Genetic diversity evaluation of Iranian honeybee populations (Apis mellifera meda) based on PCR-RFLP marker analyzes

Different techniques are used nowadays to assess genetic diversity in insects. Due to the importance of studying the genetic diversity and populationchr(chr('39')39chr('39'))s genetic structure in the conservation of species, the genetic diversity of Iranian honey bees collected from 20 provinces of Iran was investigated using PCR-RFLP markers. The 300 samples of young honey bee workers were collected from different parts of the country, and their DNA was extracted from the head and thorax according to the salting-out method with minor modifications. In this study, PCR-RFLP analyses of mitochondrial DNA regions (COI and 16S rDNA genes) were used, and each of these genes was digested by four restriction enzymes. The results showed very low genetic diversity in the studied honey bee populations. The observed and expected heterozygosity, Shannon index and the number of observed and effective alleles were calculated and found to be zero in most of the populations. The results of cluster analysis showed that the studied honey bee samples were scattered and integrated throughout the branches, none of them formed a separate population, and all of them formed a single group which can be due to the nature of the PCR-RFLP markers, low enzymatic polymorphism, haplodiploidy reproductive system of the honey bee, human activities, queen and hive trade among beekeepers, winter-summer displacements and migration to similar areas. Therefore, according to the results of the present study and its inconsistency with previous research, using PCR-RFLP marker is not recommended for future attempts to investigate the genetic diversity of honey bee populations.