Thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector Anopheles stephensi
Abstract The distribution and abundance of ectothermic mosquitoes are strongly affected by temperature, but mechanisms remain unexplored. We describe the effect of temperature on the transcriptome of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive vector of human malaria. Adult females were maintained across a ran...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07477-2 |
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| author | Ashutosh K. Pathak Shannon Quek Ritu Sharma Justine C. Shiau Matthew B. Thomas Grant L. Hughes Courtney C. Murdock |
| author_facet | Ashutosh K. Pathak Shannon Quek Ritu Sharma Justine C. Shiau Matthew B. Thomas Grant L. Hughes Courtney C. Murdock |
| author_sort | Ashutosh K. Pathak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The distribution and abundance of ectothermic mosquitoes are strongly affected by temperature, but mechanisms remain unexplored. We describe the effect of temperature on the transcriptome of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive vector of human malaria. Adult females were maintained across a range of mean temperatures (20 °C, 24 °C and 28 °C), with daily fluctuations of +5 °C and −4 °C at each mean temperature. Transcriptomes were described up to 19 days post-blood meal. Of the >3100 differentially expressed genes, we observed shared temporal expression profiles across all temperatures, suggesting their indispensability to mosquito life history. Tolerance to 20 and 28 ( + 5°C/−4°C) was associated with larger and more diverse transcriptomes compared to 24 ( + 5 °C/−4 °C). Finally, we identified two distinct trends in gene expression in response to blood meal ingestion, oxidative stress, and reproduction. Our work has implications for mosquitoes’ response to thermal variation, mosquito immune-physiology, mosquito-malaria interactions and the development of vector control tools. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f6c0439ec21b429aa489af60304b3d87 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-f6c0439ec21b429aa489af60304b3d872025-01-26T12:48:20ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422025-01-018111410.1038/s42003-025-07477-2Thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector Anopheles stephensiAshutosh K. Pathak0Shannon Quek1Ritu Sharma2Justine C. Shiau3Matthew B. Thomas4Grant L. Hughes5Courtney C. Murdock6Department of Infectious Diseases, University of GeorgiaDepartments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease, Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineCenter for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of GeorgiaDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University of GeorgiaDepartment of Entomology & Nematology, Invasion Science Research Institute, University of FloridaDepartments of Vector Biology and Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease, Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University of GeorgiaAbstract The distribution and abundance of ectothermic mosquitoes are strongly affected by temperature, but mechanisms remain unexplored. We describe the effect of temperature on the transcriptome of Anopheles stephensi, an invasive vector of human malaria. Adult females were maintained across a range of mean temperatures (20 °C, 24 °C and 28 °C), with daily fluctuations of +5 °C and −4 °C at each mean temperature. Transcriptomes were described up to 19 days post-blood meal. Of the >3100 differentially expressed genes, we observed shared temporal expression profiles across all temperatures, suggesting their indispensability to mosquito life history. Tolerance to 20 and 28 ( + 5°C/−4°C) was associated with larger and more diverse transcriptomes compared to 24 ( + 5 °C/−4 °C). Finally, we identified two distinct trends in gene expression in response to blood meal ingestion, oxidative stress, and reproduction. Our work has implications for mosquitoes’ response to thermal variation, mosquito immune-physiology, mosquito-malaria interactions and the development of vector control tools.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07477-2 |
| spellingShingle | Ashutosh K. Pathak Shannon Quek Ritu Sharma Justine C. Shiau Matthew B. Thomas Grant L. Hughes Courtney C. Murdock Thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector Anopheles stephensi Communications Biology |
| title | Thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector Anopheles stephensi |
| title_full | Thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector Anopheles stephensi |
| title_fullStr | Thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector Anopheles stephensi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector Anopheles stephensi |
| title_short | Thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector Anopheles stephensi |
| title_sort | thermal variation influences the transcriptome of the major malaria vector anopheles stephensi |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07477-2 |
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