Macrogenomic evidence for the origin of the black fly Simulium suzukii (Diptera: Simuliidae) on Okinawa Island, Japan

PLoS One. 2013 Aug 9;8(8):e70765. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070765. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

To determine the geographic origin of the black fly Simulium suzukii on Okinawa Island, Japan, macrogenomic profiles derived from its polytene chromosomes were compared with those of mainland and other insular populations of S. suzukii and of the isomorphic Simulium tani species complex. The Okinawan population is a chromosomally unique cytoform, designated 'D,' which is essentially monomorphic and differs by about 27 fixed rearrangements from the chromosomal standard sequence for the subgenus Simulium and by two fixed differences from its nearest known relative, representing the type of S. suzukii, on the main islands of Japan. Chromosomal band sequences revealed two additional, sympatric cytoforms of S. suzukii, designated 'A' and 'B,' each with species status, in Korea, and a third cytoform, designated 'C,' on Hokkaido, Japan. A new cytoform, 'K,' of S. tani from Malaysia, representing the type of S. tani, is more closely related to cytoforms in Thailand, as are populations from Taiwan previously treated as S. suzukii but more closely aligned with S. tani and newly recognized as cytoform 'L' of the latter nominal species. Rooting of chromosomal band sequences by outgroup comparisons allowed directionality of chromosomal rearrangements to be established, enabling phylogenetic inference of cytoforms. Of 41 macrogenomic rearrangements discovered in the five new cytoforms, four provide evidence for a stepwise origin of the Okinawan population from populations characteristic of the main islands of Japan. The macrogenomic approach applied to black flies on Okinawa Island illustrates its potential utility in defining source areas for other species of flies including those that might pose medical and veterinary risks.

Publication types

  • Research Support, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromosome Banding
  • Chromosome Inversion
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Female
  • Genetic Speciation
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genome, Insect*
  • Islands
  • Japan
  • Larva / classification*
  • Larva / genetics
  • Male
  • Phylogeny*
  • Phylogeography
  • Polytene Chromosomes / chemistry*
  • Simuliidae / classification*
  • Simuliidae / genetics
  • Sympatry

Grants and funding

This work was funded, in part, by National Science Foundation grants DEB-0841636 (under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) and DEB-0933218 (http://www.nsf.gov/). This is Technical Contribution No. 6103 of the Clemson University Experiment Station based on work supported in part by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service/United States Department of Agriculture (Project No. SC-1700433). We also acknowledge support from the Malaysian government Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (Project No. FP016-2012A) and University of Malaya (RP003A-13SUS). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.