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  • Review Article
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Microbiota in disease-transmitting vectors

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 21, pages 604–618 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Haematophagous arthropods, including mosquitoes, ticks, flies, triatomine bugs and lice (here referred to as vectors), are involved in the transmission of various pathogens to mammals on whom they blood feed. The diseases caused by these pathogens, collectively known as vector-borne diseases (VBDs), threaten the health of humans and animals. Although the vector arthropods differ in life histories, feeding behaviour as well as reproductive strategies, they all harbour symbiotic microorganisms, known as microbiota, on which they depend for completing essential aspects of their biology, such as development and reproduction. In this Review, we summarize the shared and unique key features of the symbiotic associations that have been characterized in the major vector taxa. We discuss the crosstalks between microbiota and their arthropod hosts that influence vector metabolism and immune responses relevant for pathogen transmission success, known as vector competence. Finally, we highlight how current knowledge on symbiotic associations is being explored to develop non-chemical-based alternative control methods that aim to reduce vector populations, or reduce vector competence. We conclude by highlighting the remaining knowledge gaps that stand to advance basic and translational aspects of vector–microbiota interactions.

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Fig. 1: Tissue distribution of microbiota in vectors.
Fig. 2: The influence of vector–microbiota metabolic interactions on vector competence.
Fig. 3: The influence of vector–microbiota immune interactions on pathogen infections.
Fig. 4: The application of microbiota for vector control.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1902211) and Science and Technology Leading Team from Inner Mongolia, China (2022SLJRC0023) to J.W.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China

    Jingwen Wang & Li Gao

  2. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China

    Jingwen Wang & Li Gao

  3. Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Serap Aksoy

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J.W. and L.G. researched data for the article. J.W. and S.A. contributed substantially to discussion of the content. All authors wrote the article. J.W. and S.A. reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission.

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Wang, J., Gao, L. & Aksoy, S. Microbiota in disease-transmitting vectors. Nat Rev Microbiol 21, 604–618 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-023-00901-6

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