Identification of bacterial isolates and communities that influence male life history traits and mating success among genetically diverse Ae. aegypti mosquitoes

/Abstract Mosquito population control is a primary means to prevent mosquito-borne disease worldwide, and many novel approaches to population control involve traditional or modified versions of Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). One thing these methods all have in common is the need to rear healthy adult male mosquitoes en masse. These males are then released to mate with wild females, which they sterilize and prevent from producing offspring, thus causing a decline in mosquito population size. Males used for SIT must be able to compete for mates in a field setting for the method to be successful. Moreover, modifications to rearing that improve mass production of males, increase their competitive ability, or increase the duration of their field efficacy, will improve the success and reduce the cost of these programs. The microbes found in larval development water and within the mosquito body have been shown to impact multiple traits that are relevant to SIT and mass rearing, including pupation time and body size. Here, we propose to comprehensively determine the impact of the microbiota on adult male life history traits relevant to the success of SIT. We will experimentally colonize mosquitoes with multiple candidate bacterial communities and determine the impact of different communities on male longevity, flight capacity, mating success, sperm quantity, and ability to induce refractoriness to re-mating in female mosquitoes. Additionally, we will assess the impacts of these colonies on male traits in semi-field conditions We will also assess the impact of the microbiota on male life history traits across a genetically differentiated group of mosquito strains. Finally, we will assess the role of B vitamins as a mechanistic determinant of male mosquito-microbe interactions. This work will reveal, for the first time, the comprehensive impact of the microbiota on traits relevant to the success of SIT. Additionally, it has the potential to reveal specific bacterial treatments that could be used to improve male quality in mass rearing operations and the extent to which effects of the microbiota may differ depending on mosquito genetic background. Each component of the proposal is critical to understanding mosquito-microbe interactions in male mosquitoes and will provide key foundational knowledge as well as potentially actionable findings to improve the success of SIT. Project Number: 1R01AI189572-01A1 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) | Principal Investigator: Sarah Short | Institution: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, Columbus, OH | Award Amount: $525,789 | Activity Code: R01 | Study Section: Transmission of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Study Section [TVZ] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/1R01AI18957201A1