First report of the Phe1534Cys kdr mutation in natural populations of Aedes albopictus from Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Knockdown resistance (kdr), caused by alterations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV), is one of the mechanisms responsible for pyrethroid (PY) resistance. In the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, at least four different mutations were described in the IIIS6 NaV segment in populations from Asia, North America and Europe. In contrast, in Aedes aegypti at least 12 non-synonymous mutations have been reported at nine different codons, mostly in the IIS6 and IIIS6 NaV segments. The Phe1534Cys kdr mutation in the IIIS6 NaV segment is the most prevalent in populations of Ae. aegypti worldwide, also found in Ae. albopictus from Singapore. Herein, we investigated the DNA diversity corresponding to the IIS6 and IIIS6 NaV segments in natural populations of Ae. albopictus from Brazil.

METHODS: DNA from eight Brazilian Ae. albopictus natural populations were individually extracted and pooled by states of origin, amplified, cloned and sequenced for the corresponding IIS6 and IIIS6 NaV segments. Additionally, samples from each location were individually genotyped by an allelic specific PCR (AS-PCR) approach to obtain the genotypic and allelic frequencies for the 1534 NaV site.

RESULTS: No non-synonymous substitutions were observed in the IIS6 sequences. However, the Phe1534Cys kdr mutation was evidenced in the Ae. albopictus NaV IIIS6 segment sequences from Paraná (PR) and Rondônia (RO) states, but not from Mato Grosso (MT) state. The 1534Cys (kdr) allele varied from 3% (Marilena/PR and Porto Velho/RO) to 10% (Foz do Iguaçu/PR). To our knowledge, this paper reports the first occurrence and provides distribution data of a possible kdr mutation in Ae. albopictus in South America.

CONCLUSION: The emergence of a likely kdr mutation in Ae. albopitus natural populations is a signal of alert for vector control measures since PY are the most popular insecticides adopted by residents. Additionally, once the kdr allele is present, its frequency tends to increase faster under exposition to those compounds. Although the Asian tiger mosquito is not incriminated as an important vector of dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses in South America, its importance in this regard has been extensively discussed since Ae. albopictus is rapidly spreading and can also migrate between sylvatic and urban environments. Therefore, insecticide resistance monitoring initiatives should also be extended to Ae. albopictus in Brazil in order to maintain chemical compounds as an efficient vector control tool when needed.