Browsing by Author "Bonizzoni, Mariangela"

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    Improved reference genome of the arboviral vector Aedes albopictus
    Palatini, Umberto; Masri, Reem A.; Cosme, Luciano V.; Koren, Sergey; Thibaud-Nissen, Françoise; Biedler, James K.; Krsticevic, Flavia; Johnston, J. Spencer; Halbach, Rebecca; Crawford, Jacob E.; Antoshechkin, Igor; Failloux, Anna-Bella; Pischedda, Elisa; Marconcini, Michele; Ghurye, Jay; Rhie, Arang; Sharma, Atashi; Karagodin, Dmitriy A.; Jenrette, Jeremy; Gamez, Stephanie; Miesen, Pascal; Masterson, Patrick; Caccone, Adalgisa; Sharakhova, Maria V.; Tu, Zhijian Jake; Papathanos, Philippos A.; Van Rij, Ronald P.; Akbari, Omar S.; Powell, Jeffrey R.; Phillippy, Adam M.; Bonizzoni, Mariangela (2020-08-26)
    Background The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is globally expanding and has become the main vector for human arboviruses in Europe. With limited antiviral drugs and vaccines available, vector control is the primary approach to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. A reliable and accurate DNA sequence of the Ae. albopictus genome is essential to develop new approaches that involve genetic manipulation of mosquitoes. Results We use long-read sequencing methods and modern scaffolding techniques (PacBio, 10X, and Hi-C) to produce AalbF2, a dramatically improved assembly of the Ae. albopictus genome. AalbF2 reveals widespread viral insertions, novel microRNAs and piRNA clusters, the sex-determining locus, and new immunity genes, and enables genome-wide studies of geographically diverse Ae. albopictus populations and analyses of the developmental and stage-dependent network of expression data. Additionally, we build the first physical map for this species with 75% of the assembled genome anchored to the chromosomes. Conclusions The AalbF2 genome assembly represents the most up-to-date collective knowledge of the Ae. albopictus genome. These resources represent a foundation to improve understanding of the adaptation potential and the epidemiological relevance of this species and foster the development of innovative control measures.
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    Thermal biology of invasive Aedes mosquitoes in the context of climate change
    Lahondère, Chloé; Bonizzoni, Mariangela (Elsevier, 2022-06)
    The increasing incidence of arboviral diseases in tropical endemic areas and their emergence in new temperate countries is one of the most important challenges that Public Health agencies are currently facing. Because mosquitoes are poikilotherms, shifts in temperature influence physiological functions besides egg viability. These traits impact not only vector density, but also their interaction with their hosts and arboviruses. As such the relationship among mosquitoes, arboviral diseases and temperature is complex. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the thermal biology of Aedes invasive mosquitoes, highlighting differences among species. We also emphasize the need to expand knowledge on the variability in thermal sensitivity across populations within a species, especially in light of climate change that encompasses increase not only in mean environmental temperature but also in the frequency of hot and cold snaps. Finally, we suggest a novel experimental approach to investigate the molecular architecture of thermal adaptation in mosquitoes.