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Selection of a strain of Culex tarsalis highly resistant to infection following ingestion of western equine encephalomyelitis virus.
Abstract: After prolonged selection, two hybrid strains of Culex tarsalis were evolved that were highly resistant to infection following ingestion of western equine encephalomyelitis virus. These strains were greater than 25,000-fold more resistant than the most susceptible parental strain when fed on viremic chicks. Resistance was associated with a mesenteronal barrier since both refractory and parental strains were equally susceptible to infection by intrathoracic inoculation. Susceptibility was dominant, possibly incompletely dominant, over resistance. Inheritance was probably polyfactorial but this could not be determined with certainty since a small proportion of individuals appeared to become infected by nongenetic mechanisms.
Publication Date: 1978-03-01 PubMed ID: 646024DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.1978.27.313Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research has successfully evolved two hybrid strains of Culex tarsalis that show high resistance to infection from the western equine encephalomyelitis virus, after being fed to viremic chicks. The resistance in these strains occurs due to a barrier in the mesenteron.
Research Methodology and Findings
- The researchers undertook a prolonged selection process to evolve two hybrid strains of Culex tarsalis (a species of mosquitoes) that were resistant to the western equine encephalomyelitis virus.
- Post evolution, these strains were found to be more than 25,000 times resistant than the most susceptible parental strain when fed on viremic chicks.
- The research revealed that the resistance was associated with a barrier in the mesenteron, a part of the insect’s digestive system.
Mode of Infection
- Interestingly, both refractory (resistant) and parental strains demonstrated equal susceptibility to infection via intrathoracic inoculation, a method where the virus is directly introduced into the thorax of the mosquitoes.
Inheritance and Dominance Pattern
- The research revealed an intriguing pattern, where susceptibility was dominant, and possibly incompletely dominant over resistance.
- Research suggested that the inheritance pattern was probably polyfactorial – where multiple factors or genes could be influencing the trait.
Alternative Infection Mechanisms
- Researchers perceived that a small proportion of individuals were infected through non-genetic mechanisms, indicating that non-heritable factors may have been influencing the outcomes.
Cite This Article
APA
Hardy JL, Apperson G, Asman SM, Reeves WC.
(1978).
Selection of a strain of Culex tarsalis highly resistant to infection following ingestion of western equine encephalomyelitis virus.
Am J Trop Med Hyg, 27(2 Pt 1), 313-321.
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1978.27.313 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Culex / microbiology
- Encephalitis Virus, Western Equine / pathogenicity
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / microbiology
- Species Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Suh E, Huntley N, van Warmerdam T, Spychalla JP, Nejat N, Rasgon JL. Hologenomic structure of bacterial and fungal community composition in the West Nile virus vector Culex tarsalis. bioRxiv 2025 Sep 2;.
- Xia S, Baskett ML, Powell JR. Quantifying the efficacy of genetic shifting in control of mosquito-borne diseases. Evol Appl 2019 Sep;12(8):1552-1568.
- Nasar F, Haddow AD, Tesh RB, Weaver SC. Eilat virus displays a narrow mosquito vector range. Parasit Vectors 2014 Dec 17;7:595.
- Neira MV, Mahmood F, Reisen WK, James CB, Romoser WS. Comparative Study of the Pathological Effects of Western Equine Encephalomyelitis Virus in Four Strains of Culex tarsalis Coquillett (Diptera: Culicidae). Front Public Health 2014;2:184.
- Powell JR, Tabachnick WJ. Genetic shifting: a novel approach for controlling vector-borne diseases. Trends Parasitol 2014 Jun;30(6):282-8.
- Tabachnick WJ. Nature, nurture and evolution of intra-species variation in mosquito arbovirus transmission competence. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2013 Jan 11;10(1):249-77.
- Oviedo MV, Romoser WS, James CB, Mahmood F, Reisen WK. Infection dynamics of western equine encephalomyelitis virus (Togaviridae: Alphavirus) in four strains of Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae): an immunocytochemical study. Res Rep Trop Med 2011 Apr 18;2011(2):65-77.
- Gooding RH. Genetic variation in arthropod vectors of disease-causing organisms: obstacles and opportunities. Clin Microbiol Rev 1996 Jul;9(3):301-20.
- Bang FB. Genetics of resistance of animals to viruses: I. Introduction and studies in mice. Adv Virus Res 1978;23:269-348.
- Monath TP. Arthropod-borne encephalitides in the Americas. Bull World Health Organ 1979;57(4):513-33.
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