Abstract
Anopheles coluzzii is a major malaria vector throughout its distribution in west-central Africa. Here we present a whole-genome study of 142 specimens from nine countries in continental Africa and three islands in the Gulf of Guinea. This sample set covers a large part of this species’ geographic range. Our population genomic analyses included a description of the structure of mainland populations, island populations, and connectivity between them. Three genetic clusters are identified among mainland populations and genetic distances (FST) fits an isolation-by-distance model. Genomic analyses are applied to estimate the demographic history and ancestry for each island. Taken together with the unique biogeography and history of human occupation for each island, they present a coherent explanation underlying levels of genetic isolation between mainland and island populations. We discuss the relationship of our findings to the suitability of São Tomé and Príncipe islands as candidate sites for potential field trials of genetic-based malaria control strategies.
Highlights
Anopheles coluzzii is a major malaria vector throughout its distribution in west-central Africa
Modelling studies have shown that conventional vector control is insufficient for endemic malaria elimination[12,13], which reinforces the conclusion that new methods, which may include genetically engineered mosquitoes (GEM), are urgently needed[14,15,16,17]
A thorough study of islands off the coast of Africa with the aim of identifying candidate sites for initial field trials of GEM has identified the country of São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) as a strong candidate[18]
Summary
Anopheles coluzzii is a major malaria vector throughout its distribution in west-central Africa. A thorough study of islands off the coast of Africa with the aim of identifying candidate sites for initial field trials of GEM has identified the country of São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) as a strong candidate[18]. This archipelago consists of two small oceanic islands in the Gulf of Guinea (West Africa), about 250 and 225 km, respectively, off the coast of Gabon. We extend earlier studies describing genetic isolation between island and mainland A. coluzzii populations by applying analyses of 142 individual mosquito genomes. We present genome resequencing data from three island populations: São Tomé, Príncipe and Bioko
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