Genetic impoverishment in laboratory cultures of the test organism Chironomus riparius

Genetic diversity among laboratory and field populations of Chironomus riparius was investigated using microsatellite DNA analysis. Individuals of midge cultures reared in 10 different laboratories showed a clear reduction in the number of alleles per locus and in the level of heterozygosity compare...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental toxicology and chemistry 2007-05, Vol.26 (5), p.1018-1022
Main Authors: Nowak, Carsten, Vogt, Christian, Diogo, João Barateiro, Schwenk, Klaus
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
Animals
Aquatic ecosystems
Bioassays
Biological Assay
Chemicals
Chironomidae
Chironomidae - genetics
Chironomus riparius
Chironomus test
Culture Techniques
DNA, Satellite - genetics
Environmental conditions
Freshwater
Genetic diversity
Genetic drift
Genetic Markers
Genetic variation
Genetic Variation - genetics
Germany
Heterozygote
Inbreeding
Laboratories
Laboratory tests
Microsatellite markers
Microsatellite Repeats - genetics
Natural populations
Organisms
Population
Population genetics
Standard deviation
Toxicity
Toxicity Tests
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Genetic diversity among laboratory and field populations of Chironomus riparius was investigated using microsatellite DNA analysis. Individuals of midge cultures reared in 10 different laboratories showed a clear reduction in the number of alleles per locus and in the level of heterozygosity compared to two natural populations sampled in southern Germany. To reconstruct the rate of genetic impoverishment under laboratory conditions, genetic diversity was monitored in a C. riparius laboratory population for 23 generations. Additionally, 11 populations originating from different laboratories were crossed, and genetic diversity was compared among pure, crossed, and natural populations. The results demonstrate that C. riparius strains used in standard toxicity tests exhibit low levels of genetic variability. In addition, our experiments show that refreshment of stocks with individuals from other laboratories is not sufficient to restore genetic variation. Potential consequences of genetic impoverishment and improvements for toxicological bioassays are discussed.
ISSN:0730-7268
1552-8618
DOI:10.1897/06-349R.1