Country-scale diversity, spatial genetic structure, and mitochondrial demographic history of Aedes aegypti populations in Colombia
6 affiliations
- 1Laboratorio de Investigación en Genética Evolutiva (LIGE), Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia.
- 2Grupo de Estudios en Genética y Biología Molecular (GEBIMOL), Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia.
- 3Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), School of Sciences and Engineering, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
- 4Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas (NÚCLEO), Facultad de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad de Boyacá, Tunja, Colombia.
- 5Grupo de Investigación en Sistemática Molecular (GSM), Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, Colombia.
- 6Center for Global Health and Inter-Disciplinary Research, USF Genomics Program, Department of Global, Environmental and Genomic Health Sciences, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States of America.
Abstract
Aedes aegypti is the primary urban vector of major human arboviruses worldwide, yet the spatial genetic structure and demographic history of Colombian populations remain incompletely understood. Here, we analyzed mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX1) sequences from Colombian populations sampled across a broad geographic and temporal range to evaluate genetic diversity, haplotype distribution, spatial-temporal structure, and mitochondrial demographic history. The dataset combined publicly available COX1 records with 394 newly generated sequences from Colombian specimens, yielding 717 entries from the Caribbean, Andean, Orinoco, and Amazonian regions of Colombia, and was analyzed using population genetic, ordination, constrained spatial, and demographic inference approaches. Colombian COX1 diversity was mainly structured into two broad mitochondrial genetic clusters rather than by sampling locality, department, or collection year, suggesting the persistence of maternal lineages together with spatial mixing likely influenced by human-mediated dispersal and urban adaptation. Human population density and built-up intensity partially explained mitochondrial genetic structure, but this association varied through time, indicating that urbanization interacts with regional demographic heterogeneity and local habitat configuration. Demographic history analyses suggested temporal variation in mitochondrial effective population size, including an older increase followed by reduction and relative stabilization toward recent generations, rather than continuous demographic expansion. Climate-associated analyses further suggested that temperature, particularly minimum temperature, may contribute to mitochondrial demographic variation, although this relationship should be interpreted as correlative. Overall, Colombian Ae. aegypti populations appear to be shaped by historical maternal-lineage structure, urbanization-associated spatial heterogeneity, eco-regional demographic variation, and climatic context. This country-scale mitochondrial baseline can help prioritize regions for genomic, entomological, and epidemiological surveillance and guide future investigations of mosquito dispersal and population connectivity relevant to vector management in Colombia. Author summary: Ae. aegypti is the main urban mosquito vector of dengue and other arboviruses, but its population history in Colombia remains incompletely understood. We analyzed 717 COX1 mitochondrial DNA sequences from mosquitoes collected or reported across the Caribbean, Andean, Orinoco, and Amazonian regions to examine how genetic diversity is distributed across the country. Colombian populations were mainly organized into two broad mitochondrial clusters, suggesting that historical maternal lineages persist but are widely mixed through human movement, urban connectivity, and repeated colonization of domestic habitats. Urbanization and built-up intensity explained part of this genetic structure, although their effects varied over time and among regions. Demographic analyses also suggested temporal changes in mitochondrial effective population size rather than continuous expansion, and temperature, especially minimum temperature, may contribute to this variation. These findings are relevant in light of recent INS dengue surveillance, which identified regionally distinct dengue-incidence clusters, with Amazonian, Caribbean, Orinoco, and Andean municipalities following different epidemic trajectories. Overall, our results suggest that Colombian Ae. aegypti populations are shaped by historical lineage structure, urbanization, regional ecology, climatic context, and epidemiological heterogeneity, providing a mitochondrial baseline for future genomic and vector-surveillance efforts.
