Análise das relações entre espécies do grupo Quadrifidum, subgênero Simulium (Psaroniocompsa) (Diptera, Simuliidae) utilizando o gene Citocromo Oxidase I

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2010

RESUMO

Taxonomic knowledge of Simuliidae (Diptera) in the Neotropical region has advanced. In Brazil, where three genera have been recorded, most of the species are in the genus Simulium and are distributed among eight subgenera. In spite of the above-mentioned taxonomic advance, molecular tools have rarely been used in studying these organisms. The sequencing of gene fragments permits direct evaluation of DNA polymorphisms, providing information needed to make relationship inferences among species. The DNA barcoding method is a species-identification method based on the diversity of a portion of the sequence of the Cytochrome oxydase I (COI) gene subunit. Sequencing this mitochondrial gene represents a promising method for diagnostic studies of biological diversity, helping to delimit cryptic species. The objective of this study is to characterize genetically the Quadrifidum species group, in the S. (Psaroniocompsa) subgenus, using barcoding of a fragment of the COI gene and also, to verify the utility of this gene for identifying species in this species group and other related species in the same subgenus. The analyzed specimens were collected in the field, preserved in 100% ethanol and maintained refrigerated until the molecular analysis. Total DNA was isolated, the COI gene sequences were amplified by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and later purified; the sequencing was done using a MegaBace 1000. The sequences obtained were compared based on the species distance computed using the Kimura-2-Parameters model (K2P), and the phylogenetic tree was created based on these distances. The result of this analysis does not corroborate the monophyly of the Quadrifidum species group; species allocated in this group were positioned in other groups in the subgenus S. (Psaroniocompsa). In general, the analyzed specimens were grouped together, indicating the utility of this technique for identifying species in the subgenus S. (Psaroniocompsa).

ASSUNTO(S)

simuliidae neotropicais gene mitocondrial neighbour joining (método) taxonomia genetica

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