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Biomolecules
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New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases
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New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2023) | Viewed by 10576

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gaurav Shrivastava

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
Interests: vector biology; vector borne diseases; virology; immunology; host immunity; inflammasome
Dr. Moises Leon-Juarez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia, Mexico City, Mexico
Interests: cloning; monoclonal antibodies; molecular virology; virus diseases; protein purification; proteins; viral infection; antivirals; protein expression; recombinant protein expression

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mosquitoes and other blood-feeding arthropods are vectors that impose severe public health risk diseases of bacterial, parasitic, and viral nature. Approximately 80% of the world’s human population is at risk of one or more vector-borne diseases, with over 300 million cases and about 1 million human deaths annually. Vector-borne diseases still account for more than 17% of infectious diseases, despite substantial developments in the study of vector biology. Specifically, insect-borne viruses constantly pose a risk of pandemic, and the lack of vaccines and other effective prevention for most vector-borne diseases places pressure to have more integrated approaches that target the disease transmission system rather than the pathogens alone. 

The focus of this Special Issue of Biomolecules is on the most recent advances related to the contribution of the vector to the process of pathogen transmission and host immunity, as well as the current status of arthropod vectors and vector-borne diseases, with special emphasis on alternative approaches to controlling vectors of disease, host–pathogen–symbiont interactions, functional genomics, and vector competence. Finally, any promising vector biomolecules that could address the forthcoming challenges in this field will be included. We are especially seeking original research contributions, but review articles are also welcome.

Dr. Gaurav Shrivastava
Dr. Moises Leon-Juarez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • host–pathogen interaction
  • vector biology
  • vector competence
  • arthropod-borne virus

