Molecular-Based Diagnosis, Phylogenetic and Secondary RNA Structure Analysis of Three Aspergillus Species Isolated from Local Mosquito, Culex poicilipes Collected in Erbil City.

Ahmed, Awaz Neamat; Najm, Karwan Sallo

doi:10.32894/kujss.2025.162845.1231

Molecular-Based Diagnosis, Phylogenetic and Secondary RNA Structure Analysis of Three Aspergillus Species Isolated from Local Mosquito, Culex poicilipes Collected in Erbil City.

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Awaz Neamat Ahmed ¹

Karwan Sallo Najm ²

¹ Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Shaqlawa Technical College, Erbil Polytechnic University. Erbil, Iraq

² Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Erbil Health and Medical Technical College, Erbil Polytechnic University, Erbil/ Iraq.

10.32894/kujss.2025.162845.1231

Abstract

This study investigates fungi associations in Culex poicilipes mosquitoes which have been collected from Erbil City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. A total of 155 adult mosquitoes were analyzed, with 18% showing fungal infections. Molecular analysis using COI and LSU genes identified three Aspergillus species (A. niger, A. inflatus, and A. tubingensis). Sequences were submitted to GenBank and all of them recorded under the accession number, PV085519.1, PV085520.1 and PV085521.1 respectively. Phylogenetic analysis and secondary RNA structure prediction confirmed species-level relationships and showed genetic polymorphism. The study concludes that C. poicilipes may act as a vector for Aspergillus spp., with implications for public health.

Keywords

Mosquito

Fungi

Polymorphism

LSU

Erbil

Subjects