Viral vectors articles from across Nature Portfolio

Aedes aegypti transmit several arboviruses and control of the mosquito populations could be beneficial. Here the authors show that deletion of leucine aminopeptidase1 (LAP1) results in mitochondrial defects and abnormal autophagy in sperm, reducing fertility and fecundity of females. LAP1^−/− males show no obvious defects in longevity and mating fitness.

A plant virus induces and hijacks vitellogenin (Vg) of insect vector into virus-induced exosomes for release together from salivary glands to plant phloem, where the Vg suppresses H₂O₂ burst, facilitating insect feeding and viral transmission.

This study compares insect-specific flaviviruses with those that can infect both mosquitoes and humans.

This study shows that flaviviruses promote the proliferation of acetophenone-producing skin commensal bacteria, which enhances mosquito attraction and thus flavivirus transmission.

This study shows how a satellite RNA manipulates both its host plant and aphid vector to ensure efficient transmission.

This study observed that enhanced thermal tolerance of virus-infected aphids leads to niche expansion and reduced interspecific competition.

Despite major advances in dissecting how pathogens cause disease and the development of treatments to combat infection, infectious diseases remain a major cause of death today. This month’s issue includes a special ‘Focus on Infectious Disease’, which highlights efforts to develop new ways to prevent, detect and treat infections.