Short report: Phylogenetic relationships of the anthropophilic Plasmodium falciparum malaria vectors in Africa

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005 Oct;73(4):749-52.

Abstract

Malaria kills more than one million people a year, and understanding the historical association between its most notorious causative agent, Plasmodium falciparum, and its mosquito vectors is important in fighting the disease. We present a phylogenetic analysis of a number of species within the mosquito subgenus Cellia based on a selection of mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Although some of these relationships have been estimated in other studies, generally few species were included and/or statistical support at many nodes was low. Here we include two additional species of anthropophilic P. falciparum malaria vectors and reanalyze these relationships using a Bayesian method that allows us to simultaneously incorporate different models of evolution. We report data that indicate a paraphyletic relationship between five anthropophilic African mosquito vectors. Such a relationship suggests that these species can serve as independent natural experiments for anopheline immunologic responses to regular, prolonged contact with P. falciparum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Africa
  • Animals
  • Anopheles / classification*
  • Anopheles / genetics
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / analysis
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics*
  • DNA, Ribosomal / analysis
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics*
  • Electron Transport Complex IV / genetics
  • Insect Vectors / classification*
  • Insect Vectors / genetics
  • Malaria, Falciparum / transmission*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 28S
  • Electron Transport Complex IV

Associated data

  • GENBANK/DQ069719
  • GENBANK/DQ069720
  • GENBANK/DQ069721
  • GENBANK/DQ069722
  • GENBANK/DQ069723
  • GENBANK/DQ069724
  • GENBANK/DQ069725
  • GENBANK/DQ069726