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Updated: Oct 10, 2025
Experimental Viral Infection in Adult Mosquitoes by Oral Feeding and Microinjection
Published on: July 28, 2022
A human-blood-derived microRNA facilitates flavivirus infection in fed mosquitoes
Yibin Zhu1, Chi Zhang2, Liming Zhang2
1Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518000, China; Institute of Pathogenic Organisms, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China.
Abstract:
Hematophagous arthropods, such as mosquitoes, naturally carry and transmit hundreds of arboviruses to humans. Blood meal is a predominant physical interface that shapes cross-species communications among humans, bloodsuckers, and arboviruses. Here, we identify a human-blood-derived microRNA, hsa-miR-150-5p, that interferes with a mosquito antiviral system to facilitate flavivirus infection and transmission. hsa-miR-150-5p is acquired with a blood meal into the mosquito hemocoel and persists for a prolonged time there. The agomir of hsa-miR-150-5p enhances, whereas the antagomir represses flaviviral infection in mosquitoes and transmission from mice to mosquitoes. Mechanistic studies indicate that hsa-miR-150-5p hijacks the mosquito Argonaute-1-mediated RNA interference system to suppress the expression of some chymotrypsins with potent virucidal activity. Mosquito chymotrypsins are essential for resisting systemic flavivirus infection in hemocoel tissues. Chymotrypsin homologs potentially targeted by miR-150-5p are also found in other hematophagous arthropods, demonstrating a conserved miR-150-5p-mediated cross-species RNAi mechanism that might determine flaviviral transmissibility in nature.
Insights
A human microRNA, hsa-miR-150-5p, found in blood meals, aids arbovirus transmission by mosquitoes. This microRNA disrupts the mosquito
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Entomology
Background:
- Hematophagous arthropods like mosquitoes transmit arboviruses.
- The blood meal is a key interaction point between hosts, vectors, and viruses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify host-derived molecules that influence arbovirus transmission by mosquitoes.
- To elucidate the mechanism by which hsa-miR-150-5p affects flavivirus infection in mosquitoes.
Main Methods:
- Investigated the role of human microRNA hsa-miR-150-5p in mosquito hemocoel.
- Utilized agomir and antagomir to modulate hsa-miR-150-5p levels and assess flavivirus infection.
- Performed mechanistic studies involving RNA interference and mosquito chymotrypsin activity.
Main Results:
- Human hsa-miR-150-5p persists in the mosquito hemocoel after a blood meal.
- hsa-miR-150-5p enhances flavivirus infection and transmission, while its inhibition represses it.
- hsa-miR-150-5p suppresses mosquito chymotrypsins, which possess antiviral properties, via the Argonaute-1 pathway.
Conclusions:
- hsa-miR-150-5p facilitates flavivirus transmission by hijacking the mosquito RNA interference system.
- Mosquito chymotrypsins are crucial for antiviral defense, and their suppression by hsa-miR-150-5p aids viral infection.
- A conserved cross-species RNAi mechanism involving miR-150-5p may regulate flavivirus transmissibility in various hematophagous arthropods.
