Expression of TaV Tagged Sindbis Virus (TR339) in Aedes albopictus Cell Lines and Adult Mosquitoes

Arthropod-borne-viruses (arboviruses) pose a global threat due to their ability to b e transmitted by hematophagous insects to vertebrate hosts resulting in a range of serious infectious diseases [1]. Sindbis virus (SINV) is an arbovirus of the genus Alphavirus and the family Togaviridae. This virus is im bibed during bloodfeeding by female mosquitoes in order to enrich their egg production with protein and cholesterol [2]. Bloodmeals are deposited in the mosquito midgut and virions must first cross the gut („gut barrier‟) via infection to enter the hemolymph and contact various target tissues [3,4]. The mosquito midgut is a simple column are pithelium surrounded by a basement membrane, peristaltic muscle bundles, nerve fibers, and tracheoles [5].