Author:
Ghosh Chaitali,Soumya M,Kumar Naveen,Chethan Kumar R,Joshi Soumya Gopal,Kumar Sampath,Subramani Suresh,Swain Sunita
Abstract
AbstractA novel and distinct mutant, with an aeroplane wing (ae) phenotype, is reported for the first time in the urban malaria vector,Anopheles stephensi. The mutant mosquitoes exhibit extended wings that are easily visible to naked eyes in both sexes. This mutant was first observed in a nutritionally stressed experimental isofemale line and characterized for its genetic inheritance and other related parameters. Meticulous and strategic genetic crosses revealed that theaegene is an autosomal, recessive, non-sex-linked and monogenic trait with full penetrance and uniform expression in the adult stage. Cytogenetic study of the ovarian polytene chromosome revealed an inversion on the 3L chromosome (3Li) in both theaemutant and its parent line. No significant differences in wing venation and other parameters were observed inaemutants compared to their normal parental lines. Thisaemutant would be an excellent marker that can be used by researchers to study the function of related genes within the genome.Author summaryIn the present study, we have established and describe the inheritance of an unusual novel aeroplane (ae) winged mutant inAnopheles stephensi, an urban malaria vector in India. Theaemutant lines exhibit three open-wing orientations in both the sexes of adults viz. left (LW), right (RW) and double wing (DW) during its resting phase. Through various inbreeding crosses we demonstrated the mode of inheritance of theaegene to be autosomal, recessive and monogenic in nature. The morphometric studies of eggs and wings revealed that mutant lines are on par with their parental lines. Cytogenetic study of polytene chromosome ofaemutant revealed the presence of heterogenic inversion on the 3L chromosome arm, which might help in adaptation mechanism. We strongly believe thataephenotypic markers have great applications bridging both basic and applied genetic research such as constructing linkage maps, identifying loci of quantitative and/or qualitative traits and as guides for insect transformation studies.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory