Patterns of genetic variation of Apis mellifera iberiensis: insights from the p...

• Author(s): Pinto, M. Alice ; Muñoz, Irene ; Neto, Margarida ; Guedes, Helena ; Chavez-Galarza, Julio ; Souza, Larissa ; Pires, Sância ; De la Rúa, Pilar
• Date: 2011
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/6791
• Origin: Biblioteca Digital do IPB
• Subject(s): Honey bee; DraI test; mtDNA; Iberian Peninsula
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: English

Description

The Iberian honey bee, Apis mellifera iberiensis, has been one of the most intensively surveyed honey bee subspecies for genetic variation. Despite the numerous studies, the maternal composition of the populations inhabiting the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula was virtually unknown until recently. Between 2009 and 2010 we sampled over 1000 colonies across continental Portugal, which were then examined using the DraI RFLP of the cox1-cox2 mitocondrial DNA marker. Our findings show (i) a high genetic diversity mostly of African origin (A lineage), as expected; (ii) a north–south cline formed by sublineage AIII which is gradually replaced by sublineage AI; (iii) haplotypic variation never reported before; (iv) a low frequency of colonies belonging to lineage M; (v) a low level of genetic pollution from C lineage (Italian and Carniola honey bees). This study provides a fuller picture of the Iberian honey bee evolutionary and contemporary history and at the same time supply baseline information that can be of further use for development of breeding and conservation programs of honey bees in Portugal.