title: Genetic variability of Triatoma flavida and Triatoma bruneri (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) by RAPD-PCR technique.
abstract: The Triatominae (Hemiptera:Reduviidae) contains the principal and potential Chagas disease vectors present in Mexico, Central America and South America. Triatoma flavida and T. bruneri are Cuban species. These species are closely related according to morphology and were considered synonyms until 1981, when they were separated on the grounds of external characters of the body and the morphology of male genitalia. The present study seeks to analyze genetic polymorphism of T. flavida and T. bruneri populations using RAPD techniques, and to assess the genetic relationship between these species. Ten random primers were used to evaluate the genetic variability among species using RAPD-PCR. The genetic flow among them was calculated. The dendrogram based on calculated Jaccard distances showed two clearly distinguishable clusters which coincided with the studied species. Within each species, moderate genetic differentiation (Fst 0.05-0.15) and migration rates (N > 1) were found among populations, that reveal gene flow and genetic homogeneity. Between species, the Fst value showed a high genetic differentiation and the migration rate was insufficient to maintain genetic homogeneity, and confirmed the absence of gene flow between them. Our results confirm the genetic variability among T. flavida and T. bruneri species.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kourí, Autopista Novia del Mediodía km 61/2, Apartado Postal 601, Marianao 13, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba. fraga@ipk.sld.cu
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fraga
authors.forename: Jinnay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: Yenin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Mayda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castex
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Aymé
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Calienes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000635:transmission; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D014224:Triatoma / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*