title: Characterization of Genetic Variability and Population Structure of the Tick Amblyomma aureolatum (Acari: Ixodidae).
abstract: The hard tick Amblyomma aureolatum (Pallas) is a vector of the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, the etiologic agent of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) in parts of Brazil. Despite its wide distribution in southeastern South America and its public health importance, there is no information about genetic variation of this species that might help to understand the epidemiology of BSF. Using data from eight microsatellite markers and ticks from six localities, we used a population genetics approach to test the hypothesis that tick populations from areas with the presence of R. rickettsii are genetically different from ticks from areas without R. rickettsii Contrary to expectations, we found low genetic structure between studied regions. Thus, the presence of R. rickettsii in the specific area is more likely correlated with ecological and the environmental conditions or due to unknown gene coding regions of A. aureolatum genome that would be related to R. rickettsii infection resistance.
authors.affiliation: Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos, CEP 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil (mogrzewalska@gmail.com).|Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, e-mail: mogrzewalska@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogrzewalska
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética e Evolução e Bioagentes, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, R. Bertrand Russel, s/n Caixa Postal 6109, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil (schwarcz.kaiser@gmail.com).
authors.forename: Kaiser
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schwarcz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, CEP 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil (mmbajay@gmail.com; bajay.sk@gmail.com; jbaldin@gmail.com).
authors.forename: Miklos M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bajay
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, CEP 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil (mmbajay@gmail.com; bajay.sk@gmail.com; jbaldin@gmail.com).
authors.forename: Stephanie K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bajay
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, CEP 13418-900, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil (mmbajay@gmail.com; bajay.sk@gmail.com; jbaldin@gmail.com).
authors.forename: José B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, R. Cardeal Arcoverde, 2878, Pinheiros, CEP 05408-003, São Paulo, SP, Brazil (mizucchi@gmail.com).
authors.forename: Maria I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Zucchi
authors.affiliation: Pólo Centro-Sul, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Av. Barão de Itapura, 1481, Botafogo, CEP 13020-902, Campinas, SP, Brazil (adrianopinter@gmail.com), and.
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinter
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil (labruna@usp.br).
authors.forename: Marcelo B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D014644:Genetic Variation; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012284:Rickettsia rickettsii / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Amblyomma; Rickettsia; genetic population; tick