Exploiting the allelic polymorphism at microsatellite loci to underpin the genetic status of Cirrhinus mrigala in wild populations

Abstract

An adequate knowledge regarding the genetic issues of natural populations is imperative for developing conservation and stock improvement plans. The present research work was aimed to assess the genetic variability and structuring patterns in six natural populations of Cirrhinus mrigala from Punjab province, Pakistan. The PCR based amplification of targeted loci was carried out by employing a total of 12 microsatellite markers. Based on the study inferences, moderate level of genetic diversity was observed in all the populations. The average number of alleles (Na) varied from 3.750 to 4.416 and those of effective number of alleles ranged between 3.112 to 3.856 in all the examined populations. The mean values of observed and expected heterozygosity were measured as 0.563 to 0.685 and 0.669 to 0.739, respectively. The average values of inbreeding coefficient (FIS) ranged from 0.019 to 0.184. Significant deviation from HWE was detected in 9 out of 72 tests. Among all the population pairs, low to moderate level of genetic differentiation was found. After applying AMOVA, it was revealed that most of the variations (81.15%) lied within individuals. The UPGMA dendrogram resulted in two distinct clusters. The present study inferences would be helpful for setting up effective strategies to avoid the loss of genetic variability in C. mrigala populations.