Gene flow pattern among Aedes aegypti populations in Mexico

Abstract

Patterns of gene flow vary greatly among Aedes aegypti populations throughout Mexico. The populations are panmictic along the Pacific coast, isolated by distance in northeast Mexico, and exhibit moderate gene flow across the Yucatan peninsula. Nine Ae. aegypti collections from 6 cities in Oaxaca, Mexico, were taken to examine the local patterns of gene flow. Genetic variation was examined in a 387-bp region of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 4 mitochondrial gene (ND4) using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, and 3 haplotypes were detected. Cluster analysis on the linearized FST genetic distances failed to group collections in geographic proximity. Regression analysis of linear or road distances on linearized F(ST) indicated that proximal collections were as diverse as distant collections across an approximately 800-km range. The geographical distribution of the Mexican mosquito haplotype frequencies was determined for the ND4 sequences from 524 individuals from Oaxaca (this study) and 2,043 individuals from our previous studies. Herein, we report on yet another pattern dominated by genetic drift among 9 Ae. aegypti collections from 6 cities in Oaxaca, Mexico, and compare it to those reported in other regions of Mexico. Molecular analysis of variance showed that there was as much genetic variation among collections 4 km apart as there was among all collections. The numbers of haplotypes and the amount of genetic diversity among the collections from Oaxaca were much lower than detected in previous studies in other regions of Mexico and may reflect the effects of control efforts or adaptations to the altitudinal limits (1,500 m) of the species in Mexico. The geographical distribution of mosquito haplotypes in Mexico is also reported. Furthermore, based on the distribution of the mosquito haplotypes in America, we suggest that mosquito dispersion is very efficient, most likely due to commercial transportation.