AN INTEGRATED GENETIC-MAP OF THE AFRICAN HUMAN MALARIA VECTOR MOSQUITO, ANOPHELES-GAMBIAE

We present a genetic map based on microsatellite polymorphisms for the African human malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae. Polymorphisms in lab oratory strains were detected for 89% of the tested microsatellite mar kers. Genotyping was performed for individual mosquitoes from 13 backc ross families that included 679 progeny. Three linkage groups were ide ntified, corresponding to the three chromosomes. We added 22 new marke rs to the existing X chromosome map, for a total of 46 microsatellite markers spanning a distance of 48.9 cM. The second chromosome has 57 a nd the third 28 microsatellite markers spanning a distance of 72.4 and 93.7 cM, respectively. The overall average distance between markers i s 1.6 cM (or 1.1, 1.2, and 3.2 cM for the X, second, and third chromos omes, respectively). In addition to the 131 microsatellite markers, th e current map also includes a biochemical selectable marker, Dieldrin resistance (Dl), on the second chromosome and five visible markers, pi nk-eye (p) and white (w) on the X, collarless (c) and lunate (lu) on t he second, and red-eye (r) on the third. The cytogenetic locations on the nurse cell polytene chromosomes have been determined for 47 marker s, making this map an integrated tool for cytogenetic, genetic, and mo lecular analysis.