Wolbachia outcompetes mosquito-borne viruses by reprogramming host ATPSβ1-driven ATP metabolism toward symbiotic proliferation.

Wolbachia reprograms host ATPSβ1-driven ATP metabolism to suppress mosquito-borne viruses, extending its antiviral spectrum to Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus.

• Why it matters: Understanding how Wolbachia confers broad-spectrum resistance is crucial for developing strategies to control mosquito-borne diseases, yet the core metabolic mechanisms remain unclear.
• What they did: The study used transcriptomic and functional analyses to identify ATPSβ1 as a key metabolic hub hijacked by both viruses and Wolbachia, and tested pharmacological interventions like adenosine and oligomycin in mosquito cells.
• The result: Wolbachia redirects ATPSβ1-driven ATP synthesis from viral binding and replication toward symbiotic proliferation, suggesting targeting ATPSβ1-driven metabolism could be a promising approach to reduce MBV transmission.