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Introgressive hybridization between two non‐native apple snails in China: widespread hybridization and homogenization in egg morphology
Author(s) -
Yang QianQian,
He Chao,
Liu GuangFu,
Yin ChuanLin,
Xu YiPeng,
Liu SuWen,
Qiu JianWen,
Yu XiaoPing
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.5980
Subject(s) - introgression , biology , hybrid , pomacea canaliculata , heterosis , genotyping , zoology , botany , genetics , evolutionary biology , genotype , snail , gene , ecology
BACKGROUND Apple snails from the genus Pomacea have spread widely in paddy fields and other wetlands of southern China since their introduction in the 1980s. Pomacea spp. are commonly identified using mitochondrial COI sequences. However, sequencing the nuclear elongation factor 1‐alpha (EF1α) gene revealed genetic introgression between field populations of P. canaliculata and P. maculata , which produce surviving hybrids in laboratory crossbreeding experiments. RESULTS In this study, we sequenced 1054 EF1α clones to design specific primers and established a fast and accurate multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for genotyping EF1α. Combined with genotyping P. canaliculata and P. maculata based on mitochondrial COI and nuclear EF1α, we revealed the genetic introgression patterns of 30 apple snail populations in China. Purebred and hybrid individuals of P. canaliculata were widely distributed, while pure maculata‐EF1α type was detected only in a few individuals identified as P. canaliculata based on COI sequences. Each egg clutch had one to three genetic patterns, indicating multiple paternity or segregation in the progeny of hybrids. The higher percentages of hybrids in both wild populations and progeny than the homozygotes indicated a potential heterosis in the apple snail populations. Additionally, egg size and clutch size of the apple snails became homogeneous among the non‐native populations exhibiting introgression hybridization. CONCLUSION Our findings emphasize the value of apple snails as a model to study the mechanisms and impacts of introgressive hybridization on fitness traits. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry