Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41593790›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2026

Investigating genetic differentiation between brackish and fresh water collections of the arboviral vector Aedes aegypti.

Dario Balcazar, Etowah Adams, Sinnathamby Noble Surendran, Ranjan Ramasamy, Jeffrey R Powell, Andrea Gloria-Soria

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Article in Parasites & vectors, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Dario BalcazarDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Etowah AdamsDepartment of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Sinnathamby Noble SurendranDepartment of Zoology, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
Ranjan RamasamyDepartment of Zoology, University of Jaffna, Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
Jeffrey R PowellDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Andrea Gloria-SoriaDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. andrea.gloria-soria@ct.gov.

Funding

National Institutes of Health (NIH) RO1 AI155562National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka RG/HS/2019/02
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAedes aegypti is typically regarded as a freshwater mosquito; however, recent studies have documented its development in brackish water habitats in coastal regions, including Sri Lanka's Jaffna Peninsula. Compared with freshwater populations, brackish water samples in Jaffna display enhanced salt tolerance throughout larval-to-adult development, along with differences in gene expression, cuticle morphology and composition, and insecticide susceptibility.

methodsTo explore the genetic basis of these differences, we performed a comparative genomic analysis using 5135 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from Ae. aegypti inhabiting freshwater and brackish water sites in the Jaffna Peninsula. Genetic diversity, population structure, and demographic parameters were evaluated using publicly available software. Candidate genomic regions potentially involved in salinity tolerance were identified through tests for environmental associations and genetic outlier detection.

resultsAfter performing genotype quality control and first-degree relative removal on the initial 121 mosquitoes genotyped, the final dataset comprised 13 freshwater and 21 brackish water individuals. Ae. aegypti populations from the Jaffna Peninsula showed limited evidence of genetic structuring by collection site, with a subtle pattern associated with larval water salinity (distance-based redundancy analysis [dbRDA] P = 0.002, adjusted R

conclusionsWe found subtle genetic differentiation between freshwater and brackish-water Ae. aegypti populations from the Jaffna Peninsula, suggesting that brackish-water populations may experience distinct evolutionary pressures potentially linked to adaptation to saline environments. Analyses point to fatty acid metabolism as one of the biological processes that could contribute to salinity tolerance in Ae. aegypti, possibly influencing cuticle modifications as a physiological response. Additional studies incorporating more collection sites and larger sample sizes for each salinity group are needed to further elucidate the mechanisms driving this differentiation. The ability of Ae. aegypti to adapt to brackish water substantially expands the range of potential larval sites it can occupy, particularly in coastal areas, and emphasizes the need to adjust vector control strategies accordingly.

Indexed as

AedesFresh WaterGenetic VariationMosquito VectorsSaline WatersAnimalsGenotypeLarvaPolymorphism, Single NucleotideSalinitySalt ToleranceSri LankaAedes aegyptiArboviral vectorBrackish waterDengueGeneticsRange expansionSalinity tolerance

Identifiers

PMID41593790
PMCPMC12915009

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.