Genetic Variability and Evidence of Two Distinct Lineages of Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae) on São Luís Island in Maranhão, Brazil

Abstract

Aedes aegypti is the principal vector of the yellow fever virus and the four dengue serotypes and its hemorrhagic fever viruses. The genetic variability and differentiation of four Aedes aegypti populations from São Luis Island in the Brazilian state of Maranhão was analyzed based on the sequences of a fragment of the mitochondrial ND4 gene. A total of 58 sequences of 337 bps were analyzed, revealing the existence of 10 haplotypes, of which five were considered to be unique. Haplotype diversity for the total population was 0.6273 and nucleotide diversity 0.00748. The haplotype tree produced from the data indicated the presence of two mitochondrial lineages of the dengue vector, one of which was characterized by the H6 haplotype, found only in the population from one site (Raposa), and may represent the recent introduction of this lineage to the island. The results of the AMOVA indicated that the majority of the genetic variation (74.38%) was found within populations. However, the significant Fst value of 0.2572 indicates a certain inter-population differentiation which may result in differences in the vectorial capacity of the insect, its susceptibility to the virus or even resistance to insecticides or other ecological adaptations, all of which may limit the effectiveness of programs for the control of Ae. aegypti.

Genetic variation ofAedes aegyptipopulations from Ecuador

“…The phylogenetic results show similarity with mitochondrial haplotypes of COI gene previously reported in Latin America (Fraga et al 2013, Bracco et al 2007, Costa-da-Silva et al 2005, Paupy et al 2012).…”

Genetic differentiation of dengue vector Aedes aegypti in the small geographical scale of Banyumas District, Indonesia based on Cytochrome Oxidase I

“…The nucleotide diversity recorded in this study is slightly similar to those recorded in previous studies, for example in North Coast of Central Java: π⁓ 0.00099 and 0.0122 (Yohan et al 2018). In addition to those reported worldwide i.e., Africa: π = 0.013 (Bennett et al 2016), Brazil: π = 0.00748 (Fraga et al 2013), Bolivia: π = 0.00135 (Paupy et al 2012), Colombia: π = 0.001 to 0.008 (Jaimes-Dueñez et al 2015) and Malaysia: π = 0.002 to 0.03 (Naim et al 2020).…”

Comparative Genetics Using Three mtDNA Markers in Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) Populations from Four Municipalities in the Satate of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

“…The species populations from other microhabitats introduced into adjacent areas may share polymorphisms within the same and between different populations. However, the local gene ow can also be stopped due to geographical barriers; thus, no new characteristics are shared 40 . In the present study, we found no signi cant barriers between populations with the highest genetic distance and intrapopulational variation.…”