Prediction of the secundary structure at the tRNASer (UCN) of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Abstract

Lutzomyia longipalpis is the main vector of Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis in America and Colombia. Taxonomically belongs to the subgenus Lutzomyia, which includes other vector species that exhibit high morphological similarity to the female species difficult to identify vectors in leishmaniasis foci and suggesting the search for molecular markers that facilitate this task, further researchs with mitochondrial genes, chromosome banding, reproductive isolation and pheromones evidence the existence of species complex. The aim of this study was to predict the secondary structure of mitochondrial transfer RNA serine (tRNASer) for UCN codon of Lutzomyia longipalpis as molecular marker for identify of this species. Sequences recorded in Genbank of L. longipalpis sequences were aligned with tRNA's from previously described species and then tRNASer secondary structure was inferred by software tRNAscan-SE 1.21. The length of tRNASer was 67 base pairs (bp). Two haplotypes were detected in the five sequences analyzed. The L. longipalpis tRNASer showed 7 intrachain pairing in the acceptor arm, 3 in the DHU arm, 4 in the anticodon arm and 5 in the T{psi}C. The size of the loops corresponded to 5 nucleotides in the DHU, 7 in the anticodon, 4 in the variable and 7 in the T{psi}C. L. longipalpis is distinguished from other species at subgenera Lutzomyia by the secondary structure and substitutions inferred tRNASer evidenced in the primary sequence.