Microsatellite loci cross-species transferability in Aedes fluviatilis (Diptera:Culicidae): a cost-effective approach for population genetics studies

BACKGROUND: Aedes fluviatilis is a neotropical mosquito species thought to be a potential vector of Yellow Fever viruses and can be infected with Plasmodium gallinaceum in laboratory. A better understanding of its genetic structure is very important to understand its epidemiologic potential and how it is responding to urbanization. The objective of this study was to survey the transferability of microsatellites loci developed for other Aedes to Ae. fluviatilis. FINDINGS: We tested in Ae. fluviatilis 40 pairs of primers known to flank microsatellite regions in Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus and Aedes caspius, and found eight loci that amplified consistently. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 15, and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.09 to 0.85. CONCLUSIONS: We found that several microsatellite primers successfully transferred to Ae. fluviatilis. This finding opens avenues for cost-effective optimization of high-resolution population genetic tools.