{"id":9,"date":"2012-04-17T18:08:22","date_gmt":"2012-04-17T18:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/protsci-us2b.univ-nantes.fr\/mobpdb\/?page_id=9"},"modified":"2025-02-07T22:43:54","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T21:43:54","slug":"anopheles-gambiae","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/protsci-us2b.univ-nantes.fr\/mobpdb\/?page_id=9","title":{"rendered":"Anopheles sp."},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anopheles<\/em> \/\u0259\u02c8n\u0252f\u026ali\u02d0z\/[1] (Greek anofel\u00eds: “useless”[2]) is a genus of mosquito first described and named by J. W. Meigen in 1818 [3]. About 460 species are recognised; while over 100 can transmit human malaria, only 30\u201340 commonly transmit parasites of the genus Plasmodium<\/em>, which cause malaria in humans in endemic areas. Anopheles gambiae<\/em> is one of the best known, because of its predominant role in the transmission of the most dangerous malaria parasite species (to humans) \u2013 Plasmodium falciparum<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The name comes from the Greek \u03b1\u03bd, an, meaning “not”, and \u03cc\u03c6\u03b5\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2, \u00f3phelos, meaning “profit”, and translates to “useless” [1]. Anopheles<\/em> mosquitoes kill about 440,000 people each year because of malaria.<\/p>\n

Some species of Anopheles<\/em> also can serve as the vectors for canine heartworm Dirofilaria immitis<\/em>, the filariasis-causing species Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi<\/em>, and viruses such as one that causes O’nyong’nyong fever. An association of brain tumor incidence and malaria suggests the Anopheles<\/em> might transmit a virus or other agent that could cause a brain tumor [4].<\/p>\n

Mosquitoes in other genera (Aedes<\/em>, Culex<\/em>, Culiseta<\/em>, Haemagogus<\/em>, and Ochlerotatus<\/em>) can also serve as vectors of disease agents, but not malaria.<\/p>\n

Evolution<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ancestors of Drosophila<\/em> and the mosquitoes diverged 260 million years ago [5]. The culicine and Anopheles<\/em> clades of mosquitoes diverged between 120 million years ago and 150 million years ago [5][6]. The Old and New World Anopheles<\/em> species subsequently diverged between 80 million years ago and 95 million years ago [5][6]. Anopheles darlingi<\/em> diverged from the African and Asian malaria vectors \u223c100 million years ago [7]. The Anopheles gambiae<\/em> and Anopheles funestus<\/em> clades diverged between 80 million years ago and 36 million years ago. A molecular study of several genes in seven species has provided additional support for an expansion of this genus during the Cretaceous period [8].<\/p>\n

The Anopheles<\/em> genome, at 230\u2013284 million base pairs (Mbp), is comparable in size to that of Drosophila<\/em>, but considerably smaller than those found in other culicine genomes (528 Mbp\u20131.9 Gbp). Like most culicine species, the genome is diploid with six chromosomes.<\/p>\n

The only known fossils of this genus are those of Anopheles<\/em> (Nyssorhynchus<\/em>) dominicanus<\/em> Zavortink & Poinar contained in Dominican amber from the Late Eocene (40.4 million years ago to 33.9 million years ago) and Anopheles rottensis<\/em> Statz contained in German amber from the Late Oligocene (28.4 million years ago to 23 million years ago).<\/p>\n

(source & for more information : wikipedia<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Bibliographic references<\/strong><\/p>\n