Altitude and hillside orientation shapes the population structure of the Leishmania infantum vector Phlebotomus ariasi.

ABSTRACT: Despite their role in Leishmania transmission, little is known about the organization of sand fly populations in their environment. Here, we used 11 previously described microsatellite markers to investigate the population genetic structure of Phlebotomus ariasi, the main vector of Leishmania infantum in the region of Montpellier (South of France). From May to October 2011, we captured 1,253 Ph. ariasi specimens using sticky traps in 17 sites in the North of Montpellier along a 14-km transect, and recorded the relevant environmental data (e.g., altitude and hillside). Among the selected microsatellite markers, we removed five loci because of stutter artifacts, absence of polymorphism, or non-neutral evolution. Multiple regression analyses showed the influence of altitude and hillside (51%

SUBMITTER: Prudhomme J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7468129 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature