Dec 21, 2021
Research on the Wolbachia bacteria is applied to the malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquito, with exciting implications for vector control.
Transcript
New tools are needed to control
the Anopheles mosquito, the vector of malaria.
Bacteria called Wolbachia might be the answer.
Although Aedes mosquitoes do not naturally
carry Wolbachia, when the bacteria were introduced
from other sources, they could no longer transmit pathogenic
viruses, like dengue. Harnessing this technology to control vector
populations is now being applied to the
malaria-transmitting Anopheles mosquito. New
research has shown that ‘cytoplasmic
incompatibility’ [CI] can be induced
in Anopheles by expressing
the Wolbachia cifB gene in male
mosquitoes, and that this lethality can be reversed by expression
of the cifA gene. In
other words, when male mosquitoes mate with
females that do not carry the bacteria, they cannot produce
offspring. Knowing this will help pave the way for
the use of Wolbachia to control malaria
mosquitoes in the field.
Source
Wolbachia cifB
induces cytoplasmic incompatibility in the malaria mosquito
vector
About The Podcast
The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and share with the global community.