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 719 KiB  
Article
Evidence of Horse Exposure to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Leishmania infantum in Greece through the Detection of IgG Antibodies in Serum and in an Alternative Diagnostic Sample—The Saliva
by Labrini V. Athanasiou, Eleni G. Katsogiannou, Panagiota Tyrnenopoulou, Dimitrios Gougoulis, Kosmas N. Apostolidis, Stavros M. Papadakis, Kassiopi Christina G. Kokkinaki, Vasileios G. Papatsiros and Constantina N. Tsokana
Biomolecules 2023, 13(9), 1374; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13091374 - 11 Sep 2023
Viewed by 958
Abstract
Among the various zoonotic pathogens that infect horses, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia spp. and Leishmania spp. have gained scientific interest, and relevant molecular and serological studies in horses have been conducted worldwide. Moreover, human and veterinary medicine have extensively applied alternatives to serum diagnostic [...] Read more.
Among the various zoonotic pathogens that infect horses, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia spp. and Leishmania spp. have gained scientific interest, and relevant molecular and serological studies in horses have been conducted worldwide. Moreover, human and veterinary medicine have extensively applied alternatives to serum diagnostic samples—such as saliva—for detecting pathogens or antibodies. In this study, we investigated the exposure of horses in Greece to A. phagocytophilum, B. burgdorferi, and L. infantum, and we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of saliva compared to serum in detecting IgG antibodies against the abovementioned pathogens. Paired saliva and serum samples were collected from 317 horses from different regions in Greece. The paired samples were examined using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) for detecting IgG antibodies against A. phagocytophilum, B. burgdorferi, and L. infantum. Sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were determined to assess the validity of saliva as an alternative to serum. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the optimal cut-off value for detecting antibodies against all the examined pathogens in saliva was 1/10. Higher seropositivity rates were found for B. burgdorferi (15.14%) and A. phagocytophilum (14.19%) compared to L. infantum (1.26%). The detection of IgG antibodies using IFAT in saliva samples had a good test performance compared to serum. The two sample types had a substantial to almost perfect agreement. Although the sensitivity was moderate (70.83–75.56%) in all cases, the specificity was almost perfect to perfect (99.63–100%). This study provides the first evidence that horses in Greece are exposed to A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi and confirms that the seroprevalence of L. infantum in horses in Greece remains low. Our findings suggest that saliva sampling coupled with IFAT could be successfully applied for detecting IgG antibodies against these important zoonotic pathogens in large-scale epidemiological studies in horses, at the population level, as an alternative to serum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases)
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14 pages, 2999 KiB  
Article
Revisiting Schistosoma mansoni Micro-Exon Gene (MEG) Protein Family: A Tour into Conserved Motifs and Annotation
by Štěpánka Nedvědová, Davide De Stefano, Olivier Walker, Maggy Hologne and Adriana Erica Miele
Biomolecules 2023, 13(9), 1275; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13091275 - 22 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1429
Abstract
Genome sequencing of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni revealed an interesting gene superfamily, called micro-exon gene (meg), that encodes secreted MEG proteins. The genes are composed of short exons (3–81 base pairs) regularly interspersed with long introns (up to 5 kbp). [...] Read more.
Genome sequencing of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni revealed an interesting gene superfamily, called micro-exon gene (meg), that encodes secreted MEG proteins. The genes are composed of short exons (3–81 base pairs) regularly interspersed with long introns (up to 5 kbp). This article recollects 35 S. mansoni specific meg genes that are distributed over 7 autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes and that code for at least 87 verified MEG proteins. We used various bioinformatics tools to produce an optimal alignment and propose a phylogenetic analysis. This work highlighted intriguing conserved patterns/motifs in the sequences of the highly variable MEG proteins. Based on the analyses, we were able to classify the verified MEG proteins into two subfamilies and to hypothesize their duplication and colonization of all the chromosomes. Together with motif identification, we also proposed to revisit MEGs’ common names and annotation in order to avoid duplication, to help the reproducibility of research results and to avoid possible misunderstandings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases)
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11 pages, 6118 KiB  
Article
Biomolecular Minerals and Volcanic Glass Bio-Mimics to Control Adult Sand Flies, the Vector of Human Leishmania Protozoan Parasites
by Kaiying Chen, Jean Marcel Deguenon, Roger D. Lawrie and R. Michael Roe
Biomolecules 2023, 13(8), 1235; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13081235 - 10 Aug 2023
Viewed by 777
Abstract
Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) serve as vectors for transmitting protozoan parasites, Leishmania spp., that cause the disease called leishmaniasis. The main approach to controlling sand flies is the use of chemical insecticides. The discovery of alternative methods for their control is needed because [...] Read more.
Sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) serve as vectors for transmitting protozoan parasites, Leishmania spp., that cause the disease called leishmaniasis. The main approach to controlling sand flies is the use of chemical insecticides. The discovery of alternative methods for their control is needed because of potential health risks of chemical insecticides and development of sand fly resistance to these pesticides. The biomineral produced by diatoms (diatomaceous earth, DE; Celite) and a volcanic glass bio-mimic (Imergard) have been shown by our group to be efficacious against mosquitoes, filth flies, and ticks but never studied for the control of sand flies. In a modified World Health Organization cone test, 50% of adult Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies at 29 ± 1 °C, 55 ± 5% RH, and 12:12 LD, when exposed to Imergard and Celite, were dead in 13.08 and 7.57 h, respectively. Proof of concept was established for the use of these biominerals for sand fly and leishmaniasis disease control. Using a light source as an attractant to the minerals had no significant effect on the LT50, the time to 50% mortality. The LT50 at a higher relative humidity of 70 ± 5% increased to 20.91 and 20.56 h for Imergard and Celite, respectively, suggesting their mode of action was dehydration. Scanning electron microscopy of dead sand flies showed high coating levels of Celite only on the sides of the thorax and on the tarsi, suggesting an alternative mode of action for mechanical insecticides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases)
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25 pages, 13238 KiB  
Article
Uncovering the Underlying Mechanisms Blocking Replication of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 (BTV-26) in Culicoides Cells
by Baptiste Monsion, Fauziah Mohd Jaafar, Peter P. C. Mertens and Houssam Attoui
Biomolecules 2023, 13(6), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13060878 - 23 May 2023
Viewed by 1738
Abstract
At least 12 serotypes of ‘atypical’ bluetongue virus (BTV-25 to BTV-36) have been identified to date. These atypical serotypes fail to infect/replicate in Culicoides-derived cell lines and/or adult Culicoides vectors and hence can no longer be transmitted by these vectors. They appear [...] Read more.
At least 12 serotypes of ‘atypical’ bluetongue virus (BTV-25 to BTV-36) have been identified to date. These atypical serotypes fail to infect/replicate in Culicoides-derived cell lines and/or adult Culicoides vectors and hence can no longer be transmitted by these vectors. They appear to be horizontally transmitted from infected to in-contact ruminants, although the route(s) of infection remain to be identified. Viral genome segments 1, 2 and 3 (Seg-1, Seg2 and Seg-3) of BTV-26 were identified as involved in blocking virus replication in KC cells. We have developed Culicoides-specific expression plasmids, which we used in transfected insect cells to assess the stability of viral mRNAs and protein expression from full-length open reading frames of Seg-1, -2 and -3 of BTV-1 (a Culicoides-vectored BTV) or BTV-26. Our results indicate that the blocked replication of BTV-26 in KC cells is not due to an RNAi response, which would lead to rapid degradation of viral mRNAs. A combination of degradation/poor expression and/or modification of the proteins encoded by these segments appears to drive the failure of BTV-26 core/whole virus-particles to assemble and replicate effectively in Culicoides cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases)
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13 pages, 3811 KiB  
Article
Host Feeding Patterns of Mansonia (Diptera, Culicidae) in Rural Settlements near Porto Velho, State of Rondonia, Brazil
by Diego Peres Alonso, Jandui Almeida Amorim, Tatiane Marques Porangaba de Oliveira, Ivy Luizi Rodrigues de Sá, Fábio Sossai Possebon, Dario Pires de Carvalho, Kaio Augusto Nabas Ribeiro, Paulo Eduardo Martins Ribolla and Maria Anice Mureb Sallum
Biomolecules 2023, 13(3), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13030553 - 17 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1336
Abstract
Mosquito females of the genus Mansonia (Blanchard) can be a nuisance to humans and animals since they are voraciously hematophagous and feed on the blood of a variety of vertebrates. Despite their relevance, there is a lack of investigation into the blood-feeding patterns [...] Read more.
Mosquito females of the genus Mansonia (Blanchard) can be a nuisance to humans and animals since they are voraciously hematophagous and feed on the blood of a variety of vertebrates. Despite their relevance, there is a lack of investigation into the blood-feeding patterns of the Mansonia species. Knowledge of the host preference is crucial in establishing the public health importance of a mosquito species and its potential to be involved in the transmission dynamics of pathogens. Species that are primarily anthropophilic can be more effective in spreading vector-borne pathogens to humans. In this study, we used an Illumina Nextera sequencing protocol and the QIIME2 workflow to assess the diversity of DNA sequences extracted in the ingested blood of mosquito species to evaluate the overall and local host choices for three species: Ma. titillans, Ma. Amazonensis, and Ma. humeralis, in rural areas alongside the Madeira River in the vicinities of the Santo Antonio Energia (SAE) reservoir in the municipality of Porto Velho, Rondônia, Western Brazil. By performing our analysis pipeline, we have found that host diversity per collection site showed a significant heterogeneity across the sample sites. In addition, in rural areas, Ma. amazonensis present a high affinity for B. taurus, Ma. humeralis shows an overall preference for C. familiaris and B. taurus, but also H. sapiens and E. caballus in urban areas, and Ma. titillans showed more opportunistic behavior in rural areas, feeding on wild animals and G. gallus, though with an overall preference for H. sapiens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases)
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9 pages, 3149 KiB  
Article
Prevalence of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia and Candidatus Lariskella in Multiple Tick Species from Guizhou Province, China
by Miao Lu, Chao Meng, Bing Zhang, Xiao Wang, Junhua Tian, Guangpeng Tang, Wen Wang, Na Li, Mengyao Li, Xiaoyu Xu, Yue Sun, Chengyu Duan, Xincheng Qin and Kun Li
Biomolecules 2022, 12(11), 1701; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12111701 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1398
Abstract
Rickettsiales (Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Anaplasma spp., etc.) are generally recognized as potentially emerging tick-borne pathogens. However, some bacteria and areas in China remain uninvestigated. In this study, we collected 113 ticks from mammals in Guizhou Province, Southwest China, and screened [...] Read more.
Rickettsiales (Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Anaplasma spp., etc.) are generally recognized as potentially emerging tick-borne pathogens. However, some bacteria and areas in China remain uninvestigated. In this study, we collected 113 ticks from mammals in Guizhou Province, Southwest China, and screened for the Rickettsiales bacteria. Subsequently, two spotted fever group Rickettsia species and one Candidatus Lariskella sp. were detected and characterized. “Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis” was detected in Rhipicephalus microplus (1/1), Haemaphysalis flava (1/3, 33.33%), Haemaphysalis kitaokai (1/3), and Ixodes sinensis (4/101, 3.96%), whereas Rickettsia monacensis was positive in H. flava (1/3), H. kitaokai (2/3), and I. sinensis ticks (74/101, 73.27%). At least two variants/sub-genotypes were identified in the R. monacensis isolates, and the strikingly high prevalence of R. monacensis may suggest a risk of human infection. Unexpectedly, a Candidatus Lariskella sp. belonging to the family Candidatus Midichloriaceae was detected from Ixodes ovatus (1/4) and I. sinensis (10/101, 9.90%). The gltA and groEL gene sequences were successfully obtained, and they show the highest (74.63–74.89% and 73.31%) similarities to “Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii”, respectively. Herein, we name the species “Candidatus Lariskella guizhouensis”. These may be the first recovered gltA and groEL sequences of the genus Candidatus Lariskella. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases)
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Review

