DNA variation and symbiotic associations in phenotypically diverse sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius.

ABSTRACT: Strongylocentrotus intermedius (A. Agassiz, 1863) is an economically important sea urchin inhabiting the northwest Pacific region of Asia. The northern Primorye (Sea of Japan) populations of S. intermedius consist of two sympatric morphological forms, "usual" (U) and "gray" (G). The two forms are significantly different in morphology and preferred bathymetric distribution, the G form prevailing in deeper-water settlements. We have analyzed the genetic composition of the S. intermedius forms using the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial gene encoding the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the nuclear gene encoding bindin to evaluate the possibility of cryptic species within S. intermedius. We have examined the presence of symbiont microorganisms by means of 16S rRNA sequences. The nuc

SUBMITTER: Balakirev ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2571021 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature