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Biogeography of Brazilian populations of Panstrongylus megistus (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) based on molecular marker and paleo-vegetational data.

In epidemiological terms, Panstrongylus megistus is one of the most important species of triatomine bug in Brazil. Samples from 11 localities were studied using the random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique, which was able to differentiate the study populations clearly. Biogeographical data indicate that these populations could already have arisen 18,000 years ago (C(14)), it being possible to differentiate insects from the Brazilian states of Santa Catarina (SC) in the south, Ceará (CE) in the northeast and another large intermediate block containing the remaining eight populations from five other states. These results agree with those obtained by phenograms constructed from RAPD data, in which the SC population lies opposite those of CE, consistent with the greatest geographical distance between these localities. The other eight populations (Alagoas (AL), Bahia (BA), Goiás (GO), Minas Gerais (MG) and São Paulo (SP)) are closer genetically and originated in areas whose vegetational characteristics have remained similar to each other during the last 18,000 years, thus allowing greater contact between them. The greatest divergence of this group of insects and those of Ceará appears to have occurred 8000 years ago. This more humid period gave rise to other landscape changes, allowing greater differentiation of the vegetation and consequent expansion of P. megistus populations. Formation of the Serras do Mar and Mantiqueira probably created geographical barriers that favored a certain degree of isolation and greater differentiation of the SC population. Atlantic forest remnants within the caatinga domain (created between 25 and 17,000 years ago), where the CE populations originated probably constitute ecological refugia produced by successive amplification and retraction of the most suitable habitats for this species.

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Salivation pattern of Rhodnius prolixus (Reduviidae; Triatominae) in mouse skin.

The objective of this work was to study the pattern of salivation of triatomines during feeding in mouse skin. Rhodnius prolixus was fed with a solution of the dye acridine orange or fluorescein. The saliva was efficiently labelled with acridine orange, probably due to the difference in pH between the salivary gland (6.0) and the hemolymph (6.5-7.0). This procedure was not effective at labelling the saliva of Triatoma infestans, however, fluorescent labelling of R. prolixus saliva allowed us to demonstrate that salivation occurs during entire feeding process. The saliva is released soon after the bite. In the probing phase, saliva is pumped continuously in the host skin, including around the blood vessels. During the engorgement phase, saliva is observed in a bolus within the blood vessel and some of it is sucked up by the insect, together with blood. The frequency of saliva emission inside the vessels was low (0.51+/-0.18 Hz). The saliva deposition in the microcirculation is continuous and modulated by the frequency of the cibarial pump because, when functioning at high frequency, cibarial pump sucks almost all saliva to the insect gut. This mechanism would determine the quantity of saliva deposited in the microcirculation as necessary, and consequently minimizing the host's immune response to salivary antigens.

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Salivary heme proteins distinguish Rhodnius prolixus from Rhodnius robustus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae).

Rhodnius prolixus interpopulation variability was studied based on a new approach using salivary heme proteins (nitrophorins) electrophoresis in starch gel. We compared salivary proteins profiles of R. prolixus from three different laboratory colonies from Honduras, Venezuela, Brazil and Rhodnius robustus from Venezuela, constructing a UPGMA. The Honduran and Venezuelan populations could not be distinguished from each other, but the Brazilian population was well separated from the others. The high similarity between Honduran and Venezuelan specimens lends support to current theories that the Central American populations of R. prolixus may have been introduced from a Venezuelan origin. The low polymorphism shown by the Honduran specimens is in agreement with a possible founder effect. This new approach also distinguished R. prolixus populations from R. robustus, species with extreme phenotypical similarity.

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Nuclear rDNA ITS-2 sequences reveal polyphyly of Panstrongylus species (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae), vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Panstrongylus species are widely distributed throughout the Americas, where they act as vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, agent of Chagas disease. Their intraspecific relationships, taxonomic position and phylogeny in relation to other Triatomini were explored using ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) sequence polymorphisms and maximum parsimony, distance and maximum likelihood analyses of 10 populations representing six species of the genus (P. megistus, P. geniculatus, P. rufotuberculatus, P. lignarius, P. herreri and P. chinai). At the subspecific level, P. megistus appeared more homogeneous than P. rufotuberculatus and P. geniculatus (both with broader distribution). Several dinucleotide microsatellites were detected in the sequences of given species. Many of these microsatellites (GC, TA, GT and AT) showed different number of repeats in different populations and thus, may be very useful for population differentiation and dynamics analyses in future studies. The sequences of P. lignarius (considered sylvatic) and P. herreri (a major disease vector in Peru) were identical, suggesting that these species should be synonymised. Intrageneric analysis showed a clear separation of P. rufotuberculatus, with closest relationships between P. geniculatus and P. chinai, and P. megistus occupying a separate branch. Genetic distances between Panstrongylus species (0.11585-0.22131) were higher than those between Panstrongylus and other Triatomini (16 species from central and North America and South America) (0.08617-0.11039). The distance between P. megistus and P. lignarius/herreri (0.22131) was the largest so far recorded in the tribe. The pronounced differences in length and nucleotide composition suggest a relatively old divergence of Panstrongylus species. P. rufotuberculatus was closer to Mesoamerican Triatoma, Meccus and Dipetalogaster species than to other Panstrongylus. All Panstrongylus clustered with the Mesoamerican clade; P. rufotuberculatus clustered with the phyllosoma complex and T. dimidiata, with D. maxima and T. barberi in a basal position. The rest of Panstrongylus appeared paraphyletically in the tree. This is evidence suggesting polyphyly within the genus Panstrongylus, whose species may be related to the ancestors giving rise to central and North American Triatomini.

