Characterization of Ceratitis capitata strains and development of new genetic markers for the use in its control

• Grant number: 05/02819-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2006
• End date: December 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Sergio Russo Matioli
• Grantee: Sergio Russo Matioli
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Tephritid fruit flies are important pest to fruit crops. Ceratitis capitata is an exogenous species and its colonizing ability is notorious. This species is found in many continents and it has been targeted to many control strategies, some of them more specific and therefore more environmentally friendly, as the sterile insect technique (SIT). Today, many production plants around the world produce this insect in large amounts to be used against natural populations. In this year, a new plant started their activities in Brazil. To develop strains suitable to the Brazilian peculiarities, naturally occurring samples of this species will be analyzed by microsatellite and intronic markers. Then, isolated strains will be inbred and characterized with respect to phenotypes relevant to be employed in SIT programmes (size, development times, fertility, sexual performance, etc.). New molecular markers polymorphic to the studied strains, based in microsatellites, will be also developped in order to permit further QTL analyses. This procedure will be used to develop strains based on the individual and epistatic effects of individual alleles or genotypes over traits that would be desirable in strains to be used in SIT programs. (AU)