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Molecular analyses of mitochondrial DNA reveal new haplotypes and lineages within Ethiopian honeybees (Apis mellifera)

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Abstract

A sequence of the COI-COII intergenic region of the mitochondrial DNA of honeybees (Apis mellifera) was conducted to characterize the genetic basis of Ethiopian honeybee populations and elucidate the existing controversial concepts among morphologically identified local honeybee subspecies in Ethiopia. Samples of 204 honeybees were collected from 51 localities from eight regions (Oromia, Amhara, South Nation and Nationality people, Tigray, Afar, Somali, Beneshagul Gumaz and Gambella). Total genomic DNA was extracted from adult worker honeybee and amplified using E2 and H2 universal primers. Sequences of the COI-COII intergenic region generated from a total of 199 honeybees resulted in 15 haplotypes with a diversity value of 0.469. Within genetic variation (73.62%) was higher compared to among the population (26.38%). Lineages Y, A, and O were well separated, in which A and O are the first report for Ethiopia. The presence of four distinct groups of honey bee subspecies (A. m. jemenitica, A. m. litorea, A. m. syriaca, and A. m. iberiensis) could be now evident. A. m. jemenitica, categorized under lineage Y covers a large geographic area (83.43%) as compared to A. m. litorea (7.03%), A. m. syriaca (2.51%) and A. m. iberiensis (2.51%) that are categorized under linage A and O. Honeybees native to Saudi Arabia, carried by the reference subspecies A.m. jemenitica, categorized under lineage O were also accounted for 4.52%. A. m. jemenitica is the first report of honey bee subspecies in Ethiopia.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Jimma University College of Agriculture and Vet. Medicine and Oromia Agricultural Research Institute (OARI).

Funding

This work was partially funded by Oromia Agricultural Research Institute and Jimma University College of Agriculture and Vet. Medicine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, Jimma, P.O. Box. 307, Ethiopia

    Tadele Alemu Hunde, Yosef Deneke & Beira Hailu Meressa

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  1. Tadele Alemu Hunde
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  2. Yosef Deneke
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  3. Beira Hailu Meressa
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Contributions

Tadele A. Hunde: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing-Original draft preparation, Visualization. Yosef D: Resource, Supervision, Methodology. Beira H. Meressa: Resource, Supervision, Methodology.

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Correspondence to Beira Hailu Meressa.

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Hunde, T.A., Deneke, Y. & Meressa, B.H. Molecular analyses of mitochondrial DNA reveal new haplotypes and lineages within Ethiopian honeybees (Apis mellifera). Int J Trop Insect Sci 43, 1327–1338 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01046-y

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