Genetic contribution to variation in larval development time, adult size, and longevity of starved adults of Anopheles gambiae

Infect Genet Evol. 2006 Sep;6(5):410-6. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2006.01.007. Epub 2006 Mar 9.

Abstract

The variation in mosquito life-history traits such as adult size has been studied with respect to environmental factors, but the genetic contribution to such variation has received almost no consideration. Using a full-sib design of F1s produced by wild caught Anopheles gambiae (M molecular form) females, we estimated broad-sense heritability of larval developmental time, adult size (based on dry weight and wing length), and longevity of starved adults. These traits were correlated (at the phenotypic level) with each other in females and males (|r(p)|>0.5, P<0.001). Longevity of starved adults increased with adult size, and both traits (adult longevity and size) decreased with longer larval development. Genetic correlations were lower (|r(g)|>0.45, P<0.05) but provided consistent evidence against a trade off between adult size and larval development time predicting that a mosquito can develop faster into a smaller adult or be a larger adult by a longer development. Estimates of heritability of the three traits were moderate to high (range: 0.05-0.48) and statistically significant (P<0.05), indicating substantial genetic contribution to the phenotypic variation in these traits. These results suggest that adaptive differences are likely to be found in these traits between A. gambiae populations.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anopheles / genetics*
  • Anopheles / growth & development*
  • Body Weight
  • Female
  • Genetic Linkage
  • Genetic Variation / physiology*
  • Larva / genetics*
  • Larva / growth & development*
  • Life Cycle Stages / genetics
  • Longevity / genetics*
  • Male
  • Quantitative Trait, Heritable
  • Regression Analysis
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Starvation* / genetics
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Time Factors
  • Wings, Animal / growth & development