Geographic population structure of the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae suggests a role for the forest-savannah biome transition as a barrier to gene flow.

• Autor(a) principal: Pinto, João Pedro Soares da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Egyir-Yawson, A., Vicente, José, Gomes, Bruno, Santolamazza, Federica, Moreno, M., Charlwood, Jacques Derek, Simard, Frederic, Elissa, N., Weetman, David, Donnelly, Martin J., Caccone, A., Della Torre, A.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/116948
• topic: Anopheles gambiae; geographic regions; microsatellites; molecular forms; population structure; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Insect Science; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being; SDG 15 - Life on Land

The primary Afrotropical malaria mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto has a complex population structure. In west Africa, this species is split into two molecular forms and displays local and regional variation in chromosomal arrangements and behaviors. To investigate patterns of macrogeographic population substructure, 25 An. gambiae samples from 12 African countries were genotyped at 13 microsatellite loci. This analysis detected the presence of additional population structuring, with the M-form being subdivided into distinct west, central, and southern African genetic clusters. These clusters are coincident with the central African rainforest belt and northern and southern savannah biomes, which suggests restrictions to gene flow associated with the transition between these biomes. By contrast, geographically patterned population substructure appears much weaker within the S-form.