Genome Sequence of the Asian Tiger Mosquito, Aedes Albopictus, Reveals Insights into Its Biology, Genetics, and Evolution

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 2015 Oct 21

PMID 26483478

Citations 143

Authors

Xiao-Guang Chen

Xuanting Jiang

Jinbao Gu

Meng Xu

Yang Wu

Yuhua Deng

Chi Zhang

Mariangela Bonizzoni

Wannes Dermauw

John Vontas

Peter Armbruster

Xin Huang

Yulan Yang

Hao Zhang

Weiming He

Hongjuan Peng

Yongfeng Liu

Kun Wu

Jiahua Chen

Manolis Lirakis

Pantelis Topalis

Thomas Van Leeuwen

Andrew Brantley Hall

Xiaofang Jiang

Chevon Thorpe

Rachel Lockridge Mueller

Cheng Sun

Robert Michael Waterhouse

Guiyun Yan

Zhijian Jake Tu

Xiaodong Fang

Anthony A James

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a highly successful invasive species that transmits a number of human viral diseases, including dengue and Chikungunya fevers. This species has a large genome with significant population-based size variation. The complete genome sequence was determined for the Foshan strain, an established laboratory colony derived from wild mosquitoes from southeastern China, a region within the historical range of the origin of the species. The genome comprises 1,967 Mb, the largest mosquito genome sequenced to date, and its size results principally from an abundance of repetitive DNA classes. In addition, expansions of the numbers of members in gene families involved in insecticide-resistance mechanisms, diapause, sex determination, immunity, and olfaction also contribute to the larger size. Portions of integrated flavivirus-like genomes support a shared evolutionary history of association of these viruses with their vector. The large genome repertory may contribute to the adaptability and success of Ae. albopictus as an invasive species.

Citing Articles

Prolonged exposure to heat enhances mosquito tolerance to viral infection.

Perdomo H, Khorramnejad A, Cham N, Kropf A, Sogliani D, Bonizzoni M Commun Biol. 2025; 8(1):168.

PMID: 39901025 PMC: 11790978. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-07617-8.

The mosquito evolves two types of prophenoloxidases with diversified functions.

Zhu X, Zhang L, Jiang L, Chen H, Tang Y, Yang X Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025; 122(3):e2413131122.

PMID: 39808654 PMC: 11761970. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2413131122.

Insecticide resistance in the field populations of the Asian tiger mosquito in Beijing: resistance status and associated detoxification genes.

Zhou X, Li J, Ni R, Qiu X, Zhang Y, Tong Y Front Physiol. 2025; 15:1498313.

PMID: 39744704 PMC: 11688286. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1498313.

Divergence in Regulatory Regions and Gene Duplications May Underlie Chronobiological Adaptation in Desert Tortoises.

Mellor N, Webster T, Byrne H, Williams A, Edwards T, DeNardo D Mol Ecol. 2024; 34(2):e17600.

PMID: 39624910 PMC: 11774117. DOI: 10.1111/mec.17600.

The molecular toll pathway repertoire in anopheline mosquitoes.

Rhodes V, Waterhouse R, Michel K Dev Comp Immunol. 2024; 162():105287.

PMID: 39522894 PMC: 11717629. DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2024.105287.

References

Bonizzoni M, Dunn W, Campbell C, Olson K, Marinotti O, James A . Complex modulation of the Aedes aegypti transcriptome in response to dengue virus infection. PLoS One. 2012; 7(11):e50512. PMC: 3507784. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050512. View

Xia Y, Zwiebel L . Identification and characterization of an odorant receptor from the West Nile virus mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2006; 36(3):169-76. PMC: 3100213. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2005.12.003. View

De Bie T, Cristianini N, Demuth J, Hahn M . CAFE: a computational tool for the study of gene family evolution. Bioinformatics. 2006; 22(10):1269-71. DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btl097. View

Fox A, Pitts R, Zwiebel L . A cluster of candidate odorant receptors from the malaria vector mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Chem Senses. 2002; 27(5):453-9. DOI: 10.1093/chemse/27.5.453. View

