Mosquito genomics. Highly evolvable malaria vectors: the genomes of 16 Anopheles mosquitoes.

Neafsey DE1, Waterhouse RM2, Abai MR3, Aganezov SS4, Alekseyev MA4, Allen JE5, Amon J6, Arcà B7, Arensburger P8, Artemov G9, Assour LA10, Basseri H3, Berlin A11, Birren BW11, Blandin SA12, Brockman AI13, Burkot TR14, Burt A15, Chan CS16, Chauve C17, Chiu JC18, Christensen M5, Costantini C19,Davidson VL20, Deligianni E21, Dottorini T13, Dritsou V22, Gabriel SB23, Guelbeogo WM24, Hall AB25, Han MV26, Hlaing T27, Hughes DS28, Jenkins AM29,Jiang X30, Jungreis I16, Kakani EG31, Kamali M32, Kemppainen P33, Kennedy RC34, Kirmitzoglou IK35, Koekemoer LL36, Laban N37, Langridge N5, Lawniczak MK13, Lirakis M38, Lobo NF39, Lowy E5, MacCallum RM13, Mao C40, Maslen G5, Mbogo C41, McCarthy J8, Michel K20, Mitchell SN42, Moore W43, Murphy KA18, Naumenko AN32, Nolan T13, Novoa EM16, O'Loughlin S15, Oringanje C43, Oshaghi MA3, Pakpour N44, Papathanos PA45, Peery AN32, Povelones M46,Prakash A47, Price DP48, Rajaraman A17, Reimer LJ49, Rinker DC50, Rokas A51, Russell TL14, Sagnon N24, Sharakhova MV32, Shea T11, Simão FA52,Simard F19, Slotman MA53, Somboon P54, Stegniy V9, Struchiner CJ55, Thomas GW56, Tojo M57, Topalis P21, Tubio JM58, Unger MF39, Vontas J38, Walton C33, Wilding CS59, Willis JH60, Wu YC61, Yan G62, Zdobnov EM52, Zhou X63, Catteruccia F31, Christophides GK13, Collins FH39, Cornman RS60, Crisanti A45,Donnelly MJ64, Emrich SJ10, Fontaine MC65, Gelbart W66, Hahn MW67, Hansen IA48, Howell PI68, Kafatos FC13, Kellis M16, Lawson D5, Louis C69, Luckhart S44, Muskavitch MA70, Ribeiro JM71, Riehle MA43, Sharakhov IV72, Tu Z73, Zwiebel LJ74, Besansky NJ75.

Author information

Abstract

Variation in vectorial capacity for human malaria among Anopheles mosquito species is determined by many factors, including behavior, immunity, and life history. To investigate the genomic basis of vectorial capacity and explore new avenues for vector control, we sequenced the genomes of 16 anopheline mosquito species from diverse locations spanning ~100 million years of evolution. Comparative analyses show faster rates of gene gain and loss, elevated gene shuffling on the X chromosome, and more intron losses, relative to Drosophila. Some determinants of vectorial capacity, such as chemosensory genes, do not show elevated turnover but instead diversify through protein-sequence changes. This dynamism of anopheline genes and genomes may contribute to their flexible capacity to take advantage of new ecological niches, including adapting to humans as primary hosts.