The hypervariable domain of the mitochondrial control region in Atlantic spiny lobsters and its potential as a marker for investigating phylogeographic structuring.
Atlantic spiny lobsters support major fisheries in northeastern Brazilian waters and in the Caribbean Sea. To avoid reduction in diversity and elimination of distinct stocks, understanding their population dynamics, including structuring of populations and genetic diversity, is critical. We here explore the potential of using the hypervariable domain in the control region of the mitochondrial DNA as a genetic marker to characterize population subdivision in spiny lobsters, using Panulirus argus as the species model. The primers designed on the neighboring conserved genes have amplified the entire control region (approx. 780 bases) of P. argus and other closely related species. Average nucleotide and haplotype diversity within P. argus were found to be high, and population structuring was hypothesized. The data suggest a division of P. argus into genetically different phylogeographic groups. The hypervariable domain seems to be useful for determining genetic differentiation of geographically distinct stocks of P. argus and other Atlantic spiny lobsters.
Biomedical Sciences Building, School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Bassett Crescent East, Southampton, SO16 7PX, U.K. fmdiniz1@yahoo.co.uk
Fabio M
FM
Diniz
Norman
N
Maclean
Masayoshi
M
Ogawa
Israel H A
IH
Cintra
Paul
P
Bentzen
D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D033521:Palinuridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D022801:Complementarity Determining Regions; D017931:DNA Primers; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005819:Genetic Markers