Characterization of tissue-specific bacterial microbiota in Anopheles subpictus

Mosquitoes host diverse microbes that colonize different tissues including midgut, salivary glands and reproductive organs. Tissue-specific microbiota significantly influences host physiology, development and vector competency. Understanding this microbial ecology holds immense potential to drive the development of innovative vector control tools. Anopheles mosquitoes were collected from different breeding sites of Odisha, India. Bacterial diversity associated with three biologically significant tissues (midgut, salivary glands and ovary) of Anopheles subpictus were explored. Mosquito specimens were surface sterilized to eliminate external contamination followed by aseptic tissue dissection. Genomic DNA was extracted from each tissue using commercial kit. Metagenomic analysis was performed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing targeting V3-V4 regions for detailed microbial profiling.