UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Evidence of natural Wolbachia infections in field populations of Anopheles gambiae

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.1038/ncomms4985

Authors

Francesco Baldini · Nicola Segata · Julien Pompon · Perrine Marcenac · W. Robert Shaw · Roch K. Dabiré · Abdoulaye Diabaté · Elena A. Levashina · Flaminia Catteruccia

Reported year

2014

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:19:23.174021+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:19:23.174021+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Architecture et Réactivité de l'arN · Centre Muraz · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Harvard University · Imperial College London · Inserm · Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire · Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé · Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology · Modèles Insectes de l'Immunité Innée · University of Perugia · University of Trento · Université de Strasbourg

Documentary abstract — original language

Wolbachia are maternally transmitted intracellular bacteria that invade insect populations by manipulating their reproduction and immunity and thus limiting the spread of numerous human pathogens. Experimental Wolbachia infections can reduce Plasmodium numbers in Anopheles mosquitoes in the laboratory, however, natural Wolbachia infections in field anophelines have never been reported. Here we show evidence of Wolbachia infections in Anopheles gambiae in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene identified Wolbachia sequences in both female and male germlines across two seasons, and determined that these sequences are vertically transmitted from mother to offspring. Whole-genome sequencing of positive samples suggests that the genetic material identified in An. gambiae belongs to a novel Wolbachia strain, related to but distinct from strains infecting other arthropods. The evidence of Wolbachia infections in natural Anopheles populations promotes further investigations on the possible use of natural Wolbachia–Anopheles associations to limit malaria transmission. Wolbachia bacteria live within the cells of many insect species, manipulating their hosts’ reproduction and immune responses. Here, the authors show that these microbes also infect wild populations of malaria-spreading Anopheles mosquitoes, supporting a potential use of Wolbachiato limit malaria transmission.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W2120018750

DOI

10.1038/ncomms4985

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Natural entities mentioned

Species

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4985
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W2120018750

Documented bibliographic relations

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Documentary status

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