Dados do Trabalho

Título

A Genetic Reference Panel in Aedes aegypti as a tool for vector control

Introdução

Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika pose serious public health problems. While vaccine development has been a key focus for combating dengue infections, prevention of these diseases primarily relies on controlling the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the insect vector. Various methods exist to control this species, though some still require improvement. Enhancing current strategies and developing new control methods necessitate a deeper understanding of fundamental aspects of Ae. aegypti biology. 

Objetivo (s)

The objectives of this work are: the generation of a panel of Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs), the detailed geno-phenotypic characterization of these RILs, and the use of genome-wide association mapping to identify loci associated with vector capacity and insecticide resistance, which are good approaches for the control of Ae.aegypti. 

Material e Métodos

Considering the genetic variability of Brazilian populations, an artificial strain was created by intercrossing individuals from four distinct Ae. aegypti populations collected in Presidente Figueiredo (AM), Oiapoque (AP), Macapá (AP), and Rio de Janeiro (RJ). This artificial lineage, containing the genetic makeup of the parental populations, was divided into sub-lineages, which were inbred for 20 generations, resulting in 61 RILs, of which 35 had their genomes sequenced.To conduct GWAS, phenotyping of traits related to vector capacity and resistance to the insecticide deltamethrin is underway. Biossays with deltamethrin are being conducted according to World Health Organization protocols. 

Resultados e Conclusão

Genomic analyses indicated a higher degree of heterozygosity than estimated, suggesting either that homozygous genotypes are not tolerated in some loci or that some variants remain segregated in the lineages. Nonetheless, large regions of homozygosity were detected, making the findings from Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) more interpretable.  Thus far, 51 RILs have undergone deltamethrin bioassays, revealing a wide range of susceptibility (from 9% to 100% mortality), highlighting potential resistant lines and very susceptible ones (four lines have >98.5% mortality). Molecular variants of RILs will be associated with this phenotype to unravel the genetic basis of resistance. Furthermore, the molecular bases controlling other phenotypes linked to vector capacity will also be explored. The characterization of this reference panel in Ae. aegypti serves as a long-term resource, providing the scientific community with a valuable tool for controlling this vector.

Palavras Chave

Aedes aegypti; Recombinant Inbred Lines; GWAS; Control