Application of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I DNA barcoding sequencing method for species identification in Georgian sand flies

Author: Mariam Zakalashvili
Co-authors: Ekaterine Giorgobiani-Burges¹, Lamzira Tskhvaradze¹, Manana Shanidze¹, Yvonne-Marie Linton², Maysa Motoki ², Jeffrey W. Clark², Leopoldo Rueda², David Pecor², Patrick W. McCardle², and Paata Imnadze¹
Keywords: DNA- barcoding, Sequences of Gens, Vectors of Leishmaniasis, Phlebotomus, Mitochondrial DNA (MtDNA) cytochrome oxidase (COI).
Annotation:

sequencing method for species identification in Georgian sand flies Leishmaniasis, caused by the protozoan Leishmania parasites, by the bite of infected female sand flies (Phlebotomus spp.), is one of the most important vector-borne diseases in the Eastern Europe. Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is widely distributed in the countries of the former Soviet Union with human cases in Central Asia and the Caucasus, including Georgia. Field collections of sand flies were conducted in Georgia and the DNA barcoding method was used to identify Phlebotomus fauna present in Georgia. Identifications were confirmed using morphological characters of vouchered specimens preserved during the study. This study established a DNA barcode library and a reference collection for the Phlebotomus sand fly species found in Georgia, as well as provided distribution data that was previously unknown for VL vectors.

Lecture files:

საქართველოში ვისცერული ლეიშმანიოზის გადამტანი სახეობების იდენტიფიცირება ბარკოდინგის მეთოდით [ka]