AUTHOR=Hadj-Henni Leila , De Meulemeester Thibaut , Depaquit Jérôme , Noël Philippe , Germain Adeline , Helder Remi , Augot Denis 

TITLE=Comparison of Vertebrate Cytochrome b and Prepronociceptin for Blood Meal Analyses in Culicoides

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=2

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2015.00015

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2015.00015

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>To date, studies on host preferences and blood meal identification have been conducted for <italic>Culicoides</italic> species using molecular-based methods such as PCR techniques to amplify only a fragment from universal vertebrate mitochondrial genes such as <italic>cytochrome c oxidase subunit I</italic> or <italic>cytochrome b</italic> (<italic>Cyt b</italic>). The vertebrate prepronociceptin gene (<italic>PNOC</italic>) was also tested in this field. However, the choice of molecular marker to identify blood meal is critical. The objective of our study is to compare the ability of <italic>Cyt b</italic> and <italic>PNOC</italic> as molecular markers for blood meal identification depending on the stage of blood meal digestion. In order to determine whether these <italic>Cyt b</italic> and <italic>PNOC</italic> could provide a positive result, 565 blood-fed females of <italic>Culicoides</italic> spp were collected and morphologically identified. The samples were collected between 2012 and 2014, in two localities in France. The collection localities were near either livestock or a forest. To catch the specimens, we used UV CDC miniature light traps. <italic>PNOC</italic> sequence of donkeys (<italic>Equus asinus</italic>) was sequenced and submitted because it was missing in GenBank. Our findings emphasize that the <italic>PNOC</italic> marker is not suitable to separate closely related Equid species such as horses and donkeys. The <italic>Cyt b</italic> marker was able to identify 204 more samples when compared to <italic>PNOC</italic> (99.55% of specimens). <italic>Cyt b</italic> appears to be better able to detect the origin of blood meals from females with digested blood in their abdomens. We conclude that <italic>Cyt b</italic> is a good marker as it increases the accuracy of blood meal identification of engorged females containing digested blood in their abdomens. The host opportunist behavior of <italic>Culicoides</italic>, especially that of <italic>C. obsoletus</italic> and <italic>C. scoticus</italic>, the main vectors of BTV in Europe was also highlighted.</p>