Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33617536›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

The fungus Leptosphaerulina persists in Anopheles gambiae and induces melanization.

Godfrey Nattoh, Joel L Bargul, Gabriel Magoma, Lilian Mbaisi, Hellen Butungi, Enock Mararo, Evan Teal, Jeremy Keith Herren

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Fungal microbiota diversity inWellcome open research · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Godfrey NattohInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID 0000-0003-1573-2477
Joel L BargulInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID 0000-0001-8573-6807
Gabriel MagomaPan African University Institute for Basic Sciences Technology and Innovation, Nairobi, Kenya.
Lilian MbaisiInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.
Hellen ButungiInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.
Enock MararoInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID 0000-0002-1324-7825
Evan TealInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.
Jeremy Keith HerrenInternational Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya.

Funding

Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 107372Wellcome Trust 107742/Z/15/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Anopheles mosquitoes are colonized by diverse microorganisms that may impact on host biology and vectorial capacity. Eukaryotic symbionts such as fungi have been isolated from Anopheles, but whether they are stably associated with mosquitoes and transmitted transstadially across mosquito life stages or to subsequent generations remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that a Leptosphaerulina sp. fungus isolated from the midgut of An. gambiae can be stably associated with An. gambiae host and that it imposes low fitness cost when re-introduced through co-feeding. This fungus is transstadially transmitted across An. gambiae developmental stages and to their progeny. It is present in field-caught larvae and adult mosquitoes at moderate levels across geographical regions. We observed that Leptosphaerulina sp. induces a distinctive melanotic phenotype across the developmental stages of mosquito. As a eukaryotic symbiont that is stably associated with An. gambiae Leptosphaerulina sp. can be explored for paratransgenesis.

Indexed as

AscomycotaPigmentationAnimalsAnophelesDigestive SystemLarvaMosquito VectorsSymbiosis

Identifiers

PMID33617536
PMCPMC7899377

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.