Mitochondrial DNA Suggests the Introduction of Honeybees of African Ancestry to East-Central Europe.

ABSTRACT: In Europe, protecting the genetic diversity of Apis mellifera is usually perceived in the context of limiting the spread of the evolutionary C-lineage within the original range of the M-lineage. However, due to climate change and large-scale ongoing movement of breeding individuals, the expansion of bees from the African A-lineage could represent another threat. This issue has not yet been investigated in detail, although A-mitotypes occur in South-West and South Europe due to natural gene flow. Here, we determine the diversity of mtDNA in honey bees from East-Central Europe. We sequenced the COI-COII region in 427 bees sampled along two 900 km transects (17.5° N and 23° E). We found that 1.64% of bees (95% CI: 0.66-3.35 %) had A-mitotypes. It is unlikely that their presence in the

SUBMITTER: Oleksa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8147603 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature