| dc.description.abstract | Anopheles mosquitoes are vectors of malaria, which is a serious health issue
in Indonesia. Thus, vector control is an important approach taken to overcome this disease. The first and most important step in vector control is vector identification. As some
Anopheles species share similar morphological features, molecular identification helps
make the process more accurate by using specific DNA sequences as molecular markers
such as Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2). Many of the available ITS2 primers are universally designed for insects and, as such, are typically less specific for identifying certain
genera, such as Anopheles sp. Therefore, redesigning a specific ITS2 primer is needed
for specific Anopheles identification. Objective: Our objective was to redesign a specific
PCR primer for Anopheles species. Methods: The redesigned primer, named sma-ITS2, was
then tested using mosquito samples from the Anopheles genus and other genera. Each
mosquito was identified morphologically and their genomes were extracted. DNA samples
were then amplified using the redesigned primer. Results: The sma-ITS2 primer pair was
capable of amplifying ITS2 sequences from all of the Anopheles samples and unable to
amplify any of the non-Anopheles samples, suggesting that it is specific to Anopheles only.
ll Anopheles samples were also able to be identified, only An. indefinitus were not able to
be separated from its complex species, An. vagus. Conclusion: The sma-ITS2 primer pair
was able to identify intra-species of Anopheles, but its efficiency in making differentiations
within a species complex should be evaluated further | en_US |
