Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Maintaining Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Infected with Wolbachia
09:23

Maintaining Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes Infected with Wolbachia

Published on: August 14, 2017

14.8K

The Wolbachia strain wAu provides highly efficient virus transmission blocking in Aedes aegypti

Thomas H Ant1,2, Christie S Herd1,2, Vincent Geoghegan1,2

  • 1Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Plos Pathogens
|January 26, 2018
PubMed

Insights

New Wolbachia strains, wAu and wAlbA, were introduced into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to control arboviruses. The wAu strain shows high efficacy in blocking dengue and Zika virus transmission, even in hot climates.

Area of Science:

  • Medical entomology
  • Molecular biology
  • Infectious disease control

Background:

  • Wolbachia pipientis is an intracellular bacteria that can inhibit arbovirus transmission in Aedes mosquitoes.
  • Current dengue control strategies utilize specific Wolbachia strains in Aedes aegypti.
  • Limited characterization of naturally occurring Wolbachia strains for Aedes aegypti.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To generate and characterize novel Wolbachia transinfections in Aedes aegypti using wAlbA and wAu strains.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of these strains in blocking arbovirus transmission.
  • To assess the stability and potential for spread of these Wolbachia strains.

Main Methods:

  • Generation of Aedes aegypti transinfections with wAlbA and wAu Wolbachia strains.
  • Assessment of Wolbachia strain density in Aedes aegypti.
  • Evaluation of dengue and Zika virus transmission blocking efficacy.
  • Testing susceptibility to temperature-induced density reduction and maternal transmission.
  • Generation of superinfections with a cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI)-inducing strain.

Main Results:

  • The wAlbA strain showed reversed relative density in Ae. aegypti compared to Ae. albopictus, indicating strain-specific host adaptation.
  • The wAu strain achieved high densities and highly efficient dengue and Zika virus transmission blocking.
  • Both wAu and wAlbA strains were more tolerant to high larval rearing temperatures than wMel.
  • The wAu strain was stably combined with a CI-inducing strain as a superinfection.

Conclusions:

  • Wolbachia strain wAu is a promising candidate for arbovirus control, particularly in tropical regions.
  • The stability and superinfection capability of wAu facilitate its potential spread in wild mosquito populations.
  • Novel Wolbachia strains offer expanded options for Aedes aegypti-borne virus control programs.

More Related Videos

Detecting Wolbachia Strain wAlbB in Aedes albopictus Cell Lines08:08

Detecting Wolbachia Strain wAlbB in Aedes albopictus Cell Lines

Published on: June 1, 2022

2.6K
Vector Competence Analyses on Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes using Zika Virus10:35

Vector Competence Analyses on Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes using Zika Virus

Published on: May 31, 2020

3.6K

Related Concept Videos

What are Viruses?00:50

What are Viruses?

Overview
128.5K
Block Diagram Reduction01:22

Block Diagram Reduction

The process of deriving the transfer function of a control system often involves reducing its block diagram to a single block. This simplification can be achieved through a series of strategic operations, including relocating branch points and comparators. These operations preserve the overall function of the system while allowing for easier manipulation and combination of blocks.
The first step in this process is the identification and relocation of a branch point. A branch point, where a...
574
Thermal Strain01:19

Thermal Strain

Thermal strain is a concept that arises when we consider how temperature changes affect structures. Unlike the conventional assumption that structures remain constant under load, real-world scenarios often involve temperature fluctuations that can significantly impact these structures. Consider a homogeneous rod with a uniform cross-section resting freely on a flat horizontal surface. If the rod's temperature increases, the rod elongates. This elongation is proportional to the temperature...
2.9K
Shearing Strain01:20

Shearing Strain

The shearing strain represents a cubic element's angular change when subjected to shearing stress. This type of stress can transform a cube into an oblique parallelepiped without influencing normal strains. The cubic element experiences a significant transformation when exposed solely to shearing stress. Its shape alters from a perfect cube into a rhomboid, clearly demonstrating the effect of shearing strain. The degree of this strain is considered positive if it reduces the angle between the...
1.5K
Measurements of Strain01:27

Measurements of Strain

Strain quantifies the deformation of a material under force, typically measured as normal strain, which represents the change in length when compared with the original length. Electrical strain gauges are used for enhanced accuracy. These devices consist of a conductive wire mounted on a paper backing that adheres to the material's surface. These gauges operate on the piezoresistive effect, where the wire's electrical resistance changes in response to mechanical deformation. The strain...
2.6K
Elements of Block Diagrams01:25

Elements of Block Diagrams

Block diagrams serve as a visual representation of the input-output relationships within a system. An illustrative example is a heating system, where the set temperature activates the furnace to warm the room to the desired level. Block diagrams are versatile, modeling linear systems through Laplace transform variables and nonlinear systems using time domain variables.
A block diagram typically includes essential elements such as comparators, blocks, and feedback loops. Each of these elements...
732