Molecular characterization of the honeybee Apis mellifera carnica in Serbia

Abstract

The sequences COI-COII of the mitochondrial DNA region in honeybee from four geographically distant regions in Serbia (Vršac, Knjaževac, Kraljevo, and Vranje) are analyzed. The research was conducted on eight different, previously selected honeybee lines preserved (linear selection) in the four reprocenters for queen bees. All four studied honeybee lines differ in morphological and productive traits, each being specific for the corresponding region. In addition to analysis of the mtDNA sequences in Serbian honeybee, a comparative analysis of the phylogenetic group of so far known C2 haplotypes was also performed. The results revealed two novel polymorphic positions in the COI-COII mtDNA region, viz., h2 at position 3474 and l2 at position 3534 (a T nucleotide deletion in both cases) in honeybees from the regions of Vranje and Knjaževac, respectively. Two novel mtDNA haplotypes in the honeybee C2 phylogenetic group, together with C2I (the new polymorphic position l2 and G-A transition at position 3587) and C2J (the new polymorphic position h2), are described. Also, comparative analysis performed on sequences from GenBank data showed a high degree of similarity (similarity index = 99.4%) between the novel C2I mtDNA haplotype and an A. m. cypria haplotype originating from Turkey. Certain domestic Kranjska honeybee populations from Serbia represent an autochthonous gene pool that can be of great importance for further presentation of honeybee biodiversity. The present paper contributes to characterization of mtDNA in honeybee of Serbia.