Whole genome sequence analysis of population structure and insecticide resistance markers in Anopheles melas from the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau

A novel analysis of the first whole-genome sequencing data from Anopheles melas, a malaria vector in Guinea-Bissau’s Bijagós Archipelago, reveals no presence of insecticide-resistant SNPs common to An. gambiae but identifies structural variation over resistance-associated genes, including a large duplication encompassing cyp9k1. Phylogenetic analysis further shows mitochondrial genome differentiation, splitting the population into two groups due to variations in COX I, COX II, and NADH dehydrogenase subunits. This study provides critical insights into the genetic diversity and potential insecticide resistance mechanisms of An. melas, though its role in malaria transmission remains to be fully elucidated.

Moss, S., Pretorius, E., Ceesay, S., da Silva, E. T., Hutchins, H., Ndiath, M. O., Acford-Palmer, H., Collins, E. L., Higgins, M., Phelan, J., Jones, R. T., Vasileva, H., Rodrigues, A., Krishna, S., Clark, T. G., Last, A., & Campino, S. (2024). Whole genome sequence analysis of population structure and insecticide resistance markers in Anopheles melas from the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau. Parasites & Vectors, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06476-2