Bacterial Community Structure and Diversity of Common Mosquito Species in Chengdu: Insights from PacBio Third-Generation
Abstract
Mosquitoes, as critical vectors of diseases such as Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever, and yellow fever, pose significant public health risks in Chengdu, a subtropical city in southwestern China. This study integrated ecological surveillance and PacBio third-generation sequencing to characterize the symbiotic microbiota of four dominant mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Armigeres subalbatus) across urban and rural habitats. From 2020 to 2024, mosquito density monitoring revealed spatial heterogeneity(Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Anopheles sinensis), with outer ring areas exhibiting the highest density (34.69 mosquitoes per trap), while central urban zones had the lowest (3.60). Sequencing identified 717 high-quality Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs), with Aedes albopictus harboring the most unique bacterial species (191). Beta diversity analysis demonstrated distinct microbial clustering among species, driven by Pseudomonadota dominance (54.27–93.89%) and variations in secondary phyla (Bacteroidota, Campylobacterota). Functional prediction via KEGG highlighted elevated human disease-associated pathways in Ae. albopictus, contrasting with reduced environmental adaptation activity. Notably, Wolbachia (clade B) and Klebsiella variicola exhibited species-specific abundance patterns, underscoring their roles in pathogen suppression and public health risks. Unclassified taxa (norank_d Bacteria, Candidatus_Hydrogenedentes) clustered near novel mosquito-associated spirochetes, suggesting underexplored functional microbiota. This study provides foundational data for understanding mosquito-microbe interactions and informs strategies for mitigating vector-borne disease.
Author Summary
Mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis pose severe public health risks in subtropical regions, yet critical gaps remain in understanding how mosquito-associated microbes influence disease transmission in under-resourced areas. Chengdu, a megacity in southwestern China, faces unique challenges due to rapid urbanization, climatic suitability for mosquito proliferation, and disparities in public health infrastructure compared to eastern coastal regions. This study integrates five years of ecological surveillance (2020–2024) and PacBio third-generation sequencing to map mosquito density patterns and characterize symbiotic bacterial communities in four dominant mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Armigeres subalbatus).
Key findings reveal stark spatial heterogeneity in mosquito density, with rural outer-ring areas harboring 10-fold higher densities (34.69 mosquitoes/trap) than urban centers. Notably, Aedes albopictus exhibited the highest diversity of unique symbiotic bacteria (191 species), including Wolbachia (clade B), known to suppress arboviruses like dengue. Conversely, Armigeres subalbatus carried high abundances of Klebsiella variicola, an emerging human pathogen linked to severe infections. Functional analyses further highlighted elevated human disease-associated pathways in Ae. albopictus, underscoring its dual role as a disease vector and microbial reservoir.
This work provides the first comprehensive baseline data on mosquito-microbe interactions in Chengdu, identifying actionable targets for biocontrol (e.g., leveraging Wolbachia) and early-warning systems for pathogen surveillance. By bridging ecological, molecular, and public health perspectives, our findings offer critical insights for mitigating neglected tropical diseases in subtropical regions where socioeconomic disparities intersect with high disease burdens.
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