Genetic analyses of Syrian honeybee diversity 'Apis mellifera syriaca'

Abstract

Five hundred DNA samples of Syrian honeybee 'Apis mellifera syriaca' have been collected from five different regions in Syria: these are the most important regions for beekeeping. To identify the genetic diversity and the different evolutionary lineages of Syrian honeybees (Ruttner, 1988), the DNA samples were analyzed by PCR-RFLP (CAPS) technique. The analyses were done by using two molecular markers: mtDNA and microsatellites loci (Gamery et al., 1992). PCR techniques were employed to amplify the intergenic region COI-COII (<500-950> bp). The restriction enzyme Dral was used for identification of the haplotypes and to characterize the restriction patterns of these amplified intergenic sequences. The restriction assay was analyzed on poly-acrylamide gels to compare and analyze the band patterns with the already existing mtDNA markers for the determination of different haplotypes. Four new haplotypes were found and sequenced. The microsatellite PCR primers: specifically designed to amplify the microsatellite regions (SSR) were used to estimate -using genomic DNA- the level of variation of Syrian honeybee populations, and their relationships with populations from other evolutionary lineages. The results obtained were compared with already existing data, to determine the genetic diversity of Syrian honeybee 'Apis mellifera syriaca'.