Data from: Geographic population structure of the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae suggests a role for the forest-savannah biome transition as a barrier to gene flow

The primary Afrotropical malaria mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto has a complex population structure. In western Africa, this species is split into two molecular forms and displays local and regional variation in chromosomal arrangements and behaviours. To investigate patterns of macro-geographic population substructure, 25 An. gambiae samples from 12 African countries were genotyped at 13 microsatellite loci. This analysis detected the presence of additional population structuring, with the M-form being subdivided into distinct west, central and southern African genetic clusters. These clusters are coincident with the central African rainforest belt and northern and southern savannah biomes, which suggests restrictions to gene flow associated with the transition between these biomes. By contrast geographically patterned population substructure appears much weaker within the S-form.

作为非洲热带地区疟疾的主要传播媒介，按严格分类学定义的冈比亚按蚊（Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto）具有复杂的种群结构。在西非地区，该物种被划分为两种分子型，且在染色体排列与行为特征上存在局域与区域层面的差异。为探究宏观地理尺度下的种群亚结构模式，研究人员对采自12个非洲国家的25份冈比亚按蚊样本的13个微卫星位点（microsatellite loci）开展了基因分型分析。本次分析发现存在额外的种群结构分化：M型（M-form）可被进一步划分为独立的西非、中非与南非遗传聚类群。这些聚类群与中非热带雨林带以及南北稀树草原生物群系（biomes）高度契合，这表明不同生物群系之间的生境过渡限制了基因交流。与之形成鲜明对比的是，S型（S-form）内部呈现的地理格局种群亚结构则显著弱得多。