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Evidence for weak genetic recombination at the PTP 2 locus of N osema ceranae
Author(s) -
GómezMoracho Tamara,
Bartolomé Carolina,
MartínHernández Raquel,
Higes Mariano,
Maside Xulio
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12574
Subject(s) - biology , locus (genetics) , genetics , haplotype , recombination , population , genetic diversity , ploidy , genetic variation , genome , polymerase chain reaction , experimental evolution , evolutionary biology , gene , allele , demography , sociology
Summary The microsporidian N osema ceranae is an emergent pathogen that threatens the health of honeybees and other pollinators all over the world. Its recent rapid spread across a wide variety of host species and environments demonstrated an enhanced ability of adaptation, which seems to contradict the lack of evidence for genetic recombination and the absence of a sexual stage in its life cycle. Here we retrieved fresh data of the patterns of genetic variation at the PTP 2 locus in naturally infected A pis mellifera colonies, by means of single genome amplification. This technique, designed to prevent the formation of chimeric haplotypes during polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ), provides more reliable estimates of the diversity levels and haplotype structure than standard PCR ‐cloning methods. Our results are consistent with low but significant rates of recombination in the history of the haplotypes detected: estimates of the population recombination rate are of the order of 30 and support recent evidence for unexpectedly high levels of variation of the parasites within honeybee colonies. These observations suggest the existence of a diploid stage at some point in the life cycle of this parasite and are relevant for our understanding of the dynamics of its expanding population.