title: The period gene and genetic differentiation between three Brazilian populations of Lutzomyia longipalpis.
abstract: Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), the main vector of visceral leishmaniasis in the Americas, is a putative species complex. Molecular polymorphism was characterized in a 266 bp fragment of L. longipalpis homologous to period, a 'speciation gene' from Drosophila. Samples from the Brazilian localities of Jacobina (BA), Lapinha (MG) and Natal (RN) were analysed and the data indicate that the three populations are highly differentiated, with a very low level of gene flow between them. These results are in agreement with published pheromone and copulation song studies that suggest the existence of a sibling species complex in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Entomologia, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. apeixoto@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: L G S R
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Bauzer
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kyriacou
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Peixoto
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C539040:PER protein, Drosophila; D056950:Period Circadian Proteins; D004247:DNA