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© 2022 Kurucz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background

The mosquito Aedes koreicus (Edwards, 1917) is a recent invader on the European continent that was introduced to several new places since its first detection in 2008. Compared to other exotic Aedes mosquitoes with public health significance that invaded Europe during the last decades, this species’ biology, behavior, and dispersal patterns were poorly investigated to date.

Methodology/Principal findings

To understand the species’ population relationships and dispersal patterns within Europe, a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI or COX1) gene was sequenced from 130 mosquitoes, collected from five countries where the species has been introduced and/or established. Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing techniques were combined to generate the first complete nuclear and mitochondrial genomic sequences of Ae. koreicus from the European region. The complete genome of Ae. koreicus is 879 Mb. COI haplotype analyses identified five major groups (altogether 31 different haplotypes) and revealed a large-scale dispersal pattern between European Ae. koreicus populations. Continuous admixture of populations from Belgium, Italy, and Hungary was highlighted, additionally, haplotype diversity and clustering indicate a separation of German sequences from other populations, pointing to an independent introduction of Ae. koreicus to Europe. Finally, a genetic expansion signal was identified, suggesting the species might be present in more locations than currently detected.

Conclusions/Significance

Our results highlight the importance of genetic research of invasive mosquitoes to understand general dispersal patterns, reveal main dispersal routes and form the baseline of future mitigation actions. The first complete genomic sequence also provides a significant leap in the general understanding of this species, opening the possibility for future genome-related studies, such as the detection of ‘Single Nucleotide Polymorphism’ markers. Considering its public health importance, it is crucial to further investigate the species’ population genetic dynamic, including a larger sampling and additional genomic markers.

Details

Title
Aedes koreicus, a vector on the rise: Pan-European genetic patterns, mitochondrial and draft genome sequencing
Author
Kurucz, Kornélia  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zeghbib, Safia  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Arnoldi, Daniele  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Marini, Giovanni  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Manica, Mattia  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Michelutti, Alice  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Montarsi, Fabrizio  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Deblauwe, Isra  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Wim Van Bortel  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Smitz, Nathalie  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Wolf, Peter Pfitzner  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Czajka, Christina  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Jöst, Artur  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kalan, Katja  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Šušnjar, Jana; Ivović, Vladimir  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kuczmog, Anett; Lanszki, Zsófia  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Tóth, Gábor Endre; Somogyi, Balázs A; Herczeg, Róbert  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Urbán, Péter  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bueno-Marí, Rubén  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Soltész, Zoltán  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kemenesi, Gábor  VIAFID ORCID Logo 
First page
e0269880
Section
Research Article
Publication year
2022
Publication date
Aug 2022
Publisher
Public Library of Science
e-ISSN
19326203
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2697076589
Copyright
© 2022 Kurucz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.