Population Genetics of <i>Anopheles pretoriensis</i> in Grande Comore Island
Melina Campos,
Nikita Patel,
Carly Marshall,
Hans Gripkey,
Robert E. Ditter,
Marc W. Crepeau,
Ali Toilibou,
Yssouf Amina,
Anthony J. Cornel,
Yoosook Lee,
Gregory C. Lanzaro
Affiliations
Melina Campos
Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Nikita Patel
Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Carly Marshall
Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Hans Gripkey
Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Robert E. Ditter
Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Marc W. Crepeau
Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Ali Toilibou
Malaria Control Program, Moroni, Comoros
Yssouf Amina
Malaria Control Program, Moroni, Comoros
Anthony J. Cornel
Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Yoosook Lee
Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 200 9th St SE, Vero Beach, FL 32962, USA
Gregory C. Lanzaro
Vector Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Anopheles pretoriensis is widely distributed across Africa, including on oceanic islands such as Grande Comore in the Comoros. This species is known to be mostly zoophylic and therefore considered to have low impact on the transmission of human malaria. However, A. pretoriensis has been found infected with Plasmodium, suggesting that it may be epidemiologically important. In the present study, we sequenced and assembled the complete mitogenome of A. pretoriensis and inferred its phylogenetic relationship among other species in the subgenus Cellia. We also investigated the genetic structure of A. pretoriensis populations on Grande Comore Island, and between this island population and sites in continental Africa, using partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Seven haplotypes were found on the island, one of which was ubiquitous. There was no clear divergence between island haplotypes and those found on the continent. The present work contributes knowledge on this understudied, yet abundant, Anopheles species.
