Juvenile Hormone as a contributing factor in establishing midgut microbiota for fecundity and fitness enhancement in adult female Aedes aegypti

• Published in: Communications biology Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 687 - 11
• Main Authors: Taracena-Agarwal, Mabel L., Walter-Nuno, Ana Beatriz, Bottino-Rojas, Vanessa, Mejia, Alessandra Paola Girard, Xu, Kelsey, Segal, Steven, Dotson, Ellen M., Oliveira, Pedro L., Paiva-Silva, Gabriela O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 05.06.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 14/19; 38/77; 631/250; 631/443/494; 82/51; 96/100; 96/2; 96/63; Aedes - growth & development; Aedes - microbiology; Aedes - physiology; Aedes aegypti; Animal reproduction; Animals; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell cycle; Fecundity; Female; Fertility; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Genetic Fitness; Immune response; Juvenile hormones; Juvenile Hormones - metabolism; Life Sciences; Mating; Microbiota; Midgut; Mosquitoes
• ISSN: 2399-3642; 2399-3642
• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06334-y

Understanding the factors influencing mosquitoes’ fecundity and longevity is important for designing better and more sustainable vector control strategies, as these parameters can impact their vectorial capacity. Here, we address how mating affects midgut growth in Aedes aegypti , what role Juvenile Hormone (JH) plays in this process, and how it impacts the mosquito’s immune response and microbiota. Our findings reveal that mating and JH induce midgut growth. Additionally, the establishment of a native bacterial population in the midgut due to JH-dependent suppression of the immune response has important reproductive outcomes. Specific downregulation of AMPs with an increase in bacteria abundance in the gut results in increased egg counts and longer lifespans. Overall, these findings provide evidence of a cross-talk between JH response, gut epithelial tissue, cell cycle regulation, and the mechanisms governing the trade-offs between nutrition, immunity, and reproduction at the cellular level in the mosquito gut. In A. aegypti , the female mosquito midgut responds to mating and to juvenile hormone. Immune suppression in the midgut results in an increased bacteria load in mated animals. The midgut response to mating positively affects the reproductive outcome.