Journal of Mosquito Research 2024, Vol.14, No.3, 124-134 http://emtoscipublisher.com/index.php/jmr 129 Figure 3 Histology of Wolbachiainfection in the Aedes aegypti wAlbB2-F4 strain (Adopted from Hugo et al., 2022) Image caption: Wolbachia infection was observed across mosquito organs/tissue types by immunofluorescence analysis (IFA) using a rabbit polyclonal antibody against the Wolbachia surface protein (WSP) as the primary antibody and Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated donkey anti-rabbit antibody as the secondary antibody. DNA was stained using DAPI. (A) Example of whole body section showing IFA staining. (B-E) High resolution images of Wolbachia staining in oocytes, midgut, salivary gland and heads, respectively. (F) Quantification of Wolbachia staining density. Staining areas were quantified by image analysis and expressed as a ratio of Wolbachia staining over DAPI staining for each organ/tissue. The median staining densities differed significantly between groups (Kruskal-Wallis statistic = 95.37, N = 124). P values are reported for comparisons where medians differed significantly by Dunn’s multiple comparison test (α = 0.05, 21 comparisons). Green, Wolbachia,. Blue DNA. h, head. f.m., flight muscles. m, midgut. o, ovary. ooc, oocyte. p, proboscis. s.g., salivary glands. t.g., thoracic ganglia. Scale bars: A: 1.00 mm, B, D: 0.10 mm. C, E: 0.25 mm (Adapted from Hugo et al., 2022) Moreover, the reduction in mosquito populations could lead to competitive release, where other mosquito species or insects might fill the ecological niche left vacant by the targeted species. This phenomenon has been observed in previous mosquito control interventions, where the identity and relative abundance of species in the ecosystem changed, but the overall biomass available to predators remained relatively constant (Selvaraj et al., 2020). Therefore, while the ecological consequences of genetic control techniques are complex, they may not necessarily lead to drastic disruptions in local ecosystems. 5.2 Evolutionary implications The evolutionary implications of genetic control techniques are profound and multifaceted. One of the key concerns is the potential for resistance development. For example, the use of homing endonuclease genes (HEGs) in Anopheles mosquitoes can drive introduced traits through a population rapidly, even if they reduce fitness. However, the interaction between ecological factors and genetic properties can influence the outcomes, such as population suppression or the loss of the HEG. This highlights the importance of considering evolutionary dynamics when deploying genetic control strategies. Additionally, the high genetic diversity observed in natural mosquito populations, such as Anopheles gambiae, poses a challenge for the design and implementation of gene-drive systems. The presence of numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms and complex population
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