Whole mitochondrial genome analysis of Aedes aegypti reveal association with Wolbachia infection

The mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of nine Aedes aegypti samples from India were analysed along with 34 mitogenomes from global samples retrieved from GenBank. The mitogenome size of Indian samples ranged from 15,730 bp to 16,374 bp. A total of 199 genetic variants were identified among Indian samples, with the majority (90%) occurring in protein-coding genes, followed by rRNA and tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of the 43 genomes revealed two major clades. The similar clustering pattern was observed in the traditional mitochondrial markers for which extensive global data is available, indicating that individual mitochondrial markers of Ae. aegypti share the common genealogy as reflected by the complete mitogenome. In addition to exploring genetic diversity, we investigated the relationship of these two mitochondrial clades with Wolbachia infection. Our analysis revealed that Wolbachia-infected samples were predominantly located within one of the mitochondrial clades, suggesting a potential association between specific mitochondrial lineage and Wolbachia infection. This analysis demonstrates the extent of genetic diversity in Ae. aegypti mitogenome and highlights how this diversity is associated with Wolbachia infection, a maternally inherited endosymbiont. These findings have implications for the effectiveness of Wolbachia-based mosquito control strategies.