Population genetic structure and evolutionary genetics of Anopheles sinensis based on knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations and mtDNA-COII gene in China–Laos, Thailand–Laos, and Cambodia–Laos borders

BACKGROUND: Vector control is still a pivotal method for preventing malaria, and its potency is weakened by the increasing resistance of vectors to chemical insecticides. As the most abundant and vital malaria vector in Southeast Asia, the chemical insecticide resistance status in Anopheles sinensis remains elusive in Laos, which makes it imperative to evaluate the true nature of chemical insecticide resistance-associated genetic mutations in An. sinensis in Laos. METHODS: Adult An. sinensis were collected from three border regions in Laos. DNA was extracted from individual mosquitoes. PCR amplification and DNA sequencing of a fragment containing codon 1014 of the voltage-gated sodium channel (vgsc) gene were completed to study the kdr allele frequency distribution, kdr intron polymorphism, population genetic diversity, and the evolutionary status of the kdr codon. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit II gene (COII) was amplified and sequenced to examine population variations, genetic differentiation, spatial population structure, population expansion, and gene flow patterns. RESULTS: Nine wild kdr haplotypes of the vgsc gene were detected in this study, and eight of them, namely 1014L1, 1014L2, 1014L4, 1014L7, 1014L9, 1014L10, 1014L11, and 1014L21, were discovered in the China–Laos border (northern Laos), while 1014L3 was only detected in the Thailand–Laos border (northwestern Laos) and Cambodia–Laos border (southern Laos). The newly identified haplotype, 1014L21, was uniquely distributed in the China–Laos border and was not identified in other countries. Based on sequence analysis of the mitochondrial COII genes, significant genetic differentiation and limited gene flow were detected between the China–Laos and Cambodia–Laos An. sinensis populations, which suggested that those two regions were genetically isolated. The distinct distribution of the kdr haplotype frequencies is probably the result of geographical isolation in mosquito populations. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of kdr mutations in the vgsc gene was probably due to genetic isolation and the absence of intense selection pressure in the three border regions of Laos. This study reveals that pyrethroid-based chemical insecticides are still appropriate for battling An. sinensis in parts of Laos, and routine monitoring of chemical insecticide resistance should be continuously implemented and focused on more restricted areas as part of chemical insecticide resistance management. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05366-9.