Genetic Diversity Analysis of Nine Loach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus) Populations in the Pearl River Basin Based on Microsatellite Markers

Abstract:

Human activities and environmental pollution have caused varying degrees of damage to Paramisgurnus dabryanus resources in China. To explore the genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationship of P. dabryanus populations in China’s Pearl River Basin, eight microsatellite markers were used to analyze the genetic diversity of nine geographical populations (Foshan, Gaoyao, Fengkai, Zhaoqing, Ruyuan, Lechang, Shaoguan, Heyuan, and Huizhou) of P. dabryanus in the Pearl River Basin. The analysis detected 69 alleles in eight microsatellite loci. The average number of alleles (Na) and effective alleles (Ne) per locus were 8.6 and 4.0, respectively, and the average observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) were 0.4426 and 0.7030, respectively. The average genetic differentiation coefficient (Fst) and number of migrants per generation (Nm) of the nine P. dabryanus populations were 0.2452 and 0.7697, respectively, which indicates that genetic differentiation among populations was high and genetic communication was low. Cluster analysis was performed by the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) method, based on the genetic distance among nine populations. The resulting UPGMA tree was divided into two main branches. The Shaoguan, Foshan, and Ruyuan populations were monophyletic and formed one clade. The remaining six P. dabryanus populations formed the other branch, which contained three smaller branches, which were composed of the Lechang and Zhaoqing populations, the Heyuan and Huizhou populations, the Gaoyao and Fengkai populations. These results suggest that the genetic diversity of nine P. dabryanus populations in the Pearl River Basin was high, and there was a certain genetic differentiation among the populations, which could be used for further breeding.