Anopheles 16 Genomes Project. Anopheles 16 Genomes Project

Of the approximately 500 species of anopheline mosquitoes, only two dozen are important vectors of human malaria parasites. Why some members of the same anopheline species transmit malaria parasites while others do not, or are less efficient, is of intense interest to vector biologists. Developing a better understanding of this 'vectorial capacity' may enable its eventual manipulation in order to reduce disease burden. This project will sequence 15 anopheline vector genomes to complement and facilitate comparative analysis with the three other sequenced anophelines, Anopheles gambiae PEST, M and S forms.

在约500种按蚊属蚊子中，仅24种左右是人类疟原虫的重要传播媒介。为何同一按蚊物种的部分个体能够传播疟原虫，而其余个体无法传播或传播效率更低，这一问题是媒介生物学家高度关注的核心研究方向。加深对这一“媒介能量（vectorial capacity）”的理解，有望最终实现对其的调控，从而降低疾病负担。本项目将对15株按蚊传播媒介的基因组进行测序，以补充并助力与另外3株已完成测序的按蚊——冈比亚按蚊PEST株、M型及S型——的比较基因组学分析。