Identification of Culex vishnui subgroup (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes from the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan: Development of a species-diagnostic polymerase chain reaction assay based on sequence variation in ribosomal DNA spacers

The Culex vishnui subgroup includes three important vectors of Japanese encephalitis virus, Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles, Cx. pseudovishnui Colless, and Cx. vishnui Theobald, all of which occur in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Although these three species have been shown to be vectors of JE virus...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical entomology 2000-07, Vol.37 (4), p.554-558
Main Authors: TOMA, T, MIYAGI, I, CRABTREE, M. B, MILLER, B. R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Base Sequence
Biological and medical sciences
Culex - classification
Culex - genetics
DNA, Ribosomal - analysis
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genes, Insect
Genetic Variation
Insecta
Invertebrates
Japan
Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control
Molecular Sequence Data
Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Species Specificity
Systematics. Geographical distribution
Vectors. Intermediate hosts
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Summary:The Culex vishnui subgroup includes three important vectors of Japanese encephalitis virus, Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles, Cx. pseudovishnui Colless, and Cx. vishnui Theobald, all of which occur in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Although these three species have been shown to be vectors of JE virus in many areas of Southeast Asia, it is not yet known what role each plays in the transmission of the virus in this region. Reliable identification of adult, field-collected specimens is a critical component in epidemiological studies of virus transmission. Mosquitoes in the Cx. vishnui subgroup can be reliably identified in the larval stage. However, because females of these species are very similar, it is difficult to distinguish among them using morphology. We developed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the identification of these species. Three species-specific primers were developed for the PCR assay based on a comparative analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) in the ribosomal DNA gene array. The primers, CT2REV, CP1REV, and CV1REV were designed to amplify a single DNA fragment each from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Cx. pseudovishnui, and Cx. vishnui, respectively, when paired with a single forward primer that is complementary to the highly conserved 18S rDNA gene. The amplified fragments were separated easily and identified on an agarose gel to facilitate species identification.
ISSN:0022-2585
1938-2928
DOI:10.1603/0022-2585-37.4.554