Anopheles gambiae

Anopheles gambiae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Culicidae
Subfamily:	Anophelinae
Genus:	Anopheles
Species:	A. gambiae
Binomial name
Anopheles gambiae Giles

Anopheles gambiae is a complex of at least seven morphologically distinguishable species of mosquitoes in the genus Anopheles. This complex was recognised in the 1960s and includes the most important vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa^[1] and the most efficient malaria vectors known.

This species complex consists of:^[2]

• Anopheles arabiensis
• Anopheles bwambae
• Anopheles merus
• Anopheles melas
• Anopheles quadriannulatus
• Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto

Despite being morphologically indistinguishable, individual species of Anopheles gambiae complex exhibit different behavioural traits. For example, the Anopheles quadriannulatus, is generally considered to be zoophilic, (taking its blood meal from animals) whereas Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto is generally anthropophilic (taking its blood meal from humans). Identification to the individual species level using the molecular methods of Scott et al. (1993)^[3] can have important implications in subsequent control measures.

Recently a new cryptic subgroup - the Goundry subgroup- of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto has been described.^[4]

Anopheles gambiae in the strict sense

A. gambiae s.str. has been discovered to be currently in a state of diverging into two different species — the Mopti (M) and Savannah (S) strains — though as of 2007, the two strains are still considered to be a single species. The A. gambiae s.str. genome has been sequenced,^[5] though there is controversy over the choice of strain used, which is considered a hybrid of two different strains. Currently, ~90 miRNA have been predicted in the literature (38 miRNA officially listed in miRBase) for A. gambiae s.str. based upon conserved sequences to miRNA found in Drosophila.

The mechanism of species recognition appears to be sounds emitted by the wings and identified by Johnston's organ.^[6]

Historical note

An. gambiense invaded northeastern Brazil in 1930, which lead to a malaria epidemic in 1938/1939.^[7] The Brazilian government assisted by the Rockfeller Foundation in a programme spearheaded by Fredrick Soper eradicated these mosquitoes from this area. This effort was modeled on the earlier success in eradication of Aedes aegypti elimination as part of the yellow fever control program. The exact species involved in this epidemic has been identified as An. arabiensis.^[8]

References

1. ^ "Anopheles gambiae complex". Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. http://www.wrbu.org/SpeciesPages_ANO/ANO_A-hab/ANara_hab.html. 
2. ^ Besansky NJ, Powell JR, Caccone A, Hamm DM, Scott JA, Collins FH (July 1994). "Molecular phylogeny of the Anopheles gambiae complex suggests genetic introgression between principal malaria vectors". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91 (15): 6885–8. doi:10.1073/pnas.91.15.6885. PMC 44302. PMID 8041714. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=44302. 
   Wilkins EE, Howell PI, Benedict MQ (2006). "IMP PCR primers detect single nucleotide polymorphisms for Anopheles gambiae species identification, Mopti and Savanna rDNA types, and resistance to dieldrin in Anopheles arabiensis". Malar. J. 5 (1): 125. doi:10.1186/1475-2875-5-125. PMC 1769388. PMID 17177993. http://www.malariajournal.com/content/5//125. 
3. ^ C. Fanello, F. Santolamazza & A. Della Torre (2002). "Simultaneous identification of species and molecular forms of the Anopheles gambiae complex by PCR-RFLP". Medical and Veterinary Entomology 16 (4): 461. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2915.2002.00393.x. PMID 12510902. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2915.2002.00393.x. 
4. ^ Yakob L (2011) Epidemiological consequences of a newly discovered cryptic subgroup of Anopheles gambiae.Biol Lett
5. ^ "Anopheles gambiae: First genome of a vector for a parasitic disease". Genoscope. http://www.cns.fr/externe/English/Projets/Projet_AK/organisme_AK.html. 
6. ^ Pennetier C, Warren B, Dabiré KR, Russell IJ, Gibson G (2009) "Singing on the wing" as a mechanism for species recognition in the malarial mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Curr. Biol.
7. ^ Killeen GF (October 2003). "Following in Soper's footsteps: northeast Brazil 63 years after eradication of Anopheles gambiae". Lancet Infect Dis 3 (10): 663–6. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(03)00776-X. PMID 14522266. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S147330990300776X. 
8. ^ Parmakelis A, Russello MA, Caccone A, et al. (January 2008). "Historical analysis of a near disaster: Anopheles gambiae in Brazil". Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 78 (1): 176–8. PMID 18187802. http://www.ajtmh.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=18187802. 

External links

• "Anopheles gambiae". VectorBase. http://agambiae.vectorbase.org/index.php. 
• "Anopheles gambiae". MetaPathogen. http://www.metapathogen.com/mosquito/anopheles. 
• DiArk