Joint PIs

Vector borne diseases are caused by pathogens that are transmitted to people by blood-sucking arthropods. These diseases account for 17% of the estimated global burden of all infectious diseases. No vaccines are currently available for most of mosquito and tick borne diseases, and the toolbox for controlling these diseases is limited. Both mosquitoes and ticks harbor multiple commensal bacteria that play important roles in vector development, reproduction, and vector competence. Our team focuses on investigating the tripartite interactions between vectors (mosquitoes, ticks), microbiota and pathogens (parasites and viruses). Understanding how commensal bacteria participate vector metabolism and influence development and function of vectors’ immune system will allow us to develop novel and innovative control strategies aimed at reducing insect populations and/or vector competence.

1. Wang J*, Gao L, Aksoy S. Microbiota in disease-transmitting vectors. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023 May 22.
   

2. Song X, Zhong Z, Gao L, Weiss BL, Wang J*. Metabolic interactions between disease-transmitting vectors and their microbiota. Trends Parasitol. 2022 Aug;38(8):697-708. 
   

3. Feng Y, Peng Y, Song X, Wen H, An Y, Tang H*, Wang J*. Anopheline mosquitoes are protected against parasite infection by tryptophan catabolism in gut microbiota. Nat Microbiol. 2022 May;7(5):707-715 . 
   

4. Xu Y, Zhong Z, Ren Y, Ma L, Ye Z, Gao C, Wang J*, Li Y*. Antiviral RNA interference in disease vector (Asian longhorned) ticks. PLoS Pathog. 2021 Dec 3;17(12):e1010119. 
   

5. Zhong Z, Zhong T, Peng Y, Zhou X, Wang Z, Tang H, Wang J*. Symbiont-regulated serotonin biosynthesis modulates tick feeding activity. Cell Host Microbe. 2021 Oct 13;29(10):1545-1557.e4.

6. Wang M, An Y, Gao L, Dong S, Zhou X, Feng Y, Wang P, Dimopoulos G, Tang H*, Wang J*. Glucose-mediated proliferation of a gut commensal bacterium promotes Plasmodium infection by increasing mosquito midgut pH. Cell Rep. 2021 Apr 20;35(3):108992. 
   

7. Feng Y, Chen L, Gao L, Dong L, Wen H, Song X, Luo F, Cheng G*, Wang J*. Rapamycin inhibits pathogen transmission in mosquitoes by promoting immune activation. PLoS Pathog. 2021 Feb 24;17(2):e1009353.

8. Song X, Wang M, Dong L, Zhu H, Wang J*. PGRP-LD mediates A. stephensi vector competency by regulating homeostasis of microbiota-induced peritrophic matrix synthesis. PLoS Pathog. 2018 Feb 28;14(2):e1006899.