Is There any Genetic Variation among Native Mexican and Argentinian Populations of Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)?
Abstract
The corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (Delong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) originated in Mexico, but is found from southeastern and southwestern USA to Argentina. Differences in reproductive and phenotypic traits between Mexican (native) and Argentinian (adventive) populations have been previously reported, but information on their genetic variation is currently unavailable. The objective was to investigate possible genetic variability among D. maidis populations collected in Mexico on maize and maize relatives (annual and perennial teosintes) and on maize in Argentina. A region of the mitochondrial gene coding for the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) and the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) were sequenced and analyzed. We developed the forward and reverse primers for the DNA amplification of COI in D. maidis (dalCOI). Twenty two and 17 sequences for dalCOI and ITS2, respectively, were generated and analyzed. No genetic variation among Mexican and Argentinian populations was found in the ribosomal region and low genetic variation was found in the mitochondrial region. These results could be explained by the short evolutionary time scale, since both maize and the corn leafhopper moved throughout the Americas only in the most recent millenia, or in part to the limited host range, and thus a limited change in the corn leafhopper associated bacteria.La chicharrita del maíz Dalbulus maidis (Delong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) se originó en México pero se le encuentra desde el sur de los Estados Unidos de América hasta Argentina. Diferencias en la reproducción y caracteres fenotípicos entre poblaciones de D. maidis de México (nativas) y Argentina se han registrado previamente, pero se desconoce sobre su variación genética. El objetivo de este estudio fue investigar una posible variación genética entre poblaciones de D. maidis de México colectadas en maíz y sus parientes silvestres (teosintes anuales y perenes) y en maíz de Argentina. Una porción del gene mitocondrial que codifica para la subunidad 1 del citocromo oxidasa (mtCOI) y el espaciador interno transcrito del ADN ribosomal (ITS2) fueron secuenciados y analizados. En este estudio se desarrolló el cebador para la amplificación de COI en D. maidis (dalCOI). Veintidós y 17 secuencias para mtCOI y ITS2, respectivamente, fueron generados y analizados. No se observó variación genética entre poblaciones de México y Argentina en el ITS2 y se encontró poca variación genética en el mtCOI. La falta o poca variación genética podría ser el resultado de un corto tiempo evolutivo, desde que el maíz y la chicharrita del maíz se dispersaron en América, o en parte a un número limitado de plantas hospederas, consecuentemente a un cambio limitado en la asociación bacteria y D. maidis.
View this article in BioOne
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright for any article published in Florida Entomologist is held by the author(s) of the article. Florida Entomologist is an open access journal. Florida Entomologist follows terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License (cc by-nc). By submitting and publishing articles in Florida Entomologist, authors grant the FOJ and Florida Entomologist's host institutions permission to make the article available through Internet posting and electronic dissemination, and to otherwise archive the information contained both electronically and in a hard printed version. When used, information and images obtained from articles must be referenced and cited appropriately. Articles may be reproduced for personal, educational, or archival purposes, or any non-commercial use. Permission should be sought from the author(s) for multiple, non-commercial reproduction. Written permission from the author(s) is required for any commercial reproduction.
