American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Vol 62, Issue 1, 157-161
Copyright © 2000 by American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Research Articles
Identification of morphologically similar Rhodnius species (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) by electrophoresis of salivary heme proteins
RP Soares,
MR Sant'Anna,
NF Gontijo,
AJ Romanha,
L Diotaiuti,
and
MH Pereira
We examined intraspecific variability in the genus Rhodnius using starch gel electrophoresis of salivary heme proteins. Salivary protein profiles of 8 Rhodnius species (R. prolixus, R. robustus, R. neglectus, R. nasutus, R. ecuadoriensis, R. pallescens, R. pictipes, and R. domesticus) were compared. All species could be distinguished by this technique. The greatest protein polymorphism was found in R. ecuadoriensis, R. nasutus, R. robustus, and R. pictipes, followed by R. prolixus, R. neglectus, R. pallescens, and R. domesticus. This approach was able to distinguish R. prolixus from R. robustus and R. neglectus from R. nasutus, species with extreme phenotypical similarity.
