Gut microbiota profiles as potential indicators of irradiation-induced quality loss in mass-reared Aedes albopictus males
Abstract
Aim: The Sterile Insect Technique is a promising method for Aedes albopictus control, but its effectiveness hinges on male quality, which may be compromised during mass-rearing and irradiation. Reliable biological indicators capable of reflecting irradiation-induced quality loss remain limited. Gut microbiota regulates mosquito development, immunity, and metabolism and may therefore provide potential indicators of sterile male quality. This study explored whether gut microbiota composition can reflect irradiation-induced quality impairment in males of a long-term (over 3 years) mass-reared Ae. albopictus GT strain. Methods: Male pupae were exposed to X-ray irradiation without filtration at an estimated absorbed dose of 78 Gy. Emergence rate, flight ability, longevity, metabolic capacity, and gut microbiota (via 16S rRNA gene sequencing, culture-based methods, and qPCR) were compared between irradiated and non-irradiated males. Results: Irradiation significantly reduced emergence rate, flight ability, and longevity. It did not alter gut microbiota diversity, but reshaped its composition, including the emergence of Sphingobacterium, increased abundance of Stenotrophomonas and Comamonas, and decreased levels of Delftia and Achromobacter. Similarity was observed in the culturable gut bacterial community, confirmed by qPCR with eight selected key taxa. Metabolic changes included reduced glutamine synthetase activity and elevated glucose levels in irradiated males. Conclusion: These results show that irradiation-induced quality loss is accompanied by reproducible shifts in gut microbiota composition and metabolic status. These findings suggest that gut microbiota profiles may serve as potential indicators of irradiation-associated quality changes in sterile males and provide preliminary evidence for microbiota-informed quality assessment approaches in Ae. albopictus SIT programs.
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BibTeX
@article{dilinuer2026microbiota,
title = {{Gut microbiota profiles as potential indicators of irradiation-induced quality loss in mass-reared Aedes albopictus males}},
author = {Paerhande Dilinuer and Jehangir Khan and Ming Li and Yu Wu and Xiaoying Zheng and Zhongdao Wu and Datao Lin and Hanano Yamada and Jérémy Bouyer and Kostas Bourtzis and Dongjing Zhang},
journal = {Microbiome Research Reports},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.20517/mrr.2026.25},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05751276v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Gut microbiota profiles as potential indicators of irradiation-induced quality loss in mass-reared Aedes albopictus males
AU - Paerhande Dilinuer
AU - Jehangir Khan
AU - Ming Li
AU - Yu Wu
AU - Xiaoying Zheng
AU - Zhongdao Wu
AU - Datao Lin
AU - Hanano Yamada
AU - Jérémy Bouyer
AU - Kostas Bourtzis
AU - Dongjing Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/28
JO - Microbiome Research Reports
DO - 10.20517/mrr.2026.25
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05751276v1
AB - Aim: The Sterile Insect Technique is a promising method for Aedes albopictus control, but its effectiveness hinges on male quality, which may be compromised during mass-rearing and irradiation. Reliable biological indicators capable of reflecting irradiation-induced quality loss remain limited. Gut microbiota regulates mosquito development, immunity, and metabolism and may therefore provide potential indicators of sterile male quality. This study explored whether gut microbiota composition can reflect irradiation-induced quality impairment in males of a long-term (over 3 years) mass-reared Ae. albopictus GT strain. Methods: Male pupae were exposed to X-ray irradiation without filtration at an estimated absorbed dose of 78 Gy. Emergence rate, flight ability, longevity, metabolic capacity, and gut microbiota (via 16S rRNA gene sequencing, culture-based methods, and qPCR) were compared between irradiated and non-irradiated males. Results: Irradiation significantly reduced emergence rate, flight ability, and longevity. It did not alter gut microbiota diversity, but reshaped its composition, including the emergence of Sphingobacterium, increased abundance of Stenotrophomonas and Comamonas, and decreased levels of Delftia and Achromobacter. Similarity was observed in the culturable gut bacterial community, confirmed by qPCR with eight selected key taxa. Metabolic changes included reduced glutamine synthetase activity and elevated glucose levels in irradiated males. Conclusion: These results show that irradiation-induced quality loss is accompanied by reproducible shifts in gut microbiota composition and metabolic status. These findings suggest that gut microbiota profiles may serve as potential indicators of irradiation-associated quality changes in sterile males and provide preliminary evidence for microbiota-informed quality assessment approaches in Ae. albopictus SIT programs.
SN - 2771-5965
ER -