Biology subjects

Aliaga, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Aliaga, C..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Culex (Culex) acharistus, Root, 1927 (Diptera: Culicidae), a new record for Bolivia

This study reports the first confirmed records of Culex (Culex) acharistus, Root, 1927 in Bolivia, based on both morphological examination and biomolecular identification using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) marker. Specimens were collected in four localities representing diverse environmental settings: La Paz (urban environment, {asymp}3600 m), the nearby high-altitude city of El Alto ({asymp}4000 m), Cochabamba (semi-rural and urban habitats, {asymp}2600 m), and Licoma a large village in the Yungas region (subtropical environment, {asymp}1900 m). The larval habitats where the species was found closely match those reported in neighboring countries where Cx. acharistus also occurs, ranging from typical small peridomestic sites to ponds, ditches, and river seepages in semi-rural areas. All identification methods yielded unambiguous results, confirming the species presence in Bolivia and extending its known distribution in South America. This finding highlights the importance of integrating morphological and molecular approaches to achieve accurate and reliable mosquito species identification.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Statistical analysis of larval postspiracular filament length reveals continuous variation in Bolivian Anopheles pseudopunctipennis (Diptera: Culicidae)

Anopheles pseudopunctipennis is a neotropical malaria vector widely distributed from northern Argentina and Chile to the southern United States. At the larval stage, it is characterized by posterior-lateral caudal filaments, which vary markedly in length within the same samples in Bolivia, with some individuals displaying unusually long filaments. The coexistence of individuals with relatively long and relatively short filaments raises the question of whether at least two distinct populations could be differentiated based on caudal filament length. This study examined filament-length distributions in two Bolivian dry-valley populations, El Chaco and Mataral, to determine whether variation reflects distinct subpopulations or continuous phenotypic variation within a single population. Distributions deviated from normality, exhibiting moderate skewness and tail heaviness, and the Generalized Error Distribution provided the best statistical fit. Examination of outliers and a targeted analysis of the distribution tail using multiple complementary methods showed that extreme values did not form a discrete secondary cluster but rather represented the upper continuum of the trait range. The two sites showed broadly comparable distributions, consistent with similar environmental conditions. These results emphasize the importance of using appropriate distributional models for continuous traits, highlight the occurrence of rare extreme phenotypes within otherwise homogeneous populations, and provide a baseline for future studies on the ecological and genetic determinants of caudal filament variation in An. pseudopunctipennis.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2024

Genome Instability Precedes Viral Integration in Human Papilloma Virus Transformed Tonsillar Keratinocytes

Approximately 70% of oropharyngeal squamous carcinomas (OPSCC) are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). While HPV-positive (HPV+) OPSCC responds better to standard therapies and patients with HPV+ tumor generally have better outcomes than those with HPV-negative (HPV-) tumors, a subset of HPV+ patients do have poor outcomes. Our previous work suggested that tumors with integrated virus exhibit significantly greater genome wide genomic instability than those with only episomal viral genomes and patients with HPV+ OPSCC with episomal viral genomes had better outcomes. To explore the causal relation between viral integration and genomic instability, we have examined the time course of viral integration and genetic instability in tonsillar keratinocytes transformed with HPV16. HPV-infected human tonsil keratinocyte cell lines were continuously passaged and every fifth passage some cells were retained for genomic analysis. Whole genome sequencing and optical genomic mapping confirmed that virus integrated in five of six cell lines while remaining episomal in the sixth. In all lines genome instability occurred during early passages, but essentially ceased following viral integration but continued to occur later passages in the episomal line. To test tumorigenicity of the cell lines, cells were injected subcutaneously into the flanks of nude mice. A cell line with the integrated virus induced tumors following injection in the nude mouse while that with the episomal virus did not. We conclude that genomic instability is not the result of viral integration but likely promotes integration. Moreover, those transformants with episomal virus appear to be less tumorigenic than those with integrated virus.

cancer biology↗