Identification of six sibling species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) by a polymerase chain reaction assay (original) (raw)

Abstract

Until the eradication of malaria from Europe, members of the Anopheles maculipennis complex had been the major vectors for plasmodial parasites. With the possible reintroduction of Plasmodium species due to climate change and increased travel to and from countries where malaria is endemic, accurate identification of mosquito species will be essential for preventive studies. For this purpose, a diagnostic PCR system to differentiate between six of the seven A. maculipennis sibling species occurring in Europe was developed. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA was amplified and sequenced for all six species. Based on differences in the nucleotide sequences, species-specific primers were constructed for PCR amplification of mosquito DNA that in combination with a universal primer generate amplification products of different length, each unique for one species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Medical Parasitology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany e-mail: jproft@parasit.meb.uni-bonn.de, Fax: +49-228-2874330, , , , , , DE
    Jana Proft, Walter A. Maier & Helge Kampen

Authors

  1. Jana Proft
  2. Walter A. Maier
  3. Helge Kampen

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Received: 11 January 1999 / Accepted: 29 April 1999

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Proft, J., Maier, W. & Kampen, H. Identification of six sibling species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) by a polymerase chain reaction assay.Parasitol Res 85, 837–843 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004360050642

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