A5023882858- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Dengue and Mosquito Control Research
- Protein Structure and Dynamics
- Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Studies on Chitinases and Chitosanases
- Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Plant tissue culture and regeneration
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Micro and Nano Robotics
- Silk-based biomaterials and applications
- Silkworms and Sericulture Research
- Transgenic Plants and Applications
- Microfluidic and Bio-sensing Technologies
- Plant and animal studies
Monash University
2016-2025
Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute
2025
Cornell University
2006-2015
California State University, San Marcos
2011
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
2004
The Dobzhansky-Muller model proposes that hybrid incompatibilities are caused by the interaction between genes have functionally diverged in respective hybridizing species. Here, we show Lethal rescue ( Lhr ) has Drosophila simulans and interacts with Hybrid male Hmr ), which D. melanogaster , to cause lethality F1 males. LHR localizes heterochromatic regions of genome extensively sequence these species a manner consistent positive selection. Rapidly evolving DNA sequences may be driving...
Wolbachia pipientis from Drosophila melanogaster (wMel) is an endosymbiotic bacterium that restricts transmission of human pathogenic flaviviruses and alphaviruses, including dengue, Zika, chikungunya viruses, when introduced into the mosquito vector Aedes aegypti. To date, wMel-infected Ae. aegypti have been released in field trials 5 countries to evaluate effectiveness this strategy for disease control. Despite success establishing mosquitoes wild populations, well-characterized antiviral...
The insect bacterium Wolbachia pipientis is being introgressed into Aedes aegypti populations as an intervention against the transmission of medically important arboviruses. Here we compare Ae. mosquitoes infected with wMelCS or wAlbB to widely used wMel strain on Australian nuclear genetic background for their susceptibility infection by dengue virus (DENV) genotypes spanning all four serotypes. All Wolbachia-infected were more resistant intrathoracic DENV challenge than wildtype...
Natural populations of most organisms harbor substantial genetic variation for resistance to infection. The continued existence such is unexpected under simple evolutionary models that either posit direct and continuous natural selection on the immune system or an evolved life history "balance" between immunity other fitness traits in a constant environment. However, both local adaptation heterogeneous environments genotype-by-environment interactions can maintain species. In this study, we...
The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia is a biocontrol tool that inhibits the ability of Aedes aegypti mosquito to transmit positive-sense RNA viruses such as dengue and Zika. Growing evidence indicates when strains wMel or wAlbB are introduced into local populations, human incidence reduced. Despite success this novel intervention, we still do not fully understand how protects mosquitoes from viral infection. Here, demonstrate strain wPip does inhibit virus infection in Ae. aegypti. We have...
Significance Wolbachia ( w Mel strain)-infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are refractory to disseminated arboviral infections. Yet previous studies into the mechanism behind -mediated virus blocking have not considered involvement of lipids, apart from cholesterol, during superinfection. We used liquid chromatography mass spectrometry study lipidome in mosquito cells infected with virus, Mel, or superinfected both and Mel. Interestingly, a class acyl-carnitines increased infection but...
Pacific Island countries have experienced periodic dengue, chikungunya and Zika outbreaks for decades. The prevention control of these mosquito-borne diseases rely heavily on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which in most settings are the primary vector. Introgression intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis ( w Mel strain) into Ae . populations reduces their vector competence consequently lowers dengue incidence human population. Here we describe successful area-wide deployments Mel-infected...
The introgression of antiviral strains Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti mosquito populations is a public health intervention for the control dengue. Plausibly, dengue virus (DENV) could evolve to bypass effects and undermine this approach. Here, we established serial-passage system investigate evolution DENV in Ae. mosquitoes infected with wMel strain Wolbachia. Using system, report on genetic outcomes after twenty passages serotype 1 (DENV-1). An amino acid substitution, E203K, DENV-1 envelope...
The bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia has emerged as an effective biocontrol method to reduce arbovirus transmission. Transinfection of w Mel from Drosophila melanogaster Aedes aegypti results in the transfer important -induced phenotypes including reproductive modification, cytoplasmic incompatibility, and inhibition viruses dengue chikungunya. However, mechanisms underlying these critical traits well other -host interactions are still not fully understood. Recently vitro genome wide RNAi...
The introgression of w Mel Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti populations is being used for the biocontrol arboviruses such as dengue and chikungunya in 14 countries to date. A infection Ae. both reduces transmission viruses by mosquito causes a reproductive manipulation that aids naive populations. However, critical concern whether could evolve over time, potentially diminishing these desired phenotypes. Here, we investigated stability genome released Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam. We sequenced at...
Many reproductive proteins from diverse taxa evolve rapidly and adaptively. These are typically involved in late stages of reproduction such as sperm development fertilization, more often functional males than females. Surprisingly, many germline stem cell (GSC) regulatory genes, which essential for the earliest reproduction, also adaptively Drosophila. One example is bag marbles (bam) gene, required GSC differentiation cyst females regulating mitotic divisions entry to spermatocyte males....
Surveys of nucleotide sequence polymorphism in Drosophila melanogaster and simulans were performed at 2 interacting loci crucial for gametogenesis: bag-of-marbles (bam) benign gonial cell neoplasm (bgcn). At the level, both appear to be evolving under expectations neutral theory. However, ratios divergence synonymous nonsynonymous mutations depart significantly from consistent with a previous observation positive selection bam. The deviations suggest either an excess polymorphisms or...
The gene Hybrid male rescue (Hmr) causes lethality in interspecific hybrids between Drosophila melanogaster and its sibling species. Hmr has functionally diverged for this phenotype because is caused specifically by D. but not simulans or mauritiana Hmr. was identified the partial loss-of-function allele Hmr1, which suppresses hybrid no apparent within pure-species melanogaster. Here we have investigated possible function of females using stronger mutant alleles. Females homozygous mutants...
Population genetic and comparative analyses in diverse taxa have shown that numerous genes involved reproduction are adaptively evolving. Two germline stem cell regulation, bag of marbles (bam) benign gonial neoplasm (bgcn), been previously to experience recurrent, adaptive evolution both Drosophila melanogaster D. simulans. Here we report a population survey on eight additional regulation simulans reveals all these reject neutral model at least one test species after correction for multiple...
Aedes aegypti transmits a range of important human pathogenic viruses like dengue. However, infection Ae. with the insect endosymbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia , reduces risk mosquito to viral transmission. is being utilized at field sites across more than 13 countries reduce incidence dengue, but it not well understood how induces its antiviral effects. To examine this subcellular level, we compared different strains varying strengths associate and modify host cell structures. Strongly were...
Infection of wMel Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti imparts two signature features that enable its application for biocontrol dengue. First, the susceptibility mosquitoes to viruses such as dengue and Zika is reduced. Second, a reproductive manipulation caused enables introgression into wild-type mosquito populations. The long-term success this method relies, part, on evolution genome not compromising critical make it an attractive tool. This study compared at time initial releases 1-7 years...
Background Biological control programs involving Wolbachia -infected Aedes aegypti are currently deployed in different epidemiological settings. New Caledonia (NC) is an ideal location for the implementation and evaluation of such a strategy as only proven vector dengue virus (DENV) Ae . outbreaks frequency severity increasing. We report generation NC Wolbachia- infected strain results experiments to assess competence fitness this future disease Noumea, NC. Methods/principal findings The...
Wolbachia suppresses the replication of +ssRNA viruses such as dengue and Zika in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. However, range affected by this endosymbiont is yet to be explored. Recently, novel insect-specific (ISVs) have been described from numerous mosquito species mosquito-derived cell lines. Cell-fusing agent virus (Flaviviridae) Phasi Charoen-like (Bunyaviridae) persistently infect Ae. line Aag2 which has used for experimental studies with both wMel wMelPop-CLA strains. was found restrict...
Introgression of the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti populations is a biocontrol approach being used to reduce arbovirus transmission. This requires mass release Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. While releases have been conducted using variety techniques, egg releases, water-soluble capsules containing mosquito eggs and larval food, offer an attractive method due its potential onsite resource requirements. However, optimisation this required ensure there no detrimental...