# Identification of a culturable fungal species and endosymbiotic bacteria in saliva of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens and their impact on arbovirus infection in vitro

## TL;DR

This study identifies fungi and bacteria in mosquito saliva and shows that these microbes can influence arbovirus infection in human cells.

## Contribution

The study is the first to identify culturable fungi and endosymbiotic bacteria in the saliva of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens mosquitoes.

## Key findings

- Penicillium crustosum was identified as a fungal species in mosquito saliva.
- Saliva bacterial communities were more diverse than those in the midgut.
- Antibiotic or antifungal treatment reduced microbes in saliva and decreased viral infection in human cells.

## Abstract

Mosquito saliva plays a key role in arbovirus transmission and pathogenesis. It was shown that saliva contains several molecules that are essential for blood feeding. Recently, bacteria were also reported to be present in the saliva of Aedes albopictus and Anopheles mosquitoes. Nevertheless, information on the bacterial communities in Aedes and Culex saliva is still scarce.

This study isolated and identified culturable fungal and bacterial colonies from saliva harvested from Aedes aegypti (laboratory strain) and Culex pipiens (field-collected) mosquitoes. 16S metagenomic sequencing was performed to identify bacterial communities in saliva and mosquito organs. Furthermore, it was assessed how these microbial communities were affected upon blood feeding and upon oral treatment with antibiotics and an antifungal drug.

The fungal species Penicillium crustosum was identified in mosquito saliva. Culturable bacteria detected in mosquito saliva included Serratia marcescens, Serratia nematodiphila, Enterobacter spp., and Klebsiella spp., which were previously identified as mosquito or insect endosymbionts in the midgut or other organs. Analysis with 16S metagenomics showed that bacterial communities in saliva were more diverse than those in the midgut. Blood feeding did not affect the fungal or bacterial load in mosquito saliva. Oral treatment of adult mosquitoes with antibiotics or an antifungal drug resulted in a significant reduction of bacteria or fungi present in the mosquito saliva. Notably, co-incubation of the mosquito-borne Semliki Forest virus with saliva from antibiotic- or antifungal-treated mosquitoes triggered a decrease in viral infection in human skin fibroblasts compared with nontreated saliva.

These findings indicate that bacteria and fungi can be present in mosquito saliva and provide a foundation for further exploration of the impact of salivary fungi and bacteria on both vector competence and arbovirus infection in the mammalian host.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-025-07158-3.