Related
- Mitochondrial genome-derived microsatellites reveal genetic diversity and population structure in Callery pear populations
- Genome-wide assessment of genetic diversity and population structure of Capsicum in Southwestern Colombia using DArTseq markers
- Multiple introductions shaped genomic diversity and demographic history of invasive box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) populations in North America
- Mitochondrial diversity and demographic history of Arctica islandica (Bivalvia: Venerida) in the German waters of the Baltic Sea
- Mitochondrial and retroviral markers reveal high genetic diversity and regional structure in the Lebanese Awassi sheep
BibTeX
@article{gomezpalacio2026countryscale,
title = {{Country-scale diversity, spatial genetic structure, and mitochondrial demographic history of Aedes aegypti populations in Colombia}},
author = {Andrés Gómez-Palacio and Johana Marín-Suarez and Laura Beltrán-Rodríguez and Marcela Gómez and Weimar Briñez-Zabaleta and Abelgie Sánchez and Luz Helena Patiño and Sandra Uribe-Soto and Juan David Ramírez},
journal = {PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0014808},
url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014808},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Country-scale diversity, spatial genetic structure, and mitochondrial demographic history of Aedes aegypti populations in Colombia
AU - Andrés Gómez-Palacio
AU - Johana Marín-Suarez
AU - Laura Beltrán-Rodríguez
AU - Marcela Gómez
AU - Weimar Briñez-Zabaleta
AU - Abelgie Sánchez
AU - Luz Helena Patiño
AU - Sandra Uribe-Soto
AU - Juan David Ramírez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0014808
UR - https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0014808
AB - Aedes aegypti is the primary urban vector of major human arboviruses worldwide, yet the spatial genetic structure and demographic history of Colombian populations remain incompletely understood. Here, we analyzed mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX1) sequences from Colombian populations sampled across a broad geographic and temporal range to evaluate genetic diversity, haplotype distribution, spatial-temporal structure, and mitochondrial demographic history. The dataset combined publicly available COX1 records with 394 newly generated sequences from Colombian specimens, yielding 717 entries from the Caribbean, Andean, Orinoco, and Amazonian regions of Colombia, and was analyzed using population genetic, ordination, constrained spatial, and demographic inference approaches. Colombian COX1 diversity was mainly structured into two broad mitochondrial genetic clusters rather than by sampling locality, department, or collection year, suggesting the persistence of maternal lineages together with spatial mixing likely influenced by human-mediated dispersal and urban adaptation. Human population density and built-up intensity partially explained mitochondrial genetic structure, but this association varied through time, indicating that urbanization interacts with regional demographic heterogeneity and local habitat configuration. Demographic history analyses suggested temporal variation in mitochondrial effective population size, including an older increase followed by reduction and relative stabilization toward recent generations, rather than continuous demographic expansion. Climate-associated analyses further suggested that temperature, particularly minimum temperature, may contribute to mitochondrial demographic variation, although this relationship should be interpreted as correlative. Overall, Colombian Ae. aegypti populations appear to be shaped by historical maternal-lineage structure, urbanization-associated spatial heterogeneity, eco-regional demographic variation, and climatic context. This country-scale mitochondrial baseline can help prioritize regions for genomic, entomological, and epidemiological surveillance and guide future investigations of mosquito dispersal and population connectivity relevant to vector management in Colombia. Author summary: Ae. aegypti is the main urban mosquito vector of dengue and other arboviruses, but its population history in Colombia remains incompletely understood. We analyzed 717 COX1 mitochondrial DNA sequences from mosquitoes collected or reported across the Caribbean, Andean, Orinoco, and Amazonian regions to examine how genetic diversity is distributed across the country. Colombian populations were mainly organized into two broad mitochondrial clusters, suggesting that historical maternal lineages persist but are widely mixed through human movement, urban connectivity, and repeated colonization of domestic habitats. Urbanization and built-up intensity explained part of this genetic structure, although their effects varied over time and among regions. Demographic analyses also suggested temporal changes in mitochondrial effective population size rather than continuous expansion, and temperature, especially minimum temperature, may contribute to this variation. These findings are relevant in light of recent INS dengue surveillance, which identified regionally distinct dengue-incidence clusters, with Amazonian, Caribbean, Orinoco, and Andean municipalities following different epidemic trajectories. Overall, our results suggest that Colombian Ae. aegypti populations are shaped by historical lineage structure, urbanization, regional ecology, climatic context, and epidemiological heterogeneity, providing a mitochondrial baseline for future genomic and vector-surveillance efforts.
SN - 1935-2735
SN - 1935-2727
ER -