How does the mosquito microbiota (virome and bacteriome) influence the ability of Culex mosquitoes to transmit West Nile virus and Usutu virus, two important emerging flaviviruses in Europe?

West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are two important emerging threats to human and animal health in Europe. Both viruses are primarily transmitted by mosquitoes of the Culex genus, including Culex pipiens, one of the most widespread mosquitoes in Europe. Little is known about the microbiome (virome and bacteriome) of these mosquitoes, and even less about how they might affect the vector competence of Culex mosquitoes for important arthropod-borne viruses (i.e. arboviruses) such as WNV and USUV. The current project aims at the characterization of the Culex microbiome, using field collected mosquitoes from different regions worldwide. In vivo infection experiments with WNV and USUV will be conducted to asses associations between the microbiome and vector competence. We will also attempt to generate a germ-free Culex mosquito line. Finally, we will isolate viruses, bacteria and bacteriophages of interest to perform in vivo inoculation experiments in the germ-free mosquitoes to investigate the causal role of the selected microorganisms on vector competence

Keywords:Virome, Microbiome, Culex mosquitoes, Vector competence, West Nile Virus, Usutu virus

Disciplines:Microbiomes, Virology, Infectious diseases, Invertebrate biology