Maltase 1 regulates DENV2 infection and life history in Aedes aegypti.

Aedes aegypti is a primary vector for many significant human pathogens. Maltase 1 (MAL1), a key enzyme in carbohydrate metabolism, hydrolyzes maltose to release glucose, which participates in sugar metabolism. Currently, there are no studies on the involvement of MAL1 in the regulation of viral infections in arthropods. The expression of MAL1 in Ae. aegypti significantly decreases after DENV2 infection. In this study, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate a MAL1 knockout strain of Ae. aegypti. The absence of MAL1 significantly suppressed DENV2 replication and transmission throughout the infection process in mosquitoes. At the same time, it reduced the hatching and pupation rates but increased the emergence rate. The absence of MAL1 extended the survival time of male Ae. aegypti while reducing the survival time of females. The results indicate that MAL1 affects arbovirus replication, transmission, and various stages of the Ae. aegypti life cycle.