: Tsetse flies, Glossina spp., are obligate blood feeders and the vectors in Africa of the trypanosomes that cause sleeping sickness in people and 'nagana' in cattle. More than 60 million people are at risk from human sleeping sickness and severe epidemics occur in many parts of Africa. Animal trypanosomiasis prevents the use of domestic animals for agriculture in c.1 1.5 million km2 of sub-Sahara Africa, thus representing an enormous barrier to agricultural and economic development. The distribution of tsetse arises from interactions among historic events, tsetse dispersal capacity, natural barriers to dispersal, host distributions, climate, and adaptation to prevailing conditions. Among these factors, it was shown that tsetse distribution and abundance are most strongly correlated with temperature and saturation deficit. Moreover, most tsetse fly populations were shown to be strongly differentiated genetically. Because of these preliminary data and because tsetse populations are distributed discontinuously, the likelihood exists of genetic adaptation to local conditions. Do tsetse responses to temperature and water stress correspond to environmental variation in temperature and saturation deficit? Does genetic differentiation among populations correspond with differential responses of populations to temperature and water stress? It is important to answer these and related questions to deploy effectively area-wide control measures such as the sterile insect technique. We now propose to combine molecular techniques, physiological measurements, satellite data and ecological theory to address key questions about the genetics, physiology and geographical distribution of G. morsitans centralis, G. m. morsitans, and G. pallidipes in East and southern Africa. By adopting an integrated approach to understanding the distribution of tsetse in these regions, we shall achieve a comprehensive picture of tsetse fly adaptation to its environment, rates of gene flow (hence dispersal), and predictive models of distribution and abundance.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI052456-03
Application #
6732745
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-TMP (01))
Program Officer
Costero, Adriana
Project Start
2002-09-30
Project End
2007-03-31
Budget Start
2004-04-01
Budget End
2005-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2004
Total Cost
$283,673
Indirect Cost
Name
Iowa State University
Department
Zoology
Type
Schools of Earth Sciences/Natur
DUNS #
005309844
City
Ames
State
IA
Country
United States
Zip Code
50011
Krafsur, E S (2009) Tsetse flies: genetics, evolution, and role as vectors. Infect Genet Evol 9:124-41
Terblanche, John S; Clusella-Trullas, Susana; Deere, Jacques A et al. (2009) Directional evolution of the slope of the metabolic rate-temperature relationship is correlated with climate. Physiol Biochem Zool 82:495-503
Terblanche, John S; Clusella-Trullas, Susana; Deere, Jacques A et al. (2008) Thermal tolerance in a south-east African population of the tsetse fly Glossina pallidipes (Diptera, Glossinidae): implications for forecasting climate change impacts. J Insect Physiol 54:114-27
Krafsur, E S; Marquez, J G; Ouma, J O (2008) Structure of some East African Glossina fuscipes fuscipes populations. Med Vet Entomol 22:222-7
Ouma, J O; Marquez, J G; Krafsur, E S (2007) Patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation in the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood populations in East and southern Africa. Genetica 130:139-51
Jurenka, Russell; Terblanche, John S; Klok, C Jaco et al. (2007) Cuticular lipid mass and desiccation rates in Glossina pallidipes: interpopulation variation. Physiol Entomol 32:287-293
Terblanche, John S; Deere, Jacques A; Clusella-Trullas, Susana et al. (2007) Critical thermal limits depend on methodological context. Proc Biol Sci 274:2935-42
Terblanche, J S; Janion, C; Chown, S L (2007) Variation in scorpion metabolic rate and rate-temperature relationships: implications for the fundamental equation of the metabolic theory of ecology. J Evol Biol 20:1602-12
Ouma, J O; Marquez, J G; Krafsur, E S (2006) Microgeographical breeding structure of the tsetse fly, Glossina pallidipes in south-western Kenya. Med Vet Entomol 20:138-49
Chown, Steven L; Gibbs, Allen G; Hetz, Stefan K et al. (2006) Discontinuous gas exchange in insects: a clarification of hypotheses and approaches. Physiol Biochem Zool 79:333-43

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