Genome fingerprinting of two populations of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse (Asian Tiger) using random primers (Diptera: Culicidae)

The present paper deals with RAPD-PCR based genomic characterization of two allopatric populations of Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus Skuse which is a major vector of dengue fever and a source of many other pathogenic infections in man. For the present purpose one population was collected from village Dhunater, Distt. Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh (pop.A) while the other was procured from Panjab University campus (pop.B). The genomic DNA from the legs of individual specimens was amplified by using three random primers viz: Primer I-5’TTTGCCCGGA-3’, Primer II- 5’-GTCCCGACGA-3’ and Primer III- 5’-CAGGCCCTTC-3’. The amplification of the DNA of pop.A with primer I, produced a total of 7 bands ranging from 230-880 bp while 3 bands ranging from 450-820 bp were produced from pop. B. Similarly, with primer II a total of 8 bands were produced from pop. A, which ranged from 220-800 bp while 9 were produced from the DNA of the individuals of pop. B, which ranged from 200-900 bp. With primer III, a total of 15 bands were produced from pop. A, with a base pair composition varying from 210-1031 bp while 5 were produced from pop. B with a range of 210-370 bp. From the hierarichial cluster sharing analysis of bands, primers I and II were found to ideal for the differentiation of the individuals at the population level studies of this species of considerable epidemiological significance.