Identification of microsatellite loci in the water rat Nectomys squamipes (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae)

FRANCISCA CUNHA ALMEIDA; LUANA S. MAROJA; HÉCTOR N. SEUÁNEZ; RUI CERQUEIRA; MIGUEL A. M. MOREIRA

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2000 vol. 9 p. 2172 - 2173

0962-1083

The water-rat, Nectomys squamipes (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae), is a South American semiaquatic rodent that is well adapted to peridomiciliar habitats. This species is a primary host of Schistosoma mansoni, the prevalence of which may be as high as 90% in some natural rodent populations (Rey 1993). Because rodent fitness is not reduced by infection (D’Andrea et al. 2000), migrating rats, once infected, will carry the parasite and establish new infective foci in sites where secondary parasite hosts (Biomphalaria species) are present. These characteristics make the presence of water-rat populations a complicated factor for schistosomiasis control. Several populations of N. squamipes studied with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) showed limited differentiation indicating effects of migration or recent range expansion (Almeida etal., in press). Microsatellites were developed as a tool for studying migration patterns of N. squamipes and for evaluating its potential in spreading infection.