Scientific publications
2026Journal articleEnglishOpen access
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Scientific publications
Ginette KAME NGASSE
Oumarou Farikou
Tito MELACHIO TANEKOU
Anne Geiger
African Journal of Tropical Entomology Research
Control measures against tsetse flies, which are vectors of animal trypanosomosis, have drawbacks. Some of these issues include the toxicity of insecticides and the limited effectiveness of traps in eradicating tsetse flies. A new strategy to fight against this vector involves transforming one of its symbiotic bacteria through genetic engineering, which will render the tsetse resistant to establishing trypanosomes and thus prevent their transmission to vertebrate hosts. One of them, Sodalis glossinidius, a maternally transmitted secondary endosymbiont, is suspected of being involved in the vector competence of Glossina. To contribute to this major theme, the genetic diversity of Sodalis glossinidius was studied in tsetse flies in four villages of Dodéo in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon. Three species of tsetse flies were collected in the field using pyramidal traps: Glossina palpalis palpalis, G. morsitans submorsitans and G. fuscipes. We have only worked in Glossina palpalis palpalis, which represents 96% of the flies collected. Midguts were extracted, and S. glossinidius was identified by simple PCR-based methods and genotyped at four microsatellite loci. Of the three hundred and seventy (370) tsetse flies of the species G. palpalis palpalis analysed, 159 (42.9%) harboured S. glossinidius. The microsatellite loci studied revealed low polymorphism, i.e. 7 alleles and 4 multilocus haplotypes, with little genetic variability in S. glossinidius populations studied.S. glossinidius is known to enhance the vector competence of tsetse flies. Despite the low diversity observed in its populations, it remains crucial for analysing possibilities of using this tsetse symbiont to block trypanosome maturation through genetic engineering. Keywords: African Animal Trypanosomiasis, genotyping, Tsetse fly symbionts, Vector control.