Symbiont-mediated modification of mosquitocide toxicity in the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti

The incidence of mosquito-vectored human disease is increasing throughout the world, with effective chemical control interventions limited due to widespread mosquitocide resistance.  Recent evidence suggests that the bacterial symbionts of insects, known to be essential in nutritional homeostasis and pathogen defense, may also play a significant role in facilitating insecticide metabolism.  Here, I will summarize our findings related to the bacterial symbiont-mediated metabolic detoxification and toxic action of mosquitocidal chemistries in the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti (Liverpool Strain).  These data will be discussed with regard to the role of bacterial symbionts as a barrier to mosquitocide delivery and their importance in pharmacokinetic- and -dynamic models for the design of mosquitocidal chemistries.