Assessing Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Western Honey Bees in the Czech Republic Using 22 Microsatellite Loci

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62156489%3A43210%2F25%3A43926366" target="_blank" >RIV/62156489:43210/25:43926366 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16010055" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16010055</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects16010055" target="_blank" >10.3390/insects16010055</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Assessing Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Western Honey Bees in the Czech Republic Using 22 Microsatellite Loci

Original language description

To date, no study has been conducted to investigate the diversity in honeybee populations of Apis mellifera in the Czech Republic. Between 2022 and 2023, worker bees were collected from colonies distributed throughout the Czech Republic in 77 districts, and their genetic differences were examined using 22 microsatellite loci. The samples were obtained from hives (n = 3647) and through the process of capture on flowers (n = 553). Genetic diversity parameters were assessed for both populations in all 77 districts. The findings demonstrated that honeybee populations exhibit moderate genetic diversity, as evidenced by the number of observed alleles, the Shannon index, and heterozygosity values. There was no discrepancy in diversity between hive and flower samples. Diversity characteristics were determined: mean observed heterozygosity 0.55 (hives) and 0.56 (flowers), and fixation index 0.58 for both populations. The average number of alleles per locus was 13.77 and 11.18 from hives and flowers, respectively. The low FST and FIS values (they measured the level of genetic differentiation between populations and the level of inbreeding, respectively) suggest the absence or minimal genetic diversity within and among studied populations. The genetic variation was calculated as 2% and 1% between populations, 8% and 6% between individuals within populations, and 91% and 93% between all individuals in samples from hives and flowers, respectively. Cluster and DAPC (discriminant analysis principal component) analysis classified the bee samples collected from across the country into three and five to six distinguishable groups, respectively. The honeybee population in the Czech Republic displays sufficient diversity and a partial structure. However, there appears to be no correlation between the genetic groups and the geographic regions to which they are assigned.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10603 - Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3)

Project

<a href="/en/project/QK22020324" target="_blank" >QK22020324: Evaluation of genomic diversity of honey bees in relation to the health status of their populations in the Czech Republic</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Insects

ISSN

2075-4450

e-ISSN

2075-4450

Volume of the periodical

16

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

17

Pages from-to

55

UT code for WoS article

001404402000001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85215811948