Chromosome evolution in malaria mosquitoes.
The genomic era offers excellent opportunities to improve our understanding of the genetic basis of mosquito adaptation, evolution, and competence to a pathogen. The availability of polytene chromosomes in anopheline mosquitoes makes them an excellent model system for studying genome organization, evolution, and function. Physical mapping facilitated the whole genome sequence assembly for the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae and comparative genome mapping has determined types, patterns, and rates of chromosomal rearrangements in mosquito evolution. Together with sequencing projects, high-resolution physical mapping can shed light on mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangements and phylogenetic relationships among species.
Department of Entomology, Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. igor@vt.edu
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D000818:Animals; D000852:Anopheles / Q000235:genetics*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D007446:Chromosome Inversion; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D059006:Chromosomes, Insect / Q000235:genetics*; D004199:Disease Vectors; D049750:Genome, Insect; D008288:Malaria / Q000635:transmission*; D010802:Phylogeny; D059007:Polytene Chromosomes