Abstract
The oomycete, Lagenidium giganteum, is a parasitic microbial pathogen that infects the larvae of mosquitos. Their presence can dramatically reduce the population of mosquitoes in a given area as the parasite reproduces quickly and kills many of the mosquitoes before they reach adulthood. The control of the population of mosquitoes is desirable considering the possible pathogens that the mosquitoes carry like West Nile Virus and Malaria which can infect humans and lead to death if untreated. The main purpose of this study is to barcode the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit1 (COX 1) region of the mitochondrial DNA in Lagenidium giganteum in order to properly identify the species of oomycete and provide information for the detection of oomycetes. Barcoding of the COX1 region is advantageous because it is a protein coding area that is less likely to be altered by insertions, deletions, or mutations in its sequence and thus provides a stable area for identification purposes that are specific to a species. Our objective is to determine the correlation between Lagenidium populations and mosquito populations and eventually develop Lagenidium into an effective insecticide. In the fall of 2012, we used Polymerase Chain Reaction and Gel Electrophoresis techniques to amplify and sequence the COX-1 gene in Lagenidium. In the winter of 2013, we designed a second set of COX 1 primers that were specific to Lagenidium to detect Lagenidium in the environment. The purpose of this was to determine its abundance and impact on mosquito populations.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Aurelien Tartar
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-12-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2013 5:30 PM
Barcoding of the COX-1 Region in Lagenidium giganteum DNA
Alvin Sherman Library
The oomycete, Lagenidium giganteum, is a parasitic microbial pathogen that infects the larvae of mosquitos. Their presence can dramatically reduce the population of mosquitoes in a given area as the parasite reproduces quickly and kills many of the mosquitoes before they reach adulthood. The control of the population of mosquitoes is desirable considering the possible pathogens that the mosquitoes carry like West Nile Virus and Malaria which can infect humans and lead to death if untreated. The main purpose of this study is to barcode the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit1 (COX 1) region of the mitochondrial DNA in Lagenidium giganteum in order to properly identify the species of oomycete and provide information for the detection of oomycetes. Barcoding of the COX1 region is advantageous because it is a protein coding area that is less likely to be altered by insertions, deletions, or mutations in its sequence and thus provides a stable area for identification purposes that are specific to a species. Our objective is to determine the correlation between Lagenidium populations and mosquito populations and eventually develop Lagenidium into an effective insecticide. In the fall of 2012, we used Polymerase Chain Reaction and Gel Electrophoresis techniques to amplify and sequence the COX-1 gene in Lagenidium. In the winter of 2013, we designed a second set of COX 1 primers that were specific to Lagenidium to detect Lagenidium in the environment. The purpose of this was to determine its abundance and impact on mosquito populations.
