High sample throughput genotyping for estimating C-lineage introgression in the dark honeybee: an accurate and cost-effective SNP-based tool

Dora Henriques, Keith A. Brown, Mark Barnett, Melanie Parejo, Per Kryger, Thomas Freeman, Irene Munoz, Lionel Garnery, Fiona Highet, J Spencer Johnston, Grace P. McCormack, M. Alice Pinto

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The natural distribution of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) has been changed by humans in recent decades to such an extent that the formerly widest-spread European subspecies, Apis mellifera mellifera, is threatened by extinction through introgression from highly divergent commercial strains in large tracts of its range. Conservation efforts for A. m. mellifera are underway in multiple European countries requiring reliable and cost-efficient molecular tools to identify purebred colonies. Here, we developed four ancestry-informative SNP assays for high sample throughput genotyping using the iPLEX Mass Array system. Our customized assays were tested on DNA from individual and pooled, haploid and diploid honeybee samples extracted from different tissues using a diverse range of protocols. The assays had a high genotyping success rate and yielded accurate genotypes. Performance assessed against whole-genome data showed that individual assays behaved well, although the most accurate introgression estimates were obtained for the four assays combined (117 SNPs). The best compromise between accuracy and genotyping costs was achieved when combining two assays (62 SNPs). We provide a ready-to-use cost-effective tool for accurate molecular identification and estimation of introgression levels to more effectively monitor and manage A. m. mellifera conservatories.
Original languageEnglish
Article number8552
JournalScientific Reports
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Jun 2018

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