Saber Gholizadeh
Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Title: Odorant Binding Protein 1 Intron I Sequence: Preliminary Evidence on the Possibility for Introducing Anopheles stephensi as a Species Complex
Biography
Biography: Saber Gholizadeh
Abstract
Anopheles stephensi liston1901 is considered as an important malaria vector in Iran, Asia, and recently in the Horn of Africa. Recently, Ansteobp1 intron I sequences have been introduced as a new molecular marker for identification of An. stephensi biological forms including, mysorensis, intermediate and type, using insectary colony specimens. In the current study, new marker ability has been evaluated with An. stephensi specimens collected from Iran and Afghanistan. Following DNA extraction and PCR amplification, sequence analysis and constructed phylogenetic tree revealed that type and intermediate forms are distributed in Iran. The specimens collected from Afghanistan identified as intermediate and mysorensis forms. This is the first report on the presence of An. stephensi biological forms in Afghanistan. Based on the results of Ansteobp1 intron I sequences, An. stephensi could be suggested as new Anopheles complex species including An. stephensi sibling A (type form), An. stephensi sibling B (intermediate form) and An. stephensi sibling C (mysorensis form). Precise species identification, especially in complex species will be helpful in the prevention of malaria resurgence and impress the malaria elimination program in Iran, mainly because of common fauna of Anopheles species and through border malaria and population movement within Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.