Genetic characterization of Apis mellifera macedonica (type “rodopica”) populations selectively controlled in Bulgaria
Authors
Vida H. GEORGIEVA
Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, Biological Faculty, Department of Developmental Biology,
Section of Genetics, 24, Tsar Asen Str. Plovdiv 4000 Bulgaria
Evgeniya NESHOVA IVANOVA
Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, Biological Faculty, Department of Developmental Biology,
Section of Genetics, 24, Tsar Asen Str. Plovdiv 4000 Bulgaria
Plamen P. PETROV
Agrarian University – Plovdiv, 12, Mendeleev Str. Plovdiv 4000
Nikolay G. PETKOV
National Bee Breeding Association, 12, Mendeleev Str. Plovdiv 4000
allozymes, Apis mellifera, bee breeding and selection, genetic variability
Abstract
The genetic variability in selectively controlled in Bulgaria local honey bee populations, representing Apis mellifera macedonica subspecies (type “rodopica”), has been studied by usage of alloenzymic analysis of six enzymic systems (MDH-1, ME, EST-3, ALP, PGM and HK) corresponding to 6 loci. Totally 324 worker bee individuals from 9 different local populations belonging to breeding stock of National Bee Breeding Association were included in this investigation. All of the studied loci were found to be polymorphic in most of the populations with the exception of EST-3 locus which was established to be fixed in two of investigated populations. Polymorphism with three alleles was ascertained for MDH, ME, ALP and PGM loci and with four alleles – for EST-3 and HK loci. The most common alleles in all of the investigated populations were ME 100, EST-3 100, PGM 100 and HK 100. Two private alleles (frequency < 0.05) were found for two of the studied populations. The calculated level of polymorphism was between 88.33% and 100%. The observed and expected heterozygosities were found to range from 0.186 to 0.301, and from 0.205 to 0.305, respectively. The calculated mean Fst level was 0.028. Allele frequencies of all studied loci were used to estimate Nei’s (1972) genetic distance, which was established to range between 0.001 and 0.028 among the selectively controlled populations studied. The assignment test showed a high level of consolidation for the all studied populations.
