Genetic diversity in ribosomal 18S rRNA and mitochondrial COIII genes in Chinese cultured populations of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Abstract To analyze the genetic diversity and genetic structure of cultured populations of Mytilus galloprovincialis , 44 individuals were sampled from three localities, Yantai, Rushan of Shandong province and Dongji of Zhejiang province. Sequence analysis of ribosomal (18S rRNA gene) and mitochondrial DNA (COIII gene) revealed 23 haplotypes of 18S rRNA and 30 haplotypes of COIII. Haplotype diversities ( Hd ), nucleotide diversities ( Pi ) and average nucleotide differences ( K ) were 0.712 (18S rRNA) and 0.946 (COIII), 0.0044 (18S rRNA) and 0.0207 (COIII), and 0.703 (18S rRNA) and 15.316 (COIII), respectively. Fixation indices ( Φ ST ) of the three cultured populations showed no genetic divergence between Yantai and Rushan populations but significant genetic divergence between Dongji and the other two populations. In the present study, we found no evidence for decline in genetic polymorphism of cultural M . galloprovincialis populations. The findings of the present study will be useful in the management and conservation of M . galloprovincialis resources.