title: Identification of blood meal sources of Lutzomyia longipalpis using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the cytochrome B gene.
abstract: An analysis of the dietary content of haematophagous insects can provide important information about the transmission networks of certain zoonoses. The present study evaluated the potential of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome B (cytb) gene to differentiate between vertebrate species that were identified as possible sources of sandfly meals. The complete cytb gene sequences of 11 vertebrate species available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database were digested with Aci I, Alu I, Hae III and Rsa I restriction enzymes in silico using Restriction Mapper software. The cytb gene fragment (358 bp) was amplified from tissue samples of vertebrate species and the dietary contents of sandflies and digested with restriction enzymes. Vertebrate species presented a restriction fragment profile that differed from that of other species, with the exception of Canis familiaris and Cerdocyon thous. The 358 bp fragment was identified in 76 sandflies. Of these, 10 were evaluated using the restriction enzymes and the food sources were predicted for four: Homo sapiens (1), Bos taurus (1) and Equus caballus (2). Thus, the PCR-RFLP technique could be a potential method for identifying the food sources of arthropods. However, some points must be clarified regarding the applicability of the method, such as the extent of DNA degradation through intestinal digestion, the potential for multiple sources of blood meals and the need for greater knowledge regarding intraspecific variations in mtDNA.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas em Leishmanioses, Departamento de Medicina Comunitária, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portela, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
authors.forename: Vítor Yamashiro Rocha
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas em Leishmanioses, Departamento de Medicina Comunitária, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portela, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
authors.forename: Jailthon Carlos da
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Departamento de Morfofisiologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
authors.forename: Kleverton Ribeiro da
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Departamento de Morfofisiologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria do Socorro
authors.initials: Mdo S
authors.lastname: Pires e Cruz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcos Pérsio Dantas
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paulo Eduardo Martins
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Ribolla
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Diego Peres
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luiz Felipe Leomil
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas em Leishmanioses, Departamento de Medicina Comunitária, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portela, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
authors.forename: Dorcas Lamounier
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Pesquisas em Leishmanioses, Departamento de Medicina Comunitária, Instituto de Doenças Tropicais Natan Portela, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
authors.forename: Carlos Henrique Nery
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics*; D004285:Dogs; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D062407:Meals; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D009893:Opossums; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D045303:Cytochromes b