Dataset Information

PCR-RFLP of mitochondrial DNA reveals two origins of Apis mellifera in Taiwan.

ABSTRACT: Beekeeping has been a highly valued industry in Taiwan. As a result, many subspecies of Apis mellifera have been introduced to Taiwan since 1911, leading to the hybridization of different subspecies. In order to know the matrilineal origins of Taiwan A. mellifera, a total of 280 samples collected from 33 apiaries throughout the island were examined. Using PCR-RFLP of four mitochondrial gene fragments, i.e., the non-coding region between tRNAleu and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (intergenic tRNAleu-COII), cytochrome b (Cyt b), large subunit rRNA (Ls rRNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), we only found two haplotypes exist in 280 samples. Haplotypes ababa and bbbaa account for 87% of these Western bees belonged to the Eastern European (C) lineage and 13% belonged to the Middle East (Z) lineage, respectively, with the latter being totally absent in northern Taiwan. African (A) and Mellifera (M) lineages, officially imported once in 1990s and 1930s respectively, were not detected. The identification of subspecies of A. mellifera and survey of their distribution on the island are expected to facilitate efficient breeding programs and establish a more booming beekeeping industry.

SUBMITTER: Wu MC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5478285 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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PCR-RFLP of mitochondrial DNA reveals two origins of Apis mellifera in Taiwan.

Wu Ming-Cheng MC Lu Ting-Hsuan TH Lu Kuang-Hui KH

Saudi journal of biological sciences 20161230 5

Beekeeping has been a highly valued industry in Taiwan. As a result, many subspecies of Apis mellifera have been introduced to Taiwan since 1911, leading to the hybridization of different subspecies. In order to know the matrilineal origins of Taiwan A. mellifera, a total of 280 samples collected from 33 apiaries throughout the island were examined. Using PCR-RFLP of four mitochondrial gene fragments, i.e., the non-coding region between tRNAleu and cytochrome c ox ...[more]

PMID: 28663706

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Project description:The complete sequence of honeybee (Apis mellifera) mitochondrial DNA is reported being 16,343 bp long in the strain sequenced. Relative to their positions in the Drosophila map, 11 of the tRNA genes are in altered positions, but the other genes and regions are in the same relative positions. Comparisons of the predicted protein sequences indicate that the honeybee mitochondrial genetic code is the same as that for Drosophila; but the anticodons of two tRNAs differ between these two insects. The base composition shows extreme bias, being 84.9% AT (cf. 78.6% in Drosophila yakuba). In protein-encoding genes, the AT bias is strongest at the third codon positions (which in some cases lack guanines altogether), and least in second codon positions. Multiple stepwise regression analysis of the predicted products of the protein-encoding genes shows a significant association between the numbers of occurrences of amino acids and %T in codon family, but not with the number of codons per codon family or other parameters associated with codon family base composition. Differences in amino acid abundances are apparent between the predicted Apis and Drosophila proteins, with a relative abundance in the Apis proteins of lysine and a relative deficiency of alanine. Drosophila alanine residues are as often replaced by serine as conserved in Apis. The differences in abundances between Drosophila and Apis are associated with %AT in the codon families, and the degree of divergence in amino acid composition between proteins correlates with the divergence in %AT at the second codon positions. Overall, transversions are about twice as abundant as transitions when comparing Drosophila and Apis protein-encoding genes, but this ratio varies between codon positions. Marked excesses of transitions over chance expectation are seen for the third positions of protein-coding genes and for the gene for the small subunit of ribosomal RNA. For the third codon positions the excess of transitions is adequately explained as due to the restriction of observable substitutions to transitions for conserved amino acids with two-codon families; the excess of transitions over expectation for the small ribosomal subunit suggests that the conservation of nucleotide size is favored by selection.

Project description:BackgroundThe South West Indian Ocean (SWIO) archipelagos and Madagascar constitute a hotspot of biodiversity with a high rate of endemism. In this area, the endemic subspecies A. m. unicolor has been described in Madagascar. It belongs to the African lineage, one of the four described evolutionary lineages in honey bees. Despite a long beekeeping tradition and several recorded European introductions, few studies have been carried out on the diversity and proportion of honey bee subspecies. In order to identify and define which evolutionary lineages and potential sub-lineages are present in the SWIO, the COI-COII intergenic region and the ND2 gene of the mtDNA were sequenced in honey bee colonies from three archipelagos. An extensive sampling (n = 1184 colonies) was done in the Mascarene (La Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues), Seychelles (Mahé, Praslin, La Digue) and Comoros (Grande Comore, Mohéli, Anjouan, Mayotte) archipelagos. Islands genetic diversity was compared to newly sampled populations from Madagascar, continental African and European populations.ResultsAfrican lineage haplotypes were found in all islands (except for Rodrigues). Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles had 100% of A lineage, 95.5% in La Réunion and 56.1% in Mauritius. Among all African colonies detected in the SWIO, 98.1% (n = 633) of COI-COII haplotypes described the presence of the subspecies A. M. unicolor. Both genetic markers revealed i) a new private AI mitochondrial group shared by the SWIO archipelagos and Madagascar distant from continental populations; ii) the private African haplotypes for each island suggested diversity radiation in the archipelagos; iii) the detection of the Comoros archipelago as a possible contact area between insular and continental African populations. The exotic European C and M lineages were only detected in the Mascarene archipelago, but striking differences of proportion were observed among islands. Merely 4.6% of European colonies were found in La Réunion whereas Mauritius cumulated 44%. Here, among the 84 observed COI-COII haplotypes, 50 were newly described including 13 which were private to the SWIO archipelagos and Madagascar. Similarly, 24 of the 34 found ND2 haplotypes were novel which included six haplotypes particular to the SWIO populations.ConclusionA new African subgroup was described in the SWIO region with mitochondrial genetic evidence that A. m. unicolor is the indigenous subspecies of the archipelagos surrounding Madagascar.

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PCR-RFLP of mitochondrial DNA reveals two origins of Apis mellifera in Taiwan.

Publications

PCR-RFLP of mitochondrial DNA reveals two origins of <i>Apis mellifera</i> in Taiwan.

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