title: Identification of Algerian Field-Caught Phlebotomine Sand Fly Vectors by MALDI-TOF MS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Phlebotomine sand flies are known to transmit Leishmania parasites, bacteria and viruses that affect humans and animals in many countries worldwide. Precise sand fly identification is essential to prevent phlebotomine-borne diseases. Over the past two decades, progress in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has emerged as an accurate tool for arthropod identification. The objective of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of MALDI-TOF MS as a tool for identifying field-caught phlebotomine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sand flies were captured in four sites in north Algeria. A subset was morphologically and genetically identified. Six species were found in these areas and a total of 28 stored frozen specimens were used for the creation of the reference spectrum database. The relevance of this original method for sand fly identification was validated by two successive blind tests including the morphological identification of 80 new specimens which were stored at -80°C, and 292 unknown specimens, including engorged specimens, which were preserved under different conditions. Intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity of the protein profiles were obtained, allowing us to distinguish specimens at the gender level. Querying of the sand fly database using the MS spectra from the blind test groups revealed concordant results between morphological and MALDI-TOF MS identification. However, MS identification results were less efficient for specimens which were engorged or stored in alcohol. Identification of 362 phlebotomine sand flies, captured at four Algerian sites, by MALDI-TOF MS, revealed that the subgenus Larroussius was predominant at all the study sites, except for in M'sila where P. (Phlebotomus) papatasi was the only sand fly species detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study highlights the application of MALDI-TOF MS for monitoring sand fly fauna captured in the field. The low cost, reliability and rapidity of MALDI-TOF MS analyses opens up new ways in the management of phlebotomine sand fly-borne diseases.
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.|Ecole Nationale Supérieure Vétérinaire d'Alger, Alger, Algérie.|Institut des Sciences Vétérinaires, Université Blida 1, Blida, Algérie.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lafri
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Almeras
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.|Ecole Nationale Supérieure Vétérinaire d'Alger, Alger, Algérie.|Université de Bab Ezzouar, Laboratoire d'Ecologie et Environnement, Bab Ezzouar, Algérie.
authors.forename: Idir
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bitam
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Aurelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Amina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yssouf
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Claire-Lise
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Forestier
authors.affiliation: Parasitologie-Mycologie, CHU Avicenne, Université Paris 13, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: Arezki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izri
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.affiliation: Aix Marseille Université, URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization / Q000379:methods*