Phylogeny of some Culicidae mosquitoes based on mitochondrial DNA sequences
Dr. Devinder Singh, Dr. Navpreet Kaur Gill and Navneet Kaur
Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab (India) 147002
Abstract
Mosquitoes of Culicidae (Diptera) family are known to transmit various diseases of public health importance. They are cosmopolitan in distribution with diverse habitat and environment conditions including in India. Inferences on the taxonomic positions, phylogenetic interrelationship and divergence time among closely related species of medical importance is essential to understand evolutionary patterns among species, and based on which, disease control measures could be devised. The application of explicit methods of phylogenetic analysis has revealed limitations in the conventional classification of mosquitoes. Molecular techniques have aided in understanding the systematic and evolution of mosquitoes. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is widely used in population genetic and phylogenetic studies in animals and recently similar techniques have been applied to insects as well. The sequence of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) molecules has also been used for phylogenetic studies and sequence differences in hypervariable regions reflect strain variations. The present study is designed to establish the phylogenetic relation among the eight different Culicidae mosquito species which are medically important and most abundant in Punjab (India). These are Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex vishnui, Culex pseudovishnui, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Armigeres kuchingensis, Anopheles culicifacies, Anopheles sundaicus, Anopheles stephensi collected from various districts of Punjab during October 2013 to September 2014. The phylogenetic relationship among eight species of mosquitoes inferred using universal primer for mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (COII). A phylogenetic tree was constructed with these sequences to reveal the phylogenetic relationship among these species.
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