Relationship between chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA variability of Drosophila subobscura population from the Lazar's river canyon

Abstract

The genetic structure of Drosophila subobscura population from the Lazar's River Canyon (Serbia) was studied with respect to restriction site polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA and chromosomal inversion polymorphism. The aim was to shed more light on the role of cytonuclear interactions in shaping mitochondrial DNA variability in this species. Similar to other populations of D. subobscura two main haplotypes (I and II) were found, as well as less common ones that appeared at very low frequencies. The frequency distribution of haplotypes did not depart from neutrality. We did not find statistically significant linkage disequilibrium between the haplotypes belonging to haplogroups I and II and any of the chromosomal arrangements. However, when we compared the data in hereby analyzed population and two previously analyzed populations we observed that haplotype I is more frequent in populations where standard inversion arrangements are less frequent. Pattern of the observed mitochondrial variability could be influenced either directly by environmental variability or through environmentally specific cytonuclear coadaptation.