Environmental Persistence and Transmission Dynamics of Serratia As1 in Mosquito Habitats: Advancing Paratransgenesis for Malaria Control Publisher Pubmed



Urmia HK ; Koosha M ; Yakhchali B ; Moosakazemi SH ; Oshaghi MA
Source: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Published:2025

Abstract

Malaria remains a major global health challenge, particularly in developing countries, necessitating innovative control strategies. With rising resistance of Plasmodium to drugs and Anopheles mosquitoes to insecticides, paratransgenesis-using engineered symbiotic bacteria to deliver anti-pathogen molecules-offersa promising alternative. Translating this approach to fieldapplications requires rigorous evaluation under semi-fieldconditions. We evaluated the environmental stability and transmission dynamics of Serratia AS1-mCherry, a paratransgenesis candidate, in Anopheles stephensi habitats under semi-fieldconditions in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Serratia AS1 successfully colonized mosquito midguts and ovaries, persisted in larval breeding water for 14 days, and remained stable on sugar-soaked cotton pads for 4-6 days. Transmission routes include transstadial, venereal, and vertical transmission, in addition to adult acquisition from larval habitats (sipping), demonstrating robust colonization and dissemination. Water-based delivery effectivelydisseminates Serratia AS1 among mosquito populations, highlighting its potential for paratransgenesis-based malaria control. This study establishes the feasibility of using Serratia AS1 with effectormolecules in fieldsettings, offeringa sustainable strategy for managing vector-borne diseases. © 2025 Kamel Urmia et al.