Complete mtDNA genomes of Anopheles darlingi and an approach to anopheline divergence time

Abstract

BackgroundThe complete sequences of the mitochondrial genomes (mtDNA) of members of the northern and southern genotypes of Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) darlingi were used for comparative studies to estimate the time to the most recent common ancestor for modern anophelines, to evaluate differentiation within this taxon, and to seek evidence of incipient speciation.MethodsThe mtDNAs were sequenced from mosquitoes from Belize and Brazil and comparative analyses of structure and base composition, among others, were performed. A maximum likelihood approach linked with phylogenetic information was employed to detect evidence of selection and a Bayesian approach was used to date the split between the subgenus Nyssorhynchus and other Anopheles subgenera.ResultsThe comparison of mtDNA sequences within the Anopheles darlingi taxon does not provide sufficient resolution to establish different units of speciation within the species. In addition, no evidence of positive selection in any protein-coding gene of the mtDNA was detected, and purifying selection likely is the basis for this lack of diversity. Bayesian analysis supports the conclusion that the most recent ancestor of Nyssorhynchus and Anopheles+Cellia was extant ~94 million years ago.ConclusionAnalyses of mtDNA genomes of Anopheles darlingi do not provide support for speciation in the taxon. The dates estimated for divergence among the anopheline groups tested is in agreement with the geological split of western Gondwana (95 mya), and provides additional support for explaining the absence of Cellia in the New World, and Nyssorhynchus in the Afro-Eurasian continents.

Adaptative processes, control measures, genetic background, and resilience of malaria vectors and environmental changes in the Amazon region

“…However, the finding of shared sequences of A. darlingi with A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus suggests a more distant evolutionary relationship, corroborating previous studies indicating that the time of divergence between anophelines and culicids occurred approximately 120 million years ago and that the radiation of the species within the genus Anopheles occurred approximately 79 million years ago (Moreno et al, 2010).…”

The mitochondrial genomes of twelve Anopheles mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and their phylogenetic implications

“…Their genomic sizes, base compositions, gene contents and organizations are mutually Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12686-016-0565-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. similar as well as similar to those of their congeners (Beard et al 1993;Krzywinski et al 2011;Logue et al 2013;Mitchell et al 1993;Moreno et al 2010). The ten complete genomes range in size from 15,322 bp (A. punctulatus) to 15,458 bp (A. atroparvus), and the two partial genomes are 14,967 bp (A. christyi) and 15,155 bp (A. maculatus) long, respectively.…”

Evolution of sexually-transferred steroids inAnophelesmosquitoes

“…Phylogenetic analysis of the data set was performed by Bayesian inference (Figure 1B (1,25,26). From the Bayesian phylogenetic analysis and using fossil data, we obtained species divergence estimates, which are roughly conform to recently published phylogenies (25,27,28) (Table S1). Results indicate that the age of the last common ancestor of Anopheles genus is about 84.1 Ma (112.7-55.8, 95% confidence interval) and the most ancestral node within the Cellia subgenus is dated to 69.2 Ma (93.0-45.6, 95% confidence interval) ( Figure 1B, Table S1).…”