Monitoring Mitochondrial Function in Aedes albopictus C6/36 Cell Line during Dengue Virus Infection

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Cell Biology
• Mitochondrial Biology

Background:

• Dengue virus (DENV) is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, posing a global health risk.
• Virus-host interactions, particularly with mitochondria, are vital for viral replication and disease.
• DENV infection impacts mitochondria in vertebrate cells, but its effects in mosquito cells are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how DENV infection affects mitochondrial function and morphology in Aedes albopictus mosquito cells.
• To explore the role of mitochondrial dynamics, specifically fission and fusion, in DENV-infected mosquito cells.

Main Methods:

• Infection of C6/36 mosquito cells with DENV.
• Analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
• Measurement of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and respiration.
• Immunofluorescence microscopy to assess mitofusin and Drp-1 localization.

Main Results:

• DENV infection in C6/36 cells led to increased ROS production.
• Modulation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and altered mitochondrial respiration were observed.
• DENV infection induced mitofusin translocation to mitochondria.
• Drp-1 (Dynamin-related protein 1) did not localize to mitochondria, suggesting mitochondrial fission is not involved.

Conclusions:

• DENV actively regulates mitochondrial function and morphology in infected mosquito cells.
• The observed changes in mitochondria, including mitofusin translocation, are crucial for DENV replication in the mosquito vector.
• These findings highlight the significance of virus-mitochondria crosstalk in mosquito cells for DENV transmission.