Virome Diversity and Host-Associated Heterogeneity in Mosquitoes and Biting Midges Across Yunnan, China.
- 1Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Zoonotic Viruses, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Information, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.
- 2Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650204, China.
- 3Yunnan Institute of Endemic Diseases Control and Prevention, Dali 671000, China.
Abstract
Mosquitoes and biting midges harbor diverse viruses, but the factors shaping their viromes remain incompletely understood. We analyzed 35 pooled libraries from seven host groups across 15 locations in Yunnan, China, sampled in June 2025, using total-RNA sequencing, viral annotation, phylogenetics, and community analyses. We retained 1295 viral contigs grouped into 221 annotation-defined viral taxonomic units (VTUs) spanning 24 families; 107 VTUs were supported only by protein homology. Banna virus-related sequences, an Aedes-associated flavivirus, and four putative components of a divergent Jingmenvirus-related candidate were identified. Host group was associated with family-level virome composition after adjustment for location and sequencing depth (R² = 0.213, p = 0.0052), and the association persisted across alternative feature definitions. Culex tritaeniorhynchus showed the greatest cumulative VTU richness, although its ranking changed when library number was equalized. Most VTUs detected in this host occurred at one sampled site, without a significant monotonic distance-decay pattern. This study expands knowledge of mosquito-associated and biting midge-associated viral diversity in Yunnan, identifies representative lineages for further characterization, and documents host-associated differences in the detected viromes.
Related
- Diversity of insect-specific viruses in Culex mosquitoes from Papua New Guinea.
- Township-level spatial heterogeneity and associated factors of diagnostic delay among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Central China
- Multi-omics signatures of 8-year trajectories and heterogeneity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease reveal serum citramalic acid as a key contributor
- Beyond community state types: vaginal microbial diversity and CST-IV signatures are associated with pregnancy in euploid embryo transfer cycles
- Animal markets are associated with elevated viral diversity and virus–host connectivity across wildlife–farm interfaces
BibTeX
@article{su2026virome,
title = {{Virome Diversity and Host-Associated Heterogeneity in Mosquitoes and Biting Midges Across Yunnan, China.}},
author = {Honglin Su and Kai Zhao and Yuqiong Li and Zongti Shao and Xinglou Yang and Jian Wang and Shengyao Chen},
journal = {Viruses},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/v18101109},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42944029},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Virome Diversity and Host-Associated Heterogeneity in Mosquitoes and Biting Midges Across Yunnan, China.
AU - Honglin Su
AU - Kai Zhao
AU - Yuqiong Li
AU - Zongti Shao
AU - Xinglou Yang
AU - Jian Wang
AU - Shengyao Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Viruses
DO - 10.3390/v18101109
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42944029
AB - Mosquitoes and biting midges harbor diverse viruses, but the factors shaping their viromes remain incompletely understood. We analyzed 35 pooled libraries from seven host groups across 15 locations in Yunnan, China, sampled in June 2025, using total-RNA sequencing, viral annotation, phylogenetics, and community analyses. We retained 1295 viral contigs grouped into 221 annotation-defined viral taxonomic units (VTUs) spanning 24 families; 107 VTUs were supported only by protein homology. Banna virus-related sequences, an Aedes-associated flavivirus, and four putative components of a divergent Jingmenvirus-related candidate were identified. Host group was associated with family-level virome composition after adjustment for location and sequencing depth (R² = 0.213, p = 0.0052), and the association persisted across alternative feature definitions. Culex tritaeniorhynchus showed the greatest cumulative VTU richness, although its ranking changed when library number was equalized. Most VTUs detected in this host occurred at one sampled site, without a significant monotonic distance-decay pattern. This study expands knowledge of mosquito-associated and biting midge-associated viral diversity in Yunnan, identifies representative lineages for further characterization, and documents host-associated differences in the detected viromes.
SN - 1999-4915
ER -