부산대학교 도서관

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) transmitted by Aedes aegyptimosquitoes are an increasing threat to global health. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) pathway is considered the main antiviral immune pathway of insects, but its effective impact on arbovirus transmission is surprisingly poorly understood. Here, we use CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing in vivoto mutate Dicer2, a gene encoding the RNA sensor and key component of the siRNA pathway. The loss of Dicer2enhances early viral replication and systemic viral dissemination of four medically significant arboviruses (chikungunya, Mayaro, dengue, and Zika viruses) representing two viral families. However, Dicer2mutants and wild-type mosquitoes display overall similar levels of vector competence. In addition, Dicer2mutants undergo significant virus-induced mortality during infection with chikungunya virus. Together, our results define a multifaceted role for Dicer2in the transmission of arboviruses by Ae. aegyptimosquitoes and pave the way for further mechanistic investigations.