1.Population genetics of the biting midge Culicoides oxystoma Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Thailand and its genetic relationships with global populations
Pramual, P. ; Jumpato, W. ; Gomontean, B. ; Mintara, R. ; Wannasingha, W. ; Wongpakam, K.
Tropical Biomedicine 2024;41(No.1):125-133
Culicoides oxystoma Kieffer is a vector of viruses, filarial nematodes and protozoa of the genus
Leishmania transmitted to humans and other animals. Understanding genetic diversity, genetic
structure and genetic relationships among geographically widespread populations will provide
important information related to disease epidemiology. In this study, genetic diversity, genetic
structure and genetic relationships between Thai C. oxystoma and those reported from other
countries were inferred based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and nuclear internal
transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) sequences. A high level of genetic diversity was found in C. oxystoma
from Thailand. The maximum K2P intraspecific genetic divergence for COI gene and ITS-1
sequences were 4.29% and 6.55%, respectively. Despite high genetic diversity, no significant genetic
differentiation was found within the 13 Thai populations. This could be a result of unspecialized
habitat requirement of the larval habitat, abundance and continuous distribution of host blood
sources, potential for long distance movement with host via trading. Mitochondrial genealogy
analysis of the global population of C. oxystoma revealed three (A, B and C) genetically divergent
lineages. Specimens from Thailand were included in the main lineage (A) with those from all
other countries except those from Senegal that formed lineage B and those of Lineage C that was
exclusively found in Bangladesh. The nuclear (ITS-1) genetic markers genealogy indicated that Thai C.
oxystoma belong to the same genetic lineage with those from East, South and Southeast Asia which
presumably the true C. oxystoma.