Invertebrate-Derived DNA (iDNA) to Identify Sand Flies' Bloodmeal: A Molecular Approach to Identifying Hosts in Blood-Feeding Vectors of Leishmaniasis.

ABSTRACT: DNA metabarcoding data obtained by next generation sequencing (NGS) has been used to identify species in mixed biological samples, such as DNA from the gut content of invertebrates that feed on vertebrates (invertebrate-derived DNA, iDNA). This investigation employed DNA metabarcoding approach to determine vertebrate hosts of female phlebotomine sand flies, blood-feeding leishmaniasis vectors. We evaluated performance across three mitochondrial markers: a mammal-specific mini-barcode (16S rRNA), a pan-vertebrate mini-barcode (12S rRNA), and a standard CytB barcode region. Phlebotomine sand flies collections occurred in the Cacao Region of Southeastern Bahia, Brazil, an American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) endemic zone. Our analysis examined iDNA from forty female specimens pooled in th

SUBMITTER: Cova BO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12734529 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature