基于沃尔巴克氏体的蚊媒和蚊媒病控制的生物安全性

The biosafety concerns of Wolbachia-mediated biological control of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases

沃尔巴克氏体是无脊椎动物胞内专性寄生、可经卵传递的胞内革兰阴性共生菌。用沃尔巴克氏体控制蚊媒及蚊媒病的原理是基于其所诱导的胞质不相容性和对病原体的抗性。沃尔巴克氏体对蚊媒病原体具有广泛抗性,其直径大于蚊虫唾液腺管直径,不能通过蚊虫叮咬感染人体或哺乳动物;反复受到沃尔巴克氏体感染蚊虫叮咬的人血中未检测到抗沃尔巴克氏体抗体。沃尔巴克氏体仅在宿主细胞内生存,不能在培养基内和环境中独立生长;它不产生孢子,不含质粒,不随宿主死亡而分解扩散至环境;它不会横向传播至生活在同一生境中的其他节肢动物。捕食沃尔巴克氏体感染的蚊幼虫和成虫的节肢动物不能通过捕食而获得感染;基于沃尔巴克氏体的蚊媒和蚊媒病控制所产生的生物安全风险几乎可以忽略。

Wolbachia, a maternally transmitted obligate endosymbiotic gram- negative bacteria, is widely distributed in invertebrates. The Wolbachia-mediated biological control of mosquito and mosquito-borne diseases is based on the nature that Wolbachia induces cytoplasmic incompatibility, and reduces the vector competence of its host species. Wolbachia induced pathogen inhibition in mosquito is broad-spectrum, its size is larger than mosquito＇s salivary gland duct so it is impossible to be transmitted to humans or mammals through mosquito bitin. Antibodies against Wolbachia have never been detected in blood of humans who are repeatedly bitten by mosquitoes which are infected with Wolbachia. Wolbachia cannot produce spores and does not contain plasmid, it will not disseminate to the environment when its host dies. Wolbachia cannot be horizontally transmitted from one invertebrate host to another that lives in the same environment. Invertebrate predators that feed on Wolbachia-infected mosquito larvae or adults do not get infected. The biological risks of Wolbachia-mediated biological control of mosquito and mosquito-borne diseases are negligible.