Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
06:41
Mosquito-Associated Virus Isolation from Field-Collected Mosquitoes
Published on: August 31, 2022
Persistent, triple-virus co-infections in mosquito cells
Nipaporn Kanthong1, Nuanpan Khemnu, Sa-Nga Pattanakitsakul
1Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
BMC Microbiology
|January 22, 2010
Summary
Mosquito cells can host multiple viruses, including Dengue virus (DEN), densovirus (DNV), and Japanese encephalitis virus (JE), without disease. This triple co-infection, observed in 99% of cells, shows viruses adapting to shared cellular space.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Cell Biology
- Insect Pathology
Background:
- Insects and crustaceans can harbor multiple viruses without disease.
- Previous studies established dual Dengue virus (DEN) and densovirus (DNV) co-infection in mosquito cells.
- The capacity for triple-virus co-infection was unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if mosquito cells can sustain stable, persistent triple-virus co-infections.
- To determine the cellular localization of viral antigens during triple co-infection.
Main Methods:
- Mosquito cell cultures were sequentially challenged with DEN, DNV, and Japanese encephalitis virus (JE).
- Immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy were used to detect viral antigens.
- Cellular localization of viral antigens was analyzed in single, dual, and triple infections.
Main Results:
- Stable triple co-infections with DEN, DNV, and JE were achieved in 99% of cells without cytopathology.
- Viral antigens in triple co-infections were predominantly located in cell nuclei.
- Antigen distribution differed from single or dual infections, suggesting cellular adaptation.
Conclusions:
- Individual mosquito cells can adapt to accommodate at least three viruses simultaneously.
- This cellular adaptation facilitates potential genetic exchange between viruses.
- Findings have significant implications for arbovirus research and control.
Related Concept Videos
00:57Viral Recombination
Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
01:25Arboviral Encephalitis
Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...
01:10Retrovirus Life Cycles
Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that undergoes a special form of replication. Once the retrovirus has entered the host cell, an enzyme called reverse transcriptase synthesizes double-stranded DNA from the retroviral RNA genome. This DNA copy of the genome is then integrated into the host’s genome inside the nucleus via an enzyme called integrase. Consequently, the retroviral genome is transcribed into RNA whenever the host’s genome is transcribed, allowing the retrovirus to...
01:25Inhibitors Of Virion Release
Viral replication and dissemination rely on efficient mechanisms for host cell entry, genome replication, assembly, and release. Influenza viruses, such as types A and B, are negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses with a segmented genome, that depend on two critical surface glycoproteins to carry out these processes: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). HA initiates infection by binding to sialic acid residues on the surface of host epithelial cells, facilitating receptor-mediated...
01:29Viruses with RNA Genomes
RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...