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Comparison of isoenzyme electrophoresis and morphometric analysis for phylogenetic reconstruction of the Rhodniini (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae).

A phylogenetic reconstruction of the medically important tribe Rhodniini (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) based on multilocus isoenzyme electrophoresis is compared with phylogenetic patterns derived from a traditional morphometric analysis. Even with non-normality in the morphometric data, and some inequalities in population variances, discriminant analysis of size-free variables provided broadly similar phylogenetic information to that derived from isoenzyme analysis, revealing 3 main species groups within the genus Rhodnius.

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Polymorphism of the ITS-2 region of the ribosomal DNA of the Triatominae Rhodnius domesticus, R. pictipes, R. prolixus and R. stali.

The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique (PCR-RFLP) was used to compare Rhodnius domesticus (Neiva & Pinto), R. pictipes (Stal), R. prolixus (Stal) and R. stali (Lent, Jurberg & Galvão) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). The enzyme BstUI differentiated R. domesticus, R. pictipes and R. prolixus, and HhaI differentiated R. domesticus, R. pictipes and R. stali. With the fingerprinting analysis generated by these two enzymes, it was possible to clearly identify all four species in the study.

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RAPD analyses and rDNA intergenic-spacer sequences discriminate Brazilian populations of Triatoma rubrovaria (Reduviidae: Triatominae).

Triatoma rubrovaria, a member of the 'infestans' subgroup, is a potential vector of Trypanosoma cruzi in southern Brazil. Surveillance data indicate a growing domiciliary and peridomiciliary invasion by Tri. rubrovaria in the rural areas of Rio Grande do Sul (RS). In fact, following effective control of Tri. infestans, Tri. rubrovaria, which seems to have pre-adaptative characteristics for anthropic ecotopes, has become the most frequent species of triatomine bug to be collected in these areas. To explore the intraspecific variability and domiciliation of Tri. rubrovaria, the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of two RS populations of Tri. rubrovaria that were geographically separated by only 220 km was investigated. The RAPD profiles and nucleotide sequences of the intergenic region of the rDNA, including the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 (ITS-1 and ITS-2) and the 5.8S gene, were analysed. In the RAPD study, the use of three decameric primers revealed polymorphisms reflecting both genetic differences between the two populations and heterogeneity within each. A phenetic dendrogram of the Tri. rubrovaria specimens, based on the three-primer consensus and a simple-matching coefficient of similarity, showed two clusters, clearly differentiating the bugs from the two localities studied. The rDNA sequencing revealed four different nucleotide sequences, with two different genotypes in each locality. The level of intraspecific variability detected within ITS-1 and ITS-2 of the Tri. rubrovaria, which was remarkably high considering the physical closeness of the two populations sampled, may indicate that the two collection sites are separated by geographical barriers that ensure the reproductive isolation of each population. The ITS sequences, like the RAPD results, clearly distinguished the two populations while showing that there is heterogeneity within each of them. The present study appears to be the first to reveal ITS length differences between populations of the same triatomine species without any associated difference in the number of microsatellite repeats. These results are in agreement with those of earlier studies on iso-enzymes, chromatic patterns, the ecological effects of environmental modification by humans, and bloodmeal sources.

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[Triatoma platensis Neiva, 1913 (Hemiptera, Triatominae) found in the Brazilian state of "Rio Grande do Sul"].

Triatoma platensis, an ornitophilic species, found in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay is reported for the first time in Brazil. It was found in the county of Uruguaiana (Rio Grande do Sul) in nests of Anumbius annumbi (Vieillot, 1817) (Passeriformes, Furnariidae) where it cohabited with cricetids belonging to the species Orizomys flavescens. None of the seven individuals collected were infected by Trypanosoma cruzi.

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A Triatoma maculata (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae) population from Roraima, Amazon region, Brazil, has some bionomic characteristics of a potential Chagas disease vector.

Even though Chagas disease is rare in the Brazilian Amazon, the conditions for the establishment of domiciliated cycles prevail in many areas where triatomines are of frequent occurrence. In Roraima, a previous serological and entomological survey in three agricultural settlements showed the existence of all transmission cycle elements, i.e., individuals infected by Trypanosoma cruzi, triatomine species previously found harboring T. cruzi in the broader Amazon region of neighboring countries and, domicile/ peridomicile conditions favorable to triatomine colonization. Triatoma maculata was the most frequent species, found in chicken houses in the peridomicile and sporadically within residences. Aiming to investigate the possibility of T. maculata to possess the potentiality to transmit T. cruzi in the area, bionomic characteristics were studied under laboratory conditions. These were feeding frequency, time for defecation after a blood meal, time elapsed in voluntary fasting pre- and pos-ecdysis, moulting time periods, pre-oviposition and oviposition periods and index of oviposition, incubation period, egg viability, longevity and mortality rate. Results show that the Passarão population of T. maculata should be considered a potential vector of T. cruzi since it shows a capacity to infest artificial ecotopes in the peridomicile, to carry out large number of meals during the nymphal cycle, to have a relatively short developmental cycle capable of producing 2.9 generations/year, to blood source eclecticism, to defecate immediately after the blood meal while still on the host and to the fact that has been previously found naturally infected by T. cruzi.

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