Meeting Abstract
Mosquitoes are infamous for their role as the most significant vector for infectious diseases that affect human health. They transmit pathogens such as those that cause dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever, and zika fever. Their ability to transmit pathogens and propagate viral genes has been shown to be influenced by the diversity of their microbiota (communities of bacteria, viruses, and fungi). One bacterium in particular, Wolbachia, has been shown to inhibit the ability to transmit dengue. In order to gain insight on their ecological and evolutionary relationships, we investigated how mosquitoes and their inhabitants vary across species and habitats. This is especially important in zones where medically important pathogens are endemic, such as areas of recent dengue and zika outbreaks in Hawaii. We collected hundreds of mosquitoes along an environmental gradient on the Big Island of Hawaii, from which about a dozen mosquitoes were chosen for analysis. These representatives were homogenized and their total RNA extracted and microbiomes characterized using Next-generation sequencing by Miseq. By randomly fragmenting and amplifying the contents of the homogenized sample, we were able to create a snapshot of the communities within each mosquito and further elucidate relevant microbial interactions.
