Program > Browse abstracts by author > Albertini Chiara

Mosquitoes (family Culicidae) are among the most relevant species for human health, being the primary vectors for pathogenic viruses, nematodes, and protozoa. Several members of the family have become invasive in Europe due to human-mediated introductions from their typically subtropical native ranges. Despite the often severe bottlenecks associated with the invasive process, these species, such as Aedes albopictus in Italy, demonstrate a remarkable ability to rapidly adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions. This phenomenon, often referred to as the "genetic paradox of invasive species," has been previously observed in other organisms, with transposable elements (TEs) hypothesized to play a primary role as mutational agents, allowing such rapid adaptations. Here, we present a multidisciplinary approach aimed at elucidating this process by: (a) studying the TE landscape across the entire Culicidae family and, on a population level scale; (b) investigating the role of transposons in the adaptive potential and, therefore, invasiveness of A. albopictus across the Italian peninsula. We are currently compiling a comprehensive dataset of whole genome sequencing from publicly available resources covering most of the Culicidae diversity. This dataset will be used to estimate the TE content and its evolutionary dynamics through the clade using a reads-based approach. At the same time, we are setting up an experimental design including lab-reared and natural populations sampled along temperature gradients across Italy to test the hypothesis that TEs are mobilized under (thermal) stress. Overall, these complementary analyses have the potential to provide novel insights into mosquito genome evolution and invasiveness.