Multi-kingdom microbial diversity and interaction landscapes in mosquitoes revealed by 5,163 individual meta-transcriptomes
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Mosquitoes are pathogen vectors embedded within diverse microbial ecosystems. However, the nature and interactions among their multi-kingdom microbiome remain poorly understood. We conducted a nationwide single-mosquito meta-transcriptomic survey of 5,163 mosquitoes representing 100 species across China, integrating viral discovery with marker-gene profiling of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other eukaryotic microbes. From this, we identified 1,606 microbial species-level taxa, including extensive novel diversity, and revealed pronounced host species– specific organization of mosquito-associated communities. We detected 34 pathogens or potential pathogens of human or animal relevance, whose prevalence, abundance, host range, and geographic distribution defined distinct epidemiological patterns. Network analysis uncovered pervasive cross-kingdom microbial associations, including candidate antiviral relationships involving Wolbachia and other microbial taxa. Our study establishes a detailed view of the full-spectrum microbiome and provides a resource and conceptual framework for studying vector competence, pathogen emergence, and microbiome-informed mosquito-borne disease control.
Authors: Qin-Yu Gou, Wei-Chen Wu, Pei-Bo Shi, Geng-Yan Luo, Yuan-Fei Pan, Jing Wang, Yan Gao, Kai-Jie Liu, Hai-Long Zhao, Yun Feng, Kun Li, Wei-Hong Yang, De Wu, Shi-Jia Le, Gen-Yang Xin, Min-Wu Peng, Yu-Qi Liao, Chun-Hui Yang, Shi-Qiang Mei, Jia-Ming Huang, Jin-Xia Cheng, Xin Hou, Jian-Bin Kong, Xin-Xin Chen, Bing Zhang, Zi-Rui Ren, Jun-Hua Li, Xin Jin, Juan Wang, Tong-Qing An, Xin-Yi Huang, Jie Cui, John-Sebastian Eden, Gong Cheng, De-Yin Guo, Guo-Dong Liang, Edward C. Holmes, Zi-Qing Deng, Mang Shi, Da-Xi Wang
Institutions: Sun Yat-sen University, BGI Group (China), Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, BGI Research, Yunnan Institute of Endemic Diseases Control and Prevention, Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xinjiang Medical University, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Fudan University, Huashan Hospital, The University of Sydney, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Peking University, Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Guangzhou Laboratory, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention
Language: English
Subfield: Insect Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7208788068