A gut commensal Serratia marcescens inhibits dengue virus infection via prodigiosin-induced autophagy in Aedes albopictus.

Serratia marcescens strain WZ1 produces prodigiosin that activates autophagy to inhibit dengue virus in Aedes albopictus, reducing viral RNA levels by significant margins.

• Why it matters: Understanding how native gut bacteria suppress arbovirus transmission can lead to innovative strategies for controlling mosquito-borne diseases, addressing a critical gap in vector biology.
• What they did: Researchers isolated S. marcescens WZ1 from field-caught mosquitoes, identified prodigiosin as an antiviral metabolite, and demonstrated its dose-dependent suppression of DENV via ER stress-induced autophagy.
• The result: Progidiosin-induced autophagy promotes viral clearance by facilitating autophagosome-lysosome fusion, and disrupting autophagy or ER stress pathways diminishes its antiviral effect, highlighting potential transmission-blocking targets.