Dengue virus harnesses mosquito Syntenin to load and secrete viral RNA into salivary exosomes.
Rachenne F, Schneider N, Rey-Cadilhac F, Serrato-Pomar I, Pruvost L
Urban Ecology
Understanding how dengue spreads through mosquito saliva could eventually lead to strategies that reduce transmission in the outdoor spaces — gardens, patios, and parks — where mosquito bites happen.
When a mosquito carries dengue virus, the virus is sneaky: it tricks the mosquito's own cellular machinery into wrapping viral genetic material into tiny bubbles that end up in the mosquito's spit. Researchers found the specific mosquito protein the virus grabs onto to make this happen. This is important because those spit-packaged virus particles may help the virus establish infection more easily when a person gets bitten.
Key Findings
A specific fragment of dengue viral RNA (sfRNA) is sufficient on its own to trigger the production and secretion of RNA-containing exosomes in mosquitoes.
The viral RNA physically interacts with the mosquito protein AeSyntenin via stem-loop structures, and this interaction is preserved inside the secreted vesicles.
Depleting AeSyntenin specifically in mosquito salivary glands reduced exosome production and salivary secretion of viral RNA, confirming a functional role.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered how dengue virus hijacks a mosquito protein called Syntenin to package its own genetic material into tiny vesicles secreted in mosquito saliva, potentially making infections more severe when the mosquito bites.
Abstract Preview
Viruses exploit extracellular vesicles (EVs) to transfer infection-enhancing viral RNAs. However, mechanisms underlying viral RNA loading remain elusive. We leveraged our previous discovery that de...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Was this useful?
Urban Tree Canopy Reduces Heat-Related Mortality by 39% in European Cities
Trees in your local park or street aren't just pretty — they are literally keeping people alive during heatwaves, and planting even a modest number of the ri...