Multi-Omic Analysis of Symbiotic Bacteria Associated With Aedes aegypti Breeding Sites

• Published in: Frontiers in microbiology 2021-08, Vol.12, p.703711-703711
• Main Authors: Mosquera, Katherine D, Martinez Villegas, Luis E, Pidot, Sacha J, Sharif, Chinhda, Klimpel, Sven, Stinear, Timothy P, Moreira, Luciano A, Tobias, Nicholas J, Lorenzo, Marcelo G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aedes; breeding sites; genomics; Klebsiella; metabolomics; Microbiology
• ISSN: 1664-302X; 1664-302X
• DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.703711

Mosquito breeding sites are complex aquatic environments with wide microbial diversity and physicochemical parameters that can change over time during the development of immature insect stages. Changes in biotic and abiotic conditions in water can alter life-history traits of adult mosquitos but this area remains understudied. Here, using microbial genomic and metabolomics analyses, we explored the metabolites associated with breeding sites as well as the potential contribution of sp., symbiotic bacteria highly associated with mosquitoes. We sought to address whether breeding sites have a signature metabolic profile and understand the metabolite contribution of the bacteria in the aquatic niches where larvae develop. An analysis of 32 mosquito-associated bacterial genomes, including , allowed us to identify gene clusters involved in primary metabolic pathways. From them, we inferred metabolites that could impact larval development (e.g., spermidine), as well as influence the quality assessment of a breeding site by a gravid female (e.g., putrescine), if produced by bacteria in the water. We also detected significant variance in metabolite presence profiles between water samples representing a decoupled oviposition event (oviposition by single females and manually deposited eggs) versus a control where no mosquito interactions occurred (PERMANOVA: < 0.05; = 24.64% and = 30.07%). Five metabolites were exclusively linked to water samples where oviposition and development occurred. These data suggest metabolomics can be applied to identify compounds potentially used by female to evaluate the quality of a breeding site. Elucidating the physiological mechanisms by which the females could integrate these sensory cues while ovipositing constitutes a growing field of interest, which could benefit from a more depurated list of candidate molecules.