Mosquito-Specific Viruses: Their Role in Nature and Potential Use for Vector Control or Control of Arboviral Pathogens

Dear Colleagues,

Recent studies utilizing next-generation sequencing and metagenomics have revealed an enormous diversity of RNA viruses in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Mosquitoes are of special interest, because many are vectors of arboviral pathogens. However, viruses which are pathogenic for humans, other mammals, and birds represent only a small fraction of the total mosquito virome. Mosquitoes also carry a large number of divergent mosquito-specific viruses (MSVs) belonging to diverse virus families and orders, such as Flaviridae, Togaviridae, Bunyavirales, Reoviridae, and Rhabdoviridae. Some of these MSVs are closely related genetically with important arbovirus pathogens, raising the question of how prior infection or co-infection with MSV affects the mosquito’s vector competence if it encounters a related arbovirus pathogen, or whether MSVs could be used to reduce a mosquito’s vector competence for a related pathogen and thus control certain arboviral diseases. Further, what other effects do MSVs have on a vector’s behavior, longevity, fecundity, and resistance/susceptibility to mosquito pathogens? These are important questions.

Unfortunately, most of the recently described MSVs are known only as a sequence or partial genetic sequence. Sequence data obtained in metagenomic studies can be used for genetic and phylogenetic analyses, allowing taxonomic placement (classification) of a new agent, and they can provide insight into virus diversity and evolution; but such data provide little or no information on the biological or phenotypic properties of the virus. To obtain the latter type of information, one generally needs an actual virus isolate that can be tested in experimental laboratory studies to determine the MSV’s growth characteristics and its effect on the mosquito host, including pathogenesis, increased susceptibility to or protection against mosquito pathogens, and potential effects on the insect’s vector competence for specific arboviral pathogens.

In this Special Issue, we encourage the submission of reports on the isolation and characterization of novel MSVs, of results of experimental studies of the MSV’s growth characteristics in various cell lines and mosquito species, as well as the MSV’s pathogenesis or protective effect on a given mosquito host, and its effects on the behavior and the vector competence of the insect.

Dr. Nikolaos Vasilakis
Dr. Robert Tesh
Guest Editors

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