Abstract
Triatomines are the vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. Although Triatoma and Rhodnius are the most-studied vector genera, other triatomines, such as Panstrongylus, also transmit T. cruzi, creating new epidemiological scenarios. Panstrongylus has at least 13 reported species but there is limited information about its intraspecific genetic variation and patterns of diversification. Here, we begin to fill this gap by studying populations of P. geniculatus from Colombia and Venezuela and including other epidemiologically important species from the region. We examined the pattern of diversification of P. geniculatus in Colombia using mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal data. Genetic diversity and differentiation were calculated within and among populations of P. geniculatus. Moreover, we constructed maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogenies and haplotype networks using P. geniculatus and other species from the genus (P. megistus, P. lignarius, P. lutzi, P. tupynambai, P. chinai, P. rufotuberculatus and P. howardi). Using a coalescence framework, we also dated the P. geniculatus lineages. The total evidence tree showed that P. geniculatus is a monophyletic species, with four clades that are concordant with its geographic distribution and are partly explained by the Andes orogeny. However, other factors, including anthropogenic and eco-epidemiological effects must be investigated to explain the existence of recent geographic P. geniculatus lineages. The epidemiological dynamics in structured vector populations, such as those found here, warrant further investigation. Extending our knowledge of P. geniculatus is necessary for the accurate development of effective strategies for the control of Chagas disease vectors.
Highlights
Chagas disease affects about six million people in Latin America and is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is mainly transmitted by insects of the subfamily Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) [1]
After Triatoma and Rhodnius, Panstrongylus is the genus with the most species, some of which appear to be involved in a domiciliation process [5]
Panstrongylus geniculatus was monophyletic and had four clades (Fig 2), which were associated, to some extent, with its geographical range: 1) East of the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes clade, which included the departments Arauca, Casanare, Meta, Amazonas, and Cordoba, and some individuals from Santander, Boyaca, and Magdalena; 2) Magdalena (Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, showed that the population in northwestern Colombia (SNSM)) with Venezuela clade (SNSM-Ven; BS = 69, posterior probability (PP) = 0.56), which included all individuals from Venezuela and Magdalena; 3) North Santander clade (NSant; BS = 100, PP = 1), which only included the samples collected there; and 4) West of the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes clade (BS = 100, PP = 1), which included the rest of the Santander and Boyacasamples
Summary
Chagas disease affects about six million people in Latin America and is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is mainly transmitted by insects of the subfamily Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) [1]. The genera Triatoma, Rhodnius, and Panstrongylus are the main vectors that transmit the parasite to humans [1,6]. After Triatoma and Rhodnius, Panstrongylus is the genus with the most species (currently 13), some of which appear to be involved in a domiciliation process (insofar as at least three developmental life stages can be found in homes) [5]. Studies of T. cruzi transmission and control strategies have mainly focused on Rhodnius and Triatoma, and secondary vectors such as Panstrongylus remain unstudied. The species relationships, genetic diversity, and evolutionary trends of this genus are rarely studied, in contrast to those of Rhodnius and Triatoma
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