Characterisation of the RNA Virome of Nine Ochlerotatus Species in Finland

Phuoc T Truong Nguyen; C Lorna Culverwell; Maija T Suvanto; Essi M Korhonen; Ruut Uusitalo; Olli Vapalahti; Teemu Smura; Eili Huhtamo

doi:10.3390/v14071489

Characterisation of the RNA Virome of Nine Ochlerotatus Species in Finland

Viruses. 2022 Jul 7;14(7):1489. doi: 10.3390/v14071489.

Authors

Phuoc T Truong Nguyen¹, C Lorna Culverwell^{1

2}, Maija T Suvanto^{1

3}, Essi M Korhonen^{1

3}, Ruut Uusitalo^{1

3

4}, Olli Vapalahti^{1

3

5}, Teemu Smura¹, Eili Huhtamo^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Virology, Medicum, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, FI-00290 Helsinki, Finland.
² The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW5 7BD, UK.
³ Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjöbergin Katu 2, P.O. Box 66, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
⁴ Department of Geosciences and Geography, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Gustaf Hällströmin Katu 2, P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
⁵ Virology and Immunology, Diagnostic Center, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, FI-00029 Helsinki, Finland.

Abstract

RNA viromes of nine commonly encountered Ochlerotatus mosquito species collected around Finland in 2015 and 2017 were studied using next-generation sequencing. Mosquito homogenates were sequenced from 91 pools comprising 16-60 morphologically identified adult females of Oc. cantans, Oc. caspius, Oc. communis, Oc. diantaeus, Oc. excrucians, Oc. hexodontus, Oc. intrudens, Oc. pullatus and Oc. punctor/punctodes. In total 514 viral Reverse dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) sequences of 159 virus species were recovered, belonging to 25 families or equivalent rank, as follows: Aliusviridae, Aspiviridae, Botybirnavirus, Chrysoviridae, Chuviridae, Endornaviridae, Flaviviridae, Iflaviridae, Negevirus, Partitiviridae, Permutotetraviridae, Phasmaviridae, Phenuiviridae, Picornaviridae, Qinviridae, Quenyavirus, Rhabdoviridae, Sedoreoviridae, Solemoviridae, Spinareoviridae, Togaviridae, Totiviridae, Virgaviridae, Xinmoviridae and Yueviridae. Of these, 147 are tentatively novel viruses. One sequence of Sindbis virus, which causes Pogosta disease in humans, was detected from Oc. communis from Pohjois-Karjala. This study greatly increases the number of mosquito-associated viruses known from Finland and presents the northern-most mosquito-associated viruses in Europe to date.

Keywords: Aedini; Finland; NGS; Ochlerotatus; RNA virus; Sindbis virus; mosquito virome.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Culicidae*
Female
Finland
Humans
Ochlerotatus*
RNA, Viral / genetics
Virome

Substances

RNA, Viral

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation; the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation; the Academy of Finland; EU Horizon 2020 VEO, grant number 874735; Helsinki University Hospital Funds (TYH2018322 and TYH2021343), the Finnish Cultural Foundation, grant number 00210264; Societas Pro Fauna et Flora Fennica; the Kymenlaakso Regional Fund; and the University of Helsinki Doctoral Programs in Integrated Life Sciences and Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences. Open access funding provided by University of Helsinki.