Genetic diversity of Nyssorhynchus (Anopheles) darlingi related to biting behavior in western Amazon

• Published in: Parasites & vectors 2019-05, Vol.12 (1), p.242-242, Article 242
• Main Authors: Campos, Melina, Alonso, Diego Peres, Conn, Jan E, Vinetz, Joseph M, Emerson, Kevin J, Ribolla, Paulo Eduardo Martins
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access; Access roads; Admixtures; Animals; Anopheles; Anopheles - genetics; Aquatic insects; Behavior; Biodiversity; Bites and Stings; Biting; Biting behavior; Brazil; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disease transmission; Divergence; DNA; Ecological monitoring; Ecology; Feeding Behavior; Female; Genetic analysis; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Genetic markers; Genetic population; Genetic Variation; Genome, Insect; Genome-wide association studies; Genomes; Genomics; Genotype; Geography; Host preferences; Host searching behavior; Human diseases; Individual mosquito scale; Library collections; Logging; Malaria; Malaria vector; Male; Morphology; Mosquito Control; Mosquitoes; Nyssorhynchus (Anopheles) darlingi; Outdoors; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Population; Population genetics; Population structure; Risk factors; River basins; Single-nucleotide polymorphism; SNPs; Vector-borne diseases; Vectors
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3498-4

In the Amazon Basin, Nyssorhynchus (Anopheles) darlingi is the most aggressive and effective malaria vector. In endemic areas, behavioral aspects of anopheline vectors such as host preference, biting time and resting location post blood meal have a key impact on malaria transmission dynamics and vector control interventions. Nyssorhynchus darlingi presents a range of feeding and resting behaviors throughout its broad distribution. To investigate the genetic diversity related to biting behavior, we collected host-seeking Ny. darlingi in two settlement types in Acre, Brazil: Granada (~ 20-year-old, more established, better access by road, few malaria cases) and Remansinho (~ 8-year-old, active logging, poor road access, high numbers malaria cases). Mosquitoes were classified by the location of collection (indoors or outdoors) and time (dusk or dawn). Genome-wide SNPs, used to assess the degree of genetic divergence and population structure, identified non-random distributions of individuals in the PCA for both location and time analyses. Although genetic diversity related to behavior was confirmed by non-model-based analyses and F values, model-based STRUCTURE detected considerable admixture of these populations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to detect genetic markers associated with biting behavior in Ny. darlingi. Additional ecological and genomic studies may help to understand the genetic basis of mosquito behavior and address appropriate surveillance and vector control.