Blood meal modulates midgut bacterial community structure and metabolic function in Aedes albopictus

The transmission of mosquito-borne diseases is intrinsically linked to mosquito blood-feeding behavior, yet the metabolic adaptations of the midgut microbiota in response to blood meals remain poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize the structural and functional changes in the midgut microbiota of Aedes albopictus following blood feeding and to elucidate their potential physiological implications. In this study, we employed 16S rRNA gene amplification coupled with PacBio Sequel II sequencing to characterize shifts in the midgut microbiota of Aedes albopictus before and after blood feeding on mice. Following blood feeding, we observed a significant restructuring of the microbial composition. This shift was characterized by a marked enrichment of Acinetobacter and Wolbachia, with Wolbachia displacing Flavisolibacter as the dominant taxon. Functionally, blood feeding promoted the upregulation of pathways related to mobile genetic elements and stress tolerance, largely driven by Lactobacillaceae. Furthermore, we presented the first comprehensive analysis of blood meal-induced metabolic network remodeling in the mosquito midgut microbiota. Post-prandial microbiota exhibited enhanced metabolic capacity for pyruvate and glycine catabolism. These findings reveal that blood meals induce rapid microbial metabolic adaptation aimed at nutrient utilization and oxidative management. This study provides insight into how microbiota dynamics support mosquito host adaptation under nutritional stress and offers potential targets for microbiome-based strategies to interfere with vector competence.