International Journal of
Genetics and Molecular Biology

  • Abbreviation: Int. J. Genet. Mol. Biol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2006-9863
  • DOI: 10.5897/IJGMB
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 139

Full Length Research Paper

Low genetic diversity of Hypophthalmus marginatus from the Tocantins River based on cytochrome b sequence data

  Emil José Hernández-Ruz1, Evonnildo Costa Gonçalves2, Artur Silva3 and Maria Paula Cruz Schneider3
  1Laboratório de Zoologia, Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará/UFPA, Campus Universitário de Altamira, Rua Coronel José Porfírio, 2515 CEP 68.372-040 - Altamira - PA, Brazil. 2Laboratório de Tecnologia Biomolecular, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, Guamá, Belém, Pará, Brasil, 66075-900. 3Laboratório de Polimorfismo de DNA, Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Rua Augusto Corrêa, 01, Guamá, Belém, Pará, Brasil, 66075-900.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 19 August 2013
  •  Published: 30 November 2013

Abstract

 

In this study, we used a portion of mitochondrial cytochrome b to evaluate the current genetic structure of the Hypophthalmus marginatus Valenciennes 1840, from the Tocantins River in the eastern Amazonia. Genetic diversity was measured in two downstream (Abaetetuba and Cametá), and two upstream (Tucuruí and Itupiranga) stocks under influence of the Tucuruí Hydroelectric Dam. Additionally, one stock from the Araguaia River system was included in the analysis. Our findings provide evidence for the existence of reduced levels of genetic diversity in H. marginatus of the Tocantis basin. The pattern of distribution of haplotypes observed in the present study appears to reflect the migratory characteristics of H. marginatus (short distance migratory), suggesting gene flow mainly in the upstream to downstream. Alternatively, presence of rare sequences only in Cametá and Abaetetuba may result from recent mutations, since they differ from connecting haplotypes by only one nucleotide substitution.

 

Key words: Hydroelectric dam impact, Hypophthalmus marginatus, population genetic structure.