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Title: GENETIC DIFFERENIATION OF THE GIANT HONEY BEE (APIS DORSATA) IN THAILAND ANALYSED BY MITOCHONDRIAL GENES AND MICROSATELLITES

Author
item INSUAN, S - CHULALONGKORN UNIV, THAIL
item DEOWANISH, S - CHULALONGKORN UNIV, THAIL
item KLINBUNGA, S - BIOTEC, NSTDA, THAILAND
item Sylvester, H
item WONGSIRI, S - CHULALONGKORN UNIV, THAIL

Submitted to: Biochemical Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/13/2006
Publication Date: 3/7/2007
Citation: Insuan, S., Deowanish, S., Klinbunga, S., Sylvester, H.A., Wongsiri, S. 2007. Genetic differeniation of the giant honey bee (apis dorsata) in thailand analysed by mitochondrial genes and microsatellites. Biochemical Genetics 45(3/4):345-361

Interpretive Summary: This study was part of USDA efforts to select and breed better honey bees for American agriculture by increasing knowledge of the genetics of other species of honey bees. Future research in other species of honey bees that discovers a useful trait linked to DNA markers may be used to guide research to locate the same trait to improve American honey bees. Mitochondrial and nuclear DNA variation was examined in the giant honey bee, Apis dorsata, in Thailand. Low genetic diversity and a lack of population genetic diversity were observed for mitochondrial DNA, but nuclear microsatellite DNA revealed a relatively high level of genetic diversity and population differentiation. This indicates that microsatellite DNA is a useful tool to analyze DNA variation in this honey bee species. This DNA variation can be used in more effective natural resource management and conservation in Thailand, particularly by determining which populations are most important to protect or augment.

Technical Abstract: Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis of mitochondrial DNA gene segments (COI-COII, Cytb-tRNAser, ATPase6-8 and lrRNA genes) was applied to examine genetic diversity and population differentiation of the giant honey bee (Apis dorsata) in Thailand. Six mitotypes were generated from digestion of these genes with Dra I and Hinf I. Low genetic diversity (h = 0.074 and ' = 0.032%) and a lack of genetic population differentiation between A. dorsata originating from geographically different locations was observed from mtDNA polymorphisms. In contrast, microsatellite (A14, A24 and A88) polymorphisms revealed a relatively high level of genetic diversity in A. dorsata (Ho = 0.68–0.74 and the average number of alleles per locus = 6.0 – 9.0). Both A24 and A88 indicated significant population differentiation between bees from the north-to-central region (north, north-east and the central samples), peninsular Thailand and Samui Island.