Molecular phylogenetic study of Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito from different geographical regions of India using 16S rRNA gene sequences

Culex quinquefasciatus is a major vector of filariasis and various encephalitis in India and worldwide. Vector control remains the most successful strategy for the suppression of mosquito borne diseases. The genetic structure of vector populations in terms of insecticide resistance and susceptibility or refractoriness to infection may possibly vary. To exploit the genetic variability in vector population could pave the path for the alternative strategies in vector management. The sequences of ribosomal RNA molecules have been widely used for such studies. Here, we examined the molecular phylogenetic relationship among the Cx. quinquefasciatus collected from different geographical regions of India, using 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene nucleotide sequences. The distances among the species were measured using Pearson correlation; the Neighbor-Joining (NJ) method was used for the clustering with appropriate bootstrap values using Data Analysis in Molecular Biology and Evolution (DAMBE) software. The results revealed that the populations are genetically diverse. Based on the distance values and the tree topology on the basis of 16S rRNA sequences reflected the clear biogeographical and geoclimatic pattern among the different geographical populations from India.