Pelletier J, Leal W . Genome analysis and expression patterns of odorant-binding proteins from the Southern House mosquito Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus. PLoS One. 2009; 4(7):e6237. PMC: 2707629. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006237. View

Petrov D . Mutational equilibrium model of genome size evolution. Theor Popul Biol. 2002; 61(4):531-44. DOI: 10.1006/tpbi.2002.1605. View

Barron M, Fiston-Lavier A, Petrov D, Gonzalez J . Population genomics of transposable elements in Drosophila. Annu Rev Genet. 2014; 48:561-81. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-120213-092359. View

Pietrobelli M . Importance of Aedes albopictus in veterinary medicine. Parassitologia. 2008; 50(1-2):113-5. View

Rizzo F, Cerutti F, Ballardini M, Mosca A, Vitale N, Radaelli M . Molecular characterization of flaviviruses from field-collected mosquitoes in northwestern Italy, 2011-2012. Parasit Vectors. 2014; 7:395. PMC: 4150984. DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-395. View

10.

Vogt R, Grosse-Wilde E, Zhou J . The Lepidoptera Odorant Binding Protein gene family: Gene gain and loss within the GOBP/PBP complex of moths and butterflies. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 2015; 62:142-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2015.03.003. View

11.

McClelland K, Bowles J, Koopman P . Male sex determination: insights into molecular mechanisms. Asian J Androl. 2011; 14(1):164-71. PMC: 3735148. DOI: 10.1038/aja.2011.169. View

12.

Roiz D, Vazquez A, Sanchez Seco M, Tenorio A, Rizzoli A . Detection of novel insect flavivirus sequences integrated in Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Northern Italy. Virol J. 2009; 6:93. PMC: 2714537. DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-6-93. View

13.

Boetzer M, Henkel C, Jansen H, Butler D, Pirovano W . Scaffolding pre-assembled contigs using SSPACE. Bioinformatics. 2010; 27(4):578-9. DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btq683. View

14.

Sun C, Shepard D, Chong R, Lopez Arriaza J, Hall K, Castoe T . LTR retrotransposons contribute to genomic gigantism in plethodontid salamanders. Genome Biol Evol. 2011; 4(2):168-83. PMC: 3318908. DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evr139. View

15.

Poupardin R, Srisukontarat W, Yunta C, Ranson H . Identification of carboxylesterase genes implicated in temephos resistance in the dengue vector Aedes aegypti. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014; 8(3):e2743. PMC: 3961196. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002743. View

16.

Arensburger P, Megy K, Waterhouse R, Abrudan J, Amedeo P, Antelo B . Sequencing of Culex quinquefasciatus establishes a platform for mosquito comparative genomics. Science. 2010; 330(6000):86-8. PMC: 3740384. DOI: 10.1126/science.1191864. View

17.

Bartholomay L, Waterhouse R, Mayhew G, Campbell C, Michel K, Zou Z . Pathogenomics of Culex quinquefasciatus and meta-analysis of infection responses to diverse pathogens. Science. 2010; 330(6000):88-90. PMC: 3104938. DOI: 10.1126/science.1193162. View

18.

Nene V, Wortman J, Lawson D, Haas B, Kodira C, Tu Z . Genome sequence of Aedes aegypti, a major arbovirus vector. Science. 2007; 316(5832):1718-23. PMC: 2868357. DOI: 10.1126/science.1138878. View

19.

Graham L, Davies P . The odorant-binding proteins of Drosophila melanogaster: annotation and characterization of a divergent gene family. Gene. 2002; 292(1-2):43-55. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1119(02)00672-8. View

20.

Poelchau M, Reynolds J, Elsik C, Denlinger D, Armbruster P . RNA-Seq reveals early distinctions and late convergence of gene expression between diapause and quiescence in the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. J Exp Biol. 2013; 216(Pt 21):4082-90. PMC: 3797908. DOI: 10.1242/jeb.089508. View