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Genetic research

Genetic Diversity of Apis mellifera jemenitica Populations Revealed Through mtDNA Markers

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Recent research published in the Frontiers in Genetics journal has uncovered crucial insights into the genetic diversity of Apis mellifera jemenitica populations on the Arabian Peninsula. The study, conducted by researchers from Thamar University, utilized three mtDNA markers - Cytochrome b (Cyt b), Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI), and the intergenic region between COI and COII - to examine genetic diversity in 44 samples collected from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, and Ethiopia.

Key Takeaways:

  • The genetic diversity of Apis mellifera jemenitica populations was examined using three mtDNA markers: Cytochrome b (Cyt b), Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI), and the intergenic region between COI and COII.
  • The study found that most samples cluster within the African lineage (A) near lamarckii and syriaca subspecies, while a few samples from Ethiopia and Yemen were closely related to simensis and scutellata clades.
  • The COI gene separated jemenitica samples from subspecies of other lineages (C and O).
  • The DmCC test revealed a P0Q2 structure in the intergenic region for all samples, with a distinct 18 bp deletion in the P0 element observed in two Ethiopian and one Yemeni samples, suggesting litorea or simensis origin.
  • A total of 13 COI-COII haplotypes were identified, among which 8 haplotypes were novel: Saudi Arabia (1), Yemen (3), Oman (1), and Ethiopia (3), with a haplotype diversity (H) of 0.980.
  • Molecular-variance parsimony in COI-COII confirmed a distant genetic relationship between Ethiopian samples versus samples of the Arabian Peninsula.
  • The haplotype network analysis suggests a higher intra-jemenitica diversity than previously understood with a syriaca ancestry to this clade.

Statistics:

  • 44 samples were analyzed in the study
  • 13 COI-COII haplotypes were identified
  • 8 haplotypes were novel
  • Haplotype diversity (H) was 0.980
  • The study confirmed a distant genetic relationship between Ethiopian samples and samples of the Arabian Peninsula

Sources:

  • Genetic diversity and novel haplotypes of Apis mellifera jemenitica on the Arabian Peninsula: insights from mtDNA markers. Frontiers in Genetics, 2025,16. (Frontiers in Genetics - http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/genetics)
  • NewsRx. Recent Studies from Thamar University Add New Data to Hemeproteins (Genetic diversity and novel haplotypes of Apis mellifera jemenitica on the Arabian Peninsula: insights from mtDNA markers). Life Science Weekly. May 13, 2025; p 3669.

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