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19 pages, 790 KiB  
Review
Recognition of Arboviruses by the Mosquito Immune System
by Brian C. Prince, Elizabeth Walsh, Tran Zen B. Torres and Claudia Rückert
Biomolecules 2023, 13(7), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13071159 - 21 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2092
Abstract
Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) pose a significant threat to both human and animal health worldwide. These viruses are transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, or biting midges to humans or animals. In humans, arbovirus infection often results in mild flu-like symptoms, but [...] Read more.
Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) pose a significant threat to both human and animal health worldwide. These viruses are transmitted through the bites of mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, or biting midges to humans or animals. In humans, arbovirus infection often results in mild flu-like symptoms, but severe disease and death also occur. There are few vaccines available, so control efforts focus on the mosquito population and virus transmission control. One area of research that may enable the development of new strategies to control arbovirus transmission is the field of vector immunology. Arthropod vectors, such as mosquitoes, have coevolved with arboviruses, resulting in a balance of virus replication and vector immune responses. If this balance were disrupted, virus transmission would likely be reduced, either through reduced replication, or even through enhanced replication, resulting in mosquito mortality. The first step in mounting any immune response is to recognize the presence of an invading pathogen. Recent research advances have been made to tease apart the mechanisms of arbovirus detection by mosquitoes. Here, we summarize what is known about arbovirus recognition by the mosquito immune system, try to generate a comprehensive picture, and highlight where there are still gaps in our current understanding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insight into Vector Borne Diseases)
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