Evidence for family-level variation of phenotypic traits in response to temperature of Brazilian Nyssorhynchus darlingi

Abstract

Background: Nyssorhynchus darlingi (also known as Anopheles darlingi) is the primary malaria vector in the Amazon River Basin. In Brazil, analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously detected three major population clusters, and a common garden experiment in a laboratory setting revealed significant population variation in life history traits. Increasing temperatures and local level variation can affect life history traits, i.e. adult longevity, that alter vectorial capacity with implications for malaria transmission in Ny. darlingi. Methods: We investigated the population structure of Ny. darlingi from 7 localities across Brazil utilizing SNPs and compared them to a comprehensive Ny. darlingi catalog. To test the effects of local level variation on life history traits, we reared F 1 progeny from the 7 localities at three constant temperatures (20, 24 and 28 °C), measuring key life history traits (larval development, food-starved adult lifespan, adult size and daily survival). Results: Using nextRAD genotyping-by-sequencing, 93 of the field-collected Ny. darlingi were genotyped at 33,759 loci. Results revealed three populations (K = 3), congruent with major biomes (Amazonia, Cerrado and Mata Atlântica), with greater F ST values between biomes than within. In the life history experiments, increasing temperature reduced larval development time, adult lifespan, and wing length in all localities. The variation of family responses for all traits within four localities of the Amazonia biome was significant (ANOVA, P < 0.05). Individual families within localities revealed a range of responses as temperature increased, for larval development, adult lifespan, wing length and survival time. Conclusions: SNP analysis of several Brazilian localities provided results in support of a previous study wherein populations of Ny. darlingi were clustered by three major Brazilian biomes. Our laboratory results of temperature effects demonstrated that population variation in life history traits of Ny. darlingi exists at the local level, supporting previous research demonstrating the high plasticity of this species. Understanding this plasticity and inherent variation between families of Ny. darlingi at the local level should be considered when deploying intervention strategies and may improve the likelihood of successful malaria elimination in South America.

Standardization of a Polymerase Chain Reaction Protocol for Detecting Antimicrobial Peptides in Anopheles Darlingi (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes from the Brazilian Amazon

“…darlingi is related to its behavioural characteristics, susceptibility to human malaria parasites and adaptation. It was found that this species has genetic and even phenotypic variations within the same population and between different populations, mainly due to climatic (seasonal variation) and environmental factors (degradation of the environment and geographical barriers such as biomes) 32,33 . These issues are of concern for public health because the vector can maintain transmission in different regions in Brazil.…”

Molecular diversity of genes related to biological rhythms (period and timeless) and insecticide resistance (Na V and ace-1) in Anopheles darlingi

“…(40,41,42) At a molecular level, several markers showed diversity among populations along with geographic variation, such as ITS2 in rDNA, (43) cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) in mtDNA, (44,45) microsatellites (46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). (4,52,53) Despite these multiple behavioural, morphological, and genetic distinctions, some studies claim that these differences are divergences among populations, not enough to evidence An. darlingi as a complex of cryptic species.…”