MARBENA Creating a long-term infrastructure for MARine Biodiversity research in the European economic area and the Newly Associated states

Genetic Biodiversity in Marine Ecosystems

Topic 1. Measuring managing and conserving genetic resources in natural marine systems

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Chairmen: Thierry Backeljau and Ferruccio Maltagliati

Suitable tools for genetic monitoring in marine species

The consideration of genetic diversity is vital in Conservation Biology and in environmental management plans. Very often it represents insurance towards environmental changes; notwithstanding that low levels of genetic diversity could reflect local adaptations, populations with high genetic variability could be more able to face environmental changes and to survive (Amos and Balmford, 2001). Nowadays, the blooming of PCR based techniques makes it possible; for instance, ISSRs (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) could be a class of molecular markers suitable for this purpose; in fact they are reliable markers widespread in the genome and (the same primer) could be applied over a wide range of species (Zietkiewicz, 1994). Such a marker is a ready-to-use quick tool for genetic monitoring in marine species, over time, when SSRs are not available; in our laboratory we use them for studying genetic diversity of populations of various species (e.g., polychaetes, flatworms, bivalves) and they were able to resolve the genetic structure of the populations taken in account. In flatworms, for instance, where morphological analyses often failed in resolving the taxonomic status, the results were consistent with those obtained with other markers and experiments of reproductive biology; thus it allows us to infer the occurrence of sibling species. We also used these markers to investigate the small-scale genetic structure in the bivalve Gemma gemma  from the shallow waters of the east coast of the USA; notwithstanding the hypervariability of ISSR markers in this species we could enlighten that populations were constituted by a mosaic of groups of sibs (unpublished data). Finally, I think that for conservation and management of those populations in which genetic diversity can plays a role by an evolutionary point of view (e.g. loss of genetic diversity=reduction of evolutionary potential) genetic monitoring is needed. To achieve this aim we also need a strong effort to develop suitable genetic markers. ISSRs could be a first answer to this matter. References Amos W., Balmford A., 2001. When does conservation genetics matter? Heredity 87 257-265 Zietkiewicz E., Rafalski A., Labuda D., 1994. Genome fingerprinting by simple sequence repeat (SSR)-anchored polymerase chain reaction amplification. Genomics 20: 176-183

Posted by Piero Cossu on 2003-10-08 11:34:04.213

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