2014年6月11日 訊 /生物谷BIOON/ --近日,一項刊登在國際雜誌Nature Communications上的研究論文中,來自佩魯賈大學(University of Perugia)等處的研究人員通過研究發現了兩種按蚊亞種進行細胞間細菌感染的證據,實驗室研究數據顯示,這種名為沃爾巴克體的感染可以減少蚊子病原菌的感染,對於開發有效控制瘧疾傳播的新型策略也存在一定的借鑑意義。
研究者Flaminia Catteruccia教授表示,沃爾巴克體是一種非常有意思的細菌,其可以有效滅蚊,其經常用於殺滅按蚊,但是涉及滅蚊機制研究者卻知之甚少。研究者發現沃爾巴克體可以在按蚊兩種亞種間互相傳播感染,這對於開發有效阻斷瘧疾傳播的療法提供了新的希望。
按蚊可以傳播瘧疾,由其引發的瘧疾傳播每年可致60萬人死亡,而且瘧疾也使得至少一半的世界人口處於感染瘧疾的風險之中;沃爾巴克體可以通過誘導一種名為細胞質不相容性的機制在野生昆蟲體內快速擴散感染,有66%的節肢動物都會被這種細菌感染,而按蚊並不是沃爾巴克體的天然宿主,之前研究者並未成功在按蚊體內實現沃爾巴克體的感染。
這項研究中,研究者卻發現了受到沃爾巴克體感染的按蚊亞種,研究者給這種沃爾巴克體取名為wAnga,其和其它沃爾巴克體具有相同的特性,這就為研究者開發降低瘧原蟲感染以及瘧疾傳播的新型策略提供了一定的研究思路;一旦研究成功,那麼就可以有效降低瘧疾給人類帶來的健康和經濟損失。(生物谷Bioon.com)
Evidence of natural Wolbachia infections in field populations of Anopheles gambiae
Francesco Baldini, Nicola Segata, Julien Pompon, Perrine Marcenac, W. Robert Shaw, Roch K. Dabiré, Abdoulaye Diabaté, Elena A. Levashina & Flaminia Catteruccia
Wolbachia are maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that invade insect populations by manipulating their reproduction and immunity and thus limiting the spread of numerous human pathogens. Experimental Wolbachia infections can reduce Plasmodium numbers in Anopheles mosquitoes in the laboratory, however, natural Wolbachia infections in field anophelines have never been reported. Here we show evidence of Wolbachia infections in Anopheles gambiae in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene identified Wolbachia sequences in both female and male germlines across two seasons, and determined that these sequences are vertically transmitted from mother to offspring. Whole-genome sequencing of positive samples suggests that the genetic material identified in An. gambiae belongs to a novel Wolbachia strain, related to but distinct from strains infecting other arthropods. The evidence of Wolbachia infections in natural Anopheles populations promotes further investigations on the possible use of natural Wolbachia–Anopheles associations to limit malaria transmission.