing in endosomes.

Mosquito anti-pathogen immune responses, including those controlling infection with arboviruses are regulated by multiple signal transduction pathways. While the Toll pathway is critical in the defense against arboviruses such as dengue and Zika viruses, the factors and mechanisms involved in virus recognition leading to the activation of the Toll pathway are not fully understood. In this study we evaluated the role of virus-produced double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) intermediates in mosquito immune activation by utilizing the synthetic dsRNA analog polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C).

Mosquito antiviral immune pathways.

Mosquitoes are vectors of a large number of viral pathogens. In recent years, increased urbanization and climate change has expanded the range of many vector mosquitoes. The lack of effective medical interventions has made the control of mosquito-borne viral diseases very difficult.

Curious entanglements: interactions between mosquitoes, their microbiota, and arboviruses.

Mosquitoes naturally harbor a diverse community of microorganisms that play a crucial role in their biology. Mosquito-microbiota interactions are abundant and complex. They can dramatically alter the mosquito immune response, and impede or enhance a mosquito's ability to transmit medically important arboviral pathogens.

Metavirome Sequencing of the Termite Gut Reveals the Presence of an Unexplored Bacteriophage Community.

The Formosan subterranean termite; is nutritionally dependent on the complex and diverse community of bacteria and protozoa in their gut. Although, there have been many studies to decipher the taxonomic and functional diversity of bacterial communities in the guts of termites, their bacteriophages remain unstudied. We sequenced the metavirome of the guts of Formosan subterranean termite workers to study the diversity of bacteriophages and other associated viruses.

Whole-Genome Sequence of the Novel Temperate Bacteriophage Tyrion, Isolated from the Gut of the Formosan Subterranean Termite.

We sequenced the genome of the novel bacteriophage Tyrion isolated from termite gut. The bacteriophage is temperate in nature and belongs to the family. Many predicted bacteriophage genes showed similarity to prophage regions of the genomes of bacteria.

Whole-Genome Sequence of the Novel Bacteriophage Arya with an Integrase Pseudogene, Isolated from the Gut of the Formosan Subterranean Termite.

We isolated and sequenced the novel bacteriophage Arya from termite gut. The genome showed synteny to lytic bacteriophage genomes; however, the genome encodes a truncated, putatively nonfunctional integrase pseudogene. Lysogeny-related genes were previously observed in certain lytic phages, but their role and evolution remain unclear.

Bacteria Associated With Piezodorus guildinii (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), With Special Reference to Those Transmitted by Feeding.

The redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), is a rapidly growing pest damaging southern US agriculture. Pentatomid stink bugs are known to vector bacterial, fungal, and viral plant diseases. However, bacteria associated with redbanded stink bugs and their vector potential have not yet been assessed.

Assessment of genetically engineered Trabulsiella odontotermitis as a 'Trojan Horse' for paratransgenesis in termites.

Background: The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus is an invasive urban pest in the Southeastern USA. Paratransgenesis using a microbe expressed lytic peptide that targets the termite gut protozoa is currently being developed for the control of Formosan subterranean termites. In this study, we evaluated Trabulsiella odontotermitis, a termite-specific bacterium, for its potential to serve as a 'Trojan Horse' for expression of gene products in termite colonies.

Isolation and assessment of gut bacteria from the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), for paratransgenesis research and application.

Paratransgenesis targeting the gut protozoa is being developed as an alternative method for the control of the Formosan subterranean termite (FST). This method involves killing the cellulose-digesting gut protozoa using a previously developed antiprotozoal peptide consisting of a target specific ligand coupled to an antimicrobial peptide (Hecate). In the future, we intend to genetically engineer termite gut bacteria as "Trojan Horses" to express and spread ligand-Hecate in the termite colony.

Complete Genome Sequence of Citrobacter Phage CVT22 Isolated from the Gut of the Formosan Subterranean Termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki.

The complete genome of bacteriophage CVT22 infecting Citrobacter sp. strain TM1552 is reported here. Both the bacteriophage and Citrobacter sp.